David Axelrod: Obama 2012 Campaign Will Be 'Titanic Struggle'

MANCHESTER, N.H. — President Barack Obama's chief political adviser on Tuesday conceded that a dark cloud looms over the American economy and Obama's political future, describing the president's road to a second term in the White House as "a titanic struggle."

"We have the wind in our face because the American people have the wind in their faces," David Axelrod told an audience of New Hampshire politicians and business leaders. "So this is going to be a titanic struggle. But I firmly believe we're on the right side of the struggle."

But even as he acknowledged the stark political reality, Axelrod said the president would ultimately win re-election, in part because of the flawed field of Republican candidates. He characterized their plans to repair the nation's ailing economy as the same kind of deregulation and tax cuts that caused the downturn in the first place.

"This isn't new wine and old bottles. This is old wine and old bottles," Axelrod said.

He also assailed Republican contenders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, in an interview with The Associated Press.

Axelrod took issue with Romney's assertion that he's among the candidates with the least political experience in the Republican field. Romney held just one full term as governor but has run for higher office four times since 1994.

"I don't know how you define a professional politician, but running for office off and on for two decades seems to qualify," Axelrod said.

He also went after Perry.

"He holds up Texas as a model," Axelrod said. "You look at Texas and they have among the lowest wages in the country, the highest rate of uninsured people, some of the worst performance in their schools."

"I think most Americans will look at that and say, `Why would we want to emulate that?" Axelrod added.

Obama's campaign has said that the 2012 election will be a "choice, not a referendum" on Obama, making clear they intend to draw sharp contrasts with whomever Republicans nominate next year. Democrats have begun raising questions about Romney and Perry's records both in and out of government, hoping to make the case that Obama would be best positioned to restore a middle class that has been battered by the economic downturn.

 

 

Comments

[plansmaker]

02:52 PM on 10/15/2011

The libs will do everything to destory Cain. make him look stupid, dangerous...Why?
Because they knew he is the real Obama treat 2012 and the only one with Charisma on the GOP side.

[Ezio]

11:59 AM on 09/30/2011

Obama will not win next November if the unemployment is the same a year from now. There is just no way.

[doctor4kids]

12:57 PM on 09/29/2011

Titanic was probably a poor choice of words.

[1ConservativeTexasLady]

11:10 AM on 09/29/2011

Obama will never be able to point to his record as a reason for anyone to vote for him. Enough is enough. Obama has got to go~

[mothra666]

12:57 PM on 09/29/2011

sure he can. You don't like him, but I am sure you didn't vote for him before either.

[1ConservativeTexasLady]

05:12 PM on 09/29/2011

And just what is he going to point to? How the unemployment rate skyrocketed while he was in office? Or that taxes went sky high? Or how about all of the people on food stamps, making him the food stamp president? Yea, that's impressive....or how about the new war in Libya? Yea, that ought to persuade people to vote for him!

[leonel]

10:00 PM on 09/28/2011

Obama was the best candidate the last time and right now he seems the best one again. People are just very much in a funk. They are against everything. So a basic aspect of messaging for the election is to lift up the public morale. Mainly be a realistic cheerleader. Remember, if you smile, people smile with you. If you frown, you are seen as someone to avoid. Basic human nature.

A very simple example of how people are generally in a funk are a lot of the negative comments and letters to the editors. Many persons use negativism as the best way to avoid or getting used to being disappointed.

But the election will turn on independents and young persons, many of whom do not care much for politics but do turn out to vote out of a sense of duty. If they are turned on with positive messages, it makes all the difference.

Avoid criticizing Republicans, conservatives and any negative minded persons. It sounds tempting, but going negative may be the only definite way for Democrats to lose.

The best way to be basically positive is to start out by admitting that everything and everybody is absolutely rotten, but so what, we have to go on, look at the positive side. The world, probably !, will not end in our lifetime, why not be positive. It makes us popular to think this way.

[leonel]

09:47 PM on 09/28/2011

Why use the word "titanic?" The Titanic was a tragedy from start to finish. What the Democrats need is better use of language, images, strategies, and public relations. Democrats want to represent the vast majority and hold positions that are the most popular with the public. But they are not very good with public relations and getting their messages across. The election will depend on how much of a popular candidate the Republicans can put up. At the present they seem totally unable to come up with anybody and they know it.

All the Democrats need to do is consult some of the best PR firms in the business. Refine their message. The expose' by Ron Suskind will not really hurt and there is a lot of disagreement with how the administration has run and will continue to run. That is not what determines outcomes; what determines elections is how well candidates connect with the voters. Sounds so obvious but is the hardest thing to do.

[Ezio]

12:00 PM on 09/30/2011

Obama has been a tragedy from start to finish.

[linda91254]

04:59 PM on 09/28/2011

Three years ago the Chicago Tribune endorsed Obama....

Last week they asked him not to seek re-election....

Even his hometown doesn't support him

[jayszip]

03:50 PM on 09/28/2011

A "Titanic Struggle"... That is an understatement. How about "Raising the Dead".

[linda91254]

02:25 PM on 09/28/2011

Even Oprah won't endorse him this time.....

BuhBye....

[bluecatb]

03:57 PM on 09/28/2011

She already did, she hasn't endorsed anyone else either.

Pulleeze!

[linda91254]

04:48 PM on 09/28/2011

She has NOT endorsed him again.. She endorsed him the first time but will not do it again. Her ratings have suffered because of it

[Photon55]

02:04 PM on 09/28/2011

Just what is the right wing going to do to right the "ship" they sent into an economic iceberg. It is amazingly noteworthy that they gained control of the House after the 2010 election when it was the right wing neocons who created the mess at home and abroad. The thing to be feared is not so much the right wing pretenders running for president and the fickle electorate that wants immediate amelioration of our misery but are willing to return to power and control the very same culprits who caused the misery.

[bluecatb]

03:56 PM on 09/28/2011

Maybe there is a touch of masochism?

Who knows why they vote against theirselves and their children. Are they that greedy and selfish, they think of ONLY themselves. if so, they are enjoying the morality of good Americans that care. They aren't putting in their fair share and their political puppets keep gifting them like the Godfather.

[1ConservativeTexasLady]

11:13 AM on 09/29/2011

Anyone who wants to pay more taxes, the IRS has no problem taking their money. In fact, it goes directly to the bottom line, it reduces the debt. SWo come on Liberals, pay MORE, you all seem to want to. Or is it you just want OTHER people to pay more.....hmmm....

[BarryChaLaque]

01:38 PM on 09/28/2011

From EPIC TITANIC struggle (Watch out for the Republican Iceberg) to now according to Axelrod, Romney is a Old Wine in an Old Bottle.

But you liberal elite like that. You will always order a bottle of say a 1957 Chateau Larose, not some new Beringer White Zinfandel 2008. Old wine is good. New wine in those cheap, just brewed Hope and Change bottles is what leaves a bad hangover.

[bluecatb]

04:01 PM on 09/28/2011

From the people that don't know what wines "you people enjoy" I am no elite, but the muscular labor that builds dreams and life's necessities.

What do you build?
Or are you a tearerupper. People who don't like the government should not be governing in it, because they evidently don't support the seniors not being broke after investing from "their paychecks" in case some greedy CEO decides to lay them off or fire them before they are due to get their retirement.

[mothra666]

07:26 PM on 09/28/2011

thanks for your meanigless post, you non contributing zero.

[BarryChaLaque]

09:46 PM on 09/28/2011

NON CONTRIBUTING ZERO?

That sounds like a right wing name given to obama.

Score one for you. I'll start using that to describe obama.

[Buford]

01:24 PM on 09/28/2011

Funny how Republicans confuse a lack of strong support for Obama with implied support for a Republican candidate. Nothing could be less true. I'm disappointed with Obama, but that in no way means I wish I'd voted for McCain/Palin.

Much of Obama's low approval rating comes from the progressive-minded 53% of the country that elected him that craves MORE PROGRESSIVE policies, not less.

[Seattlelite]

01:04 PM on 09/28/2011

Progressives, there is a very real chance that the next POTUS will have the opportunity to appoint 2 supreme court justices. There are number of reasons Pres. Obama needs to be re-elected but this one is critical.

[Gayle Williams]

09:05 PM on 09/28/2011

To bad, He's gone.

[Seattlelite]

10:33 PM on 09/28/2011

The Tea Party and the republicans candidates running will assure Pres. Obama gets re-elected.

[pocketnunu]

01:02 PM on 09/28/2011

I hate bashing and I hate extremes. I'm sick and tired of it. It solves nothing. We all need to go into detox for our addiction, our self-absorbtion in our political egotism, including myself.

Yes, we all are in a Titanic struggle: Obama is just a manifestation of our rigidity, for and against, whatever dogmas, beliefs, and tenets we espouse. But the derision, the mockery, the ridicule, the disdain, the contempt, and yes, even the hate, we may feel toward each other solves nothing. After we have sneered and sniggered at each other, what we have left is hardened animosity, from which no compromise can be built.

We are all clinging, like survivors to a leaky life raft, to the very same political agendas that caused the ship to sink in the first place. And yes, both parties, and voters, are to blame. If we say the Titanic struggle is over ideology, we mean it as a mental, intellectual struggle. But it is not just mental, it is emotional. We have become invested, deeply so, in ideology, we cannot give it up without damage to our self-image and identities.

I don't know the answer. Just bringing it up and getting it off my chest.

[JCarter49]

12:40 PM on 09/28/2011

Obama, do yourself a favor. Fire David Axelrod and hire James Carville.

[08Voter]

02:14 PM on 09/28/2011

Democrats should do ourselves a favor and primary Obama.

[Gayle Williams]

09:10 PM on 09/28/2011

Carville won't touch Obama with a ten foot pole. He's already stated that Obama's out of there. Obama should just take the hint and leave with what dignity he has left. Why embarass himself by carrying on with this election, Personally I hope he does run again, because I know someone else will win.