Not unexpectedly, the Republican machine seized on a historically low presidential approval rating and provided a cohesive and effective strategic messaging campaign associating any Democrat with President Obama. And the blame falls squarely on the President. But maybe not in the way you might think. Hear me out. President Obama has shown a brilliant strategic communications ability exactly twice: 2008 and 2012. But otherwise, he has utterly failed to highlight his numerous victories and successes and thus failed to convey a cohesive message for the Democrats going into the mid-term elections: - The lowest unemployment rate since the 2008 financial crisis. - Record highs for the Dow Jones - (The corresponding good news for your 401k) - Oh and btw, the millions of American now enjoy healthcare coverage who didnt before - Snowballing progress on LGBT rights - A pragmatic foreign policy that has enjoyed rapprochement with traditional but disillusioned allies, brought Iran to the negotiating table, avoided US intervention in a myriad of international quagmires despite tempting circumstances, ended an ill-conceived war in Iraq, and engaged in responsible draw-down of forces in preparation for the end of a decade-long war in Afghanistan. If the President himself would not make an effort to highlight these successes in a coherent message, and instead choose to be pushed on the defensive by the Republican establishment, why would the Democratic candidates do so for him? So yes, President Obama, I think the failure of the Democrats in this election falls to you. Not because your presidency has been a failure, just the opposite -- because you failed to convey to the nation that your presidency has actually been a huge success.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 13:09:40 +0000