Article written by Spencer Critchley and Zach Friend
We knew this was coming. The media have finally noticed the gap between Barack Obama's extraordinary achievements -- health care reform, financial reform and preventing a depression, to name a very few -- and his seeming inability to win credit for them. "Why can't Obama get a break?" is the meme of the day.
Of course, the issue is not so much that the president can't win credit, it's that others, including the media, can't give it to him. The loss of that distinction is in itself a sign of this disconnect.
As with any trend, there is no single cause for this one. Rather, multiple causes come together at the right time and reinforce each other.
Cause number one is simply the economy. Yes, we avoided total collapse. Yes, recovery looks to be well under way. But unemployment is still high, people are still scared and angry, and they blame the person in charge now, instead of those who actually caused the problem in the past.
The second cause is deeply ironic: Obama's very strength, it turns out, can be a weakness. After his fast rise against enormous odds, many people actually seem to believe that he is superhuman -- that he should be able instantly to unite the country, solve unemployment, end wars and terrorism and while he's at it, fix health care and end pandemics.
This ends up hurting him with both the right and the left. The right thinks he magically concealed his true socialist, terrorist-loving, dictatorial nature and that he is somehow able to "ram" legislation "down our throats." Meanwhile critics on the left see him as repeatedly falling short of what he could have done if only he had really tried -- he's already one of the most accomplished presidents in history, and yet they think he's dogging it. For both right and left, the inconvenient truth of democracy gets lost -- that you have to have the votes.
The third cause is discipline -- too much of it on the right, too little on the left. On the right, we have The Party of No. The GOP appear to be gambling everything on trying to make Obama fail, hoping voters will give him and his party most of the blame. We think this is a shameful disservice to the country. But Democrats could learn something from Republicans' ability to play on the same team.
Instead, too many Dems leave every huddle criticizing the play instead of forming up to make it work. Take financial reform - the most sweeping such reform since the 1930s. This is how the lead Democratic author, Senator Chris Dodd, described it to the media immediately afterward: "It's not a perfect bill, but we believe we've done the best we could under the circumstances..." Senator Russ Feingold took it a step further. He voted against the bill, as is of course his right. But he also saw fit to state that "It doesn't do the job, and I'm not going to be part of basically defrauding the American people into thinking it does." Who needs an opposing team when you play against your own with that kind of commitment?
We saw the same kind of thing with the passage of the greatest health care reform since Medicare, with the economic stimulus, energy reform and more. Of course we should be willing to disagree; openness to debate is part of what makes us Democrats. But being a Democrat is also supposed to mean working together for the common good. Democrats need to start running on pride in their party's accomplishments, contrasting themselves with the Party of No. As David Plouffe said so cogently, the bedwetting needs to stop.
Accomplishments, no matter how impressive, are not enough. It's the stories of those accomplishments that move hearts. The Republicans, drawing from a deep well of corporate advertising talent, are expert at telling emotionally powerful stories, often with scant concern for the truth. In response, Democrats present... facts. The facts prove that there aren't any death panels. But boy, the image of death panels sure sticks in your head, doesn't it? The facts prove that Obama deserves a whole lot more credit than he's getting. But the constant narrative to the contrary can make it feel like he doesn't. And since the media must have stories to hold their audiences, they are all too happy to repeat them. But if we kill the bedwetting, and show the contrasts, the story this November can have a much happier ending.
Boots Road Group founder Spencer Critchley is a communications consultant whose clients have included Democratic political candidates, National Public Radio, and the Emmy-winning documentary "Blink". He served on press teams for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Colorado.
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Maybe we could then elect a President who doesn't sell his political capital for corporate campaign cash.
But I doubt it.
Is there not a single President of the United States, in the history of this country, that you're even proud of having?
You hate Obama, you hate Clinton, you hate Carter, you hate Bush the Younger, you hate Bush Sr., you hate Reagan, and, to go even further, you also probably hate Nixon, Ford, LBJ, Eisenhower
If JFK, God rest his soul, hadn't been assasinate
There was no reason to defer to BP on the oil cleanup in the Gulf and sit by while BP used toxic chemicals that will make the damage worse. There was no reason to sue Arizona for trying to p[rotect itself when the Federal Government has been totally irresponsi
I'd believe the "he tries but they get in his way" argument more with better appointmen
Its good to share thoughts on what Obamas has done wrong, but not without givine credit where credit is due at the same time.
As for the news media - they are on a ratings feeding frenzy and bad news = ratings. Shame on them - not much better than the talking heads.
But this article oddly leaves out talking heads, who present themselves as news shows and pretent they are news people, when all along they are just entertaine
Just stop listening to them - try it for one month, then go back - you wil be agast.
If not, they'd just ram it through reconcilia
And if you didn't like that they VP would tell you to go eff yourself!
What are our solutions?
Who exaclty do you want to replace Obama that will be "perfect" in everyway?
Keep it coming!
When Rahm Emanuel called progressiv
I don't see how Democrats can call progressiv
These aren't progressiv
If my complaints are shared by many progressiv
As Harry Truman said, given the choice between a real Republican and a fake one, Republican
Notice: Corporatio
This was the point of union busting. Labor unions used to nominate and fund people's candidates
Obama came close to replacing union funding with direct internet donations.
Because he came close to replacing union (people's) funding, corporatio
Unfortunat
You all refuse to give any tiny credit at all where credit is due - so be it - that shows your stripes - lose Congress in November in order to prove your points then you can rejoice come December - throw the baby out with the bathwater, etc. etc.
But the facts refute you every step - but who needs all the facts, good and bad? Just spread the "smear".
Funny. The reason why he fails to win credit for these "extraordi
The healthcare reform law is a complete joke. The administra
Financial reform? Really. Did anyone read the bill? Anybody who has admits that the "reform" still leaves "too big to fail" as a possibilit
Preventing a depression
The article stands on its own. YOU two do not represent my Democracti
Suggest you turn off the talking heads and use that timie to support who ever you want in this coming November election (or maybe that is what you are doing?).
Please explain "The Lost Freedom", since President Obama was elected
1. Have Your Taxes Been Raised? (In 2009 Americans Payed The Lowest Taxes Since 1950)
Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government
http://www
2. Have You Been Forced To Be "Re-Educat
3. Do Yo Still Maintain Your Same Employment And Wages ?
4. Do You Still Have Your Right To Vote?
5. Do You Still Have Your Right To Bear Arms?
6. Do You Still Have Your Right Of Free Speech?
7. Do You Have The Right To Leave Your Home At Anytime?
8. Have You Been Forced To Show Papers To Prove Who You Are? (The Republican GOV of Arizona Requires This)
9. Have You Been Conscripte
10. Have You Been Arrested For Your Political Views?
11. Have You Been Entered Into A FEMA Camp?
12. Have You Been Forced To Be Sterilized
13. Has Your Freedom To Protest Been Taken Away ?
What lost Freedoms?
President Bush passed a Pharmaceut
Tea Party True Colors !
They Consist Of Disillusio
-Sarge
Fear sells.
That is why the right wants you to be afraid, very afraid!
In the meantime I can enjoy reading the articles and comments here reflecting a variety of opinions. I learn a lot from all of them. As much as I like and support the President, I am free to criticize him here when he and/or Congress does something I disagree with. I thank God every night for both the right to do that and that the Democratic Party encourages the spirit of "free inquiry", a right by the way, that was of great importance to our Founders.
So don't worry, I'll be there in November, first in line when the polls open.
Just a few samplings:
http://www
http://www
http://www
(another:
http://www
I'm Talking Fact
-Sarge)