Research

AFTER FAILING TO MOTIVATE VOTERS, OBAMA AND BIDEN

HAVE TAKEN TO SCOLDING, MOCKING AND “LECTURING” HIS BASE

President Obama In A Interview With Rolling Stone Magazine Calls The Democrats’ Lethargy “Inexcusable.” “‘It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election,’ Obama said.”  (Ben Feller, “Obama: Democratic Voter Apathy 'Inexcusable',” The Associated Press, 9/28/10)

• Obama: “‘People Need To Shake Off This Lethargy. People Need To Buck Up . . . If People Now Want To Take Their Ball And Go Home, That Tells Me Folks Weren't Serious In The First Place.’” (Ben Feller, “Obama: Democratic Voter Apathy 'Inexcusable',” The Associated Press, 9/28/10)
• “What Emerges In The Magazine Story Is A Stern, Lecturing Tone From Obama …‘The idea that we've got a lack of enthusiasm in the Democratic base, that people are sitting on their hands complaining, is just irresponsible,’ he said in the interview.” (Ben Feller, “Obama: Democratic Voter Apathy 'Inexcusable',” The Associated Press, 9/28/10)

Vice President Joe Biden Urged Democrats To Tell Base Voters To “Stop Whining.” “At a fundraiser in Manchester, NH, today, Vice President Biden urged Democrats to ‘remind our base constituency to stop whining and get out there and look at the alternatives.’” (Jake Tapper, “Vice President Biden To Democratic Base: 'Stop Whining',” ABC News, 9/27/10)

• Biden Also Scolded The Progressive Base And Says They Need To “Get In Gear.” “Vice President Joe Biden is telling progressives to grow up. Not in so many words, of course. But in an interview with Rachel Maddow that aired Wednesday night, he pleaded with the camera about how the Democratic base needs to get over its disillusionment and rejuvenate itself for the midterm elections. At times he sounded like a scolding parent: ‘One of the reasons I wanted to be on your show is to tell the progressives out there, you know, get in gear, man….You better get energized.’" (Stephen Stromberg, “Joe Biden Scolds Progressives -- And He's Right,” The Washington Post’s “PostPartisan” Blog, 9/16/10)

At A DNC Fundraiser Last Week, Obama Told “Frustrated Liberals” To “Wake Up!” “At a Democratic National Committee fundraiser last night an angsty-sounding President Obama issued a warning to frustrated liberals: ‘Folks wake up! This is not some academic exercise.’” (Michael Falcone & Amy Walters, “Opposite Day On The Campaign Trail?” ABC News “The Note” Blog, 9/21/10)

• And At A $30,000-A-Plate Fundraiser, President Obama Mocked Progressive Criticism Of His Administration As “Glass Half-Empty” View. “Democrats, just congenitally, tend to get -- to see the glass as half empty. (Laughter.) If we get an historic health care bill passed -- oh, well, the public option wasn't there.  If you get the financial reform bill passed -- then, well, I don't know about this particular derivatives rule, I'm not sure that I'm satisfied with that. And gosh, we haven't yet brought about world peace and -- (laughter.) I thought that was going to happen quicker. (Laughter.) You know who you are. (Laughter.)” (Glenn Greenwald, “Obama’s View Of Liberal Criticisms,” Salon, 9/17/10)

WHILE SEVERAL OF THEIR ALLIES HAVE FOLLOWED SUIT

Sen. John Kerry Tried To Pin Democrats’ Woes On An “Uninformed” Electorate That Is Too Influenced By “Slogans.”  “‘We have an electorate that doesn’t always pay that much attention to what’s going on so people are influenced by a simple slogan rather than the facts or the truth or what’s happening,’ Kerry said.” (Laurel J. Sweet, “Bill Clinton: Dems Must Hone Message,” The Boston Herald, 9/27/10)

Gov. Ed Rendell Told The Base To “Get Over It” And “Wake Up.” RENDELL: “And our base ought to wake up. And anybody who’s watching this show who thought they might not vote because they are a little disappointed over this or a little disappointed over that – get over it.” (MSNBC’s, “The Rachel Maddow Show,” 9/22/10)

The Richmond Times-Dispatch Editorial Board: Dems Are Either Running From ObamaCare Or “Calling Voters Dimwits.” “Several months ago President Obama promised that Democrats would be proud to campaign on the new health care overhaul. With campaigns now peaking, the only Democrats who mention the law these days are the ones who voted against it. So supporters have decided to try a new approach: calling voters dimwits.” (Editorial, “Health Care: ‘You Dummies,’” The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 9/27/10)

• “Democrats And An Often Sympathetic Media Are Trying, Once Again, To Tell Voters They Would Like A Lousy Law If Only They Had Enough Brains.” (Editorial, “Health Care: ‘You Dummies,’” The Richmond Times-Dispatch, 9/27/10)

BUT ALL THAT “HIPPIE PUNCHING” STILL HASN’T GOTTEN THEIR TROOPS IN LINE

Progressive Frustration Boiled Over When A Blogger Accused David Axelrod Of “Hippie Punching.” “That tension burst out into the open when Madrak directly asked Axelrod: ‘Have you ever heard of hippie punching?’ That prompted a long silence from Axelrod. ‘You want us to help you, the first thing I would suggest is enough of the hippie punching,’ Madrak added.” (Greg Sargent, “Liberal Blogger Directly Confronts David Axelrod, Accuses White House Of ‘Hippie Punching’," The Washington Post’s “The Plum Line” Blog, 9/23/10)

• Madrak: "We're The Girl You'll Take Under The Bleachers But You Won't Be Seen With In The Light Of Day." (Greg Sargent, “Liberal Blogger Directly Confronts David Axelrod, Accuses White House Of ‘Hippie Punching’," The Washington Post’s “The Plum Line” Blog, 9/23/10)
• “‘Right Back At'cha. Right Back At'cha,’ Axelrod Replied, A Bit Testily, An Apparent Reference To Blogospheric Criticism Of The Administration.” (Greg Sargent, “Liberal Blogger Directly Confronts David Axelrod, Accuses White House Of ‘Hippie Punching’," The Washington Post’s “The Plum Line” Blog, 9/23/10)

“Desperate” Organizers At Obama Fundraiser Couldn’t Fill Ballroom For President’s Speech, After “Even Obama’s Firesale Didn’t Sell Out.” “Who would have thought that six weeks before a cliffhanger election, President Obama would have to reach down to the D list to fill a room to listen to him? Most of us low rollers arrived early to see President Obama up close and personal. Our tickets for the general reception at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York were only $100. Some thought the email invitation was a joke. Some bought tickets for $50 from their desperate Democratic committeeman. Some bought the same day. . . . 450 people in a room that holds 650. Even Obama’s firesale didn’t sell out.” (Gail Sheehy, “Obama's Fire Sale,” The Daily Beast, 9/23/10)

During A Recent Speech At An Ohio Community College, Students Had To Be Recruited To Fill Empty Seats. “President Barack Obama used a podium at Cuyahoga County Community College Wednesday to contrast his economic vision for the country with that of Republicans … But an hour before the speech, at least 75 students were recruited from classrooms and hallways to fill vacant seats. ‘Someone came into my English class and asked if we wanted to go to the speech,’ said Jillian Fizer of Olmsted Falls after the event. ‘Only seven out of about 27 raised their hand. I was surprised.” (Sabrina Eaton, “President Obama Contrasts Himself With Republicans In Parma Speech,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, 9/9/10)

For The First Time Since The 1930s, More Republicans Turned Out For Primary Elections Than Democrats – By Over Four Million Votes. “For the first time since the 1930s, participation in Republican primaries exceeds participation in Democratic primaries, according to a report by the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University. The study, which looked at elections held through Sept. 1 of this year, found that more than four million more voters cast ballots in Republican primaries than in Democratic primaries.” (Brian J. McCabe, “Primary Voter Turnout Stays Low, But More So For Democrats,” The New York Times “FiveThirtyEight” Blog, 9/14/10)

Obama’s Vaunted Organizing For America Political Machine Is Now A “Ghost Of Its Former Self.” “What happened to Barack Obama's once vaunted political machine? The outfit that put upwards of 8 million volunteers on the street in 2008 — known as Organizing for America — is a ghost of its former self. Its staff has shrunk from 6,000 to 300, and its donors are depressed: receipts are a fraction of what they were in 2008. Virtually no one in politics believes it will turn many contests this fall. ‘There's no chance that OFA is going to have the slightest impact on the midterms,’ says Charlie Cook, who tracks congressional races.” (Jay Newton-Small, “What Ever Happened to Obama's Army?” Time, 9/9/10)