Dem Insiders See Obama As Election Asset
As they look towards the midterm elections, Dem operatives believe that Pres. Obama will be an asset to their party while their GOP counterparts think he will be a liability, according to the latest National Journal Political Insiders Poll.
Of the 100 Dem Insiders who responded to the poll this week, 23% said he would be a major asset and 45% said he would be a minor asset.
There were some Democratic skeptics: 22% he'd be a minor liability and 5% actually predicted he'd be a major liability (the rest said it would depend on the state or district). But some of the Obama fans also gave a conditional response: As one Dem Insider who said Obama would major asset put it, "But only if he begins making the case of what has been accomplished, why it was necessary and how it will benefit ordinary Americans. Otherwise he becomes a real liability."
Dem Insiders offered different reasons why Obama would be a help to the party in the midterms but several focused on his capacity for fundraising. "Whatever the policy challenges, there is nothing like an incumbent president to raise money," said one Dem Insider who saw Obama as an asset.
The vast majority of the 103 GOP Insiders believe that the president is going to be a liability. Many cited the fact that while Obama may be a relatively popular political figure in the country, in the congressional districts and states where Dem incumbents face some of their steepest challenges -- like many of the rural and southern congressional districts Dems clawed away from the GOP in the '06 and '08 elections -- the president may not be able to help much. "The places where he is least popular are the places Democrats are most vulnerable," said one GOP Insider.
For all the results to this poll and additional comments, click here.