Looking for Obama 2.0

At the rate he’s going, President Obama may have to ask former Vice President
Dick Cheney for some advice locating an undisclosed location. It’s hard to
believe he is about to begin a reelection campaign when there are so few
swing states or districts he can campaign in now.

The current vice president, Joe Biden, isn’t hiding in a bunker, but
is instead leading the campaign for vulnerable Democrats running for
reelection in the November midterms. Biden is going everywhere Obama
cannot and even places Obama can. He is the best face the administration
has right now to answer the questions of voters angry about the
economy and even healthcare reform, and candidates have welcomed him
in South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Washington state, Ohio and beyond.

President Obama is in Maryland today, campaigning in a political comfort
zone. But if he wants to be able to venture far and wide on the electoral
map — and win reelection in 2012 — there is much work to be done. 
 

According to The Hill’s 2010 Midterm Election Poll, negative feeling
towards President Obama is running high in the key battlegrounds where
control of the House of Representatives could be decided this fall. A
survey of 12 districts held by freshman Democrats, conducted by Penn Schoen
Berland, showed Republicans with momentum, independents surging away from
Democrats and wanting divided government, majorities favoring a repeal of healthcare
reform and more evidence of the enthusiasm gap that will be critical for
Democrats to close in order to hold on to control of the House.

The poll also shows that, because of the Obama effect — anger at the
president felt by those voters planning to vote on Nov. 2 — localizing
races may not help save Democrats fighting for their political lives.

In my column this week, I included some of the numbers, in districts where
Obama will play a significant factor in the choice voters make in
candidates this fall. There are districts in Arizona, Nevada, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois and even Maryland where
the Obama effect is huge.

In just weeks the GOP presidential nomination fight will begin to take shape.
Obama is himself just weeks away from having to reinvent himself for the
voters. If the election were held today, Obama would have a tough time winning
Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Missouri or other swing
states critical to winning reelection in two years.

It will be fascinating to see what happens not only on Nov. 2 but in the days
and weeks that follow when an Obama 2.0 has to emerge.

SHOULD OBAMA TRADE BIDEN FOR CLINTON IN 2012? Ask A.B. returns Wednesday, Oct. 13. Please join my
weekly video Q&A by sending your questions and comments to askab@digital-staging.thehill.com.
Thank you.