Babington Misses Big Picture
Charles Babington is missing the point in this article about the GOP’s opposition to President Obama’s porkfest bill. Here’s where he goes wrong:
The GOP’s united stand against the Democratic president seems to play well in conservative districts. But it could hurt their party’s national image and its efforts to regain control in Washington.
Democrats cite polls showing considerably higher support for Obama and his economic policies than for the House Republicans who twice voted unanimously against his $787 billion stimulus package, the heart of his economic agenda. Only three GOP senators backed the bill, and congressional Republicans now are condemning Obama’s budget proposal with equal fervor.
Those polls will change the instant people notice that the Democrats’ plan isn’t lifting us out of this recession. Citing polls that show support for the Democrats’ policies now is utterly irrelevant. What matters is whether the Democrats’ policies make things better for working families and small businesses. At this point, there’s little proof that they will. There’s more proof that the Democrats’ policies will lengthen and deepen this recession. What’s worse is that President Obama’s policies will require massive additional amounts of borrowing.
While we’ve heard the talk about the national debt before, we haven’t dealt with this it on this large a scale. The CBO recognizes what it’s doing, though, saying that the GDP growth will be significantly stunted for the next decade.
QUESTION FOR MR. BABINGTON: What do you think people’s reaction will be when they find out that President Obama’s policies not only haven’t worked to shorten the recession but stunted economic growth for a decade or more? What’s the odds that people will be content with a continuation of those policies?
While that’s possible, I wouldn’t bet the proverbial ranch on it. In fact, I wouldn’t bet the money in my change jar on it.
ADDITIONAL QUESTION FOR MR. BABINGTON: Are you suggesting that Republicans would do better if they ignored conservative principles?
There’s alot of anxiety within the Obama administration. They know that they’ll be judged on whether their policies lift the economy out of its current recession. An endless barrage of CrisisSpeak and spin won’t matter to people if they’re still unemployed, their 401(k)’s have dwindled into 104(k)’s and the housing market is spiraling downward and the banking crisis hasn’t been solved.
Considering the fact that Warren Buffett said that this recession will last through 2009 and that it might last well into 2010, why wouldn’t people start expressing their disappointment in 2010 polls?
John Hinderaker’s post about Rasmussen’s polling is spot on:
Inside the Beltway and the media bubble, Barack Obama is still the man of the hour. On CNN, his speeches are even compared to sex. (Someone needs to have a talk with that commentator. I don’t think he’s doing it right.) The Democrats obviously believe that they are in a unique historical moment, of which they can take advantage by moving the country decisively to the left.
There is strong evidence, however, that the American people are not excited about the Dems’ leftward lurch. Last week, President Obama gave his first State of the Union address to an adoring Congress and unveiled his administration’s first budget. What happened? His approval rating declined.
I remember joking that Hillary’s approval ratings reached their peak after she’d stayed out of the media’s spotlight and that her approval ratings dropped like the proverbial lead balloon when she was forced into the spotlight.
That’s starting to happen with President Obama. He’s given several high profile speeches. Each time he’s given a major speech, his approval ratings drop. I’ve kidded with my brother that 401(k)’s would be in better shape if he didn’t make so many high profile speeches.
This quote shows that Rep. Elijah Cummings, (D-MD), isn’t in touch with Main Street America:
“I don’t think the strategy is going to work,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Baltimore Democrat whose district is heavily liberal. Congressional Republicans underestimate Obama’s popularity, which is likely to endure despite the huge problems facing the country, he said.
Rep. Cummings’ opinion is based on ideological preference, not on polling trends. Thus far, Wall Street and Main Street alike have said what they think of President Obama’s policies. Majority Democrats played an instrumental part in passing the stimulus bill. While that isn’t likely to hurt Rep. Cummings or Maxine Waters or Nancy Pelosi, it’s bound to hurt people like Heath Shuler and others representing swing to conservative districts.
Finally, Mr. Babington hasn’t factored in how jazzed conservatives are. Last year’s story during the primaries was about the enthusiasm gap. Having all 177 House Republicans vote against the stimulus bill twice was a huge shot in the GOP’s arm. Activists are noticing that they’re being paid attention to.
Electing Michael Steele has been a positive, too. Combine those things with Rush’s tour de force speech closing out CPAC and you’ve got the recipe for a conservative revival.
Technorati Tags: Polling, Rush, CPAC, Conservatism, Fiscal Restraint, Michael Steele, RNC, President Obama, TARP II, Stimulus Package, Mortgage Bailout, Recession, Elijah Cummings, Nancy Pelosi, Heath Shuler, Election 2010
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog