The jaw-dropping retirements of two venerated Democratic senators... five-term Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and three-term Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota... is a direct result of the unexpectedly frustrating political environment for liberals in D.C. since President Obama's inauguration.
Congressional Republicans are largely to blame for 2009's extreme partisan polarization: by refusing to ever vote for any measure supported by the White House, no matter how worthy or intelligent or effective, Republicans voluntarily banished themselves into irrelevance... then whined ad naseam to the media about Obama "not reaching across party lines."
The problem for Democrats, though, who hold commanding majorities in both houses of the 111th Congress, has been President Obama's reaction to Republican obstructionism: kowtowing to conservatives while ditching all loyalties to the very liberals who supported and elected him to office.
Bluntly, for most of 2009, President Obama shirked from standing up for anything or anyone he believes could inflict short-term damage on his popularity. Apparently, being a stand-up, line-in-the-sand leader is just not Obama's thing... about anything.
Washington Post's Richard Cohen expressed Obama's essence well when he wrote in his January 5, 2010 column, Barack Obama: A leader without a cause:
"He is a lean man of ideological clay who has let others mold his image. His bottom line is forever on the move. It's not that he's not good or smart; it's rather that in a political universe ruled by ideological yellers, he lacks both an ideology and the pipes."
We can debate forever how politically foolish it is that, one year after Obama was elected President by overwhelming national mandate and Democrats were handed solid control of Congress, that Obama's job approval ratings have crashed and his Democratic allies in Congress are rushing to retire.
Yes, we can endlessly debate the foolishness of lost Democratic chances in 2009, but it is what it is: President Obama has squandered substantial Democratic political capital in 2009 as surely as President Bush squandered post-9/11 worldwide empathy and support for the United States.
As a result, some of the most powerful, long-time Democrats in Congress are opting to retire rather than face continually having the political rug pulled out from under them by a Democratic president. And rather than face the wrath of voters at home whose perceptions have been molded by a President who refuses to boldly challenge his carping conservative critics.
Democratic prospects for the 2010 U.S. Senate Races are therefore predictably shaky. North Dakota, which hasn't voted for a Democratic president since 1964, may likely replace Democrat Dorgan with a Republican. And several other Democratic senators are facing difficult reelection efforts in November 2010, including Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, and appointee Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado.
While Democrats should retain control of the Senate in the 2010 mid-tern elections (See 2010 U.S. Senate Races - Who's Winning, Who's Not), the House could quite possibly see Republicans take the reins in 2011.
The burning question is: Doesn't Obama realize that to have a team to support him and his agenda, he needs to be a team player?
Or in 2010 and beyond, does Obama plan to continue his failed strategy of attempting to reign as an intimidated team of one?
(Photo of Sen. Byron Dorgan: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Comments
Deborah –
“President Obama has squandered substantial Democratic political capital in 2009 as surely as President Bush squandered post-9/11 worldwide empathy and support for the United States.”
No. Obama didn’t squander it. He spent it, for health care, the stimulus package, ect.
“As a result, some of the most powerful, long-time Democrats in Congress are opting to retire rather than face continually having the political rug pulled out from under them by a Democratic president.”
No. Dodd is running from an ethics scandal. Dorgan wants to retire. Dodd’s seat will probably continue to be held by the Democrats.
And I could well wonder how solid the control of Congress was, if it is negated by two retirements.
One main reason for Obama’s downfall is the cosyness of Obama administration with Wall Street.
To my mind, all those promises of hope and change (Yes we can ) were just promises and nothing else.. So, the expectation of people were high from Obama and dems but they delivered nothing…
There has been change in style but not in substance , Obama Administration is no different from GWB’s.
Deb..you are all wrong.
The Democrats took a partisan position and thought they would just ram through progressive crap, that’s why they didn’t get Republican support….Obama is very partisan and marxist.
This has to be one of the stupidest pieces I have read in a long time. The Dems, including Obama, have completely shut the Republicans out of any conversation or negotiation on major legislation. The problem for the Dems is that their agenda is SO progressive and liberal, even moderate Dems don’t want to join in. The Dems sunk themselves by letting the extreme liberals call the shots. 11/10 can’t come soon enough!
I could not be more disappointed in President Obama and Congress. Obama set enormous expectations while campaigning, but turned out to be an irresponsible liberal big spender, following through on few of his campaign promises. He has little to show for his big spending boondoggles and America has had it. A President has to juggle many balls at once. This one has juggled one; healthcare. And a majority don’t want it. So payday is coming in the fall and I suspect it will be a crushing defeat.
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Deb, I could not agree with you more. President Obama , the House and the Senate were given a mandate to put through a progressive agenda. We gave Democrats the control of power to move our progressive agenda through and they have totally failed us. It is no wonder that the Democratic base is no longer energized. The lack of any movement of our progressive agenda will cost us dearly in the 2010 elections. This was our last, best hope and we were abandoned. I truly do not see the Democratic Party having the turnout they had in 2008 and they will have nobody to blame but themselves. You can not abandon your base and expect them to be there for you.