Walker has a 51/47 approval rating. He’s up with men (55-42), whites (52-46), seniors (58-39), and especially voters in the Milwaukee suburbs (70/29). – Public Policy Polling
BLAME PRESIDENT OBAMA‘s lack of Democratic Party leadership if Tom Barrett can’t pull off an upset in tomorrow’s battle with Scott Walker.
When Tim Kaine was titular head of the DNC, he offered no economic message for the 2010 midterms, because Pres. Obama hasn’t had an economic message his entire first term.
Debbie Wasserman-Schultz went to Wisconsin, but who cares, really? She’s now the functionary at the top of the DNC, but Barrett didn’t need her, he needed Pres. Obama to show up with cash through the DNC.
Pres. Bill Clinton wasn’t afraid of image problems, so he gladly campaigned for Barrett, while Obama stayed home out of fear that if he went and Barrett lost he’d look bad. Pres. Obama deserves to look bad for not showing any leadership.
PPP sees an opening for an upset by Barrett:
This is a close race, closer than it was a couple weeks ago. Scott Walker’s still the favorite but Barrett’s prospects for an upset look better than they have in a long time.
Given the donor numbers from Ben Smith at Buzzfeed today, it would have been a good strategic move if Obama had rallied the troops and made Wisconsin a battle line. Even if the outcome turns against Barrett and he doesn’t get the upset, imagine how Obama could have come out with a warning about what’s at stake for middle class workers if unions are vanquished for good.
Using Walker’s win as foreshadowing of the national austerity to come with Mitt Romney, Obama could have put his own political skin in the game for a good cause.
But Barack Obama doesn’t do causes larger than himself.
Forget chess, I’m not sure Obama’s 2012 team can even play checkers.
“If Democrats turn out in the numbers they did in 2008, Tom Barrett will win a surprise victory. If they don’t, Walker will survive,” Dean Debnam, president of PPP, said in a statement on the polling firms website. [Reuters]
Amanda Terkel reports Russ Feingold has said that the key to beating Walker is turnout bigger than 2010.
“Barack Obama doesn’t do causes larger than himself”
“Forget chess. I’m not sure Obama’s 2012 team can even play checkers.”
Well said.
It’s an 11 dimensional chess game the Obama brand plays, remember? Something so far above the 99% of us that we couldn’t possibly understand …
It seems to be always Obama fault…for anything and all things wrong with the Democrats. One would think the Dems were super perfect, until that stinking Obama arrived…lol
So let me understand this, the same idiot voters in a state that kicked out Russ Feingold and voted for someone like Scott Walker….should blame Obama, if Scott pulls off a slim win?
I don’t think Obama campaigning and pushing for any candidate outside of himself…will be of any help. Let’s face the truth people, Obama can barely help himself win reelection this year. And when was the last time in the three years this guys been president has he shown courage to openly lead? Outside of ordering the killing of Bin Laden and a couple of flashes of steel spine sprinkled here and there over these three long years…Obama has never really changed course. So, I am not shocked he is not devoting the little to non political capitol he has left to help throw Scott Walker out of office.
The only folks I blame for the debacle in Wisconsin are the voters that keep putting lunatics like Scott Walker into office.
I even wrote it in bold, with italics for emphasis so people wouldn’t miss the point.
It still didn’t sink in, wasn’t comprehended, the preference for the usual LEAVE OBAMA ALONE whine just too deeply embedded.
Obama could have released significant cash to help Barrett et al GOTV. That’s all that was really required. I disagree with Ed Schultz that he had to show up on the ground.
Walker is outspending Barrett by the boatload (last time I checked),
because ofthrough Rove & company. Anyone who doesn’t think that’s a huge issue is clueless.Now even dispersing money from the DNC is too much to expect from Pres. Obama. He’s the luckiest politician in modern memory. Good news for him & his campaign.
As for Russ Feingold, that was the 2010 massacre when the Democratic Party didn’t offer one single economic message that had any teeth to help Feingold, in an election that was centered on economics coming from the Tea Party. It was one of the biggest losses in progressive memory and something that is on the head of everyone, including Wisconsin voters. Tidal elections like 2010 happen; the biggest reason was the anti-Obama vote re: health care and “government spending.”
“It still didn’t sink in, wasn’t comprehended, the preference for the usual LEAVE OBAMA ALONE whine just too deeply embedded.”-Taylor Marsh
I don’t think its so much the leave Obama alone whine. But the fact that people keep pointing out the very same thing over and over about Obama. After three years, of putting up with his personal leadership failures…people already understand this issue…they also know Obama will never change. So, they move on focusing on more important matters, that they can fix or improve. Either people will vote for Obama, or stay home this year. Its that simple. Besides their is so many really serious issues going on in the world today…that the thought of a guy name Scott Walker winning recall election in Wisconsin is the least of their priorities…at least for me. But then again I don’t live in Wisconsin
Marie 205~
He would help himself if he did something for Wisconsin, just like he would have in MA. Do you think unions are going to want to be boots on the ground in the general after this miserable lack of support from Obama?
I keep going back and forth between voting for Obama because of the damage I think MItt would do pushed by the wing nuts but skunky behavior like this puts me back in the camp of voting for any alternative not Mitt.
Lake Lady,
I suggest voting for some else, as for Obama and Mitt neither will offer anything insightful, next year as President. Mitt Romney is Robotic and Obama doesn’t listen to his base..he does whatever he wants…I refuse to support him because of that very reason. Obama forgets/ignores the very people that put his butt in office. So, I will be ignoring his pleas for monetary support this year.
If Democrats turn out in the numbers they did in 2008, Tom Barrett will win a surprise victory. If they don’t, Walker will survive,” Dean Debnam, president of PPP, said in a statement on the polling firms website.
Can you give this person a call and ask her to share her predictive model? I would be interested to see if there was any adjustment made for the difference between a “normal” election and a recall election. I am not sure the former is an accurate base to forecast the latter off of.
As I recall, the Republican state senators who already went through the recall election actually increased their margin of victory over 2008.
Yeah, that’s important.
The model is 2010, as Feingold knows first hand.
Sorry, “his” predictive model………saw the “Deb” part, not the “Dean” part.
I disagree with Ed Schultz that he had to show up on the ground.
Yes, I recall 4 major reasons why you wouldn’t want Obama appearing in personal support of Barrett………..Corzine, Deeds, Coakley and Specter.
for the prez not to show in WI will carry major new ramifications for Nov and beyond. bet on it. liek the pub opt- this race is seen by dems al over as critical- a generational event. O is in a tough fight with Mitt- I cant get why bail on this. Politically is stupid. I do think Barrett cans till win- better pray so for labor’s sake.
Pres. Obama succeeded in getting passed two “landmark” pieces of legislation. The near-beer “stimulus” and the healthcare reform/insurance/reform/whatever it was. I read in 2010 that the White House decided that rather than offer any economic or societal argument, it was best to leave the rhetorical vacuum to the Republicans and concentrate on spinning 2010 to separate Obama from the Dems running for reelection.
This was successful, with results such as Walker in Wisconsin. In 2008 I, and everyone I know voted for Obama. This year none will. It’s not disappointment but betrayal. You can inspire people with hope, but not with an “I’ll do better next time.” The most galling thing to me is that Barack Obama seems to really believe that the American people will sooner or later recognize his greatness. The way I see it, I hired him to do a job. FOR me, not ON me.
By the way, interesting to compare this PPP poll which shows Barrett gaining 2 points with the prior one they issued…….
Tom Barrett …………………………………………….. 47%
Scott Walker …………………………………………… 50%
Undecided………………………………………………. 3%
It was the first poll conducted by PPP since May 15, when they released this head-to-head number:
Tom Barrett……………………………………………….45%
Scott Walker………………………………………………50%
Hari Trivedi………………………………………………….2%
Undecided:………………………………………………….3%
It would seem Hari Trivedi died an untimely death between May 15th and now.
I don’t who will win tomorrows recall. It seems the GOP invested more in this election than the DNC has. President Obama is the Democratic Party leader, he should have stepped it up and helped out Barrett. He only thinks of himself and not the party. He has shown this over and over. Thank goodness I am a independent and left the Democratic Party. Both parties are aweful and only think of themselves and big bussiness.
Funny, I just saw one of those “Fight for Obama” ads. WHY? The man isn’t fighting for us. He AND the Democratic Party just let Wisconsin fend for itself, kind of like the steerage passengers on the Titanic. Not enough lifeboats? SORRY, Wisconsin Democrats..You get the freeze and drown while we row away in the lifeboats!
This is why I will not donate one penny to the Democratic party in its present day form. My last donation for them went to Hillary in 2008. Now, Obama might get my vote in November, just because the entire Republican party is a bunch of steaming turd piles with Mittens being the biggest and stinkiest of all. Obama is still a poop, but not as large of one. Until there is a viable 3rd party candidate, I will hold my nose and vote for Little Poop, but he is not going to get ANY of my money.