Nile Gardiner: The end of the Obama Empire? The outlook is grim for the imperial presidency
[Nile Gardiner is a British-born, Washington-based foreign affairs analyst and political commentator.]
With just a fortnight to go until the November 2nd midterms, the political outlook for the Obama presidency looks increasingly grim. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs may claim the midterms are about “local issues,” but the American public clearly disagrees.
As the latest Wall Street Journal/ NBC News poll shows, “69% of voters are saying their vote is a signal to the president, compared with 59% who said so in 2006 about then-President George W. Bush, the year Democrats took control of Congress.” The forthcoming elections are overwhelmingly a referendum on Obama’s policies, his leadership, and his Big Government vision for the future of America.
The Wall Street Journal poll further underscores the huge mountain President Obama’s Democrats need to climb if they are to avoid humiliation next month. The poll finds that among likely voters, Republicans hold a 50 percent to 43 percent edge, a three point increase from a month ago. And in the 92 House of Representatives districts considered “most competitive”, the GOP has a staggering 14 point lead among registered voters. As The Journal reports:
“It’s hard to say Democrats are facing anything less than a category four hurricane,” said Peter Hart, the Democratic pollster who conducts the Journal poll with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. “And it’s unlikely the Democratic House will be left standing.”
Mr. McInturff said the Republican lead among likely voters, if it stood, probably would yield a pickup of 52 or 53 House seats, surpassing the net gain of 39 seats the GOP needs to claim control of the chamber.
While the race for the Senate remains extremely tight, with the Democrats holding on to a slim lead, practically every major poll points to a Republican takeover of the House, with some pointing to a landslide win for the GOP. In addition, as the RealClear Politics poll of polls shows, the Republicans have an almost two to one (27 to 14) advantage in the gubernatorial race.
What does this mean for President Obama if this scenario becomes reality on November 3rd?..
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)
With just a fortnight to go until the November 2nd midterms, the political outlook for the Obama presidency looks increasingly grim. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs may claim the midterms are about “local issues,” but the American public clearly disagrees.
As the latest Wall Street Journal/ NBC News poll shows, “69% of voters are saying their vote is a signal to the president, compared with 59% who said so in 2006 about then-President George W. Bush, the year Democrats took control of Congress.” The forthcoming elections are overwhelmingly a referendum on Obama’s policies, his leadership, and his Big Government vision for the future of America.
The Wall Street Journal poll further underscores the huge mountain President Obama’s Democrats need to climb if they are to avoid humiliation next month. The poll finds that among likely voters, Republicans hold a 50 percent to 43 percent edge, a three point increase from a month ago. And in the 92 House of Representatives districts considered “most competitive”, the GOP has a staggering 14 point lead among registered voters. As The Journal reports:
“It’s hard to say Democrats are facing anything less than a category four hurricane,” said Peter Hart, the Democratic pollster who conducts the Journal poll with Republican pollster Bill McInturff. “And it’s unlikely the Democratic House will be left standing.”
Mr. McInturff said the Republican lead among likely voters, if it stood, probably would yield a pickup of 52 or 53 House seats, surpassing the net gain of 39 seats the GOP needs to claim control of the chamber.
While the race for the Senate remains extremely tight, with the Democrats holding on to a slim lead, practically every major poll points to a Republican takeover of the House, with some pointing to a landslide win for the GOP. In addition, as the RealClear Politics poll of polls shows, the Republicans have an almost two to one (27 to 14) advantage in the gubernatorial race.
What does this mean for President Obama if this scenario becomes reality on November 3rd?..