Obama: Public distracted from broader, thematic debate
President Obama didn't exactly blame the American people for missing the point last night as his poll numbers have plunged, but he did state they have been so focused on their daily lives they haven't focused deeply enough on the broader, more thematic underpinnings of the great recent congressional debates.
Addressing a star-studded fundraiser audience at the Tavern restaurant in Los Angeles that included actors Tom Hanks and George Clooney, Obama said he expected the majority of voters to end up siding with him when they focus their attention on the candidates, the policies they propose, and their personal values during next year's campaign.
Massachusetts listeners can't but hear the echoes of the "values" focus that Governor Deval Patrick offered during his successful reelection campaign last fall, and which he has continued amid his recent book tour.
Here is an excerpt of Obama's remarks, based on an official White House transcript:
"There have been times I’m sure during the past two and a half years where you’re reading the papers or you’re watching TV and you’re saying, `Oh, Obama — why is he compromising the Republicans?' Or, 'Oh, why did health care take so long?' And, 'I want a single-payer plan anyway.' (Laughter.) And, 'Golly, if he was just as good a communicator as George Clooney — (laughter) — then I’m sure the American people would understand exactly what needs to be done.' (Laughter.) Gosh. (Laughter.)"That’s understandable, because there have been times where I’ve been frustrated. But I don’t want you to lose sight of how much we’ve gotten done. What we’ve done here has been historic, and we’re only a quarter of the way through. And we’ve got a lot more work to do. And these budget debates that we’re having now crystallize the debate that we’re going to be having in this country over the next 18 months about who we are, what we care about, what our values are, what our commitments are to each other.
"And I’m confident — because I travel around the country, and my poll numbers go up and down depending on the latest crisis, and right now gas prices are weighing heavily on people. But when I talk to ordinary folks, they are not always paying attention. If you ask them what the makeup of the budget is, they’ll say 25 percent of it goes to foreign aid. If you ask them about Medicare, they’ll say, `I love that program but I wish government wouldn’t get involved in it.' (Laughter.) Just because they’re busy and they’re tired and they’re working hard. They’re looking after their families, they’re looking after their kids.
"Look, if I wasn’t professionally in this, I wouldn’t be following all these debates in Washington. But when you talk to them about their values, what they care about, then they say, 'Of course, we should make sure every child has a good education and gets opportunity,' and, 'Absolutely, we’ve got to make sure that our commitments to seniors are met,' and, 'Of course, we want a family whose child has a disability to make sure that child is getting everything possible to allow them to succeed.' And, 'Yes, internationally, we want to stand on the side of human rights and democracy.' And, 'We understand the world is complicated, but we have a vision about what America should be in the world and we want to live up to that.' And, 'Yes, government should live within its means, but we think we can live within its means and still ensure that we’re delivering for the next generation.'
"I have faith in them," the president said.
Glen Johnson can be reached at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen.
About Political Intelligence
Glen Johnson is Politics Editor at boston.com and lead blogger for "Political Intelligence." He moved to Massachusetts in the fourth grade, and has covered local, state, and national politics for over 25 years. E-mail him at johnson@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeglen. |
