President Barack Obama sought to reassure nervous Democrats Saturday, pledging to push against the political headwinds facing the party in this year’s midterm elections.
Obama, speaking at the conclusion of the Democratic National Committee’s winter meeting in snowbound Washington, channeled the frosty weather and electoral outlook.
“Sometimes it may be against a blizzard, but we’re going to live up to our responsibility to lead,” said the tie-less president, alluding to the capital’s storm as “Snowmegeddon.”
But in language meant to both comfort party officials and explain his declining popularity, Obama acknowledged in plain terms the difficulties Democrats face following what he called “a tough year.”
Making the case that the party’s plight was a product of the country’s lingering economic troubles, the president said it was to be expected that he would bear some blame.
Obama recalled a recent conversation he had with his wife, Michelle, who said it was perfectly logical that voters would take out their frustrations on the president when polled.
“Somebody calls up and says, ‘So, how do you think President Obama is doing right now,’” said the president. “What are they gonna say?”
After a brief hesitation, the hundreds of Democrats gathered in the Capital Hilton’s ballroom laughed and applauded in a knowing, if rueful, fashion.
“Of course people are frustrated, they have every right to be,” Obama continued.
The Democratic activists in attendance were also frustrated—they say they want to hear more from their leadership in Washington. Following consecutive losses in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts – all states Obama carried in 2008 – jittery Democrats here said they expect better communication to the public about what the administration and Congress have accomplished.
In addressing committee members following the president, DNC ChairTim Kaine acknowledged the problem: “We’ve got to do a better job of telling that story, I’ve certainly heard that from all of you.”
And directly addressing the state chairs and committee members in the room who have been open in voicing their nervousness about November – what Obama loyalists often deem as “bedwetting” – the president himself said: “Look, when unemployment is still 9.7%, when we are still digging ourselves out of an extraordinary recession, people are going to be frustrated and they’re going to be looking to the party in power to try to fix it.”
Perhaps recognizing the desire for better salesmanship, the president used much of his address to make the case that he had made significant gains in the year since he was sworn in, touting the stimulus bill, equal pay legislation, credit card reform and expanding healthcare for children.
“If you look at a tally of things we said we would do, even in the midst of this extraordinarily challenging economy, we’ve kept our promises, we’ve kept our commitments,” he said.
On one of his most important unfulfilled goals, healthcare reform, Obama conceded there had been a “long and difficult debate.”
Without delving into particulars of how the stalled legislation would pass, he won cheers from Democrats by vowing that he would not “walk away from health insurance reform.”
Kaine, in his remarks, was more explicit in assessing the hurdles Democrats faced.
He acknowledged that the party had been hurt in their recent losses by a deficiency of enthusiasm within the party’s ranks. “We’ve got to be more energized,” the chairman pleaded.
But with a hopeful tone, the former Virginia governor said Democratic defeats in last fall’s gubernatorial contests and the shocking loss of Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat in Massachusetts could serve a purpose akin to the “Ghost of Christmas future” who scared Scrooge straight in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” by showing what the future could look like without a change in behavior.
“We’ve had our ‘Ghost of Christmas future’ experience,” Kaine said, trying to warn Democrats what could happen if they don’t rise to the challenge.
Yet in an effort to lower expectations, the chairman also pointed out that in the last 17 midterm elections, the party in control of the White House had lost an average of 28 House seats and four Senate seats.
Kaine said Democrats could “beat the norm” thanks to what Democrats have accomplished already, a solid field of candidates, including some strong challengers, and divisions within the GOP.
Committee members said they felt better after hearing from Obama and Kaine.
Carol Fowler, South Carolina’s Democratic chair, found the president to be “determined” and said she was heartened by his affirmation that he would still push for healthcare reform at a time when there is uncertainty about the legislation’s prospects.
“It’s good to hear that he intends to go after that,” Fowler said.
Norm Sterzenbach, executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party, found an element of the Obama who inspired so many people two years ago.
“There was definitely a hint of the campaign in the speech,” said Sterzenbach.
Leaving here, some Democrats said they would elevate their efforts to try to make the best of a difficult year.
“We have to be more aggressive,” said New Hampshire Democratic Chairman Raymond Buckley. “And that’s what we have been reminded of over the last few days.”
On Tuesday, former South Carolina Governor, United States Secretary of Education, and Founder of SC New Democrats, Richard Riley, was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame. Gov. Riley joins the ranks of Fritz Hollings and Andrew Jackson, Pat Conroy and Dizzy Gillespie as some of the most important and influential figures in our state’s history.
