Republican primary voters at this early stage of the game now give billionaire developer Donald Trump the edge over presumptive favorites Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee in the race to be the GOP’s presidential nominee in 2012. – Another Meaningless Poll That Sends a Message to Democrats

From Superman Reannounces US Citizenship – Action Comics #900 written by David S. Goyer with art by Miguel Sepulveda.
It got blown out by Trump versus Obama contest, but a Washington Post – Pew poll released late Tuesday night revealed why so many people are disenchanted with the Democratic Party. In the age of Obama, Republican economics has now completely replaced Democratic Party ideals, which have always been moored to jobs, middle class growth, and retirement security.
Democrats have also led the way on changes to the concern question: 81 percent of Democrats now say the federal budget is a major problem that must be addressed now, up from 64 percent in December.
A new Marist poll backs up Pres. Obama’s economic malpractice: 40% — approve of how the president is dealing with the country’s economy while nearly six in ten — 57% — disapprove.
This is why the argument recently forwarded by Ezra Klein that Obama is a “moderate Republican” is so damaging, even as Obama loyalists try to lap it up as a positive triangulation that could work for Democrats, because all that matters is reelecting Pres. Obama.
Why do Democrats and progressives want to back a moderate Republican to lead the Democratic Party? This is supposedly what progressives found so abhorrent about Pres. Bill Clinton’s presidency, along with the fact that he hurt the party, but no one can say that jobs weren’t his number one focus. So why are these same progressives accepting Barack Obama who is not advancing Democratic Party economics or focusing on jobs?
Missed in all the noise of Donald Trump is something very simple. David Frum talked about it yesterday, while tying himself in knots, citing Trump’s background as a “troubled student (at one point he attended a military school) who nonetheless gained admission to Wharton.” Frum going on to say his father’s wealth was an aid to his trajectory to Wharton, but it’s the former that’s the issue.
Trump’s bullying braggadocio of Pres. Obama, as well as his puffing up of his own prowess, is gauchely low brow. It’s common. As David Brooks wrote recently, it’s the “gospel of success,” which every person wants to dream about again, but which they can’t grab a hold of today. It’s rooted in something well beyond Democratic versus Republican economic points of view. Ups and downs, failures and fulminating falsehoods and all, this billionaire to bankruptcy and back again represents what people see America needs to do, too. Our great country economically hobbled with no one having the answers except to take things away from people who are barely holding on, Donald Trump not only says no to Paul Ryan’s Medicare scheme, but in the same breath he says no to China, OPEC, the Saudis and everyone else he sees laughing at America.
Meanwhile, Pres. Obama is in charge, but seen to be failing at doing anything about jobs or the economy, barely mentioning jobs in his first term.
It’s also why Obama’s reelection campaign began with a question “are you in?” Because the optimism, hope and change portion of Barack Obama’s mystique has left the stage, with all that’s left behind is let’s win this one for Obama.
I have no idea if a legitimate Republican can grab on to the message of what’s possible in America today, which Pres. Obama can’t find with both hands, his aides and the power of the presidency behind him. But the kernel of success in 2012 lies in parts of what Donald Trump’s low brow persona has tapped in the American populace through his crassly competitive and confrontational style, even if people recoil at the prospect of ever voting for Donald Trump.





Comments are closed.