1 - TheLagerLad
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Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
Just throwing this out here for discussion.
Huffington Post writer Sam Stein on 'Morning Joe' this morning said thatPresident Obama let the Democratic Party down over the course of his time in the White House.
Stein suggested that Democrats may be overanalyzing the 2016 election loss. “They ended up with 2.8 million more votes for their candidate. It was 80,000 votes in three states that really cost her,” he said.
“But then on the other hand, you look at the destruction of the Democratic Party under Barack Obama’s leadership and you have to wonder; what was the political — what were the electoral benefits that he gave to the party?” he argued.
“He leaves them in a much worse position,” Stein noted. “The states are decimated, they lost control of the House and Senate, the governorships are decimated.”
“Maybe he is a gifted candidate; he won election twice by substantial margins,” he concluded, “But his legacy as a politician is a bit muddied by all that.”
What say you? Did Obama fail as the de-facto leader of the Democratic Party. Did he focus too much on the D.C. bubble and no pay attention to what was happening in the rest of the country?
George W. Bush has been almost entirely absent from GOP politics since he left office because he was considered to be a poor reflection of the party.
Does President Obama have a role to play for the Democrats in 2017 and beyond?
I think you're going to see a lot of different United States of America over the next three, four, or eight years. - President Donald J. Trump
- Rongone
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
I dunno . . . But I don't see anything in the oath of office for the president that says anything about fund raising, or partisan party politics:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
Seems to me the president should be apolitical and base his decision making process on what is best for the nation, within the confines of established law, and not for the benefit the republicans or the democrats.
- Goose
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
Lots to chew on here.
I dare say that the passage of the ACA lost Dems the house.
And the failure to enact it smoothly caused losses further down.
Somehow the democrats fail to connect with the white lower class.
And that group, for issues of cultural identity often votes against it's own interests.
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.
- Just Fred
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
It's a bit muddied for me. What particularly stands out is the obstruction, filibustering, foot-dragging, and the blocking that took place in congress. Afterall, if you start out by dealing with people who from the very start say they want you to be a one-term president, that's a heavy lift to overcome.
- tennyson
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
Seems like "the sky is falling and who is to blame" type article that comes out after every party has a big defeat.
Well, the sky is not falling and Obama is certainly not to blame ! As a matter of fact from where we were 8 years ago, we have made good strides !
This is all cyclical. IF Trump and his administration cannot fulfill the HUGE promises he made and keep the middle of America on his side with the "Draining of the Swamp" and "Making America Great Again", then in 4 years it will be another change of horses again.
"Do not confuse motion and progress, A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress"
- Common Sense
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
If you use elections lost as a measure then it does not look very good for Obama.
"Confidence or arrogance? Obama says he could've beaten Trump. President Obama claims he could have won a third term if he had been allowed to run – but even if he's right, his coattails haven’t done much for the rest of his party. While Obama’s tireless campaigning, broad demographic appeal and message of “hope” and “change” helped propel him to two terms in the White House, his skills on the stump haven’t translated down the ballot.The Democratic Party suffered huge losses at every level... The grand total: a net loss of 1,042 state and federal Democratic posts, including congressional and state legislative seats, governorships and the presidency....
Hillary Clinton, ... brought the first family out for numerous campaign appearances.... Obama declared that his “legacy’s on the ballot.” Less than two months later, Americans voted for Donald Trump.... Democratic U.S. Senate seats fell from 55 to 46. Their share of the House plummeted from 256 seats to 194. Republicans still control both chambers going into the next session. Democratic governerships also became a rarity during this eight-year period, slipping from 28 to 16....The Obama years, which saw the rise...of a new movement form around Trump ... coincided with a loss of 958 state legislative seats for Democrats. Still, Obama said in an interview which aired Monday that, if he were allowed to run for a third term, he would have been victorious...."
The media buzz before the election was the republican party was in shambles. Obliviously there are still "establishment republicans" who would do anything to get rid of Trump. The democrat party seems to be trying to find blame for this loss. Will they go with Ellison as the DNC chair? Or try a more middle of the road gal or guy? What if Biden had run?
Last edited by Common Sense (12/30/2016 2:37 pm)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident,” former vice president Biden said during a campaign event in Texas on Monday. "All men and women created by — you know, you know, the thing.”
- TheLagerLad
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
My two cents on this is that democrats during the Obama era focused squarely on the activity going on in the White House and didn't give state and local government the attention it needed.
I also think that Obama's coattails didn't extend as far as I thought they would have. I mean, can you think of anyone in the last eight years that could be classified as an "Obama candidate"?
Liz Warren was one. Corey Booker another. But beyond that, I can't think of anyone who Obama brought to the fore of government. Even Hillary kept her distance early on in her race.
It's a shame, because I always thought Obama had a great core message.
So no, I don't think Obama "destroyed" the Democratic party. But it is definitely in need of new leadership.
I think you're going to see a lot of different United States of America over the next three, four, or eight years. - President Donald J. Trump
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Thread Starter- Just Fred
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
The grand total: a net loss of 1,042 state and federal Democratic posts, including congressional and state legislative seats, governorships and the presidency.... - Common
Very true. Do you think gerrymandering of voting districts and/or voter suppression had anything to do with it, Common?
- Brady Bunch
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
Did Obama destroy the Democratic party? I would say the answer is he played a part in the issues they have, but is only one of many reasons.
I find it interesting that in general people seem to have a favorable view of him and like him, but when asked about specific policies they don't agree with him.
In general and not directly attributed to Obama, the Dems have become more liberal over the past 2 decades. With a more liberal agenda, a focus on identity politics (the Dems version of God, gays and guns) and losing focus on white-working class voters, they lost touch with much of middle America. Right now, they are the party of the urban areas. This will generate votes in a few population, concentrated areas and keep them competitive in the general election, but it will make it difficult for them in state and local elections in places that are not predominantly urban.
- Goose
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Re: Did President Obama "Destroy the Democratic Party"
Fair points, Brady.
I also wonder if the Democrats have a generational leadership problem.
Nancy Pelosi, 76.
Bernie Sanders, 75.
Joe Biden, 74.
Chuck Schumer is a youngster at 66.
Rising star Elizabeth Warren is 67.
Obama at 55, seems to have connected on a personal, if not policy level with voters.
Was his tender age a factor?
Last edited by Goose (12/31/2016 10:21 am)
We live in a time in which decent and otherwise sensible people are surrendering too easily to the hectoring of morons or extremists.