Former Obama strategist extraordinaire David Axelrod appeared on the Meet the Press to criticize President Obama for saying that his policies are on the ballot for the midterms. Republicans are already on the record crowing about it, because apparently they oppose “create more jobs and grow more wages”.
There is fodder to be had here and it’s not by Republicans.
Watch below:
On Meet the Press, Axelrod said it was a mistake for Obama to have said, “I’m not on the ballot this fall, but make no mistake, these policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them.”
The President laid out specific policies that the Republicans have obstructed and noted that Republicans aren’t running on killing Obamacare like they said they would (because it’s working). He told voters “these policies” are on the ballot this November 4th (my bold):
I am not on the ballot this fall. Michelle’s pretty happy about that. But make no mistake: these policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them. This isn’t a political speech, and I’m not going to tell you who to vote for – even though I suppose it is kind of implied.
But I have laid out my ideas to create more jobs and grow more wages. A true opposition party should have the courage to lay out theirs. There’s a reason fewer Republicans are preaching doom on deficits – because they’re now manageable. There’s a reason fewer are running against Obamacare – because while good, affordable health care might still be a fanged threat to freedom on Fox News, it’s working pretty well in the real world.
But when push came to shove this year, and Republicans in Congress actually had to take a stand on policies that would help the middle class and working Americans – raising the minimum wage, enacting fair pay, refinancing student loans, extending insurance for the unemployed – the answer was “no.”
“These policies” seem pretty good. What’s wrong with “create more jobs and grow more wages”? Democrats should nail Republicans with this in rebuttal, because this is exactly what Republicans are pummeling them over.
Reince Priebus happily pounced on this line in order to attack Democrats on Meet the Press, saying it was bad news for Democrats if the President’s policies are on the ballot box.
This would be true, if only Obama’s policies polled badly with the people, but the policies Obama was talking about were economic policies that benefit working America, like raising the minimum wage. The President has challenged the opposition party to lay out their ideas, saying here are his ideas, now where are theirs?
These things are not bad news for Democrats. These things are why Republicans can’t talk about anything but social issues and manufactured dramas, fear-mongering, and fictional Obama boogeyman stories. These things are why Republicans are resorting to “Are you better off now?” — without mentioning that it was their party that obstructed jobs bills, raising the minimum wage, equal pay for women, and more.
The President has to walk a fine line here because if he doesn’t put these policies on the ballot to some extent, the Obama voters won’t turn out and the party needs to motivate them. The President cut a general ad for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in which he rallied the troops by telling them, “I need you to get involved…. I can’t do it alone.”
Axelrod, who is a brilliant strategist, is trying to keep the election local and avoid it being a national election about the President in order to help Democrats in peril. This is one reason the President isn’t stumping for certain candidates. But there is a huge difference between selling a policy and selling a candidate. The Obama White House has not always been great at selling their policies, even though their policies are very popular with the people.
It’s a matter of packaging the Democratic policies as populism, which should be easier to do than packaging Republican policies that benefit the top 1% as populism – a feat they continue to manage with the less informed voter.
Republicans continue to have no ideas except making Obama into a boogeyman and taking refuge in social issues they can’t defend.
This election is about who has been fighting for the average American. Who has been trying to pass policies to help the average American earn a fair wage. Who has been trying to keep America safe and raise morale. Who has been trying to protect our children from the mad hatters in the NRA who run the Republican Party.
Democrats can respond to these Republican attacks by asking which policy, more jobs or better wages, Republicans are running against?
Democrats can continue (after letting the first point sink in) by saying that while they don’t agree with the President on everything, they are shocked that Republicans do not support basic common sense like raising the minimum wage and they would love to debate “these policies” with the Republican candidate on TV.
Just because Democrats are nervous about the politics should not mean that they run away from the policies.
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There are very few Democrats who speak out for President Obama and support his policies. In the long run they may regret it.
I guess I must not have been paying attention because I do not understand which policies they are running away from.
Is it health care, or minimum wage, or corporate inversion, or immigration reform,
or affordable college education.
Perhaps someone could educate me about his ‘failed’ policies, was it saving the country from the abyss when he first got elected, or getting unemployment down.
It can’t be stated strongly enough—All those who voted for President Obama in 2012 need to support him and the Democratic Party in 2014. This country needs to be nothing less than center left. But for this country to prosper it well need to be progressive left. That has been proven thought out the history of this country. You know the real history not the history that Neocon/TBagger/Republicans want for the school kids in Colorado.
GET OUT AND VOTE and vote straight Democratic for the future of your family and the country.
GOP is manufacturing the myths, the alternative reality they live it, that President Obama’s ideas are bad and nobody wants them.
What is wrong with women making equal pay for doing the same job as men?
What is wrong with raising the minimum wage so that people can get off food stamps, and maybe even save a little money?
What is wrong with healthcare being available to everyone?
What is wrong with address domestic violence?
On and On…don’t believe a word the GOP says..they are lying, and keep saying the same thing over and over, c’mon people don’t fall for it.
SUPPORT OUR PRESIDENT.
Exactly right. I voted for President Obama in 2008 and 2012, and I have no regrets whatsoever. I may not agree 100% with some of his policies, but in general he is doing his best with what he has to work with, and that is NOTHING.
Support our President, and vote straight blue.
unfortunately the chickens*it democrats listen to the Fox BS. If there were another viable choice I wouldn’t vote for the Democrats they are (almost)as bad because they only care about getting re-elected… a shame.
unfortunately the chickens*it democrats listen to the Fox BS. If there were another viable choice I wouldn’t vote for the Democrats they are (almost) as bad because they only care about getting re-elected… a shame.
You are truly ignorant, which means you know NOTHING about what Democrats care about. Now, be a good boy and go read Breitbart.
One thing about this,I betcha the TeathugliKKKans can’t say their shit is on the ballot,the shit for chaos & destruction!
The President’s policies ARE on the ballot because they are DEMOCRATIC policies. Or, at least, they ought to be.
The days of being able to vote on one or two issues are over, and have been for a while.
You must vote for an overall philosophy and given what the Republicans have been selling lately, that’s not a philosophy I’d be willing to buy.
Make no mistake, Democrats aren’t perfect and neither is Pres. Obama. But the philosophy of the Party as a whole is what I vote for and what I will continue voting for in the future…unless Republicans do an about-face and start actually caring about ALL the people in this country, not just those in the 1%.
I will be voting a straight democratic ticket. My decision to vote a straight democratic ticket isn’t because because I support President Obama, or not. I generally support him, but there are many issues I i take difference with, and are not relevant to my decision.
Any vote for any republican is a vote for treason, sedition, and the destruction of our nation.
Paws, spot on. Your post explained it perfectly.
Roaches would like to rule. Liars. Just like Adolph Hitler did. Guns, hate, fear, and more and more lies Joan. Just more lies daily, truth doesn’t matter or mean anything to the GOP. (GoneOffPeople)
I have said this time and time again;his own damn party has not supported the President.He has every right to say what he did.His policies are working.Had he waited on the GOP to do something he would not have gotten anything done.
President Obama has actually done more than I think most Presidents, despite the obstruction from the right; and the mess that he walked into left from prior.
I think he has done an impressive job in what he has accomplished. He is a very humble man, and really deserves our support.
The president knows what he is doing! Everything he says he calculates the response…simply he is smarter!
I feel the the following is appropriate since it seems nothing has changed since FDR vs The Repugs. They 2 parties are still fighting for the same ideology!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S3RHnKYNvx8
The only real blemish I see on Obama’s record is on immigration. He has delayed action on it, and I hope that doesn’t UN-motivate Democratic constituents to get out and vote next month.
I think history’s verdict on this presidency will be much kinder than the one the previous presidency can expect.
Baron…simply put, NO it won’t because the other side is working very hard to disenfranchise them from voting! And refers to them as aliens…..
Well, the only goal of the GOP is GET OUR PROFITS AND KEEP our seats, no matter how many lies we have to tell!
The only thing proven throughout history is Alinsky and socialist fail. Read Hayek The road to serfdom. Many of you will have to look up what a serf is, but humor me.
No we don’t have to look it up because being a kochsucker you already have front row seats to serfdom You are just to stupid to realize it.
Alinsky was not a communist or socialist. He was a community organizer. I bet you didn’t know you teabaggers use his same principles but being the dumbass that you are yu couldn’t put 2 and 2 together
BTW Hayek economic theories does not work but again you are stupid to realize that also
That’s illegal Alien…
Sticks and stones only hide low IQ.
You are the one who is stupid. You don’t even know who Saul Alinsky was. The only thing your dumbass know is what you been told by fox, beck and briefart. That is why your name in Bubba. Now go back and play with mommy
You should learn how to spell correctly before posting. Alinsky was indeed a community activist, However, he followed socialist principles by organizing the ignorant.
You are stupid. What are organizing socialist principles? BTW do you even know the meaning of socialism?
And I agree with about one thing . The teabaggers use his principles to organize the ignorant POS that you people are
Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey was an open admirer of Alinsky during his time running FreedomWorks, a lobbying group with ties to the Tea Party Movement. “What I think of Alinsky is that he was very good at what he did but what he did was not good,” Armey told the Financial Times. In 2009, Adam Brandon, then a press secretary for FreedomWorks, told Politico he was given a copy of Rules for Radicals upon joining the group.
BOOM NOW STFU
There is nothing more hilarious then someone coming here and chuffing all about Alinsky. You have no idea how funny that is. By the way, look up what socialism is, its not working in this context
A sign of lack of knowledge and offering no argument to support is to simply call someone names. Childish,Childish. What a generation expected to be in charge of the future. Be afraid, be very afraid.
Read page 104 of Rules For Radicals.The Chapter Policy After Power. Maybe you will learn what I already know about the Leftist. Wrong then and always will be.
Look I cant help you were the product of inbreeding. If you are stupid then it is what it is. You come on here blabbering about shit you know nothing about and expect to be treated like, I don’t know with respect? You are a product of the stupidity that has been fed to you. Maybe you should took that extra class of summer school.
Here is one rule from Alinsky. Be free to use a dictionary to try to comprehend it
“It is almost impossible to counterattack ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage.”
No, you read it then see how you are in support of it. If you are a tea bag, your it. A conservative? Your it. You exist to promote the very wealthy. Now stop making a spectacle of yourself. Rightist. You know nothing
Remember ALL politicians are crooks. You just have to try to pick the least of the worst.
It should be borne in mind that the target is always trying to shift
responsibility to get out of being the target. There is a constant squirming
and moving and strategy—purposeful, and malicious at times, other times
just for straight self-survival—on the part of the designated target. The
forces for change must keep this in mind and pin that target down
securely. If an organization permits responsibility to be diffused and
distributed in a number of areas, attack becomes impossible.
Do you have reading comprehension problems?
Phonics for Dummies
The fun and easy way to grasp the ABCs of reading
http://www.amazon.com/Phonics-Dummies-Susan-M-Greve/dp/0470127643
Remember you are a dumbass