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Subscribe to RSSWhy a president takes a foreign leader to Mississippi Valley State vs. Western Kentucky in Dayton, Ohio… President Obama gets above-the-fold, centerpiece front-page treatment from the Dayton Daily News with this headline from Obama’s halftime quote: “‘The heartland is what it’s all about.’”
From the story: “President Barack Obama discussed energy policy with Ohio Gov. John Kasich and gave British Prime Minister David Cameron basketball tips Tuesday at an NCAA tournament game at UD Arena, during a brief election-year trip to a crucial swing state.” And the first quote of the story: “Sometimes when we have foreign visitors, they’re only visiting the coasts,” Obama said during a halftime interview . “They go to New York, they go to Washington, they go to Los Angeles, but the heartland is what it’s all about.”
In a new Bloomberg/Selzer poll, Obama’s approval ticked up to 48% and is doing better with independents from September up to 45%. But he is tied with Romney in a head-to-head matchup, 47%-47%. He leads the other GOP candidates by wider margins and is over 50% against them.
“[W]ith less than eight months until Election Day, Obama has improved his standing on the economy, has a majority of Americans viewing him favorably and has begun to rekindle the enthusiasm of his 2008 supporters,” Bloomberg writes. The poll also shows an American public reticent to get into another war -- with Iran – and Obama gets his best scores of his presidency on terrorism with 61% approving of his handling of it. (Full poll here.)
A Reuters/Ipsos poll has Obama at 50%.
The Republican National Committee goes up with its second installment of its “Barackon” (Groupon) deal. This one is on green energy and focuses on groups it says got special treatment and a direct line to Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.
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I love this President! The pictures of Cameron and Obama at the Ohio basketball game were so cool. How can anyone not like Barack Obama? And he's so right about foreign visitors only seeing NY or Washington and getting an odd perception of America. I have only been to the Northeast and Arizona, but seeing pictures of Iowa on TV during the primary makes me want to visit the heartland myself.
Amy -- You love this President. How nice for you. How do you reconcile your love with his lies?
I suspect there are more, but what's not to love?
James
However, the CBO projects a huge deficit if we don't retire those Bush tax cuts! Bush cut taxes to historic lows, while we waged two wars and suffered an historic financial crisis that resulted in reduced tax revenues. So, yeah, Obamcares looks like it will cost more because recovery from the recession has been slow and taxes too low.
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Obamacare-federal-deficit-CBO/2012/03/13/id/432443
SuperPacs - you just want Obama to fight with one hand tied behind his back. Why? What are you afraid of?
Gitmo - do you not remember the hue and cry by the repubs about putting the detainees in US prisons? There are already 300+ terrorists in US prisons, what's the big deal? But in the interests of bipartisonship, Obama gave in to republican demands.
Bush era tax cuts - repubs held congress, and the entire country, hostage to avoid having taxes increased on the top 2%. When the extention is allowed to expire this time, you will be the loudest voice out there complaining about it. So which do you want? Make up your mind!
A sin tax increase on cigarettes - what a stretch!!! How deep did you have to dig to come with that feeble example? Didn't increase my taxes one bit! And I'll bet you aren't a smoker either - but you love to complain - whiney crybaby.
Moon base - how loudly would you be yelling about the debt if he proceeded with those plans? Once again - another of those 'make up your mind' issues.
Immigration - Obama started a dialogue with Sessions who promply reversed course and claimed 'now is not the time' when presurred by the repub leadership. Repubs don't want Obama to accomplish anything that might be positive - in keeping with their trying to make him a one term president no matter how much it hurts the country. Their motto is - 'Party before country'.
Time and time again - when Obama tried to make bipartison gestures by adopting republican good ideas, those ideas suddenly became anti-American and poisonous to the republican party.
bleary --
The post is about President Obama and what he said and promised. If he cannot deliver on the promises he makes it is no one's fault but his own. The same as it is with every other politician.
Why go to Dayton? Because Obama would love to get their electors come next winter. Notice the heartland venue of choice wasn't Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, etc.
Paul,
It is a great place for some b-ball.
Paul - anyone who loves the game of basketball, as our President does, will go just about anywhere for the love of the game. The same can be said for those who love other sports.
Besides....if he'd gone to Nebraska you would have complained that he should have chosen a place closer to DC.
Vermont -- true, but most of us have to pay our own way. i wonder how much this little junket cost the taxpayers, many of whom may not be able to afford a ticket to a March Madness tournament game?
there is a report that says the trip cost about $365,000 for the two hours of flight. wonder if they bought tickets or if they were comped as is common for the rich and famous.
Pissing away more money on jet fuel for Watermellon One.
Racist
What's the deal with all these guys named Bob hating the President?
Probably the same guy with a new take on the name Bob.
Did this guy just say watermelon one? Dumb a#$ didn't even spell it right. LOL!
It was a taxpayer paid campaign trip. What did anyone expect?
He took the UK PM to a BB game and its a campaign trip?
Yes Roger. Because President Obama is the only president in history to campaign while in office.
You do realize that every president ever running for a second term... EVER has campaigned while in office on the 'taxpayer' dime, right?
ryan -- Excellent point. So all of the promises candidate Obama made in his Hope and Change routine are proving to be just a bunch of fluff. As President Obama, he continues to prove himself to be just another (crooked?) politician.
James. How does me stating President Obama is doing something every President in modern history has done, make it so all his Hope and Change routine is fluff?
It is IMPOSSIBLE for an incumbent presidential candidate to NOT campaign on the 'taxpayer's dime' or on the 'taxpayers time'
ryan -- we agree, he is like any other Presidential candidate. Nothing has changed. Every candidate panders for money, President Obama appears to be the most talented of all at this. The Hope thing was never clear to me. What does it mean to you?
Of course it was a campaign trip. Touring around with another head of state makes Obama look all the more presidential, so arguably a creative flip on campaign trips, but a campaign trip none the less.
And every president - at least in modern times - seeking re-election has done similar things. So if you're seeking to bash Obama for this, get real. And if you're seeking to defend the trip as one actually intended to show the British PM more of America than just the East Coast, get real. I swear, most Democrats and Republicans alike live in a black and white, comic book world, and view their guys as the good professional wrestlers against the evil professional wrestlers. The only thing comical here is how party members swallow these simplicities hook, line and sinker.
Whats your point Roger? Besides the usual mud slinging?