ABC’s Jake Tapper Informs George Stephanopoulos: Obama ‘Can’t Run’ on His Achievements Because ‘They’re Not Popular’
On Friday’s Good Morning America, ABC White House correspondent Jake Tapper blurted out an uncomfortable reality for Democrats, telling co-host George Stephanopoulos that President Obama “can’t run on so many of his major legislative accomplishments” because “they’re not popular.”
That’s why, Tapper explained, the President is attempting to shift the debate from his record to “fairness,” a goal in which he has the cooperation of a compliant media: “These are the issues he wants to talk about, because it’s going to be difficult for him to talk about his record when it comes to his big achievements.”
The camera only showed Tapper as he outlined the “conundrum” facing Obama, so there’s no way of telling exactly how ex-Democratic operative Stephanopoulos reacted. [Audio link here; video after the jump]
The moment came after Stephanopoulos played a clip of Obama’s interview with Diane Sawyer, in which Obama misleadingly claimed that under his administration “we now have the lowest tax rates in 50 years.” (In fact, income tax rates are exactly what they were during the Bush years; federal tax receipts are at a 50-year low because of the poor state of the economy.)
Here’s a partial transcript of the segment, which aired at about 7:10am ET on Friday:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Meanwhile, President Obama, in his interview with Diane Sawyer yesterday, starting to show some leg against the Republican candidates. Diane asked him about the charges coming from the Republicans about class warfare -- take a look.
CLIP OF DIANE SAWYER (to Obama): Governor Romney say this is class warfare and it is social engineering.
CLIP OF PRESIDENT OBAMA: I think whether it’s Romney, or Gingrich, or Santorum or any of these folks, the question to ask them is, we now have the lowest tax rates in 50 years. We had a -- an economy that was built on debt, and flimsy financing deals, and it resulted in a huge crash that lost us the most jobs since the 1930s, and why we would want to adopt something that we just tried, and did not work, doesn’t make sense.
STEPHANOPOULOS: The President echoing themes from the State of the Union -- we can’t go back to those policies of George W. Bush.
JAKE TAPPER: What’s interesting, George, is the conundrum in which President Obama finds himself. He really can’t run on so many of his major legislative accomplishments -- regardless of the merits of health care reform, financial reform, the stimulus -- they’re not popular. So what you see is President Obama putting out other issues to discuss: raising taxes on the wealthy, raising taxes on corporations so as to bring jobs back to the United States. These are the issues he wants to talk about, because it’s going to be difficult for him to talk about his record when it comes to his big achievements.
STEPHANOPOULOS: And, White House still betting that their opponent is going to be Mitt Romney?
TAPPER: They sure do, and even though Newt Gingrich is arguably the front-runner, because he has more delegates right now, the Obama campaign keeps attacking Mitt Romney, attacking Mitt Romney, as if there are no other Republican candidates, George.
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Obama ‘Can’t Run’ on His
Submitted by jkwtrading on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:23pm.
Obama ‘Can’t Run’ on His Achievements Because ‘They’re Not Popular’
that says it all..
Exactly -- Obama is asking us to reward his failure
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:38pm.
2008: Americans elect Obama for his promises of "Hope & Change.
2009-2011: Americans disenchanted with Obama's "accomplishments."
2012: Obama abandons his record as POTUS, and promises "Hope & Change" repackaged as "Fairness."
Are Americans going to believe that the man who couldn't deliver what they wanted in 2009-2011 will be able to deliver on essentially the same promises under a different label in 2012?
This should make for some easy campaign ads; merely take a 2012 quote by Obama, then play a 2008 quote from Obama, and close with the words: "Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us. Whom will you vote for in 2012?"
But his motives were so pure!
Submitted by Blonde on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:47pm.
Also, liberals believe in equal outcomes.
Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)
Libs also believe all
Submitted by jkwtrading on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 1:12pm.
Libs also believe all baseball games end in a tie.
Actually
Submitted by ahusser on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 7:17pm.
He can't run on his achievements because he has'nt any.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
OOPS! looks like Tapper
Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:24pm.
Will be forced to the front of the line to get a big DOSE of the Obama Kool-Aide right after the broadcast.... they may even have him take it right from the source and not from the Obama Kool-Aide Urinal like all the other dems have to!
Aw gee, Jake, you just tinkled on George's Cheerios.
Submitted by KyWriter on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:26pm.
He'll be crushed for the rest of the day.
If Obama were running against himself ...
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:29pm.
he'd say the same thing:
"We had a -- an economy that was built on debt, and flimsy financing deals, and it resulted in a huge crash that lost us the most jobs since the 1930s."
Except he'd have to add the effects of over-regulation, crony capitalism, the war against traditional American values, individualism, capitalism, and free markets.
He'd have to admit to central-planning and the destruction of the Constitution and federalism - the obsession of the left to control each and every aspect of our lives, and the decline of America as an importnat actor on the world stage which is setting up a looming disaster in an unstable world.
He won't.
If only his opponents would do it for him.
You are wrong jake. You first
Submitted by inquiringmind on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:44pm.
You are wrong jake. You first need some accomplishments before you can run on them.
The Dear Ruler's only 'achievement' is that he is destroying...
Submitted by Dave. on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 12:50pm.
...our republic as it was founded as fast as he possibly can, and he has even managed to get the House republicans to willingly hand him the funds with which to do it, too.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Tapper didn't say they were BAD accomplishments
Submitted by Rover on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 1:00pm.
I notice that Tapper didn't say they were BAD accomplishments, that his boss hadn't made any mistakes, just that they were unpopular. In other words, we're still too stupid to understand how great Obama is.
It's just a matter of perspective
Submitted by c5then on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 1:03pm.
The socialists see his results and think "Success!"
The vast majority of Americans see his results and think "Failure!"
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Are you kidding
Submitted by John21 on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 1:09pm.
Not only not popular but non-existent, this administrations list of failures and missteps will be legendary in the history books, even if written by the liberal media.
Military accomplishment D killed Osama other wise 0
National Defense F
Foreign policy F- Nothing coherent in 3 years
Economic policy D at best
Employment policy F+ minor gains at great costs
Energy policy F-
Immigration policy F
Tax Reform F increasing taxes only, no relief
Bipartisan activities F---
Race relations D playing the race card does not count
Obama "achievements" are about to become more popular....
Submitted by swenk22 on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 1:19pm.
Watch out for the onslaught of election year propaganda...yesterday on NPR- an hour long (it seemed) book review of "Why the Stimulus Worked" was a pandering back and forth with the author in an attempt to do MAJOR spin control, or is it, rewrite history. Alice in wonderland stuff except for the fact that the NPR host and author actually did believe this garbage (I think more likely they are both paid propagandists.)
I really don't know how any member of the audience could accept this book's proposals and the cheerleading by NPR... but maybe the NPR audience isn't as smart as they say???
What audience?
Submitted by dzejk113 on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 4:10pm.
NPR has an audience?
Makes sense to me.
Submitted by Buzzy on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 1:23pm.
CLIP OF PRESIDENT OBAMA: I think whether it’s Romney, or Gingrich, or Santorum or any of these folks, the question to ask them is, we now have the lowest tax rates in 50 years. We had a -- an economy that was built on debt, and flimsy financing deals, and it resulted in a huge crash that lost us the most jobs since the 1930s, and why we would want to adopt something that we just tried, and did not work, doesn’t make sense.
For once the POTUS is right. Why should we go back to the policies the Democratic Party adopted such as building our economy on debt by wasting billions of dollars on failed bailouts in addition to the flimsy finacing of Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae.
Remember which party has been in controll of congress the longest during the past eighty years?
"So what you see is President
Submitted by dzejk113 on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 4:12pm.
"So what you see is President Obama putting out other issues to discuss: raising taxes on the wealthy, raising taxes on corporations so as to bring jobs back to the United States."
Raising taxes on the job creators will bring jobs BACK to the United States?! Is he sure he didn't mean to say chase more jobs away from the United States?
Let's go with Jake's notion of Obama running on "Fairness"
Submitted by CO2Maker on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 4:34pm.
I'm all for that. Man, I'm mad at the inequities of the tax system. Buffet's secretary's tax rate scandal! Romney's 14%! Geez, that steams me up.
I want to see a little Occupy the IRS, if you get my drift.
We should make the 47-percenters become the 5- or 10-percenters. Make everybody pay taxes—5% or 10% or something like that. Everybody who isn't mentally ill or intellectually impaired should pay taxes. Every competent resident, poor, rich, filthy rich, filthy poor, all of everybody. Everyone pays.
Oh, and Warren's secretary makes $200-$500K. Not quite Jane Hathaway, nomesayin'?
As for "fairness," asking the rich to pay more is like telling the Tar Heels that the 3-point line for them is half court and for the 47-percenters, the 3-point line is the lane.
Poor George. Jake caused him
Submitted by michael lofrano on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 11:48am.
Poor George. Jake caused him to ruin a perfectly good pair of pants. Pew!!