Looking for President Goodbar
Posted: November 8, 2011 Filed under: 2012 presidential campaign, Barack Obama, Democratic Politics, Republican politics, Republican presidential politics | Tags: polls, presidential politics and polls 21 Comments
It’s hard not to be depressed these days when a manic Texas Governor can still get applause for giving a speech while sounding like he’s on something and an entire group of voters puts a serial sexual harasser that has no idea that China has had nukes for decades as the leader of a pack of serious bunch of no nothings. An NBC poll shows exactly how out of alignment the political class is with the American people. The current political races shows how unable our current two party system is when it comes to actually delivering worthwhile candidates. While the country needs jobs and economic growth, a committee of congressional power brokers looks to be as connected to both political donors and ideological fundamentalists as any of its predecessors. What this country needs is a leader. There appears to be none in sight. Do we really have to embrace more of the same?
Heading into 2012, America is looking for a populist. According to the poll, a whopping 76% agree with the statement that the current economic structure of the country is out of balance and favors a small proportion of the rich over the rest of the country. However, another 53% of respondents agree with the statement that the national debt must be cut significantly by reducing spending and the size of government. By the way, nearly 40% of all those surveyed agree with BOTH statements about the unfairness of the economic system and the size of government issue. Also, half of all respondents in the poll identify with either the Occupy Wall Street movement or the Tea Party (and 4% of all respondents identify with both). There’s an angry electorate out there, ideologically spread across the political spectrum. If the major party nominees are Obama and Romney, can either be seen as a convincing populist that will fill this void? Or are we headed for a multi-candidate field with 3rd and 4th party candidates for the general?
My guess is that both parties feel they can continue to eek out elections by positioning their people to independents as the lesser of evils or as change from the current evil. Is that a real choice? How about these confusing results from the party faithful that provide idiots to general elections including their last one that is arguably one of the worst presidents ever.
Beyond the big headlines from our new NBC/WSJ poll (the public’s pessimism, President Obama’s upside-down approval rating, Romney and Cain leading the GOP race and the president’s surprising leads over his potential GOP foes given the pessimistic views of his presidency), there are three important storylines you shouldn’t miss. The first: Rick Perry’s candidacy is in serious trouble and he might not be able to recover. In our first survey after the sexual-harassment allegations against Herman Cain surfaced, it’s Perry that actually lost ground in the Republican horserace (from 16% in October to 10% now) — while Mitt Romney (from 23% to 28%) and Newt Gingrich (from 8% to 13%) gained ground, and Cain actually stayed steady (from 27% to 27%). In addition, in a hypothetical two-way GOP race, Romney leads Perry by nearly a 2-to-1 margin, 62%-33%. (By comparison, Romney runs neck-and-neck against Cain in a similar two-way race, 49%-48%.) And Perry’s fav/unfav among REPUBLICAN primary voters is a pedestrian 33%-23%, versus Cain’s 52%-19% and Romney’s 46%-17%. Re-read those last set of numbers: Perry has HIGHER negative ratings than either Cain or Romney (at least before yesterday’s new Cain allegation).
It’s hard to feel sorry for Republicans whose southern strategy brought racists, religious whackos, and old style plantation economics supporters into their fold. I’m just waiting for a pro-slavery plank to come out of their next platform at the convention. But, it’s hard to see a good side of this craziness in a democracy that relies on two parties. The policy of divide and conquer must be working for the parties some how; even if it’s not working for the American people. Identity politics still can move an election and we won’t change anything until that changes.
While some Beltway chatter and commentary has suggested that the president is losing support with these voters, our NBC/WSJ poll — which included an oversample of 400 black respondents — paints a very different picture. According to the survey, 91% of them approve of Obama’s job (versus 44% among all poll respondents); 49% of them believe the country is headed in the right direction (versus 19% of all respondents); 92% would vote for Obama over Romney (versus 49%); 93% would vote for Obama over Cain (versus 53%); and 59% of them say they are more enthusiastic than usual about voting in 2012. If Obama wins re-election next year, he can thank this support from African Americans and (to a lesser extent) Latino voters. By the way, the president doesn’t lose any African-American support even in the hypothetical three-way matchups with Ron Paul or Michael Bloomberg. The president does NOT have a problem with African-Americans; folks should stop wasting news ink and bandwidth on that topic. Beyond one or two grumpy members of the Congressional Black Caucus, there’s no ACTUAL evidence in the community at-large.
It seems that Rick Perry’s God really didn’t send his wife that message after all and the black community is going to stand by their man despite record unemployment, foreclosure rates, and numerous state-based voter suppression activities. So, it’s looking more and more like will have a yawn inducing presidential race between Mitt Romney and Barrack Obama. These are two men that couldn’t find a side of an issue they couldn’t support at one time or another if it helped them with the right demographic. Both are clearly not the populists the American populace seeks.
Frankly, I’ll stay home and miss my first presidential election ever over that choice. I will however, go out and vote for Obama if the Republicans do manage to send their whackiest of the whackies to the big show. Isn’t this just ducky? The economy is still waffling, the Iranians are working on weaponized nukes and the Israelis have a trigger finger itchy PM, the Eurozone is in crisis, and the best we can come up with is Obama and Perry? Well, at least I’ll get my nap on, come the debate season. It’s at least a change from the evil clown horror show that’s been the Republican Presidential Primary.
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
Mama Lopez
peggysue22
quixote
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Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Please, vote for the candidates that are running for congress for the first time, since they have awakened and seen that many have been there for decades, and still claim they are working on something albeit no one seems to know what.
I am voting for congress and other local offices. I won’t ever in my life vote for Joe Biden, ever not even for dog catcher.
We have a one party state down here now that Bush and Cheney managed to export all of our black people and kill Kathleen Blanco. We have no democratic party down here any more and the only people running at the state level are republicans. It’s bleak. The only thing I might show up for is to stop Jindal from appointing is pro-charter school candidate for the head of the State Board of Education. The charter schools in New Orleans are failing badly and we don’t need to export that model to the rest of the state just because a few people will profit from it and it suits Jindal’s ideological resume that he’s seeking for 2016.
It’s only 56 days until the Iowas Caucuses. I’ve never been so depressed about an election season as this one. There isn’t a decent candidate anywhere.
I don’t even see one waiting in the wings some where and there’s no double entrendre meant for the word wings.
🙂
No there is no one in the wings. Any leaders out there have left the building because after nearly a dozen years of nonleadership [and that which depends on partisan, corporate, Wall St backing], any real leader would be cut off at the knees, ie., Hillary Clinton.
I will vote only to support my congressonal choices, even though being in a Red State predicts the eventual outcome. I will ‘not’ vote for Obama or Romney but will go with a 3rd party [if available or write-in ‘none of the above’]. It’s an exercise in futility. And yes, it’s miserably depressing.
I am telling everday I can’t believe it, it is depressing. At the end of this day, we will have to decide how hard we will work to pass the Chickenhood Bill………………Jasus, we can crack the egg open, and destroy the chicken…………might even be cracking a few black walnuts, you know what I mean?
Well, isn’t that just sick of Murdoch’s news empire, why do we tolerate one man providing all the media?
Yeah, I could see that happening a mile away. The Republicans have a serious problem with the personal destruction of people who have been victims of their ideology.
the Koch Brothers probably demanded it
She’s a petite blond. She might be the one that he compared to his wife.
I read the story and it looks like it will hurt Cain about as bad as the 4th lady coming out yesterday. They offered only praise for the accuser. Maybe Murdoch is feuding with the Kochs?
I just looked at it. She is portrayed in a positive light.
I saw a report and it sounded as they outed her. If so it is for their own reasons and not for the woman’s sake. The fact that they have continued to stand by Herman Cain and not covered this in a clear and honest way makes me suspect of the motive.
The internal fight might be one that could hold a bigger secret.
There’s those bitter knitting Hillary supporters again!!
What this poll tells me is that a whole lot of African Americans are racists — voting for someone because of the color of his skin. Racist! Period.
Perhaps the politicians — both Dem and Gop are hoping that Israel attacks Iran — the nut case PM of Israel of course would have worked a deal to have the US pay for the attack.
Nothing like a little war — with lots of video of night bombing run — to take people’s attention away from the disgusting candidates running for Prez of the US.
Forget about thousands of Iranians — innocent bystanders — dying or horribly injured — similar to the all out destruction of Lebanon. Not that I’m a fan of the Iranian leaders. I find it unacceptable to kill thousands for the sins of the leaders.
Try being a tourist overseas when the Prez of the US does something stupid — it doesn’t matter that you never voted for the sucker. Expect the locals to take out their rage against the US Prez on any American.
I’ll be voting third party — I simply cannot vote for the lying con man 0bowma nor 0-biden.
what this means is that the US will be essentially leaderless — no matter who “wins”. The rule of the 1% on Wall street will continue. Any assets that haven’t yet been looted — will be in the next 4 years.
Half of All Homeowners with a #Mortgage are #Effectively Underwater
Here’s what you get when your policy focuses on bailing out Gamblers instead of real investors/savers.
Occupy Atlanta Encamps To Save Cop’s Home (Still neither party is taking on the banks actions to foreclose rather than refinance)
Maybe the only funny thing I’ve seen about the Cain flap…
I’m showing up to vote Socialist Workers Party and for first-timers.
BHO could be running against the Anti-christ and I’d have to think about it. His betrayals of working class people and the social safety net – and the drones. Particularly the drones and the reckless murdering of innocent bystanders. I just cannot actually vote for a killer.