Voter discontent this year isn't confined to the tea party. A new AP poll reports that 51% of Americans now think President Obama doesn't deserve re-election. More surprising, 47% of Democrats believe he should face a challenge for the party's nomination in 2012. No doubt many Democrats who hold this view are disappointed supporters of Hillary Clinton.
In reality, Mr. Obama doesn't have to worry too much about renomination. There are no signs that Mrs. Clinton would resign as secretary of state and challenge her boss. African-Americans, the president's strongest group of supporters, make up 30% of any Democratic primary electorate and provide him with a firewall against any opponent. And presidents from Ronald Reagan to Bill Clinton have rebounded after midterm defeats as the economy improved.
Still, a primary challenge, even if waged by a less-significant contestant, is a serious matter. Every president who lost re-election in the last half century has first been weakened by a primary fight—Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush being cases in point. Many of the three million voters Pat Buchanan attracted in 1992 against Mr. Bush, for example, wound up voting for Ross Perot in November. This allowed Bill Clinton to win with just 43% of the popular vote.
Today, party discontent with the president is real. Last week, leading Democrats were furious when Mr. Obama declined to endorse Rhode Island's Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Frank Caprio. This was payback for Lincoln Chafee's support of Mr. Obama's candidacy in 2008—Mr. Chafee is running for governor as an independent. "The notion that the leader of the party is being disloyal to his party is I think unprecedented," Democratic strategist Paul Begala told CNN.
Key donors have told the White House that the president should decide for certain whether he's running for re-election by the end of December. Should Mr. Obama's approval ratings slip further next year, there's talk that some donors may call on him not to run, or promote an independent candidacy by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
It could go further. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told MSNBC in July that a primary challenge to Mr. Obama "is really possible," especially if he were to go back on his pledge to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan next year.
A disgruntled peace candidate such as former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold or Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich could find the prospect of rallying disgruntled leftists too tempting to resist. All three men forswear any interest in challenging Mr. Obama, yet it's noteworthy that Mr. Dean is stepping up his speaking schedule around the country after the election.
Mr. Dean blames Republicans for blindly opposing the president but says Democrats have some responsibility for voter anger. "There was a misunderstanding of the kind of change people wanted," he told the AP last month. "Democrats wanted policy change. Independents and Republicans wanted to change the way business was done in Washington, and that really hasn't happened."
In the aftermath of a disappointing 2010 midterm election, some liberals may follow the path of the tea party. Tom Streeter, the co-author of "Net Effect," a book on the lessons of Mr. Dean's Internet-driven 2004 presidential campaign, says tea party supporters "share with the Deaniacs a sense of being ignored by the powers that be, and an enthusiasm and energy in the feeling that they are striking back."
Progressives are still rankled by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs's attack in August on "the professional left" for not supporting Mr. Obama sufficiently. David Sirota, a prominent blogger, says that liberals feel "one hundred percent" taken for granted by the White House.
Most liberals I spoke to don't support a primary challenge. Jane Hamsher, founder of Firedoglake.com, a leading liberal blog, is less categorical. She blames Mr. Obama for "appropriating the progressive message, and then not governing as one." She has always backed "a diversity of voices in the primary process as a sign of a healthy democracy."
8 comments:
ok Mr. Obama does not need to run for reelection. i understand that change in the policital world takes time but you have to at least be working on that change. has anyone seen him working? thats why people are disappointed in him. hes always in public with his family taking pictures for gossip magazines. being a family man is one of the reasons america saw him fit for the job but come on, i dont want to see him out all the time. and whats more is that when he gives speeches over important topics they're supposed to help america see what the paper hasnt pringted or to reassure us. his speeches only ever tell us what we already know. they're something i could have written and i dont keep up with politics as well as i should. i would strongly suggest that he not run for reelection.
I think President Obama has a lot of issues within the nation because he is trying to please everyone. He must realize that everyone will not always aprove but they musy deal with whatever choice is made. I think if someone decides to run against him for the presidental nomination in 2012, the more power to them. If they think they can do a better job and are up for the job, why not? I like President Obama and think he can do much more in eight years than four. I can now vote and defintely will in 2012. I'll support whoever has the best ideas for the country, whoever that may be.
If president Obama wants to be reelected he needs to start carrying out his promise of bring the troops home. 51% say Obama doesn't deserve a re-election and I 100% agree, if Obama wants to be re-elected he better finish what he's started by carrying out those promises 2 years ago.
So if Obama's rankings are already this low, unless he pulls off some miraculous miracle soon, impressing all of America, his ratings are most likely going to keep dropping. If that's the case I agree that it is probably in his best interest to not run for re-election. It's pretty sad when even the people that are supposed to be supporting him are dissappointed with his presidency.
I like how everyone heard him say his speeches and all these promises "change this change that" but look he is changing things and guess what they dont like him anymore. you have been voted off the island.
Obama has let many Americans down. I think he was a good choice for president at the time but i don't think he was ready for what was coming. He promised change but change is hard to do when you want to please everyone. He just needs to sit down and take one thing at a time until he can fix things and carry out his promise. if he doesn't do this there is a very small chance of him getting reelected.
Looks like being the first black president just isn't gonna cut it anymore. Maybe if he tried to actually get some things done then people would support him more. I understand it takes a while for things to get done, but I'm not seeing any of his promised "change". If he could get some stuff done then maybe he could be reelected, but for now; you are the weakest link, goodbye.
i think Obama hasnt really kept his words that he promised America, if he wants to be re elected he needs to put forth the effort to represent the United States.
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