Midterms a rejection of Obama? Not so fast...

[babylonsister]

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201009190006


Midterms a rejection of Obama? Not so fast...

September 19, 2010 1:07 pm ET by Julie Millican


You've heard it time and time again -- mainly from Republicans: The midterm elections are a referendum on President Obama. This canard has been repeated so often, it has become more or less conventional wisdom in the Beltway media. Eleanor Clift, in Newsweek, declared, "Like it or not, the midterm election is shaping up as a referendum on President Obama." Gloria Berger recently stated that "it looks like this election is going to be" a "referendum on Barack Obama." Local media reports note that Republicans are following the national party's lead and are seeking to turn "local and state races into a referendum on Obama." Fox News' Gretchen Carlson recently informed Democratic National Committee chair Tim Kaine that "the reason that we're seeing these tea party candidates win is because a lot of people believe it's a referendum on your guy -- on President Obama." But, like so many Beltway "facts," recent public opinion polls show that this sentiment may not actually be true.

A New York Times poll, which was conducted September 10-14, asked, "Do you think of your vote for Congress this fall as a vote for Barack Obama, a vote against Barack Obama, or don't you think of your vote this fall as being about Barack Obama?" Forty-five percent of respondents said that "Obama {is} not a factor" in their vote. And of those who said that their vote was, on some level, related to Obama, almost an equal amount said that their vote would be "for Obama" as those who said it would be "against Obama" (23 percent vs. 25 percent, respectively). A recent AP/GfK poll yielded similar results, with 48 percent saying that "President Obama not be a factor in your vote for Congress." The AP poll found that an equal percentage said their vote would be "at least in part" to "show support for President Obama" or to "show opposition to the President Obama."

So, really, these polls indicate that people's motivations in voting in the midterms aren't really shaping up to be the rejection of Obama as the media, particularly the right-wing media, would like you to believe. Yet, the mainstream media has been largely absent in covering these poll results. After all, it doesn't fit into their favored storyline for framing these midterm elections, or really any election since Obama's taken over. Recall that the media dubiously declared Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts as a "referendum on President Obama," and the November 2009 results of governors races in Virginia and New Jersey were a referendum on Obama and "Obamacare."

The reality is that voters' motivations for voting in November are complicated, but seem to relate mainly to the economy. And even there, poll after poll after poll show that more voters blame former President Bush and Republicans more than Obama and Democrats for the current economic conditions. But, if you listen to the media, voters are furious with Democrats and Obama and want to prove it to them by throwing as many of them out of office as they possibly can come November. It's a shame that facts are getting in the way of their storyline.

[derby378]

1. I'm voting in November to help my party and my candidates, not Obama

We've got a lot of good candidates on the local level who need our help badly.

[LiberalFighter]

15. I'm voting to help Obama otherwise if the Republicans get control they will hurt him.

And I have more local candidates I need to support so our Governor is stopped.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

2. I don't believe that the midterms should be viewed as a referendum on Obama

However, that's the way that the corporate media is, of course, presenting it and how it will be delivered on election night if the Republicans take back control of Congress. Failing that, they will nonetheless focus on and put the best possible spin on Republican gains as they can no matter how well they do.

[Andy823]

3. I think it's time the left gets the message out!

Democrats need to be hitting the Sunday talk shows every Sunday from no till election and they should be point to the polls that refute the right wing smear machine! They need to use "facts" to show just how much "has" been done since president Obama took office. Show all the bills that have come to the floor that republicans have stopped before they could be voted on. Get the facts out, and make republicans defend their lies, and and their NO votes on everything from unemployment extensions to helping small business's get loans. Put bill after bill on the floor and make them vote for things like the tax cuts for the middle class, DADT, immigration reform and any thing else they can get to the floor before they shut down congress so they can get out and run for re-election!

Don't let the republicans set the debates, get ahead of them and force them to be the ones on defense, and keep them defending themselves till election day! The right wing owned media isn't going to do for them, so they need to do it themselves!

[Frustratedlady]

14. Well said, but will they do it?

For one, I'D like to know what the bills are the Repugs have stalled or kept from passing. What do they have waiting in the wings? Something like 400+ bills? Is there a list somewhere?

I want to see all the Dems stand up to be heard...start pounding the podium and pointing fingers at those who are blocking legislation. They have basically shut the government down to a crawl for no better reason than the next election. There's ALWAYS an next election. Shoot, they've already started their stumping in Iowa for 2012.

[nevergiveup]

4. It makes a much better news story if the election is a referendum on Obama.

If the Democrats do not do well and you support the president it would be best to avoid television and take in a good movie on election night. It will be brutal. You might also want to avoid DU.

[COLGATE4]

5. Yes, the MSM isn't about to let it be about anything

BUT a referendum on Obama. Their viewership ($$$) demands drama, and drama they shall have. I agree with you that election nite 2010 is going to be ugly.

[babylonsister]

6. Just now on abc news: Obama's 'dismal' poll numbers. Pretty

maddening.

[movonne]

9. abc has dismal numbers also...

[Cha]

7. I'm voting to help the President do his job and I'm voting

for the inviduals who are a billion times better for our country that those who want to pillage and plunder it.

[ClarkUSA]

8. Media whores are not the only ones pushing This Big Lie. Plenty of anonymous bloggers are, too.

They are ignorant of the facts (or deliberately ignoring them) and need correcting.

[marlakay]

10. I think they are a rejection of congress

and them not getting anything done, the problem is they are making it worse by going for the tea party....

[obxhead]

11. 2012 will be the referendum on Obama. 2010 is really

a referendum on the House and the Senate and what they have sent to Obama.

[Mefistofeles]

13. Good point

If Americans reject Obama, they will kick him out in 2012. But this is 2010. A congressional election. And Obama is favorite to win in '12 easily.

[catgirl]

12. Voting on the economy? Vote dem then...

If voters are solely voting on the economy, then we should win in a landslide. Unfortunately, I think
many are listening to some corrupt (did I say that?) media that has the sole purpose of brainwashing
these unsuspecting people.

If it's a referendum on Obama? Vote dem. He's doing an amazing job.