whats up with the Chi Trib ?? Obama should WITHDRAW ???

[littlewolf]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/ct-oped-0918-chapman-20110918,0,5039308.story


When Ronald Reagan ran for re-election in 1984, his slogan was "Morning in America." For Barack Obama, it's more like midnight in a coal mine.
The sputtering economy is about to stall out, unemployment is high, his jobs program may not pass, foreclosures are rampant and the poor guy can't even sneak a cigarette.

snip

His approval rating is at its lowest level ever. His party just lost two House elections — one in a district it had held for 88 consecutive years. He's staked his future on the jobs bill, which most Americans don't think would work.
The vultures are starting to circle. Former White House spokesman Bill Burton said that unless Obama can rally the Democratic base, which is disillusioned with him, "it's going to be impossible for the president to win." Democratic consultant James Carville had one word of advice for Obama: "Panic."

snip


But there is good news for the president. I checked the Constitution, and he is under no compulsion to run for re-election. He can scrap the campaign, bag the fundraising calls and never watch another Republican debate as long as he's willing to vacate the premises by Jan. 20, 2013.
That might be the sensible thing to do. It's hard for a president to win a second term when unemployment is painfully high. If the economy were in full rebound mode, Obama might win anyway. But it isn't, and it may fall into a second recession — in which case voters will decide his middle name is Hoover, not Hussein. Why not leave of his own volition instead of waiting to get the ax?
It's not as though there is much enticement to stick around. Presidents who win re-election have generally found, wrote John Fortier and Norman Ornstein in their 2007 book, "Second-Term Blues," that "their second terms did not measure up to their first."

more at the link

[blogslut]

1. Take the source into account

Steve Chapman is a conservative columnist. He also writes for Reason Magazine and TownHall.com.

[littlewolf]

2. ahhh ... why would the Chi Trib print it ??? nt

[blogslut]

3. I would imagine they do that "two sides" thing

Chapman is on staff. I am not completely familiar with the Trib but I'm taking a guess they employ liberal columnists as well.

EDIT ADD: They employ this guy: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-081001clarence-page-bio,0,3310374.htmlstory

[TheWraith]

11. Actually, they've always kind of had it in for Obama, going back to the primary.

The Chi Trib is not what you'd call a liberal paper.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Some Fox News "Democrats" suggested this last winter

It was a stupid idea then and it's a stupid idea now. Obama's poll numbers may be low (among the general public) but the Republicans' poll numbers are even worse. The only group that would "benefit" from Obama withdrawing would be the Republicans-whom obviously still see him as a threat politically. I mean, why else would they be working so hard to disenfranchise voters and/or rig the electoral contests (i.e. Pennsylvania) in their favor? Their field is crummy and they know they certainly don't have an "Obama" or a "Reagan" among them. More importantly, however, they know they sure as hell can't run on the issues either.

[HughBeaumont]

5. YAY Supply Side!!

Steve, your candidates suck ass and you know it. Supply Side is a ginormous FAIL and you know it. Giving it more time to work is like saying we'll end the wars by putting more kids in this meat grinder.

Hillary is less of an economic progressive than her husband was.

Hillary is not her husband.

Hillary doesn't want to run.

Put your crayons away.

[SidDithers]

6. What's Steve Chapman's DU name?...nt

Sid

[Blue_Tires]

10. oh, I've got a few ideas on that....

:yoiks:

[tblue]

7. What alternative is he proposing?

I hope the president stays on this populist theme. He threatened a veto today and I hope he means it.

At this point, the best I can say about this op piece is it could help Obama, if he gains from it an impetus to stay populist. If, on the other hand, he interprets it as a sign he's too far left......

[DonCoquixote]

8. The line that tells you all you need to know

about this columnist

"As it happens, there is someone at hand who fits this description: Hillary Clinton."

In other words, this is GOP bait set to catch PUMAs. Like Hillary is going to fire up the left of center types who remember the person Michael Moore called "the best republican president we ever had."

[trueblue2007]

9. CHICAGO TRIB STINKS

[Joe the Revelator]

12. Clintonista BS