Research Briefing

Obama’s “Out Of Balance” Economy Messaging Sounds Familiar

DESPITE BEING PRESIDENT FOR THREE YEARS, OBAMA WILL MAKE THE SAME CALL AS CANDIDATE OBAMA FOR “FAIRNESS AND BALANCE”

THEN: Obama: We Need “To Restore Fairness And Balance To Our Economy.” “But we need to do even more to restore fairness and balance to our economy.” (Senator Barack Obama, “Reclaiming The American Dream,” El Dorado, Kansas, 1/29/08)

• Obama “Dwelled” On The Idea That The Economy Is “Out Of Balance” And Criticized CEO Bonuses. “In El Dorado, he dwelled on the economy, which he called ‘out of balance,’ delivering millions in bonuses to CEOs but little affordable health insurance to working families.” (Scott Cannon And Steve Kraske, “Obama Comes To KC Calling For Change,” The Kansas City Star, 1/30/08)

NOW: Obama Will Call To Restore Fairness To The Economy. “Obama will ‘lay out the choice we face between a country in which too few do well while too many struggle to get by, and one where we're all in it together – where everyone engages in fair play, everyone does their fair share, and everyone gets a fair shot,’ the White House said in a statement announcing the Kansas address.” (Aamer Madhani, “Obama Looks To Emulate Teddy Roosevelt,” USA Today, 12/3/11)

OBAMA ALSO CALLED FOR AN END TO THE DIVISIVE POLITICS HE HAS SINCE EXPLOITED

Watch Obama Reject The Politics Of Division

THEN: Obama Said He Would “Fundamentally Reject” The Politics Of Division Used “To Score Points And Win Elections. “We have been made to believe that differences of race and region; wealth and gender; party and religion have separated us into warring factions; into Red States and Blue states made up of individuals with opposing wants and needs; with conflicting hopes and dreams. It is a vision of America that's been exploited and encouraged by pundits and politicians who need this division to score points and win elections. But it is a vision of America that I am running for President to fundamentally reject - not because of a blind optimism I hold, but because of a story I've lived.” (Senator Barack Obama, “Reclaiming The American Dream,” El Dorado, Kansas, 1/29/08)

NOW: “Forget Hope And Change,” Obama’s Reelection Campaign Is Based On “Fear And Loathing.” “Forget hope and change. President Obama’s reelection campaign is going to be based on fear and loathing: fear of what a Republican takeover would mean, and loathing of whomever the Republican nominee turns out to be. Of course the Obama campaign will attempt to present the affirmative case for his reelection, citing legislative achievements, foreign policy successes and the current flurry of executive actions. But his strategists have clearly concluded that selling the president will not be enough, and the contours of the ugly months ahead are becoming increasingly apparent.” (Ruth Marcus, “Campaign 2012: Welcome To The Slugfest,” The Washington Post, 11/2/11)

• “And As Much As Obama Presented Himself As Above The Regular Partisan Fray During The 2008 Campaign, He Was Not Averse To Taking The Lower Road When It Appeared The Advisable Route.” (Ruth Marcus, “Campaign 2012: Welcome To The Slugfest,” The Washington Post, 11/2/11)

THEN: Obama Said Washington Is Where Politicians “Demonize Each Other” Rather Than Work With Each Other. “But the biggest divide in America today is not between its people, it is between its people and their leaders in Washington, DC. That is where our collective dream has been deferred. That's where the money and influence of lobbyists kill our plans to make health care more affordable or energy cleaner year after year after year. That's where campaign promises to keep jobs in America or put tax cuts in the pockets of working families are cast aside to make room for the politics of the moment. And that's where politicians would rather demonize each other to score points than come together to solve our common challenges.” (Senator Barack Obama, “Reclaiming The American Dream,” El Dorado, Kansas, 1/29/08)

NOW: Obama’s “Overly Partisan Road” Is To Blame For “Stalemate In Washington.” “One year ago in these pages, we warned that if President Obama continued down his overly partisan road, the nation would be ‘guaranteed two years of political gridlock at a time when we can ill afford it.’ The result has been exactly as we predicted: stalemate in Washington, fights over the debt ceiling, an inability to tackle the debt and deficit, and paralysis exacerbating market turmoil and economic decline.” (Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen, “The Hillary Moment,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/21/11)

• Obama’s Partisan Tone Has “Eroded Our National Identity, Common Purpose, And Most Of All, Economic Strength.” “By going down the re-election road and into partisan mode, the president has effectively guaranteed that the remainder of his term will be marred by the resentment and division that have eroded our national identity, common purpose, and most of all, our economic strength. If he continues on this course it is certain that the 2012 campaign will exacerbate the divisions in our country and weaken our national identity to such a degree that the scorched-earth campaign that President George W. Bush ran in the 2002 midterms and the 2004 presidential election will pale in comparison.” (Patrick H. Caddell and Douglas E. Schoen, “The Hillary Moment,” The Wall Street Journal, 11/21/11)