ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Duke's Damage Control</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style1 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> <table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr height="79"> <td width="116" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <a href="081609.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="24" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="465" height="79" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="18" 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="283" 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 height="26"> <td width="624" height="26" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <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="1"> <td width="116" height="2574" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="489" height="1" colspan="3"></td> <td width="18" height="2574" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> <tr height="2573"> <td width="489" height="2573" colspan="3" align="left" xpos="116" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="5"><b> <br /> <br /> Voters Speak to Obama</b></font><p><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> by John M. Curtis<br> (310) 204-8700</b><br> </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright Nov. 4, 2009<br> All Rights Reserved.</i></font></p> <p><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style1">&nbsp;</span></span><span class="style1">V</span>oters spoke to President Barack Obama Nov. 3, electing Republican governors in Virginia and New Jersey, though Democrats picked up a House seat in Upstate New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Voting their pocket books, Virginians gave former Atty. Gen. Bob McDonnell a whopping landslide, winning 59% of the vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Signaling a disturbing trend for Democrats heading into next year s midterm elections in the Garden State, former 47-year-old former Republican U.S. Attorney Chris Christie upended incumbent Gov. John Corzine, 49%-45%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While Democrat Bill Owens eked out a 4% victory in New York s 23 rd congressional district, Christie s win in New Jersey stole the headlines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> The Republican renaissance has begun . . . in earnest, said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele whose past feud with conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh raised eyebrows.</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 hoped for a better showing in New Jersey where the GOP usually fairs poorly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>While Steele thumps his chest, a looming recession and push for national health care has left Barack s approval ratings sinking to around 50%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Barack finds himself 18% down from the inauguration, where the country rallied around his presidency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Ten months later, after spending a whopping $787 billion bailout, the country continues to lose jobs, prompting voters buyers remorse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Barack promised up to 1.5 million jobs, either saved or created, from his stimulus plan, where the federal government bailed-out cash-strapped states and some of the nation s biggest insurance companies and financial institutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Obama must take notice, before it s too late, that he no longer enjoys the coattails of last November s election.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Today s voters ask,  what have you done for me lately? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> </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>Without an economic rebound, Barack can expect declining approval ratings, handing the GOP needed momentum heading into next year s midterm elections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> The most important thing is that Republicans keep moving to the right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>A Republican candidate moving to the right in a blue state is never a good sign for viability in a general election, said Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), finding a silver lining to Tuesday s results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Menendez forgets that red-and-blue states shift loyalty depending on key domestic and foreign policy issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Barack has faced a stubborn economic decline, so far resistant to liberal Federal Reserve Board policies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Faced with more economic misery, voters look to alternative candidates promising a different approach to resuscitating the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Never before have domestic and foreign policy weighed so heavily in voters minds.</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>Unable to shake a stubborn recession, once blamed on former President George W. Bush, Obama faces problems going forward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>His approval ratings continue to sink under the weight of growing unemployment and federal budget deficits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While his economic recovery plan has provided some relief, Barack continues to push a $1 trillion national health care plan, causing endless political squabbles in the House and U.S. Senate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Looming in the background is a fateful decision about adding more troops to Afghanistan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Signals from the European Union indicate resistance to continue adding more troops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Growing coalition casualties present more political problems for Obama and his European counterparts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Afghanistan represents a bottomless pit of U.S. blood and treasure, the exact problem in Iraq that drove Bush s approval ratings and GOP fortunes into oblivion.</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>Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey signals that the White House is on the wrong track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Recent polls about Afghanistan and national health care indicate that the Obama, like Bush on Iraq, has become tone deaf, only ten months into office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Before Barack follows Bush over the falls, he d be well advised to take a second look at both issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Considering that only 42% of voters support national health care and about the same for Afghanistan, Obama needs an urgent midcourse correction before it hands the GOP an early Christmas gift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Barack s decision on Afghanistan can t ignore next year s voters already jaded by bloated defense spending, growing budget deficits and the prospects of perpetual war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>In a time of recession, the White House can t ignore the damaging effect of excessive military spending on the domestic economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Voters won t ignore the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span> </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>GOP victories signal problems with Obama s domestic and foreign policy agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>On the home front, voters have spoken loudly that they don t want health care reform at the expense of the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>They ve also warned Barack that last year s good will on Election Day can easily evaporate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When he considers adding troops to Afghanistan, he must pay attention to voters warnings to avoid the same mistakes as Bush.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Republican support of a troop surge in Afghanistan could be exactly what the GOP needs to retake the House and Senate and eventually sink Obama in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> The center of the electorate is for limited government and tolerance on social issues, said conservative  The Club for Growth President Chris Chocola, attributing GOP successes to ideology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Recent GOP successes reflect current economic woes and prospects of bad domestic and foreign policy.</p> <p><b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.&nbsp; He'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="2573"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2573"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="116" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="116" height="1"></td> <td width="24" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="24" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="283" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="283" height="1"></td> <td width="18" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="18" 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> Homene.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">&copy;1999-2002 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>