ABC Sounds the Panic Alarm Over Democratic 'Worries'
Good Morning America, hosted by former Democratic operative George Stephanopoulos, highlighted panic, Wednesday, about Barack Obama's reelection campaign. GMA's Jake Tapper warned, "Top Democrats are sounding the alarm. They are worried that President Obama's economic message is tone-deaf."
The segment featured James Carville, who worked with Stephanopoulos in the Clinton administration. Carville fretted that when the White House talks, "people take that as a signal that [the Obama administration] thinks things are fine." Carville and other Clinton operatives have produced a memo on Obama's precarious situation. CBS and NBC have not highlighted this.
Tapper delved into a new ABC News/Washington Post poll with gloomy news for Obama. He explained, "...Swing-voting independents have an overall negative view of the President's plans for the economy. 54 percent negative for 38 percent positive."
Voters also have negative views of Romney's plans for the economy, 47 to 35 percent, but the Republican has a higher number of Americans who are undecided on his goals.
Tapper repeated Carville's unhappiness with the Obama reelection strategy: "Carville desperately wants President Obama to win. But he says the President should acknowledge how bad things remain for millions of Americans because of the recession that began in 2007."
A transcript of the June 13 segment, which aired at 7:11am EDT, follows:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: To politics, now and the win by Ron Barber we just told you in the race to succeed Gabby Giffords. Some rare good news for Democrats in what has been a tough month for the White House. This morning, a new ABC News/Washington Post shows that key voters aren't buying what the President's selling on the economy. It's your voice, your vote with ABC's Jake Tapper. And, Jake, the grumbling in Democratic ranks is getting a lot louder.
ABC GRAPHIC: Sounding the Alarm: Tom Dem "Worries" About Obama Campaign
JAKE TAPPER: It sure is. Top Democrats are sounding the alarm. They are worried that President Obama's economic message is tone-deaf. The ragin' cajun is raging again. And the message is the same as it was in 1992. It's the economy, stupid. But this time, Democratic consultant James Carville is aiming that message at his own party. He's very worried that President Obama's current economic message to voters will only help Mitt Romney win.
JAMES CARVILLE: I'm worried that when the White House and the campaign talks about the progress being made, people take that as a signal that they think things are fine. And people don't feel they ought to believe that.
TAPPER: As the President did overnight, campaigning in battleground state Pennsylvania.
BARACK OBAMA: We are in a stronger position. We're moving in a better direction than when I took office.
TAPPER: Carville desperately wants President Obama to win. But he says the President should acknowledge how bad things remain for millions of Americans because of the recession that began in 2007. Carville says President Obama should focus his message on what he wants to do if given a second term.
CARVILLE: They want to be reassured he understands the depth of the problem and that he has a plan to deal with the deterioration of the middle class.
TAPPER: Mr. Obama has work to do. In a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, swing-voting independents have an overall negative view of the President's plans for the economy. 54 percent negative for 38 percent positive. Mitt Romney's scores aren't as bad. 47 percent negative to 35 percent positive with more undecided voters, meaning Romney has less criticism and more room to maneuver.
MITT ROMNEY: I think people recognize that the President may be well-meaning. But he's just out of touch with what's happening across the country.
TAPPER: And, George, on Thursday, President Obama will go to Cleveland where he will deliver a major economic address. Aides say, it will be a framing address. He will present the contrasting economic visions of his second term versus a President Mitt Romney. George?
STEPHANOPOULOS: So, he may be edging in the direction that Carville was just calling for.
TAPPER: Exactly right.
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Comments
I read this - an 'inside'
Submitted by killa37 on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 12:48pm.
I read this - an 'inside' conversation between 3 Obama knee-pad wearers - and I realize it's just them talkin' (Obamaspeak) about what 'their man' (Spike Lee Speak) needs to do, and what the idiot voters need to do, in order for Boy Baraka to win another term as our 'dEAR Leader'...............................unfortunatly, I think that they misunderestimate (Bushspeak) the intellingence of a big segment of the voting population, who neither listen to them OR Boy Baraka, because they know it's all a falsehood.
Don't worry...
Submitted by c5then on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 12:49pm.
They got it covered...
Already have it all scheduled. Biden is going to wisper into his ear that this is a "big f*&$ing deal" so he will understand.
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
Obama's economic message is tone-deaf
Submitted by CarlosS on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 2:17pm.
Leave it to the democrats, not concerned that the economy is really in a shambles, their only concern is that sheepish public are not buying the lie that dEar Leader is spouting and they want him to tell another lie that the sheepish public will buy
I respectfully disagree.
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 2:36pm.
"We're moving in a better direction than when I took office."
I respectfully disagree. I don't think that moving backwards is a "better direction." The way things are going, we're going to need Doc's DeLorean just to get out out of this mess.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
By the way Dems.
Submitted by CobraMan on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 3:46pm.
By the way, Dems, Obama's message isn't "tone-deaf," it's totally asinine!
First he claims that he can control the economy and make it better. Then he claims that he can't actually control the economy, even though he''s made it better. Then he claims that the "private sector," which is the economy, is doing "fine" even though the economy, obviously, isn't doing fine as the median income is actually dropping. Then he claims that's not what he meant. He then explains that the economy is doing fine, but the government is not. Now he claims that the economy is still doing fine even thou the medial incomes are dropping, and the government is not fine because the government employment numbers are dropping, and, look out, for there are "looming clouds" on the "horizon" that will threaten the economy that he doesn't have much control over. By the way, have you noticed that, thanks to Obama, the European governments and the US are enjoying a very close, productive, cooperative relationship, the like which hasn't been seen since Roosevelt? Oh,a nd Did I emention that Obama kill bin Laden?
So, what IS his message, anyways? Obama's telling us that the economy is doing fine, never mind that your incomes are dropping, it's irrelevant anyways, although the government isn't doing fine and that's highly relevant to the economy because all that government unemployment is contributing to lower median income levels, which is irrelevant anyways, but he doesn't have much control over the economy so he needs to spend even more of our money to ensure that the very same economy that he has so little control over isn't going to be threatened by Europe even though the European governments and our government has never been this close, this cooperative, with each other since Roosevelt was President and, by the way, don't worry about the looming tax increase everyone will be facing soon because it's not the biggest in history, as the AP graciously points out, even though it will directly effect median income, which is irrelevant. That IS what he is telling everyone. (Want to know what it tells me? It tells me that Obama is in WAY over his head and he has absolutely no idea as to what he's doing. This guy is fricken lost!)
That's not a "tone-deaf" message, that's a totally asinine message! It doesn't make any sense whatsoever! And you wonder why everyone is beginning to tune him out?
By the way, this would explain why Obama, when he's not reading from his teleprompter, includes all those "ahhs" and "umms" that constantly appear in his speech patterns. His mind is twisting and turning so much trying to make sense of what he mouth is trying to say that it's actually feeling pain from the effort!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.