With the first significant elections post-2008, the Democrats of the Obama Era whiffed on a chance to keep a significant hold on the imagination and confidence of the country.
The official word coming out of the White House was that President Obama was more inclined to watch the Chicago Bulls game Election Night than to watch the results of the running of the electoral bulls, particularly those in New Jersey and Virginia.
I can understand watching hoops over other sports that night, including politics and baseball. After all, it’s tough to see your team give up big leads in the middle innings because of poor pitching and shoddy defense.
Just one year after President Obama made significant gains in Virginia and New Jersey on his way to the White House as a candidate, his presence on the campaign trail as award-winning president was not enough to hold significant seats in both states as both gubernatorial races went to Republicans. Despite having a popular president, a supermajority in Washington, and a Republican Party splitting itself (to defeat) in NY-23, the Democrats were unable to maintain blue-state status in New Jersey (a Democratic stronghold) and new-blue status in Virginia. In the “Old Dominion”, the old way of political loyalty kicked in as Republicans took a sweep at the top of the ticket, capturing the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general posts.
None of this is good for the president or for the supermajority in Washington.
People may not call it a referendum on the president and leadership in Washington, but there is a clear correlation between the votes being cast in these gubernatorial elections and the dissatisfaction swirling around the country with what we have received in 2009 from our political leaders. Scoffs about Beck and Limbaugh aside, those that have tied themselves to the Obama Phenomenon after November 2008 have not had the typical of political and personal successes that President Obama enjoys even during rough times. Personal charm is just that – personal – and has a hard time transferring to less-than-optimal candidates running on failing policies in difficult economic times. Further still, personal charm loses political style points in times such as these.
Continued news about rising unemployment rates (despite the expensive stimulus package), health care squabbles on Capitol Hill, and non-stimulating stimulus packages (particularly regarding jobs and unfrozen credit that Americans desperately need) drown out complaints that Republicans are sabotaging Democratic leadership. It is a cry that is increasingly hollowing out as Americans become more attune to the inefficiency of the supermajority, the disappointments for immediate change via the Obama Administration, and the frustration coming from ongoing losses on Main Street, even as Wall Street has hit 10,000 once again.
For the home runs that the Democrats hit in 2008, there have now been two big swings and misses afterwards. With a continuation on the path the Democrats are currently on, it would be no surprise that these 2009 curveballs will serve as a precursor to strike 3 coming soon in 2010.
Lenny McAllister is a national political commentator and author of “Diary of a Mad Black PYC (Proud Young Conservative),” available online at www.tinyurl.com/lennysdiary and www.amazon.com. The political commentator was featured in the CNN panel discussion “Young & Black in America: Empowering the Next Generation of African American Leaders” in Washington, DC. Catch Lenny on “The Glenn Beck Show” Friday at 5 PM EST on Fox News. Also follow him at twitter.com/lennyhhr, on Facebook at tinyurl.com/lennyfacebook, and at www.lennymcallister.com where McAllister’s weekly video commentary can be found.