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| Home Front: Politix |
| The One is Still Campaigning |
| 2009-06-22 |
| First, a quiz. How many people attended President Obama's town-hall forum in Vermont? That would be none. Since becoming president, he hasn't set foot in a state he won by nearly 40 percentage points in November's general election. But thousands have heard Obama speak in Ohio, North Carolina, Missouri, Indiana and Florida, all among the 16 states he has visited since taking office. In each of those places, his margin of victory or defeat last November was fewer than five percentage points. As recently as last week, Obama warned that the changes he is seeking in health care, energy policy and financial regulation require "taking on the status quo in Washington." And that, he told an audience of donors who paid as much as $30,400 a couple to see him, "requires the courage to look . . . beyond the next election." We never said he was strong on the courage thingy. Yet during his first five months in office, public policy and electoral politics have come together seamlessly in his domestic travel itinerary. On nearly every trip he has taken, Obama has followed the timeworn path of presidential travel - go where the votes matter most. Now for a little WaPo balance. "A smart White House is a savvy mix of policy and politics, and in our democracy there's nothing wrong with it," said Ari Fleischer, Bush's first press secretary. "If you're all substance and no politics, you lose support on Capitol Hill. If you're all politics and no substance, you lose support among the people." Fleischer added: "If people don't like it, they can move from a safe state to a swing state and see their president more." To Missouri, for example. With a whole nation to pick from, Obama chose to mark his 100th day in office with a town-hall forum in Arnold, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis. He lost Missouri by just over one-tenth of one percentage point. |
| Posted by:Bobby |
| #4 Let's hope America votes the adults in next time. No dems, No RINOs. |
| Posted by: Hellfish 2009-06-22 20:06 |
| #3 It's not working. Daily Presidential Tracking Poll The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 33% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-four percent (34%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -1. Today is the second straight day the PresidentÂ’s rating has been below zero. Also: Voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on six out of 10 key issues, including the top issue of the economy. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% now trust the GOP more to handle economic issues, while 39% trust Democrats more. This is the first time in over two years of polling that the GOP has held the advantage on this issue. The parties were close in May, with the Democrats holding a modest 44% to 43% edge. The latest survey was taken just after General Motors announced it was going into bankruptcy as part of a deal brokered by the Obama administration that gives the government majority ownership of the failing automaker. Voters not affiliated with either party now trust the GOP more to handle economic issues by a two-to-one margin. Separate Rasmussen tracking shows that the economy remains the top issue among voters in terms of importance. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-06-22 15:39 |
| #2 He can campaign all he likes. His policies are impoverishing America, and that will tell at the polls. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2009-06-22 14:39 |
| #1 Someone should caution the President that overexposure can cause sunburn. He may find this continous electioneering will turn people off. I hope so. |
| Posted by: Richard of Oregon 2009-06-22 11:50 |