David Axelrod: Obama faces 'titanic struggle' to win reelection

[The Northerner]

President Obama faces a “titanic struggle” to win reelection, his top campaign strategist, David Axelrod, said on Tuesday, given high unemployment and the poisonous partisan atmosphere in Washington.

"In 2008, we had the wind at our backs," Axelrod said, according to MSNBC. "Now, we don't have the wind at our back. We have the wind in our faces, because the American people have the wind in their faces."

Speaking at forum at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., Axelrod had harsh words for Republicans, who, he said, had blocked the president from achieving major policy goals.

"We honestly thought when we got to Washington, we'd get some cooperation from folks across the aisle," Axelrod said. He added that the current crop of GOP presidential candidates constitute “the most ideological, partisan group of Republicans in my lifetime."

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-obama-axelrod-20110927,0,1691370.story

[ThomWV]

1. Given his record of capitulation I'd say so too.

[gratuitous]

2. Unless, of course . . .

Obama starts governing like the Democrat he campaigned as and as he was elected to be, then Obama wins re-election in what the horsey set calls a walk-over. The question then, is whether Obama is that devious and underhanded?

[roguevalley]

27. this dipshit needs to read biographies of FDR and Truman. Both

were textbook examples of Dems who acted like it. FDR got four terms for fighting for things and taking the heat. HST went to bed the night they declared dewey president because he had confidence in the people.

Obama can flog his record all he wants. There are too many pissed people to chalk it off as anything but intense aggravation at his actions.

[ellisonz]

31. Oh please...the man is a law professor. I think he's read on FDR and Truman.

People are angry. That's to be expected giving the fact he's got to roll back 8 years of GOP tyranny. I'm sure you've heard of the Do-Nothing Congress. Truman didn't get much done domestically from 1946 to 1948. See a parallel?

Barack Obama is the last best hope for America. What good does it do any of us to flog ourselves before the biggest election campaign of this century to date :think:

[XemaSab]

3. The use of the word "Titanic" has me worried

:(

[leftstreet]

You mean when all the rich people bailed to lifeboats and the rest sucked seawater?

:scared:

[XemaSab]

9. You put it better than I could.

:patriot:

[customerserviceguy]

18. Well there was that brief moment

back in January, 2009, when we were all saying, "I'm flying, Jack!"

[Autumn]

4. What in the hell gave them the impression that

" we'd get some cooperation from folks across the aisle," Have they fucking been asleep through out the last 14 years? Sorry that dog don't hunt. It's a 'titanic struggle' of his and his administrations making.

[Kaleko]

24. Precisely.

This is Axelrod fishing for sympathy from "the base" which was duped into working its knuckles to the bone for an administration that has betrayed working class people time and time again.

[ellisonz]

32. Patriotism.

We all salute the same flag. This nation is built on political compromise. It runs throughout our Constitution from the Preamble to the Bill of Rights. Are you going to blame the man for trying to get a Do-Nothing Congress to do something. He had in effect 50 days in which there was a small majority in the Senate. The federal stimulus act is a testament to those days. Let's get out there and get him 1460 more days to work with.

:patriot:

[Autumn]

35. Sure it is. The pukes compromise so well, don't they?

:crazy: Excuse me while I :puke:

[ellisonz]

36. Well when you do puke consider the record:

http://whatthefuckhasobamadonesofar.com/

Keep clicking.

He's going to cakewalk these fascists in 2012.

[Autumn]

39. What's your point? Does your link prove that this nation

is built on political compromise? I'll pass on the clicking. The last fucking thing we need is more compromise with a bunch of fucking fascists. The OP was about Obama and his advisers expecting the GOP to work with them. Not. going. to. happen. And they should have known that.

[ellisonz]

42. You gotta try...

The vast majority of the American public wants the parties to work together and until it's been fully demonstrated that it's not going to work they aren't going to accept anything less. We all know the cost of losing this election. But really, this administration has conducted some tremendous diplomacy, reformed some areas of American life, and given tens of millions of people hope. That's what as Sarah Pain said the "hopey-changey thing" is all about.

[Autumn]

45. I disagree but you don't have to convince me to vote. I will vote

for Obama, I don't want to vote for him but I know the alternative is worse. Sorry I am all out of hope so don't count me among the tens of millions of people. Maintaining Bush's status quo is not what I expect from someone I have to vote for.

[quinnox]

5. Well, I tend to agree with him

and it is nice to see the Obama political folks don't have their heads in the sand.
They got work to do, a hell of a lot.

[gateley]

6. Agree -- and I hate to use this word on DU, but I'm "concerned".

I see no other viable alternative. Realistically, if not Obama, it will be one of those whack Republicans, and I can't even imagine what would be in store for us then. :(

[ellisonz]

33. And they need our help! Each and everyone of us!

MAN THE BATTLE STATIONS!

ALL HANDS ON DECK!

FIRED UP, READY TO GO!:applause:

[jaxx]

7. Axelrod also said:

Still, Axelrod sounded optimistic about the president’s chances in 2012, according to Reuters, saying “We’re on the right side of the fight and I believe we’re going to win that fight.”

I rec'd this because David Axelrod is a smart man and he knows the campaign will be tough, look at what the wingers are throwing out there. But Democrats will prevail because we have the best candidate to keep moving this country forward. Nobody wants to go back to the 1950s except the wingers who can keep their hatred alive with repression of LGBT and African Americans, along with every other minority in the country. They're full of shit if they think we're going to let them win.

[markpkessinger]

8. If they "honestly thought" there would be some cooperation from the GOP . . .

. . . then one has to ask, what the hell were they smoking?

[WI_DEM]

10. This is part of the president's strategy as well...

to alarm the base that the next election will not be a cake walk and that we need to get together and work hard for a victory.

[LeftinOH]

11. He "honestly thought" they'd get cooperation from the GOP?!?!

Where the f*ck has this dumbass been? And Axelrod is the *TOP* campaign stragetist? That's the best the party and Obama can muster? OMFG.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. Only if the repubs run out of candidates for strait jackets and drool bowls.

Obama should win handily, simply because all he has to say, "Look I may not be what you really want but, at least, I'm not barking mad or have the IQ of an intellectually challenged turnip."

[tinrobot]

13. That iceberg is on the right, btw, not the left.

The only reason it's a struggle this time out is because of the shift to the right in the administration. That's why he hit an iceberg.

[MadHound]

14. Well, there's a reason for that,

Pissing off the left, time and again, tends to make your reelection bid a bit dicey.

[Raine]

15. "honestly thought" JESUS!!!!

:wow: that is mindboggling, I don't know how ANYONE could've thought that!!! :wtf:

[Owlet]

23. Right up there with

"No one ever imagined a domestic airplane could be used as a weapon"

[roguevalley]

28. prolly because they have The Math. Dumb fuckers. Arrogance

is a malignant thing.

[LynneSin]

16. Ok who is going to beat him because they aren't in the race right now

and sure isn't going to be Sarah Palin.

I think anyone who might have a chance to beat Obama is going to wait until 2016 to make their run. Even Chris Christie knows he'd lose his home state of New Jersey in a race against Obama.

[customerserviceguy]

21. At the rate the economy's going

Herman Cain could beat him, without having to even promise a free pizza to everybody in the USA.

It all comes down to either turning the economy around enough to convince people that a return to the Repukes would take us back into the iceberg, or convincing enough people that Rethugs are to blame for repeatedly hitting the iceberg over and over again.

Titanic, indeed.

[LynneSin]

22. I think the SNL Skit said it best about Hermann Cain

You do realize the loud applause in no way translates into actual votes.

Herman Cain is like Howard Dean - popular with the internet savvy but ulimately won't do much in the primaries.

[customerserviceguy]

25. I was just using his name as a device to illustrate a point

Of course, Cain won't get diddly-squat from the Repukes. My point is, whoever they do nominate will be the Obama alternative, and we can't feel safe if Rick Perry gets it. Just because he's a blooming idiot doesn't guarantee victory for Barack Obama.

[enough]

17. Getting re-elected is the second titanic struggle he's been willing to engage in. (nt)

[roguevalley]

29. too bad he didn't fight this hard for DEM PRINCIPLES. He

would not have to fight this hard if he did. Idiots.

[Canuckistanian]

19. Herman Cain will be tough to beat

:rofl:

[BlueIris]

20. The Titanic comparison is accurate.

Very sad.

[Safetykitten]

26. I thought that we dodged the iceberg, or are the first class lifeboats being lowered?

[Autumn]

40. The first class lifeboats are filled, and the rest have been cut loose

Look for anything that floats.

[underpants]

30. Translation -- need more money

Axelrod knows full well that the media is trying to bury the O man but he will have $1 billion in the campaign fund, the other field is a joke, and the polls reflect people wanting the O man to do MORE not that they will flip and vote Repub.

[Poll_Blind]

34. Maybe cutting deals with Repukes behind Democratic Leadership's back had something to do with it?

After all, the President was elected in a nation with high unemployment and a poisonous partisan atmosphere. The American people had the wind in their faces then, too. They just thought that Obama had their back.

PB

[Logical]

37. I have trouble believing Obama or Axelrod were that stupid. Did anyone....

here even think the GOP would cooperate? Jesus, who is that gullible?

[fadedrose]

38. Sometimes I think there's a communist plot goint full speed in the US

and it's not the Dems driving it, and in fact, they may be preventing it.

Those who would decrease or take away benefits, wages, employment, home ownership, etc., will drive the disenfranchised closer to a revolution. A lot of countries besides Russia have had overthrows of dictators and royalty.

I'm thinking that making life better for all Americans is the worst thing that can happen to these misguided closet-communist-conservatives, or am I just sleepy after so much baby-sitting?

[Initech]

41. If there's even a slight chance the tea party could get elected... I'm outta here.

That's it, I will be looking to relocate to Canada or somewhere in the EU. The tea party is the biggest disaster to hit America, and if they take the White House, I'm done. We're truly fucked if this happens.

[Katashi_itto]

43. Frankly I am not sure it matters. The system will not last till election. Global collapse of fiat

Money will likely happen within, give or take, around eleven months. At that point. If I were Obama I would declare a national emergency and suspend elections.

[BlueStater]

44. Obama has no one to blame but himself for being in this mess.

If he actually fought for us and didn't turn his back on the people who voted for him, this election wouldn't even be close.

[stillwaiting]

46. We honestly thought when we got to Washington, we'd get some cooperation from folks across the aisle

That statement would make me lose faith in their credibility if I hadn't already.

I don't believe they are naive or stupid.

Ergo...

Disclaimer: I'm still voting for Obama. I will not, however, be able to EFFECTIVELY garner votes for him from my family and friends like I did in '08, and that is both worrisome and unfortunate.