ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Putin Punishes Georgia</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style3 { height: 68px; } .MsoNormal {} h1 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; font-weight:normal; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style4 { font-size: large; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial; } .style5 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } .style6 { text-decoration: underline; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> &nbsp;<table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr height="79"> <td width="133" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="7" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="482" height="79" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="79"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="300" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="624" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style3"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="2"> <td width="133" height="2">&nbsp;</td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style4">Massachusetts&#39; Obama Factor</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curtis</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b><a href="books.html"><br> </a></b></font><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> (310) 204-8700</b></font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright Jan..16, 2010<br>All Rights Reserved. </i></font>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <bAbout the Author</u> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style5">&nbsp;F</span>rom the land of the Boston Tea Party, the tealeaves don t look good for Democrats hoping to hold on to the late Sen. Ted Kennedy s senate seat. State Atty. Gen. Martha Coakley finds herself in a dogfight with little-known state Sen. Scott Brown but not for the obvious reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> They should have been prepared for this,&quot; said Democratic media consultant Michael Shea, blaming the close race on Coakley s complacency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> You don t let someone creep up on you like he has, unable to see the bigger picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Coakley has the Massachusetts Democratic machine behind her but she doesn t have Teddy s charisma or the Kennedy mystique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Shea also overlooks that there s growing frustration, especially among independents and crossover Republicans, with the country s direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Putting all their eggs in one basket, the White House and Congressional Democrats have gambled on national health care.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Brown s surge in the polls speaks less about him than a growing anti-incumbent mood, strongly tied to disappointment over President Barack Obama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While all agree that the president is a brilliant orator, voters in Massachusetts mirror the national mood that reflects disappointment over Barack s performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Improvements in the economy, especially job creation, have been too slow to allay the public s anxieties beginning to cast doubt on the Obama agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Republicans faced a tall mountain to climb in 2008, with former President George W. Bush handing voters two unpopular wars and a stubborn recession.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Voters, especially independents and crossover Republicans, gave Obama the benefit of the doubt on Election Day, hoping for dramatic changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>One year into his presidency, the nation still reels from a stubborn recession, with hope and optimism dwindling.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Coakley has been successfully tied by Brown to the status quo, not especially appealing to Massachusetts voters struggling with high levels of unemployment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Finance Committee, cast the election in terms of the fate of Obama s health care reform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>A vote for Brown, Frank insists, is a vote against health care reform, since Brown gives the GOP the needed votes to filibuster Obama s plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Without knowing it, Frank energized Massachusetts voters opposed to Barack s health care plan to defeat Coakley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>For whatever reason, Obama s health care plan lacks the nationwide approval, despite Democrats pushing for its passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> With polls tightening, Obama plans to campaign for Coakley Sunday, Jan. 17, only two days before Election Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Judging by the tight race, it s clear that independents will determine the election.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Democratic strategists hope that Obama s presence turns out the base on Election Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>What they re miscalculating is the extent of disappointment and frustration with the president.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Many voters feel Obama has placed too much emphasis on health care and not enough creating jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He s tried, but failed, to convince voters that reforming health care somehow helps colossal budget deficits and overall economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>No one, on either side of the debate, can figure out how Obama reduces the deficit by insuring up to 30 million Americans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whether or not Coakley fills Kennedy s shoes doesn t answer the question of how to fix the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When December s unemployment report showed another 85,000 lost jobs, it helped Brown and hurt Coakley.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Any bad news about the incumbent s party hurts candidate s chances of capturing independents and crossovers. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Advertising Brown as the 41st vote against Obama s health care plan was a good selling point for disenfranchised independents and crossovers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>With national polls showing that 60% of voters oppose Barack s health care plan, Brown picks up those voters seeking a single issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Massachusetts voters go to the polls Jan. 19, they ll mirror the mood of the country frustrated with the longest recession since the Great Depression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Recent vulnerabilities in airport security leave voters questioning Obama s national security credentials, rightfully or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>More bad news on the economy or national security hurts the incumbent by making the case that the country needs more balance in Washington.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>With House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) taking over the health care debate, Obama looks like a political pawn.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Bad economic news and unfavorable national polls on the president s health care reform plan has hurt Martha Coakley heading into Tuesday s special election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Whether she can squeak out a close victory is anyone s guess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Running as a Democrats in Massachusetts should be a no-brainer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Coakley s lack of charisma or discomfort in front of the cameras also hasn t helped her chances on Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Brown s lead in the polls speaks volumes about voters frustrations nearly a year into Obama s presidency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Barack has more difficulty blaming the economy or national security problems on former President Bush and must reassess his priorities or face bad news next November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Democrats opted to roll the dice with health care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Coakley loses next Tuesday, it spells doom not only for Barack s health care plan but for the rest of his legislative agenda until he runs for reelection in 2012.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span class="style6">About the Author </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>He s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author <i>of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a></i> and <i><a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a></i>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2576" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="2"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2"></td> </tr> <tr height="2574"> <td width="133" height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="1" height="2574"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2574"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="133" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="133" height="1"></td> <td width="7" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="7" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="300" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="300" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Home</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> || <a href="articlesindex.html">Articles</a> || <a href="books.html">Books</a> || <a href="teflon.html">The Teflon Report</a> || <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> Reactions</a> || <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">About Discobolos</a></strong></font> <div align="left"> <p><font size="1" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">This site designed, developed and hosted by the experts at</font><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"> <a href="http://www.cmeonline.net" target="_blank"><img height="30" width="138" src="images/cmelogoANIM.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></a></font></p> </div> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">©1999-2005 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"> Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>