Obama makeover

Published December 24, 2014

by Gary Pearce, Talking About Politics, December 23,2014.

Where was this guy in October when we needed him?

 

In the weeks before the election, President Obama seemed passive and powerless as ISIS ran wild in the Middle East and Ebola panicked America.

 

In the weeks since, he’s come back strong: heralding a recovering economy, challenging Congress on immigration, championing Internet openness, leading on climate change, speaking sanely on race relations, calling out North Korea and even chastising Hollywood for cowardice.

 

A few months ago, Republicans like Rudy Giuliani were swooning over the manliness of Vladimir Putin (“now there’s a leader”) and dissing the President as a wuss. Now Obama is presiding over an economy that’s coming back and Putin is pretending his economy isn’t going down.

 

Democrats can’t help but ask: If this guy had been around in October, would the election results have changed?

 

Behind that is a bigger question: Did the 2014 elections reflect a short-term dip for Democrats or a long-term decline?

 

Some Democrats say the polls looked good in early October, but collapsed as voters grew anxious over ISIS and Ebola and saw no leadership from the White House.

 

Others worry that Americans have developed a deep-seated aversion to Obama that colors (literally) their view of all Democrats – as a party that represents only minorities, the poor, gays and women who want abortions and doesn’t relate to the great numbers of middle-class and working-class Americans who think they’re getting screwed.

 

Here’s a best guess (and that’s all it is): Those Americans don’t feel any better represented by Republicans than by Democrats. Their votes in November were driven by what was happening right then. Just as Obama’s election six years ago was driven by the economic collapse right then. Just as the polls in October 2013 were driven by the Obamacare website disaster right then, just as the polls in November 2013 were driven by the Republican’s shutdown of the government right then.

 

When people vote, they think most about what’s happening right then and what they hope will happen next.

 

We over-read and overreact to every election. Democrats need to stop blaming Obama and start getting ready for 2016. The world will be very different then.

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December 24, 2014 at 11:20 pm
Greg Dail says:

You lost me at the second paragraph. Let me take these point by point.

1) A recovering economy? For Wall Street types maybe, but the middle class ain't Warren Buffett.

2) Challenging Congress on immigration is one way to put it, but I'd say he's challenging Congress to protect the Constitution against illegal executive abuse of power (power he doesn't have by the way).

3) Championing internet openness by limiting internet openness...sounds very Democratic Party to me.

4) Leading on climate change? What climate change? But when "carbon credits" start getting passed around I'm sure Al Gore and the Chinese will be elated...and a heckuva lot richer!

5) Speaking sanely on race relations with his close advisor the Rev. Al Sharpton at his side. If there ever was a self-serving race pimp it's the Rev. The President of the United States should not be anywhere near this street hustler, after all, when Al speaks people die.

6) Calling out North Korea did he? I must have missed that. Oh I saw where the President is "considering" putting them back on the sponsor of terrorism list. My question is how in the world North Korea was ever removed from the list?

By the way, did you forget Cuba?

December 25, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Frank Burns says:

The correct answer was Obama was in hiding because he was toxic and remains toxic. His policies are unpopular and his bypassing Congress is illegal and needs to be stopped. Just because he cannot govern, it doesn't become our problem.