Obama's Blanche Lincoln Problem and The Liberal Toilet

[IndianaGreen]

Obama's Blanche Lincoln Problem and The Liberal Toilet

Ari Melber
Correspondent for The Nation, Politico contributor, www.arimelber.com
Posted: June 9, 2010 03:57 PM

How could 10,407 Arkansans be wrong?

That was the margin of victory for Blanche Lincoln -- narrow by any standard.

From all the crowing in Washington, however, you'd think Lincoln had better numbers. Or that the two-term incumbent wasn't forced into a run-off in the first place. Or that the White House has a handle on these intramural battles.

In fact, the dynamics that drove Lincoln's run-off will likely rile races around the country. But some White House officials are already drawing the wrong lessons from Arkansas.

Take the senior administration aide who called Politico's Ben Smith on Wednesday morning, eager to declare that unions ""flushed"" ten million down the toilet in a ""pointless"" primary. That public servant is either disingenuous or clueless.

"If even half that total had been well-targeted and applied in key House races across this country," the aide said, "that could have made a real difference in November."

This criticism misreads the entire insurgency on the Left -- and may cause more heartburn in November.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ari-melber/obamas-blanche-lincoln-pr_b_606512.html

[OHdem10]

1. That comment was the biggest political faux paux in a while.

I am referring to White House Comment.

[villager]

2. DLC Faithful have already been here to unrec, however...

n/t

[Coyote_Bandit]

3. There were only about 250,000 votes statewide

Blanche defeated Dollar Bill by 4 percentage points. A wider margin than what is implied by saying 10,000 votes.

[girl gone mad]

4. Help me out. Wouldn't Halter have had better chances in the general election?

So who exactly was flushing money down the toilet?

[IndianaJoe]

5. You're right. n/t

Halter would've supported Obama's agenda too, only stronger and better.

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. "could have made a real difference in November."

A real difference for whom? Not for the unions and working people. The people (Blue Dogs) who would have benefited in November would throw them under the bus just as they've been doing for years.