President Obama seeks his inner Bill Clinton and feels voters' pain (Ha Ha Ha)

The Hill ^ | 9/13/2010 | Sam Youngman

[Qbert]

President Obama told a small crowd in Fairfax, Va., on Monday that he would stand in the hot sun with them and “feel their pain.”

He was meeting with a Fairfax family for a backyard discussion on the economy in an effort to improve voter perceptions about his empathy with ordinary people.

Unlike former President Clinton, who famously felt the pain of voters during a recession, Obama has not connected emotionally with voters over their worries and fears.

Voters two years ago appreciated Obama’s cool, professorial demeanor; it earned him praise, as in “No drama Obama,” and drew favorable contrasts with both President George W. Bush and the Republican presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.).

But it is widely perceived as less appealing now, as the administration has struggled to revive the economy and convey an impression of strong management.

Democratic strategists worry the president is seen as too aloof, and that this gets in the way of the administration’s message that the economy is slowly but surely recovering. An Associated Press/GfK poll late last month showed that only 41 percent of those surveyed approve of the way Obama is handling the economy.

Democratic strategists worry this disconnect will lead to losses for Democrats at the polls in November, when the party fears it could lose control of the House and Senate.

“The problem is he doesn’t seem like he’s always trying to be empathetic,” said one Democratic strategist.

“They have been missing the need for the emotional connection people need in times like this — but they’ve needed it for two years,” another Democratic strategist said.

Publicly, the White House rejects the idea that Obama’s style has led to any disconnect with voters.

“Rooted in his hands-on experience working in Chicago communities confronting tough economic challenges, President Obama has a down-to-earth style that demonstrates to middle-class Americans that he’s willing to take on special interests as he fights for the interests of working folks,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said.

Still, the president’s recent rhetoric and press events, including Monday’s backyard discussion with the Fairfax family’s neighbors and small-business owners from the area, suggest the White House recognizes it has an issue.

The area Obama chose to visit has a median household income more than twice the nation’s average, and he visited a two-income family. Still, the Fairfax family, John Nicholas and Nicole Armstrong and their twin children, are no strangers to the tough economic times.

Nicholas has survived several layoffs at his Internet-services company, while Armstrong recently returned to part-time work as an administrator at a local preschool to help pay the family’s bills, according to the White House. Their savings took a beating during the recession, and they are hoping for a rebound.

Obama’s professorial style was on display during the backyard discussion, as he ticked off the list of things he has done to help the middle class. He talked about his administration’s support for Wall Street reform, as well as his support for middle-class tax cuts. But Obama also sought to connect with his hosts by nothing that he and Michelle Obama, along with their two girls, were living a life very similar to the Fairfax family’s not too long ago.

“Michelle and I always laugh about it when people talk about us — I think they forget that we were basically living the same lives as John and Nicole, just — it wasn’t that long ago,” Obama said. “It was, like, six, seven years ago.”


Obama grew up in a lower-middle-class home, and until a few years ago, he and the first lady were still paying off their student loans.

In recent weeks, the president has returned to discussing that history in order to put a personal touch on his list of economic policy positions. Obama still reads 10 letters a day from average Americans to keep connected to what voters are going through.

Some Democratic strategists welcome the White House move to try to put Obama in situations where he can connect with voters. They say the problem isn’t Obama. It’s a White House that hasn’t made good use of the president.

“He is good at this, and in the last few weeks, he’s been very good in what he’s been saying and in being out campaigning for the agenda,” one Democrat said. “Unfortunately, up until the last couple of weeks, the White House has focused more on telling rather than showing.

“These are emotional issues; people want to see him.”

Strategist Jamal Simmons said the difference in styles between Clinton and Obama isn’t a bad thing.

“Bill Clinton was like a protective older brother ready to rush out to the schoolyard, but President Obama’s empathy is more like your family physician reassuring you that he has a handle on the problem and everything will be OK,” Simmons said.

“They are different, but Obama’s approach can still hit the mark.”

[Qbert]

President Obama told a small crowd in Fairfax, Va., on Monday that he would stand in the hot sun with them and “feel their pain.”

???!!!

[FlingWingFlyer]

Hey! It worked for Slick Willie! What the heck..

[kcvl]

Obama ain't slick Willie. Not even close.

Clinton can turn on the emotion whenever he needs to. Obama has no emotion. It's almost freaky how little emotion he has.

But he does read a good teleprompter. Just don't screw up the feed or he is screwed.

[Kickass Conservative]

Cause the pain, feel the pain.

Typical Sado Masochistic behavior...

[Qbert]

“Obama ain’t slick Willie. Not even close.
Clinton can turn on the emotion whenever he needs to. Obama has no emotion. It’s almost freaky how little emotion he has.”

All true. Plus, it must be hard for Obozo to be convincing when he feels such disdain for common Americans.

[Nachum]

The list, ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/

[BobP]

President Obama told a small crowd in Fairfax, Va., on Monday that he would stand in the hot sun with them and “feel their pain.”

-------------------------------

He lies about every detail that slithers out of his mouth. The form, substance, background, data, interpretation and meaning of every detail. He lies about his birth, his associates, his appointees, his policies, his activities, his thoughts, his family, everything. It's as if he can't speak a word without turning it into a dozen lies. Does anybody truly believe he has been a citizen from birth. Does anybody truly believe that he rejects the venom of Wright, Ayers, Jones, and hundreds of others, including his own spouse? Does anybody truly believe that he loves this country and wants the best for its people?

The 'working man' has been pushed into a corner. His savings are gone, his children's futures are being destroyed for no good reason.

New regulations continue to penalize business. Obama Care has a new accounting nightmare, that requires a 1099 for all financial business transactions over $600. Another idiotic new decree by Obama is that you can't use criminal records in hiring. This directly conflicts with State law that makes an employer libel if he hires a felon.

Obama is doing just what he planned with the economy. His goals are in sight. Everyone will either be employed by the government; dependent on the government or a lamp shade.

Liar = Obama.

Cheater = Feds.

Thief = Congress.

Con artist = Piss-Stream Media.

Throw 'em all out.

[unkus]

This evil son of a bitch should RETURN to Hell where he belongs.

[snowflake2428]

“...up until a few years ago he and the first lady were still paying off their student loans...”

And whose fault is that? Nobody forced you two to attend overpriced snooty elitist places like Princeton and Harvard but yourselves.

[Rummyfan]

“Michelle and I always laugh about it when people talk about us — I think they forget that we were basically living the same lives as John and Nicole, just — it wasn’t that long ago,” Obama said. “It was, like, six, seven years ago.”
 Obama grew up in a lower-middle-class home, and until a few years ago, he and the first lady were still paying off their student loans.

Lord spare me! The man went to Harvard Law and chose to work as a community organizer. As for Mee-chelle, she was pulling down well over $200K at her make-work U-of-Chicago hospital job. And last year these bozos made millions, I think over three million Mark Levin said Friday night.

[Rummyfan]

Exactly ! As Mark Steyn said subbing for Rush last week, Obama is the perfect example of what's wrong with our higher education. He attends Occidental, Columbia, and Harvard Law, then goes to work as a community organizer. Disdaining the evil corporate America (where he probably would have flopped anyway), never realizing that it is corporate America and the revenues it generates that allow for bogus rabble-rousing occupations .... such as community organizer!

[kearnyirish2]

Mark Steyn is brilliant, and he knows the failures of socialism first-hand.

[Ann Archy]

LOL!!! Yeah, he went to Harvard and ended up a COMMUNITY ORGANIZER!!! Sheperding STUPID PEOPLE and telling them WHAT TO DO because they are too stupid to know how to exist without someone telling them what to do.

[tdscpa]

“And a few short years before that, we were slaves. Then, we got our freedom, and became sharecroppers. Then we got really lucky and were awarded scholarships to Ivy League colleges. Then I became a communist community organizer, then I got elected to congress, then people started giving me lots of money for some reason, and we were finally able to pay off a few student loans we had to take out because our scholarships did not cover our cocaine bills. Then I got elected to the office of emperor of the US.”