Obama Met With Former Bush Strategist Matthew Dowd

[tekisui]

Source: Talking Points Memo

President Obama sought out the advice of a very interesting person in the wake of the shellacking of the 2010 elections: Matthew Dowd, the former chief strategist for George W. Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

As New York magazine reports, Obama met privately in the Oval Office with various people in November and December:

Some of the names have been reported: former Clinton chiefs of staff John Podesta and Leon Panetta; former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein; former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle and centrist jack-of-all-trades David Gergen; and, of course, Bill Clinton. But others have not. Longtime Clinton consigliere Vernon Jordan is one. And another, more surprising, is Matthew Dowd, who served as chief strategist for the 2004 Bush-Cheney reelection campaign. (Dowd declined to confirm the meeting, but the White House did.)

more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/obama-met-with-former-bush-strategist-matthew-dowd.php

[bluestateguy]

1. Dowd endorsed Obama in 2008

He's been on the shit list of the GOP for awhile now.

[DJ13]

3. We should have taken that as a warning

[ProSense]

4. Why? n/t

[DJ13]

5. Use your imagination

[ProSense]

6. I can't read your mind

Dowd is an asshole, but why should his endorsement have influenced anyone's vote?

Colin Powell endorsed Obama, but so did Ted Kennedy.

[Kahuna]

26. Imagination. By all means what we need is even MORE imaginations

running wild. :eyes:

[RichGirl]

31. Imagination is anything you want it to be.

Mine is always positive.

[jenmito]

7. "There's not a 'Red America' or a 'Blue America' but the 'United States of America.'"

Did you vote for him? THAT should've been a warning to people like you.

[DJ13]

8. I wasnt expecting it would tilt towards the red shade of things

But if thats okay with "people like you" its your problem.

[jenmito]

9. It's NOT tilting "towards the red shade of things." He's getting differing opinions

and there's nothing wrong with that.

[DJ13]

10. Its not the opinions that are the issue

Its the policies those opinions result in thats the problem.

He would be better served if he tried to balance his info stream by seeking council of a few more people from his own party who arent conservatively biased.

[jenmito]

11. Which policies? Repealing DADT?

The Lilly Ledbetter Act? Or is it the unfounded claims that he's going to cut Social Security or raise the retirement age?

[DJ13]

12. Financial regulations, real HCR, Iraq, Afghanistan, most of the Patriot Act

And much more, all of which he has pandered to the conservatives on.

DADT was an important issue, but the numbers are stacking up on the conservative side far faster than a few progressive crumbs thrown our way.

[jenmito]

13. He kept many more promises than he broke and that's a fact.

If you voted for him, you should not be disappointed with his job so far: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/

[DJ13]

15. I've read that list

Its populated with many small promises, its the big issues he's not keeping his promises on.

Take the financial reforms for an example.

In speech after speech in the campaign he talked about reigning in the out of control financial system, but once in office most of his advisers are FROM the financial industry, and the reforms are half assed at best.

Add in his choice of two conservatives with well known biases against Social Security to head a deficit panel, when SS has nothing to do with the deficit, and its pretty obvious what his bias is.

[ProSense]

16. "Take the financial reforms for an example." Yeah,

all it did was give the FDIC new powers, create the Volcker Rule, mandate an audit of the Fed and establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (being set up by Elizabeth Warren), etc.

Pfft!

[DJ13]

17. None of which addresses the cause of the financial meltdown

[ProSense]

19. What were the causes? n/t

[Kweli4Real]

35. But ... But ... But ....

He gave the tax cuts to the wealthy!!!!!

[avaistheone1]

22. Bullshit.

This admin has tilted way right.

[olegramps]

29. That's funny. I had to laugh.

[Phx_Dem]

37. No, it actually shows Dowd to be a reasonable person who

knew McCain/Palin would be a disaster and he wasn't afraid to publicly endorse a Democrat.

Makes me think more of him.

[Mojambo]

2. If you wanted advice on how to make the establishment like you, that's a good list. n/t

[jefferson_dem]

14. He actually talked to a Republican?

:scared:

[msanthrope]

18. Stone him!!!! n/t

[Kahuna]

27. He's DEAD to me!!!!!!!!

:rofl:

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[JoePhilly]

36. Impeach!!

[stevenleser]

20. So this is the outrage du-jour, the one we're moving to now that the SS has been taken away

Got it.

[vaberella]

24. Always a new one SL...always a new one. n/t

[Moral_Imagination]

21. OMG do you think he will catch the kudies!!!!111111 n/t

[Safetykitten]

33. Kudies? What are those?

[girl gone mad]

23. His priorities appear to be skewed. n/t

[Inuca]

25. So? n/t

[dionysus]

28. you win! i am done with the democrats FOREVER! you have inspired me to back larouche.

:eyes:

[zulchzulu]

32. Until Obama talks with Sting, Gallagher, Carrot Top and the Rush lead singer, I'm on the fence

Imagine a guy actually talking to a Republican. You know they have special powers to turn you into a militaristic Jesus Freak with their handshakes and finger gestures.


:sarcasm:

[argonaut]

34. SCANDAL: Politician seeks political advice. nt