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; } .style6 { height: 69px; } h2 {margin-bottom:.0001pt; text-align:center; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Arial; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; } .style7 { width: 133px; } .style8 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </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> <td height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style7"> <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" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140" class="style6"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="1" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" class="style6"><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 height="2" class="style7"></td> <td width="489" height="2576" colspan="3" rowspan="2" align="left" xpos="133" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <p class="style4">Obama&#39;s Midterm Doldrums</p> <p><b><font face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica">by John M. Curt</font></b><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b>is<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 July 11, 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; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <bAbout the Author</u> <p class="MsoNormal"> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style8">P</span>resident Barack Obama hopes that he can avoid a repeat of the 1994 midterm elections when former President Bill Clinton lost a decisive Democratic majority in Congress to Republicans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Led by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Georgia), Democrats lost 54 seats in the House and eight in the Senate, making Clinton s job far more complicated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>After pushing health care reform through Dec. 24, 2009, Obama gambled with his approval ratings and U.S. public opinion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Opinion polls showed majority of voters, both Democrats and Republicans, opposing Barack s health insurance reform bill, estimated to cost taxpayers over $1 trillion over 10 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While passing health care was indeed historic since the Clintons couldn t get it done in 1993 Obama paid a political price, pushing it through at all costs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Continued economic weakness hurts Barack s approval ratings.</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>Given the sluggish economy, high unemployment, low tax receipts, exploding federal budget deficits and national debt, the advisability of pushing through health care must be questioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While it s true Obama had to strike fast or potentially lose the opportunity, it s also true that the final health reform package was disliked by both Democrats and Republicans:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Democrats because it didn t go far enough toward a single-payer system like Medicare and Republicans because it s a budget buster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Heading into November, Obama faces the growing possibility of losing both the House and Senate. Significant losses in the Senate would paralyze Barack s legislative agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I think there s no doubt there are enough seats in play that could cause Republicans to gain control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>There s no doubt about that, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs admitted on NBC s  Meet the Press. </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>Also hurting Barack s approval ratings and prospects of a poor showing in November is escalating the Afghanistan War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Barack ran for president, he strongly opposed the Iraq War, showing little interest in Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Crossover Republicans and independents voted for Obama because, when contrasted with his GOP rival Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), he was the antiwar candidate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Only a few weeks after taking office, he increased U.S. Afghan troop strength by 21,000. Seven months later, he approved an additional 30,000 troops, boosting U.S. forces to over 100,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Despite reports that defense spending was breaking the economy, Obama continued to go along with Pentagon requests for more troops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When you add that to the nation s sluggish economy, the Gulf oil disaster, growing numbers of voters are getting buyer s remorse with Barack</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>Unlike the days leading up to the 2008 presidential election, a lot more is known about Obama now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>They know he s a brilliant speechmaker but tends to avoid the bully pulpit unless pressed into it by a national crisis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> I think we have to take the issues to them, said Gibbs, referring the White House strategy before the midterm elections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>What Gibbs doesn t get is that bad economic news dogs the president s approval ratings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When you add to that the war in Afghanistan and the Gulf oil spill, it damages his approval ratings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While everyone knows the economy began tanking under Bush s watch, it doesn t help Barack s numbers now that it s his to fix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Nearly a year-and-a-half into his presidency, Barack must clean up the economic mess for face hell to pay at the polls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Winning the health care battle might have helped Democrats lose the upcoming electoral war.</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>If Barack wants to help Democrats next November, he needs to more forcefully communicate the Democratic agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>So far, it looks like he has many priorities just not fixing the nation s unemployment problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Under Obama s stimulus plan, the country has run up bigger budget deficits but hasn t added many private sector jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Today s sluggish economy directly relates to the lack of private sector jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When the world s biggest economies met in Toronto last month, the European Union counseled fiscal restraint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Financing two extravagant wars hasn t helped the private sector rebound and create new jobs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Voters will vote their pocket books in November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>All the clever arguments won t wash unless the economy continues to grow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>If Republicans take charge next November, it s not going to be, as Gibbs says, better arguments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>It s going to be the economy.</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>Democrats face a repeat of the  Republican Revolution next November unless Barack can get the economy to start gaining steam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>More foreclosures, bankruptcies and short-sales continue to hammer Barack s approval ratings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Now that health care s passed Congress and scheduled for 2014, Barack must work feverishly to pay the steep price tag.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Lurking in the background are the fiscal insolvencies of Medicare and Social Security, the nation s biggest social programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Between now and the election, Barack should be talking about how he plans to get the economy moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke can t figure out the key, anymore than billionaire investor Warrren Buffett.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While even Dr. Gloom himself, NYU Stern School Prof. Nouriel Roubini, predicts no double-dip recession yet, Obama must devote every minute of his waking day to fixing the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <b>John M. Curtis </b>writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He&#x2019;s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet</a> and <a href="books.html">Operation Charisma</a>.</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 height="2574" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0" class="style7"><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 height="1" class="style7"><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> Homecobolos> <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>