home

Can Obama "Politick" For Dems?

Via blackwaterdog at daily kos, President Obama said:

"We have spent the last 20 months governing. They spent the last 20 months politicking. Now we've got three months to go, and so we've decided, well, we can politick for three months. They’ve forgotten I know how to politick pretty good."

I have a couple of reactions to this. First, there is no doubt that President Obama is a terrific politician when it comes to gathering votes for himself. And when he is on the ballot, that also becomes "politicking" for Dems, because President Obama on the ballot brings out irregular voters who lean Democratic (this is a perennial problem for Dems.) But President Obama is not on the ballot, and whatever you think of his 20 months of governing (my review is mixed) it is not unvarnished win politically.

The second thought I had was the President should never have said what he said. One of the President's strengths has been that he is viewed as being less of a politician than most.The whole PPUS. I never cared for it, in governing or politics, but President Obama took that road. Why toss it out now overtly? In other words, the President could have done the 3 months of politicking without announcing he was doing that. I suppose some will argue this will energize the base. Perhaps. But I think the actual politicking would do that. This seems part of the bad Dem habit of discussing the politics of issues, instead of just doing the politics.

One final thought - at least the President seems to understand that he will not escape responsibility for the election results this November. For a while, there seemed to be the attitude in the White House that the 2010 elections had nothing to do with them. Good to see that silliness has gone away.

Speaking for me only

< Judicial Activism For Me, But Not For Thee | Meanwhile, Back At The White House . . . >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    I've given up hope (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by kmblue on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 07:53:45 AM EST
    of the Obama administration "getting it" until they get trounced come November.  Whoever they are listening to, it's not the majority of U.S. citizens who are suffering in this economy.

    The morning after the election, Obama will be demanding of his staff: "What happened?"

    Perhaps they STILL won't know.


    He says he's good at politicking (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by robotalk on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 11:20:12 AM EST
    because he isn't.  This admins ability (or is it willingness) to sway others to their side has been, in a word, crappy.

    As much as I love your insight (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Left of the Left on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 12:38:45 PM EST
    I cannot get behind Obama being some great politician. He used PPUS to get naive voters, and the media did the rest, boom there went Hillary.

    Then just as he was steadily losing ground to McCain, boom there went the economy. I recognize that politics is just as much about luck as skill. But he should thank however convinced him that now was his time, that was the best advice hes ever gotten.

    oops (none / 0) (#8)
    by Left of the Left on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 12:39:44 PM EST
    *however -> whoever

    Parent
    My reactions - (4.40 / 5) (#2)
    by lentinel on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 07:56:59 AM EST
    Obama was a good showman. That's true. But we have now seen the show, and the repeats don't arouse much enthusiasm or even interest imo.

    If that is what Obama means by being pretty good at politicking, it's gonna be a bit of a wake-up call for him.

    Then there is the talk of Obama's base.
    What is his base?
    The people he caters to are not civil libertarians, human rights activists, or people passionate about ending the war(s).
    He has, on the other hand, catered to people who are indifferent about rendition, indefinite detention without charge of trial, more aggressive deportations of immigrants without papers, renewal of the patriot act, lack of any legal action against Cheney and Bush, etc.
    So who represents his base?
    It seems to me that his only base consists of people who want members of the democratic party to win and members of the republican party to lose.

    Of course, I am speaking for me only.

    If one of the administrations issues is (4.25 / 4) (#4)
    by oculus on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:36:04 AM EST
    education, shouldn't the President choose to speak grammatically correct English?  Or is he appealing to his base here?

    Since the president's K - 12 education policy is (5.00 / 2) (#5)
    by MO Blue on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 10:42:22 AM EST
    "No child left behind" on steroids, maybe using "Bush speak" is appropriate.

    Parent
    Interesting Point? (none / 0) (#9)
    by squeaky on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 01:15:54 PM EST
    Particularly considering that you defend Palin.... lol

    Parent
    he might (none / 0) (#3)
    by Capt Howdy on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 09:32:34 AM EST
    make a better punching bag.

    Suspension of Disbelief (none / 0) (#10)
    by squeaky on Tue Aug 10, 2010 at 01:23:54 PM EST
    I think that Obama's self referential statement about being a politician is good...  and yes it calls attention to the fact that he is responsible, in part, for November.

    But in the end, I disagree that it will affect anyone who is not already dispassionate about politics. Besides, touting ones warrior status, is a rallying cry for the troops, and intended to put fear in the opponents hearts.