A Reason to Campaign

By Jace, a Trail Mix Contributor

The history of the Obama Presidency has yet to be written and the final judgment yet to be made.

However Obama’s place in history as a campaigner is firmly in place and most would agree that as a campaigner he has few if any equals. Not only is he good at it, but from all appearances he seems to really enjoy it.

How is it then, that a Republican Senate with a tenuous hold on their majority could possibly believe that a full scale stonewall of Obama’s Supreme Court nominee could have any benefit to them politically? I guess that when your approval rating is somewhat south of Small Pox you have nothing to lose.

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I can’t remember a president in my lifetime who has been handed the cover to be so partisan in such a presidential way — by campaigning for his right to appoint a Supreme Court justice, while at the same time making clear that the only way to avoid this impasse is to elect Democrats in general, and a Democrat in particular to the presidency.

No one is better suited to make that case than is President Obama.

For Obama and Democrats, at least in this instance, Republican obstruction may just be the gift that keeps on giving.

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81 thoughts on “A Reason to Campaign”

  1. Great post jace.  May your supposition be correct. I’d like to think that in November Myrtle finds himself between the devil and the deep blue sea on two levels – that he’s  (1) facing the possibility that Prez O will withdraw his nominee and agree with Myrtle to let the dem president elect nominate a left wing circuit court judge who received unanimous consent in the Senate and/or (2) he is in his last 2 months as majority leader.

    Hope myrtle starts feeling the slowly tightening fingers of the prez on his nut sac.

  2. Jace

    It is a good idea but………

    When did Obama ever campaign for anything except for his own election? I have always thought that he viewed it as a chore and a bit distasteful.

     

    Where as the Big Dawg would campaign for a dead possum in the road if he was a democrat and  would do it with enthusiasm.

    But there is a simple phrase going around and it is so simple that I wondered if the Republican sound bite master Frank Luntz hadn’t switched sides. They were shouting it up in Wisconsin. “DO YOUR JOB”

    Highly effective and not something you can oppose with out looking like a fool. It wouldn’t hurt for HRC to start using it on the stump some. It would be a lot better than the big words she used yesterday to say the same thing.

    Jack

  3. Hmm, who would a thunk it.

    From Gallup:

    “On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton’s supporters are more enthusiastic than Sen. Bernie Sanders’ supporters, 54% vs. 44%.”

     

    Jack

  4. Jack,

    Allow me to gently and respectfully disagree. This appointment is not about an election, it is about a legacy.

    I think that Obama will put his shoulder to the stone and his blackberry to good use to make this happen.

    He still can count on and call on a large contingent of supporters that have been with him since 08.

    He will not pass on this chance to do so, nor will they pass on the chance to help him one last time.

    jace

     

     

  5. Pogo,

    May Myrtle find himself between the devil and the deep blue states and a few that are turning purple.

  6. “Hope myrtle starts feeling the slowly tightening fingers of the prez on his nut sac.

     

    Pogo,

    Just to clear this up. We have POTUS, we have SCOTUS, and now we SCROTUS?

  7. Jace

    Maybe, he has stepped out more in the last 6 months than was his norm. And he does appear to be worried about his legacy.

     

    jack

  10. Jace- I sure hope he gets on with the campaigning soon-another DEM came into shop spewing Fox lies today. It’s scary to actually hear the nonsense come out of their mouths.
    Love the pic of Sophie, so adorable- she need to be in the movies.
    “Where as the Big Dawg would campaign for a dead possum in the road if he was a democrat and  would do it with enthusiasm.”- Jack, love your way with words!

  11. 2 comments from last thread when pondered seem curiously related.

    jamies’s The villagers are not going to show up with pitchforks to throw out the bums.  They have to elect them and until such time as Citizens United gets overturned, those races need money. 

    bernie’s and drumpf’s followers are showing up to cheer in droves, but will they show up at the polls?

     

    and blueid’s I was told, here on the trail, that I “didn’t matter” since I was just a Bernie supporter.

    of course you matter, blue. one pitchfork at a time amassing for a cause is like the one step beginning a thousand mile journey.  each vote counts. especially if it’s a scotus justice’s. just ask al gore.  anyway, as I recall only one trail friend said anything near that and I doubt if it was meant to disrespect you as a person.

  12. Weakened at Bernie’s
    Bernie Sanders had a good Saturday, but he doesn’t have momentum.
    By Jamelle Bouie

    What about his momentum? you say. Forward movement and the sense of impending victory is a powerful force for raising money and winning coverage. But barring something extraordinary, it doesn’t change the landscape. Sanders had tremendous momentum after his surprise win in Michigan, but it didn’t change the outcomes in Ohio, Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, and Illinois, where Clinton won—as largely expected—on the strength of her ties to black and Latino Democrats. In turn, this didn’t shift the outcome in either Idaho or Utah, contests where Sanders held the advantage. Not only does Sanders perform well in states like Washington, where the Democratic electorate is whiter than average; he also does best in caucuses, which reward the enthusiasm he generates in spades.”http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/03/does_bernie_sanders_have_momentum_now.html

  14. Jace… great post…  and really nice to see one from you.  I agree that no one is better suited to make the case of Republican obstructionism than Obama.

    I was told, here on the trail, that I “didn’t matter” since I was just a Bernie supporter.

    BlueinD…  did you stamp your feet and hold your breath while you typed that…  I don’t see much in the way of posts supporting Bernie.  I see numerous posts with the usual right wing mud slung at the Clintons.  If it makes you happy, keep at it….  sometimes I read it and sometimes I don’t.  Of course I still count you as a friend.

  15. I have to admit that the whole “Some People Say” meme is a particular nails on blackboard event for me.  That Faux Spews is so blatant about it and that people fall for the “big lie” that it promotes makes me completely crazy.  It is not disagreeing with someone’s position that differs from mine.  It is seeing someone duped by  one of the oldest propaganda techniques into making bad decisions based on false information.  Roger Ailes and the talking points follow the seven classic techniques.  Once you have learned them, it is hard for anyone to get past the defenses without your active participation.

    Oh and it isn’t just political.  You see them every day at least once ever 15 minutes in the commercial breaks.  It’s just dangerous when it is political.

    Seven Types of Propaganda

     

  16. rachel last night
    Trump mobilizes lawyers in delegate fight
    Rachel Maddow reports on the shadow primary within the Republican primary to secure as many loyal and double-agent delegates as possible to serve in the event of a contested convention. Donald Trump is apparently compensating for his lack of preparedness on this front with legal threats.

    funny comment to the above segment:
    Surprises me Trump didn’t name his daughter “Sue”.
    userAvid Bicyclist

  19. jace,

    Great post. The President has an opportunity to speak truth. To call out the guilty, to name names. This is a rare political gift. I appreciate he called out the Press too. Yeah, they have a responsibility to report truth, to push back on nonsense & challenge everyone to put up or shut up. It’s a fallacy about a fair & balanced media. Of course reporters have points of view. They stand up & breathe, eh? A truth “tag team” consisting of the President of the United States & media members who think & have a conscience would be a plus for the right side of history.

    blueINdallas,

    You matter to me. Please never think otherwise. Besides, you & I are the minority in these parts. Solidarity 😉

  21. My very biased POV: one reason why we have the political mess we have is the absence of Keith Olbermann & his competent guests on our less than competent networks. Not buttering the bread here, but listening to Craig Crawford cut through the bs of all things political was food for the brain & a boon for commonsense. These two gentleman have the strength, intelligence & balls to take on all comers. Just saying.

    Rant over. I feel better. Carry on.

     

     

  22. pogo, you might find this interesting from  betanews:

    The secrecy surrounding the case means that, however loudly the company shouts about being opposed to helping the FBI, we’ll never really know if, behind the scenes, Apple was in fact offering help. To publicly admit helping would be a PR — and financial — disaster, so it makes perfect sense to be vocally against the idea. It’s entirely possible, of course, that the FBI achieved its aim with the assistance of Israeli security firm Cellebrite, but the point is: we’ll never know.

    If Apple was not involved in cracking the iPhone 5c, the company’s customers will want it to press the FBI for details of the technique used to access the data. If one iPhone 5c running iOS 9 can be cracked, so can others — it’s a potential security nightmare when there’s no way of containing who has access to the software or tools that were used in the successful hack. Apple and its customers will want to know what security flaw was exploited to gain access in so that it can be plugged.

  24. Jace, HRC on the case yesterday, would be good to see Obama get out there:
    “Hillary Clinton called on the Senate on Monday in some of her strongest language to date to consider the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, putting herself at the center of the country’s most contentious political debate ahead of a November general election.” TIME

  25. Hillary’s rhetorical question in her SCOTUS speech yesterday is about all that needs to be said:

    “Ask yourselves: What kind of Justice will a President Trump appoint?”

  26. I take my pup out to an old cemetery where the elites of  early 2o cen Kansas City are buried. a beautiful place With big hills and roads meandering through the place and old mausoleums set in the hill sides. The up and down nature of roads make for a good work out for me and wide shady  open areas is a perfect place for our new pup Brewster to run off leash. For the most part nobody is out there .

    I ran into an old man and he walked  along side me for a bit like old men do, walking and talking. I mostly just listened and threw  in an occasional “do tell” sort of comment. Not really interest in what he was saying just keeping up my side of a conversation out of politeness. The reason I wasn’t interested is because it was some incredibly racist stuff, against blacks, Mexicans and  who ever was on his list.

    So why didn’t I push back? Because as I told Mrs. Jack, he was of no importance to me it wasn’t worth the breath it would have taken. We parted and he continued down the flat stretch we had been walking on  and I followed the road around and up a steep hill.

    My point to this story is simple, if people are pushing back at what you say it is because what you say is important to them.

    If we didn’t give a damn about what Blue in Dallas said it is so much easier to just stay silent. Just this post has cost me 30 minutes, time that I need to be doing something else.

    So you damn right BiD is important to me, even when I oppose what she is doing.

    Jack

  28. craig, thanks for that link.  here are 2 more quotes from it worthy of contemplation:

    “In a single term, the Supreme Court could demolish pillars of the progressive movement,” Clinton said Monday afternoon at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. “As someone who has worked on every single one of these issues for decades, I see this as a make or break moment.”

    and

    “At its best, the court is a place where the least powerful voices in our society are heard and protected,” Clinton said. “More and more it’s doing the opposite: protecting the rich guy against the little guy.”

  29. re that speech also in  the guardian article entitled:

    Hillary Clinton’s message to Republicans: ‘You reap what you sow’

    Democratic frontrunner blames Republican obstructionism for Trump’s success, saying ‘Once you make the extreme normal, you open the door to even worse’

  30. Minor success in the hood

    Just got this email reply.

    Thank you for letting us know.  I chatted with the folks who handle demolitions and they stated that there was a demo case on the structure but it was surrounded by private property and there was insufficient public access.  Not a problem now as most of the area is owned by the land Bank.  We will proceed with the demo out of next year’s budget.  We will also clean the other lot as soon as possible.

    BTW that was the dollar house in the posted article from last week a little attention never hurts

    But I also did  several days research in old data bases to show for 10 years we had been screwing around with this. And sent a long polite email to the heads of several  city departments, (confused as to who was responsible };-0 )

    Not only do you have to be a squeaky wheel but you have to look like you mean business and you aren’t going away.  Lots of people complain. But very few do the research.

    Jack

  32. A Reason to Campaign

    Poobah,  you have not only turned the corner, you have joined my team. The economy is important, the nation’s security is crucial, but the appointment to SCOTUS potentially changes the nation. I like to think I vote with my head, not with my heart. Even if I weren’t so inclined, absent anything else, this gives me the reason  to vote for Hillary.

  33. from politico

    ESTHERVILLE, Iowa — Sen. Chuck Grassley preemptively swung back at Hillary Clinton ahead of her Monday speech in which she’s expected to hammer the Judiciary Committee chairman for his role in blocking the confirmation of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.

    “With all the troubles she’s getting on email, and the FBI’s going to question her, I would imagine she’d want to change the tone of her campaign,” Grassley (R-Iowa) told POLITICO in an interview here.

    [….]

    “I want to spend my time on doing things we’re going to accomplish and you know ahead of time that this isn’t going to be approved,” Grassley said, referring to Garland being confirmed. “So spend your time on things that … we can do in a bipartisan way instead of in a partisan way.”

  34. “I want to spend my time on doing things we’re going to accomplish ….[things] we can do in a bipartisan way instead of in a partisan way.”

    chuckie, pray tell us this fantastic news…. what things?

  35. Hey, Chuck!

    Shut up, we don’t want to hear the excuses, get off your butt and do your job!

    It is that simple.

    We all have to, so should you.

    Jack

  36. Was that a whine I heard out of Chuckie. Ya know in Iowa folks get up in the morning and do their job. Maybe it is time for Chuckie to return home where he can learn how to be an Iowan again. Been in DC too long.

    Jack

     

  38. from la weekly story:
    Sorry Bernie Bros, But Sanders Supporters Are Ready to Back Clinton

    The latest USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Poll found that a slight majority of Sanders supporters in California, 51 percent, expect that Hillary Clinton will be victorious in November.

    “Seventy-seven percent of them say they would vote for Clinton in a general election match-up against Donald Trump, though nearly half – 45 percent – would do so reluctantly, and 15 percent would refuse to vote for her at all,” USC said in a statement.

  39. Ya know with a little smarts here(like keep a muzzle on Moveon and the unions) the Dems could bring chuckie down.

    Jack

  40. Craig,

    Glad to see HRC speak up on the nomination. If Obama chooses to step up his game, and starts to put the heat on, they will make quite a tag team.

    Mitch and Chuck can run but they can’t hide unless someone lets them.

  41. The Dems should make a list of all the progress the goops have obstructed since Obamarama took office

  47. gotta admit those drumpfers really know how to get free media 🙂

    on npr:

    Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s Campaign Manager, Charged With Battery

  49. well what about that? wonkette actually said something nice about the media today:

    Some really weird stuff out in media land the last few days: Suddenly, several people interviewing Donald Trump have actually taken the time to interrupt his stream-of-gibberish talking points and say, Hey, Donald? You are saying words, but they are not words that answer my question! Think you can give that answer another try, big guy? Not that they ever really got answers, but it was awfully nice to see them put in the effort. It’s an encouraging trend that started with last week’s Washington Post editorial board, which did its best to nail Trump’s jello to a tree. Rarely is the question asked: Is our reporters learning?
    [….]
    We’re starting to like these crazy reporters with their insistence that Trump actually answer the questions they ask. Not that it’ll have any effect on his supporters; now Trump can have a nice big rally where he accuses those bullies in the media of constantly hounding him instead of letting him say whatever damn fool thing comes to mind.

     

  52. us news & world report:

    In Scalia’s Absence, Unions Get a Big Supreme Court Win

    The 4-4 decision in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association upholds a lower court ruling dealing with union fees and is a crushing blow for union opponents, who lost the potentially deciding vote in their favor when conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died in February.

    “The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected a political ploy to silence public employees like teachers, school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, higher education faculty and other educators to work together to shape their profession,” National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García said in a statement following the ruling. “In Friedrichs, the court saw through the political attacks on the workplace rights of teachers, educators and other public employees. This decision recognizes that stripping public employees of their voices in the workplace is not what our country needs.”

  54. Now that a tie on the Supreme Court is working in the favor of public sector unions I wonder what the goops are thinking now

  55. Craig – I hope you have supplies stocked up for the week.  It sounds like it will be hard to get around DC later this week, what with all the extra-big big-wigs in town for the summit.

    RIP Patty Duke.

  56. Trump’s campaign manager, whom I refer to as Nedermeyer, has been arrested.  (I guess that makes Trump, Dean Wormer.)

  59. so, pogo, how many more 4-4 cases might come down the current scotus pipeline that will be more beneficial than harmful?  are there any that perhaps the rightwingers really are hoping for and may have some bearing on why there’ll be no confirmation hearings until that “un-decision” is announced ?

  60. There are a bunch of laws limiting abortion and abortion providers.  I hope Kennedy does the right thing and votes with the pro-choice folks

  61. patd, I haven’t looked at the court docket in a while.  I’ll try to do that in the next few days.  Hard to tell which way the wind will blow with the abortion rights restriction cases.  Last I read it sounded like the last case argued was facing a very skeptical court, so I was encouraged by that.

  62. pbs on mark meeting merrick

    “I think we should do our job,” Kirk told reporters, echoing Senate Democrats who have urged Republicans to consider Garland’s nomination. “We need open-minded, rational responsible people to keep an open mind to make sure the process works. I think when you say we aren’t gonna meet with him, it’s too close-minded.”

    One important factor in Kirk’s decision to break publicly with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is the fact that he’s up for reelection in a competitive race against Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

    Democrats have hammered Republicans on the campaign trail this year for refusing to consider Garland’s nomination.

    Duckworth put out a statement slamming Kirk just minutes after he spoke with reporters ahead of his meeting with Garland on Capitol Hill.

    “Instead of going through the motions, Senator Kirk should show leadership by putting pressure on McConnell and urge him to give an eminently qualified Illinois native a fair hearing followed by an up-or-down vote,” Matt McGrath, Duckworth’s deputy campaign manager, said in a statement.

    “If he doesn’t, Illinois families have every right to question Kirk’s sincerity and whether this is more election-year posturing from a vulnerable candidate,” McGrath added

  63. pbs on another scotus case
    A seemingly divided Supreme Court is exploring a possible compromise ruling in the dispute between faith-based groups and the Obama administration over birth control.
    The justices issued an unusual order Tuesday directing both sides in the case that was argued last week to file a new round of legal briefs. They’re asked to examine the minimum the groups must do in order to register their objection to paying for contraception. The Obama administration wants to ensure that women covered under the groups’ health plans have access to cost-free birth control.
    The court set an April 20 deadline, suggesting that the justices want to resolve the case by late June. A 4-4 tie would leave different rules in place in different parts of the country because lower courts have issued conflicting rulings.
    Another option is to leave the issue unsettled until a ninth justice is confirmed to take the place of Justice Antonin Scalia.

  64. I love these guys.  They represent nature in lawsuits.   Their long range goals include changes to the US constitution to guarantee nature a priority place.   They have worked with communities trying to block factory farms and others trying to ban fracking.

     

     

  65. sarandon on drumpf or hillary
    “I think Bernie would probably encourage people (to support Clinton) because he doesn’t have any ego in this thing. But I think a lot of people are, ‘Sorry, I just can’t bring myself to do that,’ ” Sarandon said of voting for Clinton in the general election. “I don’t know. I’m going to see what happens.”
    An incredulous Hayes asked Sarandon if that meant she would vote for Trump.
    “Some people feel that Donald Trump will bring the revolution immediately, if he gets in. Then things will really, you know, explode,” Sarandon said, referring to the political “revolution” Sanders preaches about on the trail.

    [….]
    Asked about the comments from Sarandon — a surrogate for the Sanders campaign who has introduced him at events — top Sanders aide Tad Devine said while the actress has “got every right” to her opinion, he would still vote for Clinton if she beats Sanders.
    “Me personally? Yeah, of course I would,” Devine told CNN’s Pamela Brown on Tuesday. “And listen, Bernie Sanders … is someone who respects and admires Hillary Clinton, her service and her leadership, and the differences between the two of them pale in comparison to differences between Republicans.”
     

  68. Sarandon is struggling, I empathize. I wish Clinton cheerleaders could understand why her corporate coziness makes this so hard for us, but we are trying, at least I am. Wall Street status quo is so difficult to accept, yet again, especially when delivered by another Democrat.

  70. Craig,

    Her Wall Street chums concern me also and I am a big supporter. I have a hard time trying to distinguish the difference between the Koch brothers trying to buy the election and Wall Street trying to buy the politician.

    I am still reasonably optimistic that HRC can put the needs of the country ahead of the desires of her most lavish contributors.

  71. GOP crazy train on CNN Town Hall tonight 8pm. Let’s put aside our intra-party scrum and toss spitballs at the real bozos. NEW thread at 7:50pm ET

  73. I’m having an issue with the donate button.  Everything is bright orange except the second login button; it’s ghostly orange and nothing happens.

  75. Blue, I retested again on all browsers and platforms, works fine. Need to know your browser version and operating system to investigate further.

  77. My goodness, a long day at work and everybody types their fingers to the bone.

    Patty Duke, and from a perforated intestine.  Whoa that is a tough one.

    Jamie, sorry, Word Press did a weird thing on my comment.

    Life is good.  Busy at work, happy cats and baseball is starting next week.

    Bernie and Hillary.  Carrying the battle after the delegate count is full is wrong.  He does not understand that his fifteen minutes of fame are over.  He did a lot to bring his issues to stage center.  The problem is there are unicorns and then there are soap bubbles.

     

  79. Every time the republicans hold one of the circuses, I think that Trump will finally do something so outlandish that he will crash and burn. So far no luck.

    It used to be that all one had to do to tank a campaign was to scream like Howard Dean.

    Poor Gary Hart, he came along 30 years too soon.

  80. Ted Cruz bagged the Scott Walker endorsement today. Just what every candidate needs, the endorsement of a governor who is less popular than a stomach virus.

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