Patterico's Pontifications

10/30/2014

White House: Democrats Will Lose Because They Are Running from Obama

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 7:15 am



Pure delusion:

White House officials are preemptively spinning a midterm defeat, and they’re using their own fantasies to do it. They’re starting to blame candidates for not supporting President Obama enough. As a top White House official told The Washington Post’s Karen Tumulty, “He doesn’t think they have any reason to run away from him. He thinks there is a strong message there.”

“He doesn’t think they [Democrat candidates] have any reason to run away from him.”

Well, sure they do.

They’re racists.

42 Responses to “White House: Democrats Will Lose Because They Are Running from Obama”

  1. Right? What other explanation could there be for their inexplicable distancing of themselves from the historic first black president?

    Patterico (9c670f)

  2. Maybe they are just tired of his constant harassing catcalls.

    prowlerguy (3af7ff)

  3. The most juvenile administration in history.

    SPQR (c4e119)

  4. President Taint?

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  5. Sometimes you feel you’ve got to
    Run away you’ve got to
    Get away
    From the pain that I’ve caused this country
    The agenda we share
    Seems to go nowhere
    And I’ve lost my folks
    and my cabinet are all bad jokes

    [Chorus]
    Once you ran to me (you ran)
    Now you run from me
    you won’t even mention my name
    all around I turn it’s all the same
    you can take this job and you can shove it
    …Tainted love (Ohh)
    Tainted love

    Now I know I’ve got to
    hit the links I’ve got to
    shank some balls
    You don’t really want any more from me
    To make things right
    they’ll vote Republican and fight
    And to think to me you used to pray
    But now you don’t pray that way

    Ohh, this sucks, yeah, this sucks

    Tainted love… (ohh)… tainted love

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  6. His policies are on the ballot and even the Democrats won’t support them. Just imagine how happy the Dems who survive, or the Democrat Senators up in 2016, are going to be sustaining vetoes of popular legislation.

    Kevin M (d91a9f)

  7. This is the original article in the Wisconsin Reporter that started it all:

    Trek sources: Mary Burke’s family fired her for incompetence

    “She was not performing. She was (in) so far over her head. She didn’t understand the bike business,” said Ellerman, who started with Trek in 1992, at the tail end of Burke’s first stint as a manager at Trek.

    Ellerman said Richard Burke, Mary Burke’s father and founder of the family business, asked Tom Albers, Trek president and chief financial officer at the time, to fly to Amsterdam to evaluate Mary’s performance.

    She wasn’t officially fired. She went on a sabbatical. It may not have been incompetence but rather very bad relations with people.

    If mismanagement, it sounds like maybe, after some years of leaving things alone, or letting other people manage things, during which sales in Europe expanded tremendously, she decided she had learned the business, and decided to implement a whole bunch of new ideas that came into her head that either

    A) Didn’t work, or

    B) That her subordinates didn’t believe would work, or

    C) Would deprive them of income maybe for no good reason.

    Sales began to decline and this came to teh attention of her brother and her father.

    Later she was brought back in some other position. She claimed that she had burnout. (and burnout can be a codeword for suddenly doing a whole bunch of things wrong)

    Most recently now she says her position was eliminated in a reorganization.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  8. Maybe she just cut the pay of everybody working for her by coming up with a whole new compensation system that made sense to her..

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  9. democrats will lose thanks to operation cross check.

    nj (3875e5)

  10. Just think. We have 25 years of ex-preezy Narcissus reminding people how awesome the Obola presidency and his policies were, that they’re still on the ballot even though he’s left office, democrats still secretly support them whether they admit it or not, and they need to embrace Prom Queen’s policies if they want to win.

    Yes!

    Steve57 (85b69a)

  11. Obama is a festering germ in the lung of this nation. I swear that he seems to be the Manchurian candidate, hell bent on destroying the United States and all that it stands for.

    Godzilla's Uncle (092219)

  12. Even a narcissist would be more self aware. I believe firmly in snark and ridicule, but food stamp is a full-blown psychopath‐for realz! The make believe media portrays his demeanor as cool and calm . I call it debilitating indecisive procrastination.

    hadoop (f7d5ba)

  13. hadoop (f7d5ba)

  14. Obama can be both incompetent and stupid when it comes to governing and policy, but he’s actually good at politics. Thus, making a public statement that is so politically tone-deaf, and doing it right before an election, is unusual for him. In addition, Obama’s statement is consistent with his earlier statement that, even though he isn’t on the ballot, his policies are. Thus, this isn’t a random mistake. It’s a theme he’s repeating.

    Is there any reason why he might do this on purpose? All I can think of is that he’s sure the GOP will win the Senate and that’s all he cared about, since losing the Senate means he could have problems appointing liberal judges and getting approval of treaties. Now his focus will be on the 2016 Presidential election — not because he cares about getting Hillary elected, but because he wants a Democrat who will be more likely to veto any effort to repeal ObamaCare and who is more likely to preserve Obama’s executive orders on immigration, the EPA, etc.

    I know Obama doesn’t like to be criticized but I think he might be willing to take criticism over a 2014 midterm election if it makes it more likely he can preserve his legacy in 2016 and beyond.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  15. “since losing the Senate means he could have problems appointing liberal judges”

    DRJ – I don’t think the Senate has really been on fire approving presidential appointments since they changed the filibuster rules for all but Supreme Court nominees almost a year ago. Maybe that’s because they underestimated the chances of losing the Senate, but it seems like it defeated the purpose of pushing through that controversial rules change.

    Frankly, I don’t understand the relationship between Reid and Obama, but Mary Landrieu says her state is chock full of racists, which makes it tough to find support for Obama there.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  16. Maybe not for Supreme Court appointments, daley, but it certainly opened the floodgates for the lower court and appeals court appointments.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  17. DRJ – I understand that nominees have been approved, but I believe there is a backlog of nominees the Senate has been sitting on. I’m happy to be corrected.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  18. DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/31/2014 @ 10:13 am

    It’s interesting analysis, DRJ. The media has talked so much about the “echo-chamber” and “bubble” that the White House becomes for its main occupant that it is pretty much a cliche by now, but I guess there really is something to it. I’m guessing that President Obama really doesn’t fathom the degree of his unpopularity, so used is he to adoring crowds and fawning sycophants. But I am amazed that he didn’t deliver a more nuanced appraisal of what is at stake and frame it in a way where Democrats who shy away from him would look like the villains. I think Obama meant to imply that only by embracing what his administration has done over the past six years could Democrat candidates regain momentum, but instead he set himself up for the idea that next Tuesday’s Shellacking, Part 2 (fingers crossed) is a repudiation of his administration.

    JVW (60ca93)

  19. == I’m guessing that President Obama really doesn’t fathom the degree of his unpopularity, so used is he to adoring crowds and fawning sycophants.==

    And this will continue to be a problem as long as Valerie Jarrett’s soothing voice is the first one he hears in the morning and the last one he hears at night.

    elissa (a5ecea)

  20. “Is there any reason why he might do this on purpose? All I can think of is that he’s sure the GOP will win the Senate and that’s all he cared about”

    DRJ – I have a different view of his relationship with the Senate. In my view has has tried to keep Capitol Hill at arms length. He has made very little effort to work with Congress. The issues he has devoted time to, gun control, climate change, contraception coverage, income inequality, and the minimum wage are just not priorities with the public in the crappy economy his policies have perpetuated. Who cares about a minimum wage if real unemployment is in the teens, or even higher for some minority groups. I think the lies he has told about Obamacare and foreign policy fiascoes have hurt him more. The war on women narrative has gotten stale.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  21. I agree Obama doesn’t care about Congress. He cares about himself, but unfortunately for him he needs the Senate to make judicial appointments.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  22. That’s always possible, JVW. Maybe Obama is wandering the halls of the White House, talking to Woodrow Wilson, but he has to see some polls. He has to know low his Gallup approval ranking has slipped. I would chalk this up to his overinflated ego if he’d only said it once but he’s said this twice, and not solely in the private homes of big donors. I accept his statements could be a mistake that make his political staff wince … but they could also be planned, and I’m not going to assume the latter can’t be possible without at least thinking about it.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  23. well, Some people are running on his record

    that ought to please his worshipfulness.

    😎

    redc1c4 (589173)

  24. daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 10/31/2014 @ 11:08 am

    Who cares about a minimum wage if real unemployment is in the teens, or even higher for some minority groups.

    certain unions. I agree, I don’t think has much resonance with the public, although Hillary and the New York Daily News are trying.

    I think the lies he has told about Obamacare and foreign policy fiascoes have hurt him more. The war on women narrative has gotten stale.

    He;s also suffering from thsi ebola issue, even though he is largely right and Christie and Cuomo are wrong.

    If anybody had any sense, they’s use ebola tests. It would cost about $200 a person, or less. What, is there a big shortage?

    As for the military, they are sceduling a 10-day quarantine period in West Africa even before the 21 days in the United States. Overkill.

    Meanwhile the epidemic is diminishing in Liberia before anything the United States GOVERNMENT can do has ANY EFFECT.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  25. DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/31/2014 @ 11:15 am

    talking to Woodrow Wilson,

    But, as MArk would remind us, is Woodrow Wilson willing to talk to him???

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  26. Now Theodore Roosevelt, or Abraham Lincoln, would be a different story.

    Obama anyway has never made Woodrow Wilson his hero. He knows too much, or was told too much about him.

    Although he is not remembered that way, because the almanacs give no real clue, Woodrow Wilson was really a dyed in the wool southerner from the Deep South who was there when Sherman was marching through Georgia.

    Being an intellectual, of course, Wilson’s prejudice did not extend to lynching and there were high minded reasons for white supremacy and depriving whatever he called them of the right to vote, unfortunately he would think maybe not undserstood by Yankees. Wilson would not be seen meeting with any person of the Negro race. Except as a boss.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  27. “He;s also suffering from thsi ebola issue, even though he is largely right and Christie and Cuomo are wrong.”

    Sammy – The public think he and the CDC are wrong and can’t find their asses with both hands and a GPS.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  28. “If anybody had any sense, they’s use ebola tests.”

    LOL WUT?

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  29. Maybe they are just tired of his constant harassing catcalls.

    They’re tired of his arrogance. He spent like ten minutes in the Senate, and shows Congress zero respect. I don’t give a d@mn what he says or thinks, and I never had to work with him.

    hadoop (f7d5ba)

  30. I accept his statements could be a mistake that make his political staff wince … but they could also be planned, and I’m not going to assume the latter can’t be possible without at least thinking about it.

    Yeah, very true. Who would have thought that such a garden-variety lefty could in the end be so enigmatic?

    JVW (60ca93)

  31. “He’s also suffering from thsi ebola issue, even though he is largely right and Christie and Cuomo are wrong.”

    daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 10/31/2014 @ 11:44 am

    Sammy – The public think he and the CDC are wrong

    That’s largely true, although opnion will change with time and experience and maybe a judge’s ruling and maybe some pubklic discussion. And Obama not coming down with ebola, or even Samantha Power.

    It isn’t affecting the election, because right now public opinion probably is that Obama and his Administration are off on a corner on their own, and he’s not on the ballot.

    and can’t find their asses with both hands and a GPS.

    That’s largely true too. They can’t explain well why the military is following a stricter policy.

    “If anybody had any sense, they’s use ebola tests.”

    LOL WUT?

    They’d give everybody flying in from an ebola zone, or at least anyone anyone is concerned about, or anybody taht wants one, an ebola virus test, the same test used to release someone from the hospital, although they seem to wait for a few confrmations over several days. No need for a 21-day quarantine.

    It might require presidential intervention to make the ebola test available, because it probably hasn’t been approved by the FDA and isn’t on the market, bit if anyone had any sense and initiative, they’d make sure it was available to anyone returning from west Africa.

    They could add to it an antibody tests. Maybe we’d learn what percetage of epople are exposed and don’t get sick.

    Also a white blood cell count test, often a sign of some infection.
    Elizabeth Hol

    And the test would require a pinprick, if Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos was encouraged or allowed to develop one quickly (like in one week) on an experimental basis.

    Sammy Finkelman (d22d64)

  32. This Oliphant article touches on what I’ve been thinking about, without being able to articulate. Obama needs Hillary or some other Democrat to win in 2016. He probably hates the idea of it but he needs it, not only to protect his legacy — to veto efforts to repeal ObamaCare and to preserve his executive orders that he couldn’t accomplish legislatively — but also to protect him and his Administration from the inevitable investigations into Fast & Furious, Benghazi, the IRS scandal, etc., etc. The list is endless and there’s probably much more we don’t know about, plus the reality of what a GOP President and Congress could do to Obama and his legacy may just now be sinking in on him.

    Obama’s 8 years could hurt the Democrats in 2016 just as Bush’s tenure hurt the Republicans in 2008. If Obama can make himself the focus of this election, even if it means he takes the blame for the midterm losses, it may help Democrats put Obama behind them in 2016 — not with everyone but perhaps with independents, especially if the GOP has control of Congress. Obama only cares about himself and his legacy, and the best way to protect his legacy is to elect a Democratic President in 2016. There’s a lot of dirt that Obama needs to keep hidden and he needs a Democratic successor to make that happen.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  33. Also, if Democrats can’t get control of the White House and Congress (and they can’t right now), then Obama needs a Republican Congress. Voters like divided government when they aren’t sure about who should lead.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  34. Implicit in my comment is that I think voters desire for a divided government makes it a little easier for Democrats to win the White House in 2016, because we will be coming off 2 years of GOP control of Congress.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  35. 18. Obama can be both incompetent and stupid when it comes to governing and policy, but he’s actually good at politics. Thus, making a public statement that is so politically tone-deaf, and doing it right before an election, is unusual for him…

    DRJ (a83b8b) — 10/31/2014 @ 10:13 am

    I’m reminded of an incident early in his first term when Obama, at a summit in South America, attempted to sound sophisticated by referring to the islands disputed over by Argentina and the UK by their Spanish name.

    But instead of calling them the Malvinas, he called them the Maldives. You really couldn’t get it more wrong than that.

    While the British were royally PO’d that Obama would not openly side with his ally as the US has always done, the UK press also said such missteps were unusual for him.

    No. With all due respect DRJ these gaffes are par for the course for King Putt. He’s horrible. Whenever he slips his leash and gets away from his handlers and his teleprompters he will say something stupid. It’s just who he is.

    His red lines are a joke, if you recall. When he went off script and spontaneously and impetuously drew them, then tried to walk them back, that was vintage Obama on display. He’s made major and minor missteps throughout his presidency. Had he been anyone else the press would have made him look like a dunce compared to Dan Quayle or Todd Akin.

    But the press is so far in the tank for him in particular, and Democrats in general, that in debates Republicans have to not only debate their political opponents but the MFM moderators.

    Just like without a room full of writers some successful comedic actors aren’t actually funny, without his handlers, his hatchet men, and his media praetorian guard Obama is not actually a skilled politician. In fact, he’s not particularly bright. This was brought home to me again when Obama tried to explain away the different ways civilian health care workers and the military are being treated upon leaving Ebola ravaged West Africa.

    THE PRESIDENT: Well, the military is a different situation, obviously, because they are, first of all, not treating patients. Second of all, they are not there voluntarily, it’s part of their mission that’s been assigned to them by their commanders and ultimately by me, the Commander-in-Chief. So we don’t expect to have similar rules for our military as we do for civilians. They are already, by definition, if they’re in the military, under more circumscribed conditions.

    When we have volunteers who are taking time out from their families, from their loved ones and so forth, to go over there because they have a very particular expertise to tackle a very difficult job, we want to make sure that when they come back that we are prudent, that we are making sure that they are not at risk themselves or at risk of spreading the disease, but we don’t want to do things that aren’t based on science and best practices. Because if we do, then we’re just putting another barrier on somebody who’s already doing really important work on our behalf. And that’s not something that I think any of us should want to see happen.

    Obama can’t explain it. He thinks he can, but the only thing he accomplishes is to betray the fact he can’t explain it explain it because he doesn’t understand it. What he’s saying is their is no scientific basis on which to treat them differently. In fact, he betrays the fact that since the military personnel aren’t treating patients but the health care workers are, if anyone needs to be tightly regulated due to risk of exposure it’s the civilian health care workers and not the military personnel.

    Then what does he go on to say about the military? Unlike civilian health care workers:

    1. They are not volunteers.
    2. They don’t have families.
    3. They don’t have loved ones.
    4. They don’t have any particularly valuable expertise.
    5. They aren’t doing a difficult job.
    6. We DO want to do things to them that aren’t based upon science and best practices.
    7. They aren’t doing important work on our behalf.
    8. So we can erect barriers.

    This is how his dim little brain has to understand why people in the military are quarantined but civilian health care workers must not be. Because the above is his list of the differences between the two groups. And it’s the same difference John Kerry sees between the two groups.

    You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.

    One group is stuck in Africa dealing with Ebola because they didn’t go to all the right schools and get an education. It doesn’t matter what you do to them. If they had any particularly valuable expertise, were capable of doing the hard jobs instead of simple manual tasks, and were capable of doing important work on our behalf they wouldn’t be in the military. They’d be doctors and nurses and worthy of respect.

    Not even Obama is saying the military is being quarantined because they pose a greater risk than civilian health care workers who shouldn’t be quarantined. If anything the opposite is the case. He’s saying he’s quarantining the military because it he can make them go whether they want to or not. But he has to treat HCW better.

    I am not putting words in his mouth. That’s the only way to make sense of the words coming out of his mouth. And he thinks when he hears himself that he’s the voice of reason. Which is why, just like he doesn’t understand the purpose of a quarantine, he doesn’t understand the uproar about the sharp disparity between the treatment of the two groups. A difference, according to his own stated understanding of why it’s being done, has nothing to do with protecting public health. He never mentions that. He thinks the public is reacting badly because we’re unhinged emotional hysterics. He doesn’t understand that we understand exactly what he’s saying. He’s saying there need to be special rules for special people, and people in the military aren’t special people.

    And he keeps repeating it.

    Dont’ get me wrong; I’m enjoying that part. But no one who is remotely intelligent would do that.

    Steve57 (c1c90e)

  36. Obama is ignorant of many subjects like the military and American history and geography — like many people educated by parents and educators with an agenda — but he isn’t stupid when it comes to politics. He can make mistakes and this statement may be a mistake caused by his big ego, but I’m still not certain that’s the case here.

    DRJ (a83b8b)

  37. In Friday’s Wall Street Journal Potomac Watch column, Kimberly A. Strassel says that attempts by Democrats to separate themselves from President Obama are not working, but attempts to make Republicans look, like Romney, as wealthy suits oblivious to the plight of the average American ARE working, particularly in the Senate races in Georgia and the Governor’s race in Illinois, and maybe the Senate race also in New Hampshire.

    You could add an almost similar appeal (less personal, more as havinbg a bad political philosophy) with the Senate race in North Carolina.

    Sammy Finkelman (7bb55f)

  38. Sammy – The Republican candidate for governor in Illinois is wealthy.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)


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