An interesting article.
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Chasing Romney, Losing Himself
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By Major Garrett
In at least three crucial ways, President Obama is running an unorthodox campaign for reelection, shattering the pattern and priorities of his predecessors in a way that risks rebuke from undecided voters.
Interviews with Democratic strategists and Obamas advisersas well as the Democrats own preconvention talking pointsbetray a campaign that looks and feels oddly detached from the persuasive powers of the presidency and distracted by something most presidents in this position try to ignore: the clattering criticism of the challenger.
First, Obama and his top advisers obsess over GOP nominee Mitt Romney, his asserted unfitness for office, and the waywardness of his policies.
Second, the Obama team has given short shrift to its first-term accomplishments.
And third, descriptions of second-term priorities remain largely opaque, leaving voters to wonder where a reelected Obama would take the country.
The best example was Team Obamas indirect and omnidirectional answer to the question Is the country better off than it was four years ago? Various aides or proxies answered it on Sundays talk shows, and each delivered an array of qualifications, pleas for context, and everything except an emergency Yes, but button. On ABCs This Week, White House senior adviser David Plouffe refused three times to answer the question but offered that Obamas policies staved off a depression and that the nation is beginning to recover. On CBSs Face the Nation, Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin OMalley bluntly said, No, people are not better off than four years ago. On Fox News Sunday, senior Obama reelection strategist David Axelrod gave an answer than ran one minute and five seconds.
In the aftermath, top counselor Robert Gibbs said, Youll find the president Thursday largely address the better off question, pointing out that we are no longer facing the imminent collapse of the economy.
Still, the political context is grim, and Obamas team knows it. Unemployment is higher (up to 8.3 percent from 7.8 percent); median real wages are down (to $50,964 from $54,983), gas prices are up (to $3.78 per gallon from $1.85), and the national debt is up (to $15.9 trillion from $10.6 trillion). Those are not the only measuring sticks, but they track closely with voters perceptions of where we are going: In six national polls this month, the average right track number was 33 percent and the average wrong track number was 63 percent.
Chasing Romney, Losing Himself - NationalJournal.com
*****************************************************
Chasing Romney, Losing Himself
Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailMore Sharing Services
By Major Garrett
In at least three crucial ways, President Obama is running an unorthodox campaign for reelection, shattering the pattern and priorities of his predecessors in a way that risks rebuke from undecided voters.
Interviews with Democratic strategists and Obamas advisersas well as the Democrats own preconvention talking pointsbetray a campaign that looks and feels oddly detached from the persuasive powers of the presidency and distracted by something most presidents in this position try to ignore: the clattering criticism of the challenger.
First, Obama and his top advisers obsess over GOP nominee Mitt Romney, his asserted unfitness for office, and the waywardness of his policies.
Second, the Obama team has given short shrift to its first-term accomplishments.
And third, descriptions of second-term priorities remain largely opaque, leaving voters to wonder where a reelected Obama would take the country.
The best example was Team Obamas indirect and omnidirectional answer to the question Is the country better off than it was four years ago? Various aides or proxies answered it on Sundays talk shows, and each delivered an array of qualifications, pleas for context, and everything except an emergency Yes, but button. On ABCs This Week, White House senior adviser David Plouffe refused three times to answer the question but offered that Obamas policies staved off a depression and that the nation is beginning to recover. On CBSs Face the Nation, Maryland Democratic Gov. Martin OMalley bluntly said, No, people are not better off than four years ago. On Fox News Sunday, senior Obama reelection strategist David Axelrod gave an answer than ran one minute and five seconds.
In the aftermath, top counselor Robert Gibbs said, Youll find the president Thursday largely address the better off question, pointing out that we are no longer facing the imminent collapse of the economy.
Still, the political context is grim, and Obamas team knows it. Unemployment is higher (up to 8.3 percent from 7.8 percent); median real wages are down (to $50,964 from $54,983), gas prices are up (to $3.78 per gallon from $1.85), and the national debt is up (to $15.9 trillion from $10.6 trillion). Those are not the only measuring sticks, but they track closely with voters perceptions of where we are going: In six national polls this month, the average right track number was 33 percent and the average wrong track number was 63 percent.
Chasing Romney, Losing Himself - NationalJournal.com
