Obama should withdraw says Chicago Tribune
Hassina Leelarathna
Pres Obama kicks off campaign in Chicago (AP)
September 19 - Not surprisingly, when President Obama debuted his 2012 presidential bid in April, the venue was his hometown Chicago, the city where he grew up, and, as he likes to tell it, fell in love, started a family, and got into politics. ‘You’re making me blush,’ he told his fellow Chicagoans who were applauding wildly. This was after all their native son.
“Now, this is the first time in modern history that a sitting president has based their reelection campaign outside of Washington. But I decided I don't want our campaign to be just hearing all the pundits and the powerbrokers. I want our campaign to be here because you guys are the ones who got me started. I see people in this audience who supported me when nobody could pronounce my name,” Obama said.
“I became a man here in Chicago. And a lot of the people who are here today – the values, the ideals, my beliefs, my core convictions about what makes America great were forged here,” he added.
With plummeting approval numbers from several core supporters including liberal Dems (approval has plunged 22 points from 53% last year) and African Americans (from 77% to about 50%), Obama was perhaps turning to his hometown for comfort and reassurance.
But that security blanket is slowly fraying. The slippage started a year into his presidency. In Sept. 2009, a Tribune/WGN poll showed Obama’s approval rating in his home state around 59 percent. A near-60 percent job approval rating would have been great for any other politician but spelled trouble for Obama who had a 77% approval going into his presidency at the beginning of that year.
Two days ago, Chicago Times Tribune columnist and editorial writer Steve Chapman, self described ‘libertarian,’ delivered a hard punch suggesting that Obama withdraw from the race.
“His approval rating is at its lowest level ever. His party just lost two House elections — one in a district it had held for 88 consecutive years. He's staked his future on the jobs bill, which most Americans don't think would work…. But there is good news for the president. I checked the Constitution, and he is under no compulsion to run for re-election. He can scrap the campaign, bag the fundraising calls and never watch another Republican debate as long as he's willing to vacate the premises by Jan. 20, 2013.”
Ouch!
Et tu, Chicago?
Click below to read Steve Chapman's column
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-chapman-obama-reelection,0,622512.column
“Now, this is the first time in modern history that a sitting president has based their reelection campaign outside of Washington. But I decided I don't want our campaign to be just hearing all the pundits and the powerbrokers. I want our campaign to be here because you guys are the ones who got me started. I see people in this audience who supported me when nobody could pronounce my name,” Obama said.
“I became a man here in Chicago. And a lot of the people who are here today – the values, the ideals, my beliefs, my core convictions about what makes America great were forged here,” he added.
With plummeting approval numbers from several core supporters including liberal Dems (approval has plunged 22 points from 53% last year) and African Americans (from 77% to about 50%), Obama was perhaps turning to his hometown for comfort and reassurance.
But that security blanket is slowly fraying. The slippage started a year into his presidency. In Sept. 2009, a Tribune/WGN poll showed Obama’s approval rating in his home state around 59 percent. A near-60 percent job approval rating would have been great for any other politician but spelled trouble for Obama who had a 77% approval going into his presidency at the beginning of that year.
Two days ago, Chicago Times Tribune columnist and editorial writer Steve Chapman, self described ‘libertarian,’ delivered a hard punch suggesting that Obama withdraw from the race.
“His approval rating is at its lowest level ever. His party just lost two House elections — one in a district it had held for 88 consecutive years. He's staked his future on the jobs bill, which most Americans don't think would work…. But there is good news for the president. I checked the Constitution, and he is under no compulsion to run for re-election. He can scrap the campaign, bag the fundraising calls and never watch another Republican debate as long as he's willing to vacate the premises by Jan. 20, 2013.”
Ouch!
Et tu, Chicago?
Click below to read Steve Chapman's column
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-chapman-obama-reelection,0,622512.column