WASHINGTON POST
by Ed Rogers
September 5, 2014
This week we took a look at the Democrats’ campaign plan for the fall and how the economy is not working in the Democrats’ favor. Well, let’s round out the week by examining another macro trend that will shape the 2014 campaign. The right direction/wrong track question is a staple in U.S. political polling. According to the latest George Washington University Battleground poll, 70 percent of voters think that things in the United States have gotten off on the wrong track and that the country is headed in the wrong direction. It stands to reason that as a result, many Americans will vote against the Democrats. Fair or not, the way to vote against the status quo is to vote against the president’s party.
Obviously, a lot of things contribute to why people think the country is headed in the wrong direction, but this poll reveals something I don’t think I have ever seen before. In an open-ended question, the No. 1 reason voters gave for why they believe the country has gotten off-track is because they “have issues with Obama/think the country has a lack of leadership.” It is a remarkable finding, given President Obama’s eloquence and the White House communications tools at his disposal. The White House has the unique ability to deliver an unfiltered, uncluttered message to the American people — something no one else in U.S. politics can do. Yet despite that platform, the president’s performance is specifically mentioned as the reason the United States is off-track.
We’re already seen how Democratic senators running for reelection and Democratic candidates trying to appeal to moderate voters are actively hiding from the president. But there is no escaping the fact that Obama is seen as central to the problems facing our country. Politically, you are either on the president’s team or you’re not. There really isn’t any quick remedy for changing that perception. The only thing I can think of that could reverse it would be some unknown, calamitous event that might cause people to rally to the president and perhaps his party……
ArchitectGuy on Israel 