She probably stays on the bottle.
Posted on 08/12/2010 1:02:27 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The conventional wisdom these days is that the best shot for Democrats heading into the November elections in marginal districts is for the president to raise money and lower his profile. Just send checks. Events after 7 p.m. Closed to the press. This is not an election Democrats want to "nationalize." Better to keep it local. Better to run as your own man or woman, not as the president's best friend.
Republicans, by contrast, will spend as much time as they can running against the president. If his popularity is down to his base (low 40s), that means voters in the middle are up for grabs, and Republicans will try to grab them by capitalizing on their concerns about the man they elected two years ago.
There are two chinks in the conventional wisdom.
The first, on the Democratic side, reflects the reality that a president can't really disappear, even if he tries to, and in this president's case, the act of trying may make people mad enough to want to send him a message. I'm thinking here of the president's forthcoming vacation to Martha's Vineyard, one of those terrible decisions that has even his strongest supporters shaking their heads. Why is he going to Martha's Vineyard?
For vacation. Because he likes it. Because he knows people there, has friends there, enjoys himself there.
I'm from Massachusetts. I was in my 30s the first time I ever set foot in Martha's Vineyard. Elite. Fancy. Expensive. Hard to get to. The Estrich family from Lynn considered Nantasket Beach exotic. Martha's Vineyard might as well have been an island off of Spain.
I don't begrudge the president a nice vacation. But having already spent time in Maine this summer, a second vacation to a place other than the hard-hit Gulf is an invitation for people to think what too many of them already think: The president just doesn't get it.
He doesn't understand what's happening out there, out here. People still don't have jobs, home values still haven't recovered, and 401(k)s are still in a slump. The only signs of recovery are a lot of highway projects, which, as we are told every day when the traffic slows, are being paid for by us.
The danger for Democrats is that if people keep thinking the president doesn't get it (and that's what I am hearing, particularly when those golf course shots hit the front page), the easiest way for them to send him a message, since he's not on the ticket, is to vote against the Democrat who is. November could be a disaster for Democrats if that mentality sets in. The president may not be in any position to rescue Democrats, but his absence from the campaign trail — particularly if he's playing golf and hobnobbing with rich donors instead — will be viewed (and advertised by Republicans) as an invitation to send him a message he doesn't want to hear.
On the other hand, the Republicans also have their problems. The middle may be up for grabs, but by whom? The devil you know or the one you don't? In tough times, do you go with someone who is unknown, inexperienced and maybe a little bit too far off the beaten track?
The best hope for Democrats from Joe Sestak to Harry Reid is not the president but their opponents. I don't think "tea partiers" are racist, but I'm not sure they're all qualified for the offices they seek. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but in tough times, even more so than in good times, it makes sense to have someone who knows what they're doing, whether you're hiring someone to fix the pipes or fix the country.
Personally, I'm happier with him there - he can't f**k things up too badly while on vacation.
And Barack Obama was/is? Can't believe Susan E convinced someone to pay her for her drivel. Fool me though, I still read it.
“Maybe I’m old-fashioned,”
No, Susan, you’re inside-the-beltway.
“but in tough times, even more so than in good times, it makes sense to have someone who knows what they’re doing, whether you’re hiring someone to fix the pipes or fix the country”
Unless the only thing they know how to do is bust more pipes (to make more work) or wreck an economy (to buy more votes).
I don’t think Susan ‘gets it’ anymore than Barry does. We are not going to target otherwise ‘innocent’ Dem congressmen in order to get Barry’s attention. The populace HATES the congress - both sides of the aisle. They hate ‘we have to sign the bill so you can see it’. A big poll (sorry, don’t know which one) said 68 percent of the populace does not feel that the elected leaders are serving the public will and that they feared the government as a direct threat to their freedom. Susan seems to fear that ‘innocent’ Dems will get caught in Barry’s vacation backlash. Oh...we’ll get to Barry soon enough (well as soon as we can vote) but in the meantime we’d like to get decadent, ignorant, aristocrat-wannabe’s out of congress and that would be true if Barry really DID vacation in the gulf.
I never imagined the likes of Susan would give me the last hearty laugh of my night before I go to sleep.
It’s usally the TIVO’d Jerry Springer show, but I’m too tired to watch it.
He’s going to Martha’s Vineyard to see “The Gay Head Cliffs” there,natch.
On the subject of highways, most if not all of the projects I have seen were started well before Obama took office. The only change has been those self-congratulatory signs.
Not only have the so-called stimulus dollars disappeared into the ether but Obama and the Dems are up to the old trick of taking credit for someone else’s work.
It is curioius to me that this locality is almost impassable for all the roadwork. Streets are getting repaved that were repaved quite well two years ago. Streets are getting repaved that see a couple of cars a day driving slowly. And the city fathers bellyache with the best of them about the lack of money, I have assumed that the pols were getting all their paving contractors paid off while there are yet funds. The paving contractors are the biggest benefactors of local politicians.
The only signs of recovery are ammo, generators, and survivalist gear for the coming collapse.
Fixed it.
” I don’t think “tea partiers” are racist, but I’m not sure they’re all qualified for the offices they seek.”
Hey Susie, most tea partiers are real world people who operate busineeses and understand the economy.
Please tell me why that is a bad thing?
***I don’t think “tea partiers” are racist, but I’m not sure they’re all qualified for the offices they seek.***
TEA partiers are all qualified to vote and eligible to run for office..........which is more than can be said for you know who!!!
Hey Susan.....I guess you think AL FRANKEN IS QUALIFIED TO BE A SENATOR?? HAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!! He’s BUFFOON....A MEAN-ASS BUFFOON!!! Get REAL, SUZY.
” ....it makes sense to have someone who knows what they’re doing, whether you’re hiring someone to fix the pipes or fix the country.”
Is she suggesting that those in Washington know how to fix this mess? Not enough evidence to find them guilty of that charge.
When I’ve had a repairman I know but didn’t do the job properly, I’m not afraid to try someone new. How could it be worse? They may not know the way to the bathrooms, but I hope they have more principles.
Ole’ Suzie on the bottle again?
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