Posts : 15226 Join date : 2010-06-06 Age : 75 Location : Denton
Subject: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Thu May 09, 2013 1:21 pm
Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014
George Will
WASHINGTON – Thirty-one months ago, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell affronted the media and other custodians of propriety by saying something commonsensical. On Oct. 23, 2010, he said: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." He meant that America needed conservative change from the statist course of Obama's presidency (the stimulus, Obamacare, etc.), therefore America needed a president who would not veto such change.
Obama today could say, and probably to himself has said, that the single most important thing he wants to achieve now is for Democrats to win control of the House in 2014. That redoubt of conservatism is an insuperable obstacle to the change he favors – ever-larger government as an instrument of wealth redistribution.
First 100 days
President Obama passed the 100-day mark of his second term with a Congress still very much divided. Budget legislation and immigration reform are two key issues for the president.
At a glance
In the last election, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won a majority of voters over 30 and a majority of white voters under 30. In the past 150 years, since the emergence of today's two-party system, no party holding the presidency has gained even 10 House seats – or captured control of the House – in an off-year election.
How will his objective shape policy debates this year? And what are the chances of Democrats taking the House? The answers are: Considerably and minimal.
Regarding policy, Obama has devoted much of the most crucial months of his second term – those closest to his re-election and furthest from the next election – to gun control and immigration. He may think he can win by losing with both in 2013, thereby gaining two issues for 2014.
Before the 2014 elections, the gun proposals that recently failed in the Senate might, slightly revised, pass there and be voted on in the House. If they pass there, Obama has an achievement, albeit of minimal importance for public safety. If they fail, he has an issue.
He may be wrong about the politics. Most people whose votes are determined by gun issues oppose more restrictions. Or he may be right that associating the GOP with resistance to gun control will weaken the party among swing voters he thinks can deliver the House to Democrats. But gun policy probably is less important to him than the politics of 2014.
If comprehensive immigration reform passes in essentially the form proposed by the Senate Gang of Eight, it would not much improve Democrats' current strength with Hispanic voters, as measured by Obama's 71 percent in 2012. If, however, comprehensive reform fails – and because it is comprehensive, it will be replete with small measures offensive to a cumulatively large group of legislators – this might energize Hispanic voters whose turnout otherwise would be down in a nonpresidential election.
Actually, however, Democrats are more apt to lose control of the Senate than gain control of the House. Republicans need to gain six Senate seats; Democrats are defending seven seats in states where Obama averaged just 40.5 percent of the vote in 2012. Democrats need to gain only 17 House seats, but just 17 Republicans hold seats from districts Obama carried last year, when he won 209 districts and lost 226. Analyst Charlie Cook says the House, having reached "partisan equilibrium," has little "elasticity." Now that 96 percent of House Democrats represent Obama districts, and 93 percent of Republicans represent districts that voted for Mitt Romney, "The House is now more sorted along partisan lines than ever."
Nevertheless, rather than try to make incremental progress on large problems such as sluggish job creation and stalled social mobility, Obama concentrates on other issues for tactical reasons related to 2014.
Given the vast sprawl and myriad tentacles of the regulatory state, which is the executive branch operating with minimal supervision by the legislative branch, Obama even without Democratic control of the House will not be a nullity. Still, he may cling to the delusion that some purposeful failures before the 2014 elections can make possible a triumphant second term.
This is a weak reed on which to rest hopes for a revival of those fanciful comparisons of Obama to Franklin Roosevelt. Obama may, however, understand that, unless Democrats gain the House and retain the Senate in 2014, history might not place him even in the front rank of the second rank of presidents.
UncleFrank Honored Armed Service Member
Posts : 11868 Join date : 2010-07-25 Age : 74 Location : Commie occupied N.J.
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Thu May 09, 2013 4:25 pm
All he will ever be to me is a third rate used car salesman. The people who back him are idiots of the worst immoral kind.
Alley_Oop Mod/Admin Admin
Posts : 15226 Join date : 2010-06-06 Age : 75 Location : Denton
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Fri May 10, 2013 4:22 am
I think even a used car salesman is a notch or two up the ladder!!! LMAO!!!
UncleFrank Honored Armed Service Member
Posts : 11868 Join date : 2010-07-25 Age : 74 Location : Commie occupied N.J.
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Sun May 12, 2013 5:57 am
I was trying to be nice.
Alley_Oop Mod/Admin Admin
Posts : 15226 Join date : 2010-06-06 Age : 75 Location : Denton
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Sun May 19, 2013 7:25 am
Well you managed to be much too nice!!!! They all are POS! It will be nice when we do not even have to deal with them ever again!!! JMHO!!!
UncleFrank Honored Armed Service Member
Posts : 11868 Join date : 2010-07-25 Age : 74 Location : Commie occupied N.J.
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Wed May 22, 2013 2:48 pm
That's because I am nice....I am a proud American, living to help preserve our Constitution and Bill of Rights and our individual state's sovereignty.
Alley_Oop Mod/Admin Admin
Posts : 15226 Join date : 2010-06-06 Age : 75 Location : Denton
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Thu May 30, 2013 7:08 am
You may have to step up your efforts in your home state!!! JMHO!!! Your Governor has gotten really way out left wing over the past few months and it may be time to pull his reins a bit!!!
UncleFrank Honored Armed Service Member
Posts : 11868 Join date : 2010-07-25 Age : 74 Location : Commie occupied N.J.
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Sun Jun 02, 2013 10:41 am
He's been like that from the start. Only now people are noticing it. Some say he will eventually switch parties.
Alley_Oop Mod/Admin Admin
Posts : 15226 Join date : 2010-06-06 Age : 75 Location : Denton
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Tue Jun 04, 2013 12:04 pm
When I first came aware of him I thought he was far right and respected the rights of individuals. Lately he has become so far wing left I could not believe it! Maybe I was just not informed well in the beginning about him because he sure turned out different than what I originally thought!!!
UncleFrank Honored Armed Service Member
Posts : 11868 Join date : 2010-07-25 Age : 74 Location : Commie occupied N.J.
Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014 Wed Jun 26, 2013 7:50 am
I suppose he had much help in masking his true identity. What with the Nazi collaborator backing and tutoring him(Soros) nothing is what it seems.
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Subject: Re: Obama Keeps Eyes on The Prize in 2014