AP
October 19, 2015
If
the recent Republican presidential debates have revealed hobbling
breaks in the party, the Democrats' first political X-ray showed a
couple of hairline fractures.
The
five Democrats on the debate stage last week in Las Vegas offered a
relatively — and surprisingly — unified front on the issues at the
forefront of the campaign.
On
solutions, the differences tended to be a matter of degree. On
President Barack Obama, at times a source of considerable Democratic
discontent, their positions ranged
from warm embrace to polite disagreement.
The
sense of respect and courtesy was in sharp contrast to the public
bickering on the other side and the recent history of how parties have
dealt with passing control
of the White House.
Democrats
showed they are willing to embrace Obama's legacy, whatever the risks.
Republicans continue to struggle with the fallout from George W. Bush's
presidency, with
years of public soul-searching and animosity toward their leadership.
"You
would expect in a Democratic primary field when people are crossing a
broad ideological spectrum that they might be critical of the incumbent
no matter who the incumbent
is," Democratic pollster and strategist Celinda Lake said. "But I think
Democrats demonstrated that across the spectrum it's good to run with
the president rather than against him."
Under
their first national spotlight, leading Democrats put forward no
drastic re-imaging of Obama's signature policies. The candidates largely
pledged to build on Obama's
health overhaul, preserve or expand his immigration orders and continue
global climate change talks. They indirectly criticized his handling of
issues that the party considers to be failings of his tenure:
comprehensive immigration changes, gun control, spurring
middle class wage growth, cracking down on Wall Street.
Opposition to a Pacific Rim trade pact was the most prominent area of disagreement.
Obama noted the trend Friday, saying he found it "interesting" how few differences emerged.
"I
think everybody on that stage at the debate affirmed what I have said
in the past, which is we agree on 95 percent of stuff and on the basic
vision of a country," Obama
told reporters.
The candidates' cohesion around Obama is as much political calculation as a spontaneous exercise.
Obama
is popular with Latinos, blacks, young people and unmarried women — the
core coalition that any Democrat will need to win the nomination and
the White House. His
approval rating hovers around 80 percent among Democrats in Gallup's
recent tracking surveys. Among liberal Democrats, that number moves
toward 90 percent. Democrats alienate these groups at their own peril.
Front-runner
Hillary Rodham Clinton has started to pull away from Obama, delivering
rough comments on his immigration record or deviating from his policy in
Syria. But
when given the biggest audience of her campaign, she promised to "build
on the successes of President Obama" and "go beyond."
She
not only embraced Obama but also used his endorsement of her to deflect
criticism. The two once debated her vote on the Iraq War, she noted,
and "after the election,
he asked me to become secretary of state. He valued my judgment, and I
spent a lot of time with him."
Clinton's
rivals similarly went easy on the president, even the one whose
campaign is built on a harsh critique of his economic policy.
"I
have a lot of respect for President Obama. I have worked with him time
and time again on many, many issues," said Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
It was a softer introduction
to his call for "political revolution" to unlock the government from
what he contends is the control of Wall Street and corporate media.
Still,
the collective appreciation for the president and his policies papered
over persistent rifts, particularly between the party's left flank and
pragmatic middle.
Sanders'
call to break up the banks is a critique of Obama's handling of Wall
Street regulation. Reflecting concern about crises in the Middle East,
the conversation about
foreign policy was more contentious. The U.S. needs to "take more of a
leadership position" in Syria, Clinton said.
It's hard to imagine the lineup of Republican candidates using such restraint.
The
GOP ranks have battled their party's leadership for nearly all of
Obama's presidency. The conflict has boiled over in recent weeks as
conservatives and moderates in
the House spar over the speakership, and Republican voters elevate
party outsiders Donald Trump and Ben Carson to the top of the
presidential polls.
At
their recent debates, Republicans have clashed over immigration policy,
federal spending, compromising with Democrats and the lessons of Bush's
presidency.
Whether
a party breaks up or falls in line at the end of a presidency tends to
be determined by how popular or divisive the incumbent is, says Sidney
M. Milkis, a political
scientist at the University of Virginia's Miller Center.
Bush
left office unpopular in his party and out. The end of the President
Lyndon Johnson's presidency left Democrats in disarray. In rallying
around Obama, Democrats resemble
Republicans at the end of President Ronald Reagan's term — happy with
their status quo and looking for more, Milkis noted.
While
Obama's approval rating among Democrats is solid, Republicans are
focused on other numbers. His overall job approval is 46 percent,
according to Gallup. Pollsters
are finding broad dissatisfaction with the direction of the country and
a steady distrust of public institutions.
"This is not a country that's satisfied," said GOP pollster David Winston.
Both
parties' nominees will need to present a distinct, forward-looking
agenda that appeals to voters beyond the base. "As Republicans saw in
2012, the idea that you can
win a primary and you don't have to worry about the general — that that
cake is already baked — I think there was a rude awakening there."
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
No comments:
Post a Comment