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President George W. Obama Meets the Midterms
Roll Call ^ | 08/06/2014 | Stu Rosernberg

Posted on 08/06/2014 12:27:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

I certainly didn’t know foreign policy would be front and center in the final months before the midterm elections when I wrote in late April that these issues “could have an indirect yet significant impact on the midterm elections.”

But now, it looks increasingly as if foreign policy — particularly problems in the Middle East and relations with Russia — will add to the president’s woes.

While international issues are a low priority to most Americans, the daily dose of bad news from the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine makes it difficult for the public to appreciate any good economic data and will likely depress the public mood. That’s important given that Election Day is just three months away (and voting starts even earlier in some states).

Obama’s problems certainly are not identical to those of President George W. Bush in 2006, when opposition to the Iraq War mobilized Democrats and independents against the White House, sinking the GOP and turning both chambers of Congress to the Democrats. And yet, it’s difficult to miss parallels between the two men and their situations.

Bush had some serious domestic challenges that also contributed to his weakness going into the 2006 midterms, including a dramatic slide in his job approval numbers following his politically deaf dealings with fallout from Hurricane Katrina.

But Obama has had his share of domestic challenges too. A majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of the economy and a plurality remain unhappy with the Affordable Care Act, even after the Administration has spent years trying to sell it. Now the president has a crisis at the border. And of course, there is the inevitable fatigue voters feel after six years of any presidency.

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.rollcall.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: georgewbush; midterms; obama

1 posted on 08/06/2014 12:27:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Bush wasn’t perfect but I will take him everyday over Bammy.


2 posted on 08/06/2014 12:33:18 PM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: SeekAndFind

The Entitlement Army doesn’t give a sh!t about foreign policy.
And Baraq’s foreign policy reflects the wishes of his billionaire supporters.

If there was a re-run of Obama v. Romney this year, I think Baraq would win again.


3 posted on 08/06/2014 12:37:15 PM PDT by nascarnation (Toxic Baraq Syndrome: hopefully infecting a Dem candidate near you)
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To: Resolute Conservative

Bush’s. No.1 problem was that he was taking advice from a fat bald white board yielding moron who continues to plague us to this day.


4 posted on 08/06/2014 12:38:42 PM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: nascarnation

Agreed.


5 posted on 08/06/2014 12:38:51 PM PDT by YourAdHere (Barack is the wife.)
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To: nascarnation

Yep. And that it it in a nutshell. Takers 100, makers 0. Takers win. Let the world burn baby burn as long as I get my free cell phone and EBT card.


6 posted on 08/06/2014 12:40:13 PM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: FlipWilson
Takers 100, makers 0. Takers win

Santa Claus always wins over the stern parent.

7 posted on 08/06/2014 12:49:28 PM PDT by ScottinVA (If it doesn't include border security, it isn't "reform." It's called "amnesty.")
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To: nascarnation

I agree. Bush spent too much, was too liberal for me, wanted to give amnesty to illegals, but at least he loved the country, the military, and respected the office.


8 posted on 08/06/2014 12:50:18 PM PDT by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: FlipWilson

And healthcare!


9 posted on 08/06/2014 12:50:53 PM PDT by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Bush had some serious domestic challenges that also contributed to his weakness going into the 2006 midterms

Actually it was the October "surprise" Democrat strategy of Mark Foley that ushered in Pelosi.

The Dems screamed about gay Foley and then put San Franciso in charge of the House. Imagine that.

10 posted on 08/06/2014 12:53:59 PM PDT by what's up
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To: SeekAndFind

If Americans are awake, and the GOP is united, the midterms will be a GOP landslide.

Problem, Americans aren’t awake and the GOP is terrible at unifying a simple message that resonates.


11 posted on 08/06/2014 12:57:43 PM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: SeekAndFind

Well, there’s that old lie about Hurricane Katrina again. If a GOP governor had been in Baton Rouge with the same disastrous policies, he/she would be blamed, but Kathleen Blanco (whose mind was a blank, just like her name), and Ray Nagin, the incompetent mayor of NO’s, were both Democrats. So, they skated away from their negligence by merely being silent and not calling attention to themselves - allowing the press to blame everything on GWB.

Notice how Hurricane Sandy did not get blamed on President Obama?????


12 posted on 08/06/2014 1:49:39 PM PDT by Gumdrop (~)
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To: Resolute Conservative
Bush wasn’t perfect but I will take him everyday over Bammy.

Without GHWB we would not of had Bill Clinton, with out GWB we would not of had Obozo.

You can have them, including all the rest of them that wants to run.

13 posted on 08/06/2014 11:14:40 PM PDT by itsahoot (Voting for a Progressive RINO is the same as voting for any other Tyrant.)
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To: what's up; sickoflibs; NFHale; stephenjohnbanker; AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj; BillyBoy; ...

The media was beating Republicans over the head with Katrina and Iraq (and that Valerie Plame garbage and the trumped up charges against Tom Delay) for months before the election. I quit watching Fox News in like Spring 2006 because all the stories were about how the rats were gonna win.

The Foley scandal was a contributing factor, but hardly the determining one.


14 posted on 08/06/2014 11:45:01 PM PDT by Impy (Think for yourself)
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