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Obama & The Democrats Are Finally On Message
Republican congressfolk have stayed unfailingly on message in the run-up to the 2012 election: They vote no on everything that might possibly enhance Barack Obama’s standing even if it means allowing the economy to continue to stagnate and keep millions of Americans to remain out of work. Meanwhile, the Democrats have pretty much flailed, the president’s famous leadership qualities often have been AWOL . . . and the economy continues to stagnate with millions of Americans remaining out of work.
That dynamic changed this week as the president and Democrats went on message. That message, which voters in swing states will hear endlessly in the coming year, was forcefully summarized in a statement that Obama released after Republicans voted against a tax cut for 160 million mostly middle-class Americans because the legislation included a tax hike for about 350,000 people with more than $1 million in annual taxable income:
“Tonight, Senate Republicans chose to raise taxes on nearly 160 million hardworking Americans because they refused to ask a few hundred thousand millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share. They voted against a bill that would have not only extended the $1,000 tax cut for a typical family, but expanded that tax cut to put an extra $1,500 in their pockets next year, and given nearly six million small business owners new incentives to expand and hire. That is unacceptable. It makes absolutely no sense to raise taxes on the middle class at a time when so many are still trying to get back on their feet.
“Now is not the time to put the economy and the security of the middle class at risk. Now is the time to rebuild an economy where hard work and responsibility pay off, and everybody has a chance to succeed. Now is the time to put country before party and work together on behalf of the American people.”
To say that the eventual Republican presidential nominee and other members of the Just Say No coalition are vulnerable is an understatement. Whether on Capitol Hill or in the endless series of presidential debates, Republicans have openly derided the suffering middle class, accused the poor of being lazy bums, and lip locked with the 1 percenters who have been the target of Occupy Wall Street protesters.
In poll after poll, likely voters blame Republicans for the impasse in Washington and while Obama’s approval ratings have dropped through the year, they have begun to come back up in recent weeks despite the palpable anger of some voters as the economy continues to show signs of improvement, adding 120,000 jobs last week, which dropped the unemployment rate below 9 percent for the first time since Obama was elected.
Then there are the Republican presidential wannabes themselves. Like I said, Obama has had his problems, but for the most part he has been presidential, which is to say that he has led. Or tried to when the Republicans haven’t gotten in the way.
Contrast that with a GOP field that shamelessly lies, exaggerates and bloviates and on the whole shows an appalling lack of knowledge about economics, the world beyond America’s shores and even the Constitution. With the exception of Jon Huntsman, there is not a keen mind in the bunch, and that includes Mitt Romney, who while probably having the best chance of beating the president is constantly at war with his old self. Should the party’s right-wing base hold their nose and allow his nomination, Obama will have him for lunch during the debates. Should that base get its way and Newt Gingrich is the nominee, Obama will have him for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Pause for a moment and consider that given the parlous state of the economy, the 2012 election was supposed to be the Republicans to lose but the best they may be able to come up with is a a chameleon — a deeply corrupt former House speaker whose signal accomplishment was shutting down the government and is the ultimate political insider at a time when insiders were anathema to that base.
Meanwhile, a Pew Research Center analysis of several polls released this week found that support for the Tea Party is falling precipitously and it is dragging down the Republican Party.
Long story short, the tables have been turned and Republicans will be unable to masquerade as anything other than obstructionists disdainful of everyone other than the rich.
14 Responses to “Obama & The Democrats Are Finally On Message”
Agree, agree & agree. Now, the people with the pulpit, get the message out
Most of us only hear what the media wants us to hear.
Did anyone hear that the GOP offered a bill that would have made millionaires and billionaires pay the full cost of Medicare coverage (about 18K per year) and that was rejected by the democrats. (LA Times 12-1-11). That “savings” was to offset the cost of the payroll tax cut. The democrats rejected the proposal since it was a cut in benefits and they would not support any cuts in benefits for medicare recipients, even though it hit the same rich folks with about the same bill they want to tax.
So who is getting “played”. Not the Republicans since the protected their “no tax increase” pledge and can claim they offered a package to pay for the cuts. Not the Democrats since they protected their “no cuts to benefits” pledge since they offered a package to raise taxes to pay for the tax cuts. Guess what, it was the American citizens that are being played by both parties and are being manipulated by the press to either make it sound like the right is protecting the rich and the left is protecting the poor. What we end up with is getting shafted!!
RP said it for me. I guess it’s time to bend over and spread my *ahem* cheeks. Life is going to get worse for a long time before it gets better.
RP, it wasn’t just the democrats that rejected the proposal, so did 20 republicans. From the LA Times:
How has Obama been presidential? In telling people to punish their enemies? In playing party lines and not sticking to calling out congress, instead, those darned republicans? In dividing people by wealth? In supporting one movement of people but not the other?
He doesn’t lead America, he leads his ideology.
Still in all, RP’s point is well taken:
“78 to 20, with more than two dozen Republicans and all Democrats voting no.”
Note: All Dems against.
“Still in all, RP’s point is well taken:
“78 to 20, with more than two dozen Republicans and all Democrats voting no.”
Note: All Dems against.”
Huh? I’m not sure of the point. More Republicans voted against it than voted for it. Doesn’t even seem that the Republicans liked it when only a minority of Republicans voted for it. I don’t see how anyone could characterize this bill as representative of Republican interests when it was only supported by a minority of Republicans.
And that’s saying something about the bill as the Republicans generally vote lock-step on anything that could either hurt Obama or anything that helps them. Must have been a really atrocious piece of legislation.
“Long story short, the tables have been turned and Republicans will be unable to masquerade as anything other than obstructionists disdainful of everyone other than the rich.” – Shaun
I was about to say “disdainful of the rich and other republicans”, but at the rate they are tearing each other up I guess I can’t do that. What a strange soap opera..
Rob:
A very few examples of Obama being presidential:
* Persuading a majority in Congress to vote for his stimulus package.
* Ramming through health-care reform.
* Saving the domestic auto industry.
* Taking out Osama bin Laden and much of the Al Qaeda cadre.
* Fashioning a new foreign policy that emphasizes diplomacy over bellicosity.
“Republican interests when it was only supported by a minority of Republicans.”
Ding ding ding…we have a winner!
The minority Reps only introduced the bill for its media talking points value. Luckily, that kind of junk doesn’t fly around here. Too many informed folks on TMV.
Might as well have fun like am with Herman Cain. This time around Republicans couldn’t wipe their own arse with a cotton bail.
“the GOP offered a bill that would have made millionaires and billionaires pay the full cost of Medicare coverage (about 18K per year)”
I suspect it was another attempt to create “means testing”.
You see, if SS and Medicare apply equally to everybody, they’re relatively safe from attack.
But once you apply means testing so only the poor qualify, these programs become “Welfare”.
And we’ve seen how eagerly the Republicans campaign against “Welfare”.
Back in the good old days of the Clinton Administration, Welfare was shot in the head and left to die.
So, no thanks. We’ll just keep SS and Medicare open to everybody equally.
The savings wouldn’t be all that much; rich people can afford medical insurance and don’t need to tap Medicare at all.
Shaun:
* Persuading a majority in Congress to vote for his stimulus package.
* Ramming through health-care reform.
Both of those were pretty much on party lines. Remember the majorities the democrats had? I also love that you see ramming something through as presidential.
* Saving the domestic auto industry.
What, TARP? That thing started under Bush the buffoon? You know, I sure could use a bailout, myself. Then again, maybe I could just declare bankruptcy and build my life from the ground up.
* Taking out Osama bin Laden and much of the Al Qaeda cadre.
I like some of the things that were done for sure, but…
* Fashioning a new foreign policy that emphasizes diplomacy over bellicosity.
A new incoherent foreign policy, sure. I’m not sure if our allies look at us like they used to. In Iran, he waited until the rebellion was practically decimated before he said anything about, and on the other hand he threw Mubarak under the bus immediately. That has now ushered in what looks to become a new Islamist state. And how very diplomatic of him to start more warring in Libya. God knows what that’s going to turn into. And while that whole Libya debacle is going on, the same thing but worse is happening in Syria.
Venezuela sure loves Obama’s diplomacy, don’t they?
I mean seriously, come on.
I’d like to add the “Clunker Program”, one of the least efficient (I was going to say stupidest) idea yet and accepting the Nobel prize.
Plus, what he “rammed” was not universal health care, even though they had the majorities (I know he wanted to include the Reps), but what many now see as a Tower of Babel.
And, Gitmo, I don’t need no Gitmo, try them in lower Manhattan, oops never mind.
Bailing out GM, hmmmm, gave us the Volt.
Yes, he has done some good stuff, but on balance, not so good.
Oh, if only those obstructionist Reps didn’t rattle his halo and clip his wings.