Consider if you will an article the wire service published Thursday shockingly titled "Can Obama Get Any Other Democrats Elected?"
"Barack Obama built a powerful campaign organization and got himself to the White House," Liz Sidoti's piece began.
"Now, as head of the Democratic Party, he's expected to get other Democrats into office, too."
Then came the surprising attacks:
But, judging by his one-year track record, he's not getting it done.
The list of White House failures is growing: It hasn't galvanized the legions of 2008 Obama backers in three major statewide losses. It hasn't prevented primary challenges for at least two vulnerable Senate Democrats even though Obama endorsed them. And it hasn't recruited strong candidates for Senate seats once held by Vice President Joe Biden and the president himself.
And the hits just kept on coming:
Based on roughly two dozen interviews with lawmakers, party leaders and political operatives nationwide, it's clear that many Democrats feel Obama hasn't fully embraced his role as party chief. It has them questioning the strength of his political muscle and faulting his advisers for paying too little attention to the fast-approaching 2010 midterm contests.
Some of these Democrats complained on the record. Others asked for anonymity to avoid angering Obama and his team. Altogether, they described an ineffective political operation. They suggested Obama's team is overly focused on his likely 2012 re-election bid. And they blamed the White House for a muddled message about what he's trying and accomplishing as president.
Checking that link to make sure this really was an AP piece?
I understand. I checked it thrice.
In the end, this is just one article published eight days after Scott Brown's shocking victory in last Tuesday's special senatorial election in Massachusetts.
But if Obama's poll numbers continue to plummet, and the Democrats do poorly in Novembers midterms, the former junior senator from Illinois might be faced with a tremendously disenchanted press as he turns his focus to his own reelection.
To be sure, that's not something he's ever had to deal with.
