Steve Hildebrand: Dem cowards fleeing Obama's agenda

[impik]

Steve Hildebrand is one of most skilled political strategists the Democrats have. He played a critical role in getting Barack Obama elected President – first as the director of his campaign for the Iowa caucuses and later as the Deputy National Campaign Manager during the 2008 general election.

So why, as Democrats face their toughest midterm election since 1994, is Hildebrand on the sidelines?

I caught up with him at his home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota to find out. He offered a blunt assessment of Democratic “cowards” who he believes will lose because they are running away from their core principles – and the President. It was a fascinating discussion.


JONATHAN KARL: Alright we’re here with Steve Hildebrand, one of the top democratic strategists in the country here on your home turf in South Dakota.
STEVE HILDEBRAND: Good to be here.
JONATHAN KARL: So, Steve, how bad is it going to be for the Democrats in these mid-terms?
STEVE HILDEBRAND: I don’t think it has to be bad. I think if our Democratic candidates would actually be proud of to stand for their votes that they’ve taken, not all of them, but some. People who have supported health care shouldn’t run from it. They should be as proud of that vote as any vote they’ve taken in their lives. This is actually going to help people in a pretty serious way. It’s not going to hurt people.
JONATHAN KARL: And is that what you see people doing though because they’re afraid this vote is going to be used against them. In fact it’s already being used against them by Republicans they’re running away from it, running away from the President.
STEVE HILDEBRAND: Yeah, and the fact that they’re cowards in such a serious way. I mean, is this about their reelection or is this about helping people? What are they in politics for? What are they in government for, if they’re not in government to help people? They should simply get out. They shouldn’t run for reelection. And we should put people in there who are strong leaders, who want to do something to help people. That health care bill is going to help young people, old people, poor people, middle-income people. It’s vitally important to this country and any one of them that walks away from it, isn’t proud of that vote, is a coward.
JONATHAN KARL: If the current trajectory remains the way it is for the next two months, and the kind of Democratic strategy remains the way it is, do the democrats lose the House?
STEVE HILDEBRAND: The Democratic strategy right now is to run from the president, run from important proposals that help this country. If we’re not going to do something about health care, if we’re not going to do something about climate change, if we’re not going to do something about the economy, about the deficit, about the war, Washington is going to get punished. The Democrats might get punished more because they’re in power, but Washington in general is going to get punished. And you’ve seen it in Republican primaries across the country. You’ve seen it in Democratic primaries across the country. And you’re going to see it with a lot of just pure incumbents from both parties in November. They’re getting punished because they’re not dealing with the issues. They’re not dealing with the real problems that we face as a country. And they should be punished. Stand up and lead or get out of the way. And you might be replaced with someone worse, but you know, those are the options that are sometimes given to people.

JONATHAN KARL: So on the current trajectory do the Democrats lose the house?
STEVE HILDEBRAND: I think democrats can hold the House, hold the Senate. Are they going to do that? I don’t know. If they start standing up for principle and start campaigning in a way that makes voters proud, they’ll probably win.
JONATHAN KARL: And if they don’t, if they continue this strategy-
STEVE HILDEBRAND: If they don’t, if they run scared like they’ve been doing, they’re going to lose.



http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2010/09/karls-campaign-notebook-democratic-strategist-steve-hildebrand-to-democrats-stand-up-and-lead-or-get.html

[ananda]

1. They're rich cowards very comfortable stuck in corporate asses, though.

nt

[napi21]

2. I think it's disgusting that DEMOCRATS are fleeing our...THEIR...President!

If I didn't hate the Pubs so bad, even I'D vote against them! I heard Richard Wolfe (I think that's who it was) on Tweet's show saying that no President has ever had LESS support from their own congress.
I really am very afraid of the insane Pubs, but if I weren't so afraid, I'd vote against the Dems JUST ecause they have no friggin SPINE!

[tularetom]

3. This needs to be k & r'ed right up to the greatest page

[pleah]

4. Yep, there have been turncoats in the dem party. Very sad, but true.

k&r