Dems Running on Empty with Obama and ObamaCare
AZ-08 Candidate Ron Barber Was Forced to Run Away From Obama, ObamaCare in Dem-Held Seat
- Yesterday’s special election in Arizona confirms that, just as in the 2010 midterm elections, Democrats want to run away from President Obama and their signature government healthcare takeover.
- Arizona Democrat Ron Barber isn’t the only Democrat to discover that President Obama and Obamacare are huge liabilities when running for office.
- Taken together, the special elections of the last year signal the Democrats’ steep uphill climb to overcome the unpopularity of their president and their failed policies.
Yesterday’s special election in Arizona confirms that, just as in the 2010 midterm elections, Democrats want to run away from President Obama and their signature government healthcare takeover:
AZ DEMOCRAT BARBER “DISTANC[ED] HIMSELF FROM [OBAMA] THROUGH MUCH OF THE CAMPAIGN”: “On the eve of the Arizona special election to replace Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Democratic candidate Ron Barber reaffirmed his support for President Barack Obama on Monday, despite distancing himself from the president throughout much of the campaign.
” ‘When it comes to the November election, I will support the president. I will vote for him, because quite clearly his policies will benefit the middle class much more than his opponent’s,’ Barber said on CNN’s ‘Piers Morgan Tonight.'” (Ashley Killough, “Barber: I Will Vote For Obama,” CNN, 6/11/2012)
BARBER “BACKED AWAY FROM OBAMACARE,” WILL “SEEK CHANGES” TO LAW: “Democratic congressional candidate Ron Barber says he’ll seek changes to federal health care legislation widely known as Obamacare if he wins the 8th Congressional District seat.” (“Democrat Ron Barber Backs Away from Obama’s Healthcare Act,” NBC News 4 Tucson, 4/23/2012)
EARLIER VIDEO SHOWED BARBER ENTHUSIASTICALLY CALLING FOR PASSAGE OF OBAMACARE: “But his statements to a pro-health-care-reform rally at about the time the bill was introduced in Congress in 2009 leave no doubt where he stood on passage of a health-care bill, which was ultimately approved the following March after numerous modifications.
“‘Health-care reform has to happen this year,’ Barber said then, drawing cheers. ‘People who are opposed to health care have been able to demonize what we are trying to do, and regrettably, they’ve been fairly effective for a while. But this kind of gathering tonight tells me the tide is turning.'” (Brady McCombs, “Video Proves Barber Pushed for Obama Health Law, GOP Says,” Arizona Daily Star, 5/23/2012)
BARBER WAS “NONCOMMITAL ON VOTE FOR NANCY PELOSI”: “Ron Barber, the Democrat running to succeed ex-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, remains noncommittal on whether he would vote for Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to lead his party after the November elections.” (Abby Livingston, “Arizona: Ron Barber Noncommittal on Vote for Nancy Pelosi,” Roll Call, 5/28/2012)
Arizona Democrat Ron Barber isn’t the only Democrat to discover that President Obama and Obamacare are huge liabilities when running for office:
DEMS RUN AWAY FROM OBAMACARE:
IOWA DEM CANDIDATE CHRISTIE VILSACK REFUSED TO TAKE A POSITION ON OBAMACARE’S INDIVIDUAL MANDATE THIS WEEK: “I’m not for it or against it.” (Remarks from Christie Vilsack, Iowa Public Television, 6/8/2012)
VILSACK HAS DUCKED QUESTIONS ON WHETHER SHE WOULD HAVE VOTED FOR OBAMACARE: “Vilsack, though, tempered her language on the topic and would not say if she would have voted ‘yes’ on the Affordable Care Act had she been in Congress at the time. ‘I don’t go back and try to figure out what I would have voted for,’ Vilsack said.” (Mike Malloy, “King Confident Health Care Law Will Die,” The Ames Tribune, 4/12/2012)
NEVADA DEM JOHN OCEGUERA “SIDE STEPS QUESTION” OF SUPPORT FOR OBAMACARE: “Assembly Speaker and 3rd Congressional District candidate John Oceguera, D-Las Vegas, declined today to say whether he supports the federal health care law now under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.” (Sean Whaley, “CD3 Candidate John Oceguera Side Steps Question of Support for Federal Health Care Law, Offers No Plan on Key Issues,” Nevada News Bureau, 5/7/2012)
VAL DEMINGS (FL-10) MAKES NO MENTION OF OBAMACARE ON HER WEBSITE: (“On the Issues,” Val Demings for Congress, Accessed 6/12/2012)
KATHY BOOCKVAR (PA-08) ISSUES PAGE MAKES NO MENTION OF WHERE SHE STANDS ON OBAMACARE: (“On the Issues,” Kathy Boockvar for Congress, Accessed 6/12/2012)
GEORGE BADEY (PA-07) ISSUES PAGE MAKES NO MENTION OF WHERE HE STANDS ON OBAMACARE: (“The Issues,” George Badey for Congress, Accessed 6/12/2012)
DAVE CROOKS (IN-08) ISSUES PAGE MAKES NO MENTION OF OBAMACARE: (“Issues,” Dave Crooks for Congress, Accessed 6/12/2012)
WHILE YET OTHER DEMS RUN AWAY FROM OBAMA:
NEW YORK DEMOCRAT KATHY HOCUL LUKEWARM ON OBAMA FOR 2012: “And while she’s planning to vote for President Obama for re-election, she gives the president mixed reviews.” (Jerry Zremeski, “Hochul Has Been Bucking the Party Line,” The Buffalo News, 6/9/2012)
NORTH DAKOTA DEMOCRAT HEIDI HEITKAMP PUBLICLY SLAMMED OBAMA FOR “FAIL[ING] IN THE ONE TEST AMERICA HAD FOR HIM, WHICH WAS TO UNITE THE COUNTRY”: (Rachel Weiner, “Can Democrats Run From Obama? Should They?”, The Washington Post, 5/24/2012)
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV) REFUSED TO SAY WHETHER HE VOTED FOR OBAMA OVER A FELON IN THE WV DEMOCRAT PRIMARY: “Obama’s only opposition on West Virginia’s ballot was from Keith Russell Judd, who’s serving time at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas for making threats at the University of New Mexico in 1999. … Manchin, who refused to say whether he voted for Obama on Tuesday, said he’s grateful that most voters look at the totality of his voting record, not whether he follows the party line.” (Lawrence Messina, “Romney, Obama, Manchin Win W. Va Primaries,” Associated Press, 5/8/2012)
WV DEMOCRAT GOV. EARL RAY TOMBLIN REFUSED TO ENDORSE OBAMA: “As Governor, I know that I must work hard every day to earn the trust and the votes of my constituents. Neither President Obama nor Governor Romney has earned my vote at this point.” (Zeke Miller, “President Obama’s 9 Worst Surrogates,” BuzzFeed, 5/21/2012)
SEN. MARK PRYOR (D-AR) RECENTLY SAID HE WOULD BE “NOT VERY ACTIVE” IN CAMPAIGNING FOR OBAMA: “Pryor, who endorsed Hillary Clinton for president during the 2008 presidential elections, said he would be ‘not very active’ in the 2012 elections, including in terms of campaigning for Obama.” (Daniel Strauss, “Dem Sen. Mark Pryor Won’t Be ‘Very Active’ in Obama Reelection Effort,” The Hill, 4/12/2012)
Taken together, the special elections of the last year signal the Democrats’ steep uphill climb to overcome the unpopularity of their president and their failed policies:
AFTER CRUSHING DEFEAT IN NY-09 SPECIAL, WHITE HOUSE CONCEDED THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH INDEPENDENTS. A BIG PROBLEM. “[Two Obama advisers] concede that the election might bring to the fore how difficult it will be for Obama to win back the trust of independents—no matter what their faith. This New York contest would seem to have implications beyond Brooklyn and Queens.” (Marc Ambinder, “White House Already Spinning Feared New York Loss,” National Journal, 9/12/2011)
“SEA CHANGE FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF [OBAMA’S] PRESIDENCY,” AS DEMS RUN AWAY FROM STIMULUS AND GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE TAKEOVER: “It’s a sea change from the early days of his presidency, when liberal and moderate Democrats alike sought to tie themselves to the president and benefit from his popularity and charisma. Most moderate Democrats supported his stimulus and health care reform legislation that they’re now distancing themselves from.” (Alex Roarty and Beth Reinhardt, “Democrats Distancing Themselves from Obama,” National Journal, 9/1/2011)
STU ROTHENBERG: “THE ALBATROSS AROUND WEPRIN’S NECK IS NAMED OBAMA”: (Stuart Rothenberg, “Democrats Jump the Shark in New York Special,” Roll Call,9/11/2011)
DEMS’ MEDISCARE MESSAGE FAILED, VOTERS WANTED TO “SEND A MESSAGE” TO OBAMA: “Polling conducted by Siena College shows that jobs and the economy are the top issues of the day, and Republican calls for voters to ‘send a message’ to President Barack Obama clearly have worked far better than Democratic charges that Turner and his party want to eliminate Medicare and Social Security.” (Stuart Rothenberg, “Democrats Jump the Shark in New York Special,” Roll Call, 9/11/2011)
“COMMON SENSE” THAT OBAMA IS “A DRAG ON DOWNBALLOT DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES”: (Stuart Rothenberg, “Democrats Jump the Shark in New York Special,” Roll Call, 9/11/2011)
NOTE TO DEMOCRAT INCUMBENTS: YOU CAN RUN, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM PRESIDENT OBAMA. “Weprin has awkwardly tried to distance himself from Obama, only telling the Jewish Weekly he’d ‘probably’ endorse the president’s reelection bid.” (Jessica Taylor, “Previewing the NY-09 Special Election,” National Journal‘s Hotline On Call Blog, 9/13/11)
IN NEVADA-02 SPECIAL, “TERRIBLE CLIMATE FOR DEMOCRATS” AND “POOR POLLING NUMBERS” FOR OBAMA KEY TO MARSHALL’S DEFEAT:(Kyle Trygstad, “Democrats Brace for Disappointment in Nevada,” Roll Call, 9/13/2011)