Axelrod Predicts 'Titanic Struggle' for Obama 2012 Re-election

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Home > Politics & Policy > Ken Walsh's Washington > Axelrod Predicts 'Titanic Struggle' for Obama 2012 Re-election

September 28, 2011 Print

David Axelrod, President Obama's chief strategist, made some waves yesterday when he predicted a "Titanic struggle" to get Obama re-elected in 2012.

"We have the wind in our face because the American people have the wind in their faces," Axelrod told business and political leaders in New Hampshire. "So this is going to be a Titanic struggle. But I firmly believe we're on the right side of the struggle."

Axelrod predicted an Obama victory because the Republican candidates for president are advocating the same policies that led to recession, such as cutting taxes for the rich and for big corporations. "This isn't new wine and old bottles," Axelrod said. "This is old wine and old bottles."

[Check out political cartoons about President Obama.]

The Obama strategist also told the Associated Press in an interview that Texas Gov. Rick Perry doesn't have the sterling record of leadership in Texas that he proclaims. Texas has low wages and many underperforming schools, Axelrod said, adding, "I think most Americans will look at that and say, 'Why would we want to emulate that?' "

Political analysts suspect that Axelrod was so openly predicting a huge battle for Obama at least partly to energize the Democratic base. Some of Obama's supporters from 2008 have found fault with his policies, including his compromises with Republicans on deficit-reduction measures and other issues. Democratic strategists say Obama's team needs to mobilize his core supporters by drawing stark contrasts and warning about the possibility of defeat, which is what Axelrod did in New Hampshire.

Tags:David Axelrod, politics, 2012 presidential election, Obama administration

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Al-Awlaki Death Likely Won't Help Obama Re-Election

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President Obama stands to gain even more credibility for being tough on terrorism because of the U.S. air strike that killed radical Islamic leader Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen today. But the successful mission probably won't do much to help Obama's re-election prospects because Americans are no longer as concerned about terrorism as they used to be.

The American-born Awlaki's death follows by a few months the killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Obama's job approval quickly increased to nearly 60 percent after bin Laden's death in May, but dropped back to where it had been, at less than 50 percent, a few weeks later.

[See a slide show of six potential terrorist targets.]

Awlaki's death is considered a big setback for al Qaeda, the international terrorist network. President Obama this morning called it "another significant milestone in the broader effort to defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates." Obama said al-Awlaki "took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent Americans,'" including an attempt to destroy U.S. cargo planes in 2010. [See photos of reactions to Osama bin Laden's death.]

Republicans joined in praise of the operation. Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, called the death of al-Awlaki "another great step forward in breaking the back of al Qaeda."

Awlaki was apparently killed in a drone strike. Bin Laden was killed in a special operation by Navy SEALS.

[Read: Navy SEALs Reveal Bin Laden Killing Story.]

The success of these missions is expected to reinforce the argument by administration officials that carefully planned special operations are more effective and appropriate in fighting terrorism than big deployments of American troops, as in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In domestic political terms, Obama gets good ratings from voters on fighting terrorism and keeping the country safe. But such issues are not nearly as prominent as they were in the years after the 9/11 attacks, so Obama's standing on national-security issues isn't as much of an asset as it might have been in years past. The focus of Americans has moved to the troubled economy, especially high unemployment, an issue where Obama is not rated highly by voters. A New York Times assessment of the situation is here.

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Axelrod Predicts 'Titanic Struggle' for Obama 2012 Re-election

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Home > Politics & Policy > Ken Walsh's Washington > Axelrod Predicts 'Titanic Struggle' for Obama 2012 Re-election

September 28, 2011 Print

David Axelrod, President Obama's chief strategist, made some waves yesterday when he predicted a "Titanic struggle" to get Obama re-elected in 2012.

"We have the wind in our face because the American people have the wind in their faces," Axelrod told business and political leaders in New Hampshire. "So this is going to be a Titanic struggle. But I firmly believe we're on the right side of the struggle."

Axelrod predicted an Obama victory because the Republican candidates for president are advocating the same policies that led to recession, such as cutting taxes for the rich and for big corporations. "This isn't new wine and old bottles," Axelrod said. "This is old wine and old bottles."

[Check out political cartoons about President Obama.]

The Obama strategist also told the Associated Press in an interview that Texas Gov. Rick Perry doesn't have the sterling record of leadership in Texas that he proclaims. Texas has low wages and many underperforming schools, Axelrod said, adding, "I think most Americans will look at that and say, 'Why would we want to emulate that?' "

Political analysts suspect that Axelrod was so openly predicting a huge battle for Obama at least partly to energize the Democratic base. Some of Obama's supporters from 2008 have found fault with his policies, including his compromises with Republicans on deficit-reduction measures and other issues. Democratic strategists say Obama's team needs to mobilize his core supporters by drawing stark contrasts and warning about the possibility of defeat, which is what Axelrod did in New Hampshire.

Tags:David Axelrod, 2012 presidential election, Obama administration, politics

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AFL-CIO Threatens Obama's Re-Election Over Jobs

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The AFL-CIO, worried that President Obama's long-awaited September jobs announcement will be inadequate, is threatening to boycott the Democratic National Convention and maybe the 2012 elections unless bold action is taken to ease unemployment.

"If they don't have a jobs program I think we'd be better to use our money doing other things," said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

[Check out editorial cartoons about the economy.]

The leader of the nation's largest union, who regularly visits the White House to talk with Obama, sounded a warning today that he is worried that the president will simply propose "nibbly" things to spark some job creation instead of laying out a bold plan and promising to challenge Republicans in Congress to pass it.

"People are frustrated and the more jobs aren't created, the more they're gonna get frustrated with everybody," he said in a Christian Science Monitor newsmaker roundtable breakfast.

"This is going to be a moment when history and our members are going to judge him and they are going to be making an opinion. And if he puts all of his emphasis and focus on jobs creation, it's going give them one picture," said Trumka. "And if he continues to do little nibbly things around the end that aren't going to make a difference and aren't going to solve a problem, that will give another picture." [Read: Seven Ways Obama Can Gain Credibility on Jobs.]

Besides suggesting that his national union won't attend the convention unless a big new jobs program is proposed, he also indicated that his union won't do much for Obama or Democrats in the 2012 elections.

Asked if union participation in the election will drop, he said, "I think yes. I think the overall population participation will drop. Because people, if they think there's not going to be any solution they get upset."

Oddly, he said that the union hasn't decided if it will participate in the convention though he said some affiliates already aren't going. That would be a slap at Obama. [See pictures of Obama behind the scenes.]

He demanded that the president not make any more spending cuts because it costs jobs. He also said that the union would oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare and he cited a new government report to suggest that the deficit problem could be eased if the Bush tax cuts were allowed to die. [Check out political cartoons about the deficit and debt.]

And in advising the president on a jobs program, Trumka said that the president should stiffen his spine and propose a bold plan that challenges Republicans on the issue. "Do not look at what is possible [to win passage in Congress.] Look at what is necessary," said Trumka.

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