Hammering the Dems During Mid-Terms
Bill Maher did a take on Obama accomplishments or what some or many might say only occurred because he was in office.
– 63 straight months of economic expansion.
– A Depression averted (even with budget cuts).
– A Deficit reduced by 2/3rds.
– A Healthcare Law that is working and reducing costs.
– Two Women on the Supreme Court.
– Bin Laden dead.
– Stock Market at bobbing around at record heights.
– Gas prices are down.
– Unemployment going from 10.2% to 5.9% (in spite of austerity). “If you are a Fox News viewer trying to do the math, this is less.”
Granted, President Obama could have done more with Wall Street, TBTF, job creation, austerity, food stamps, unemployment benefits, breaking the back of the Republican party after his second election; but, just being around for these accomplishments begs for some type of recognition by Dems running for office. They should be talking up these accomplishments and not letting Repubs control the message to the constituents. As Maher said, It isn’t exactly like Obama gave us herpes; instead, he gave the nation healthcare through Congress.
It will be interesting to see if Obama caves if the Repubs take control of the Senate, which is still up in the air according to Sam Wang at Princeton Consortium.
“Snapshot probability distribution of all possible outcomes calculated from current state polls. The blue bars represent combinations of outcomes leading to Democratic control. The red bars represent Republican control. The green bar indicates outcomes in which Democrats and Independents control 50 votes, and independent Greg Orman of Kansas provides one of the votes. In this case, Orman’s choice of caucus will determine control of the chamber. This a snapshot of the polled demographic based on conditions today.” More data and predictions at Sam’s blog.
Peters will win in Michigan. Many other states are up for grabs including McConnell’s home state of Kentucky. It would be nice to see McConnell end his career in 2014.
Notes and References:
“Maher Hammers Dems For Running From Obama In Midterms” Crooks and Liars
“Today’s Senate seat-count histogram *snapshot*” Sam Wang, Princeton Election Consortium
Of course Republicans will deny that Obama had anything to do with any of these items.
I note your usage: “…begs for some type of recognition by Dems running for office…”. I concur with it unfortunately. If only they could have begged more for recognition and less for money money money.
Chest lah vee as they say in Oklahoma.
And if only to moderate my whinging regarding the sold out Democrats I point to this interesting piece from Thomas Frank on Salon re: my home state of KS: http://www.salon.com/2014/11/02/righteous_rage_impotent_fury_thomas_frank_returns_to_kansas_to_hunt_the_last_days_of_sam_brownback_and_pat_roberts/
Is it possible that after suffering the most extreme experiment in Koch funded free market idiocy that Kansans are leading the country in rejecting it? That the KS GOP are actually analogous to the KC Royals in game 7 ninth inning? So close but ultimately losers by 1?
All of the actions(sic) of the Dems are understandable if you realize that for decades now the party has believed there is a large number of independent voters(after all, they registered that way) who swing their vote from party to party. Of course, that is a ridiculous thought, but that’s the way they are.
Since all of “those people” always vote Dem, to pursue the independent voter(who has to be white) you cannot get close to the black guy.
If the dems lose the senate it is a shame; the dumbest electorate in the world accepting the lies they are told!
In the toss up state I live in we are bombarded by lying, from no name PAC’s. Our dems are responsible for Bush’s depression, Bush’s deficits, and they think our dems are weak for not running around like chickens with their heads cut off over ISIS while the quagmire they sold is what got the dems into power back in 06 and 08!
Of course most of it is on Fox so we get the Kochlicans spreading Fox News inanity all day and night.
John Bolton selling war again with lies!
Was just listening to a commentary on NPR regarding difference between this midterm and 2006, when young people voted very overwhelmingly to reject the GOP and the administration esp wrt the Iraq War.
Question for Democratic strategists: How would you expect to get voters motivated against a greater involvement in the New War against ISIL to support the ticket? Use specific examples of democratic leadership statements please.
Amateur Socialist;
Wasting a good part of a trillion bucks a year murdering jihadists with drones controlled in Virginia and bombers whose pilots sleep safe in air condition rooms has no tactical value. For the jihadists their body count is a recruiting poster. Did you listen to the sheik from the UK last night on 60 minutes? He told all the answers!
But to get this Fox News, and the networks, must stop running footage of a British jihadi with a K-bar cutting off one American civilian’s head.
ISIS is not a “center of gravity”; the demise of ISIS would do no more for ending perpetual (profitable, degrading US civil society) war on terror than killing bin Laden in his quarantined compound in Pakistan. Taking out ISIS is just a skirmish in a broader, 40 years of tactics linked to no strategic outcome. To get through this argument would require doing what Stalin did to his generals in 1940 to the US’ pentagon.
I just finished “BUx: INTL301x War for the Greater Middle East”, a six week on line course through edx.org. I am hopeful Professor Bacevich (US Army Retired) will offer it again soon.
Since Carter in 1979, the US has invaded, and or bombed diverse Middle Eastern nations all of whom are Islamic 14 times including the recent kerfuffle over ISIS. This is the 14th attack is another attack against the enemy which has no effect on its center of gravity. Center of Gravity was coined by von Clauswitz, exploited by the German general staff for Hitler so well until they failed to knock out the center of gravity of the Soviets, Stalin kept moving his war plants east and refused to lose Moscow.
The problem with the US is it runs off and attacks and has no idea what the center of gravity it wants to attack.
Ok ok but more to the point of the topic of the post: How is a voter who agrees with you (that this is a disastrously bloody expensive and corrupt folly) supposed to know how to vote? Answer carefully, evidence is appreciated.
I have no idea whether or not it would have made a difference in this election but the conventional wisdom says it did in 2006. Why did Bogama and the Democratic party decide to ignore this bloc of voters in 2014?
Bonus (a pretty big one really!) if you can figure out how to engage them in 2016. Especially if Madame Secretary is at the top of the ticket.
Cathy O’Neil aka Mathbabe points us to this interview with “Hand to Mouth” author Linda Turado: http://mathbabe.org/2014/11/03/hand-to-mouth-and-the-rationality-of-the-poor/
In what way has the democratic administration actually addressed the working poor she is documenting in her book? Even to those who are not (yet) in that category, but have fears they may yet be?
The FT had a piece up this morning pointing out that the Democrats actually had a significant fundraising advantage going into this cycle. Good marketing doesn’t overcome a $hitty product. No matter what Bill Maher claims on a $15/monthly pay TV channel.
Sometimes even a “$hitty product” is better than no product..