Monday, April 26, 2010

Obama Wants You -- Unless You're a White Male

Facing growing opposition from surveyed Americans, President Obama and the Democratic machine are gearing up for the 2010 elections, with Obama calling for the votes of the "young people, African-Americans, Latinos, and women who powered our victory in 2008," even as new polls reveal growing displeasure for the administration's "accomplishments."

The Democratic National Committee Monday released a video clip of Obama touting the administration's achievements in health care reform and economic recovery, urging the first-time voters recruited in the 2008 election to return to the polls to fight those who, Obama says, are looking to "put their allies back in power" -- "insurance companies, Wall Street banks and special interests."

With immigration, health care and government spending to be among the top issues in upcoming elections, new poll results seem to show disconnect between the administration and the American public, however.

According to national survey results released Monday by Rasmussen Reports, 58 percent of those surveyed favor repealing the hastily-passed health care reform bill, with only 38 percent against repeal. While Obama's video told viewers of the progress being made to improve conditions in the country, the poll found that, overall, 52 percent of respondents feel the current health care reform bill will be bad for the country, with only 39 percent feeling it will be good.

It comes as no surprise that the Obama administration is looking for the so-called "surge" voters from 2008 to reappear in 2010: Rasmussen's Daily Presidential Tracking Poll Monday showed only 29 percent of voters strongly approve of the way the administration is performing, versus 41 percent who strongly disapprove. Generally, according to the poll, 47 percent somewhat approve of the job the president is doing, while 52 percent disapprove.

The largest demonstration of disapproval seems to be coming from tea party activists, a movement growing in power throughout the country. While mass protests have sprung up in major cities across the nation, drawing thousands of supporters, the movement has been vilified by congressional Democrats, liberal talk show hosts and mainstream news outlets for its supposed lack of black and Latino participants, which, when coupled with Obama's specific call to those groups for support, suggests that dividing the country through race and ethnicity may be the administration's only viable strategy when policy alone cannot garner enough support to keep Democrats in power.

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