Cancel the Election Already? CNN Anchor Asks If Obama Is 'Unbeatable' In 2012
If CNN's Roland Martin gives the same answer as a tea party conservative, you know you've asked him a pretty bizarre question. On Monday's 10 a.m. EDT news hour, CNN anchor Carol Costello asked the panel if Obama is now "unbeatable" due to the killing of Osama bin Laden, falling gas prices, and a positive May jobs report.
Of course, the election is over one year away, not all of the possible Republican candidates have officially declared their intentions, and the direction of the economy remains to be seen. But CNN apparently thought it fitting to ask the experts if the 2012 election is all but decided.
(Video after the break.)
"Gas prices may finally be going down. The report last week shows jobs were added to the economy, and, of course, Osama bin Laden is dead. Does this make Barack Obama unbeatable in the upcoming election?" Costello asked the panel. All three respondents briskly dismissed the assumption.
Dana Loesch, a conservative radio show host and editor-in-chief of Big Journalism, pointed out that the job market's growth is still quite fragile and could just as easily shrink and hurt Obama's chances. Liberal CNN contributor Roland Martin not only agreed with Loesch that Obama is not unbeatable, but cast the idea as "crazy."
"Look, here's the deal. 1991, President George H.W. Bush had an approval rating near 90 percent. A year later, he was packing," Martin said. "The economy was the issue in 1992. It will be the issue in 2012....So it's nuts to say [Obama] is unbeatable."
NPR game show host Peter Sagal, also dismissing the notion of Obama's invincibility, quipped that "President Obama is going to have to shoot some more guys if he wants to maintain his popularity."
A transcript of the segment, which aired on May 9 at 10:33 a.m. EDT, is as follows:
CAROL COSTELLO: OK. Last question, gas prices may finally be going down. The report last week shows jobs were added to the economy, and, of course, Osama bin Laden is dead. Does this make Barack Obama unbeatable in the coming election?
Dana?
DANA LOESCH, CNN contributor: Oh, I think it would be really dangerous for Democrats to buy into the "unbeatable" idea. And we have to remember, too, that unemployment actually climbed back to 9 percent just in April. And I think, what, one-third of those jobs were added by McDonald's, which is fine, but we have to look where our job market is going as well.
I don't think that the president is unbeatable. I think it's going to be a little difficult for him, considering such a certified --
COSTELLO: Out of time. Out of time. Have to wrap it up. Dana, sorry.
Twenty seconds. Roland?
ROLAND MARTIN, CNN contributor: I'll tell you what, Dana. If you have no job, you don't mind a McDonald's job. Look, here's the deal. 1991, President George H.W. Bush had an approval rating near 90 percent. A year later, he was packing. So, it would be crazy for anyone to assume that President Barack Obama is unbeatable.
The economy was the issue in 1992. It will be the issue in 2012. And so, that's what the focus will be. So, it's nuts to say he's unbeatable.
COSTELLO: Out of time. Peter?
PETER SAGAL, NPR host: Well, it is true that 18 months, however long it is to the next election, is an eternity in politics. So, yes, I think President Obama is going to have to shoot some more guys if he wants to maintain his popularity. I think that guy John from "John and Kate Plus Eight" is pretty unpopular. You could try him, or his jokes about Donald Trump worked well. Maybe SEAL team.
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Comments
So even though Obama has a
Submitted by Rusty Shackleford on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 6:16pm.
So even though Obama has a 50% DISAPPROVAL rating, the economy sucks, and for every Obama supporter that's regretted their vote I've found a grand total of ZERO McCain voters who now support Obama...
HE'S SOMEHOW UNBEATABLE?
Un-freaking real! Talk about living in an echo chamber!
Unless something major happens between now and the election there's no way this man can be re-elected. Why?
1) The youth vote energy is gone. True the young and dumb will still support Obama, but he's "like so 2008 and junk". Yea, you still have their support but he's definitely no longer cool enough to get these people to put down their bongs and xbox controllers to both register and vote!
2) I can go 2 months and see fewer Obama '08 stickers than I saw in a day back in 2008.
3) I used to see people wearing Obama tshirts. I haven't seen one in years.
4) He's accomplished NOTHING of value. His economic policies are a disaster and his foreign policy (aside from being an apologist) are largely the same as Bush's just without the decisiveness. The only accomplishment to come from this administration is the death of Osama, and polls show that the people recognize that the military and even Bush deserve some of the credit too.
5) Obamacare and the Stimulus plan are his prized domestic accomplishments. The Stimulus is such a disaster that it's hard for Democrats to manipulate reality enough to promote it, and Obamacare consistently shows itself to be even worse than the so-called "rightwing fearmongers" predicted.
Even with the last election occurring at the height of Obamania, I think it was still 53-47 or something and that's fairly close to 50/50. This man is unelectable. The media's been in Obamania-mode since Day 1 so they can't promote him more than they already do without adding extra hours to the length of a day. Obama will be lucky to get 35% of the vote.
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Chris Matthews: The Joy Behar of MSNBC.
Bill Maher: The Joy Behar of HBO.
Paul Krugman: The Joy Behar of The New York Times.
Nice Tag, Rusty
Submitted by Blonde on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 6:19pm.
My plumber was here today.
He was furious about Obama, and indicated nearly all of his clients are in the same boat. And hey - everyone needs a plumber at one time or another, people who run the spectrum, I'd think.
I think I could run my cat against Obama and he'd win. ABO. Anyone But Obama.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Rusty,
Submitted by Boudin on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 6:30pm.
I agree, he may even get primaried.
That's why he needs to hurry
Submitted by ant on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 8:05pm.
That's why he needs to hurry and get that illegal amnesty thing going. 12 million racist invaders may reward him for rewarding them.
Obama unelectable?
Submitted by ckc1227 on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 9:11pm.
I wish.
Bush had a 44% approval rating in October 2004, and was re-elected. Sadly, like it or not, Obama is very much electable, and likely will win, especially considering we have a weak field of candidates that may potentially be rendered even weaker by one of them going third party.
Unbeatable? No.....but he's not unelectable either. It's going to be a lot tougher than it should be.
If we had the 2011 economy in 2004, Bush would've been
Submitted by lsudolemite on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 9:15pm.
destroyed in a landslide. An average politician with even the slightest amount of cojones could run against and beat Obama. Which is why I'm sure the GOP will completely blow it and nominate Daniels.
We must never underestimate
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 6:51am.
We must never underestimate the stupidity of the people and the power of the media.
Farmers irrigate with Brawndo, Rusty
Submitted by lsudolemite on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 6:51pm.
Get your frickin facts straight. ;)
Good Democrat Lawer Buddy of Mine
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 7:27pm.
I had dinner last Saturday night with my long time attorney friend, who self admittedly has always voted Democratic. He said there is absolutely no way his is going to vote again for Obama, no matter what.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Submitted by Tomorama on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 7:26pm.
When gas prices get to Booooooosh levels of a $1.90 and unemployment is back to 4.5, then ask the question "honey".
Unbeatable, really?
Boooooosh was creating 450,000 a month and the news would say that the numbers are OK, Obambi does half of that and gee, the economy is just swell, eh "honey"?
Check the housing numbers lately "honey"?
Hey roland you dumb fat sack of excrement
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 8:52pm.
once the price of a gallon of gas hits $5.00, the GOP could beat this loser with pile of turds.
"Make it so"
Submitted by Chris Norman on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 8:56pm.
Is Obama unbeatable? Oh, the MSM hopes that is so and they'll be saying and doing anything - anything - to make that so. They'd be pulling out all the stops to get him re-elected - if there were any stops left that they hadn't already pulled out.
I have a question for everybody at NB
Submitted by Dave. on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 9:01pm.
Are there enough truly intelligent people left in America to actually save it?
Because should this former Chicago community pisser-offer and affirmative action product from God-only-knows-where somehow manages to get reelected to the office of POTUS, this country, as it was founded, and that we all grew up in, is toast.
I am talking deader than freeze-dried, vacuum-wrapped dog-squeeze.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Yes there are, more are on the way
Submitted by Boudin on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 9:03pm.
Obama is finished. His policies are complete failures, with no relief in site. Nothing educates like failure.
I think the problem is more
Submitted by Rusty Shackleford on Tue, 05/10/2011 - 1:03am.
I think the problem is more along the lines of widespread ignorance instead of widespread stupidity, but given that I do not think the country has enough informed people to save it.
I think what must happen is that the Conservatives need to start exploiting the ignorant the way the Left does. People on the Left are masters at scaring the heck out of people:
"Vote for the Republicans and your retirement will disappear and will be eating canned dog food in your retirement!"
"Vote Republican and the planet will die! Die! DIE!"
"You voted for Republicans? You homophobic sexist you!"
"Republicans want you to die quickly!"
"Republicans are the Christian Taliban!"
Blah blah blah. Every one of their issues is supported with an argument ground firmly in fear mongering. Yea, they do this because their arguments have no logical defense and therefore a logically sound argument cannot be made, but they also do it because it works.
Why can't the right do this? Why can't we get people on the right to whip up some class warfare jealousy against celebrities and athletes? I think we should make the case for a windfall tax on people who make tons of money doing things that little kids do for fun. Maybe when people on the right promote the idea that kids shouldn't be having sex, they should promote it in the name of being Green. After all, the worst thing someone can do to the environment is create another human!
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Chris Matthews: The Joy Behar of MSNBC.
Bill Maher: The Joy Behar of HBO.
Paul Krugman: The Joy Behar of The New York Times.
I would vote for a dead
Submitted by jessieH on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 9:31pm.
I would vote for a dead gopher before I would vote for Obama.
Sounds like they're trying to
Submitted by goldbough on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 10:15pm.
Sounds like they're trying to repeatedly say "Obama will win in 2012. Republicans, don't even bother voting."
Finally? Really??
Submitted by jon_torlin on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 10:48pm.
Gas prices may finally be going down......really? Um, when our oil production and our refinement processes are increased and improved and ethanol is taken out of production, yes, gas prices will actually go down. But to say "MAY FINALLY BE" is just as much as full of caca as the pretty words that the chairman says from time to time, which are merely suggestions rather than reality. Basically "could be's" but that's just like saying it could be that we're going to get some rain, but it ain't gonna happen TILL IT HAPPENS!
And that nonsense about unemployment at 9%? Baloney, it's way higher than that. At least double.
-Jon
Well the point is:
Submitted by hbnolikeee on Mon, 05/09/2011 - 11:20pm.
Tell the GOP to not bother, Do what you can to demoralize and take the wind out of the sail. As has been the case and shown last November, they cannot win on record. They have none.
They'll keep playing the Osama story for as long as they can. Milking it for all they can. A smart citizen realizes it was a long run operation that BO fell into on his shift. But, no surprise, his ego won't let acknowledge Bush's part in this with the programs he continues to use which lead to the capture.
This will be their nastiest clawing and kicking and lying to maintain control and power to ruin this country. Beware!