You're watching...

Obama Blames 'Responsibilities' for Wisconsin Flyover

Details

  • Description

    Chris Stirewalt and Susan Ferrechio discuss President Obama telling a Wisconsin reporter he had too many 'responsibilities' to come campaign for Tom B...

  • Duration 8:22
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Power Play

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

Well -- you know the truth of the matter is that this present -- United States I've got a lot of responsibilities.

I was.

Supportive of Tom and had been supportive of Tom.

Obviously.

You know I -- loved to have seen a different result.

That was President Obama an interview with WB AY.

-- ABC news affiliate in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Explaining that he would have loved to have helped out Tom -- the mayor of Milwaukee who lost.

A week ago today.

In the badger state and recall bid launched by unions and Democrats against Republican governor Scott Walker but he was too busy.

And this is power play and I am Chris -- -- And the president's decision yesterday and local affiliate interview the president this is part of a campaign issue kind of thing that the president does break ranks local interviews it to people in swing states there will -- a quick he's.

And he gets to get its message out in the swing states but.

Occasionally they ask annoying or uncomfortable things and in this case it was about democratic dissatisfaction.

With the president's decision not to go and to campaign for -- -- in fact -- he did was really senator tweet right at the end.

So let's talk about that and by the way -- should tell you we're gonna have Eric Holder stuff today.

Never you mind Internet there will be Eric Holder stuff.

We will also talk about -- the latest -- from the Obama campaign on Mitt Romney's record in Massachusetts we will do all of those things.

Helping us.

Fortunately to do those things as my friend and former colleague Susan -- -- she's the chief congressional correspondent for the Washington examiner she also does a goodly bit of presidential campaign coverage.

She is wise and lovely thank you for bringing your wise -- is here -- -- of course quite so now.

On this question of the president saying -- -- too busy to go to Wisconsin.

On Friday Susan before the election.

Barack Obama.

In his plane our plane air force one flew from Minneapolis.

To Chicago in the course of holding six fundraisers.

Now in between -- -- if you fly from Minneapolis to Chicago you go over a lot of Wisconsin.

And he didn't go wheels down -- do anything.

The art do you think this is going to make Democrats present.

Jesse -- Air Force One next store and neighboring states didn't.

How come over and help these Democrats who are absolutely desperate to recall Scott Walker.

There are a lot of resentful Democrats and yes I think it will hurt him with his base because -- they feel like he -- them on something that was really critical part of that.

And not just a -- and more importantly the unions who he really depends on.

In so many ways in an election year where everything is -- matter for him.

These guys help get the vote out they help -- these rallies they help raise money and they were critical in helping get elected first time and what does he do he -- -- big effort in Wisconsin.

And big question is why do you do good varying reasons good for him.

That got hurt the candidate would have been bad for the candidacy showed -- given his.

Is second biggest poll numbers particularly in the -- he had told the outpolled Barrett and that's Johnson it didn't well look at the results of the election you look at who who the act and the exit polls.

He was being -- so clearly people liked.

A Barack Obama they were just angry to recall effort so perhaps his presence there would have calmed some of that and have.

When you dry out more -- and perhaps they difference although -- victory was -- pretty substantive so I don't know that really any appearance would have counted but even people like Paul begala and other Democrats.

I said and mean automatically should he showed up just showed -- Should -- should -- anyway and in the spirit of -- disclosure we should point out that.

Those exit polls.

Were.

They leaned Democrat because it became obvious in the -- a lot of Republican voters.

Did not choose -- that's usually the case examples usually skew Democrat a little bit this from it was a heavy Democrats -- so.

Bear that in mind -- you think about the numbers.

But to that point we're seeing some division inside the Democratic Party as you mentioned we have sort of the Clinton Democrats including.

Bill Clinton.

But Steve Rattner.

Paul begala and these guys the more moderate Democrats are are there.

Are sort of laying down a marker right now early in the process as the president's having an unhappy start to his reelection campaign.

They're saying maybe making some mistakes I don't know about the Bain Capital I wrote in the power play today which you can have for -- your cost of a follow.

At cease -- -- I would love to have you there there as I said earlier there ain't no party like an Internet party is an Internet party don't stop and you should follow me there and have fun.

But the point.

That I was making today is.

Things like willing being willing to lay down your political capital.

For somebody who's gonna lose anyway I'd like Martha Coakley up in Massachusetts against Scott Brown in 2010.

Like -- needs and Jon Corzine in Virginia.

-- New Jersey in 2009 but the whole host of house Democrats in 2000 intent when the president leaves the field of battle.

Right and leaves these folks out there did it reinforces this notion about Obama that he eats alone and he's not much of a team player right.

Well I think that in this case for sure he's done a lot of -- again he's also been criticized for showing up in trying to help people than they lose -- lose -- -- right slowly bleed to blame him a -- Out of baton is began along Martha Coakley can't get all these people right -- looking silly after his -- So there's that aspect of it as well as they are being wealthy showed up you know again what you've heard The King and -- that's arguable and.

And was -- a player of the president of the United States especially if you're running for reelection.

Every situation is damned if you do damned if you don't if you don't -- as you said he shot the guy loses.

Repudiation.

That headline words become very ugly Obama drags down there.

What ever that you know you're gonna get those my point today is basically this you know you're gonna get bad headlines whatever you do.

So stick with your party and -- you know that's what part that's what partisan politics is all about is that you you make -- -- with some other people that say we may not agree on everything but we're gonna hang together.

Well I think that his absence from Wisconsin is it real clear demonstration of just where he is right now in his own -- in this process I think that.

He's concerned he's not to be reelected.

And it's making him make mistakes and not only some -- that the -- it.

Things he said in recent days I think that's part of it.

But I think in the end indecision over Wisconsin I'm sure he went back and forth the last not to show up for this and I -- -- is -- more confident himself.

In what's gonna happen in November I think you have seen him on the ground there so I feel like his absence of Wisconsin is really signal to me.

My knee jerk reaction was he's really nervous and about November us I think that's him.

Well and increasingly Democrats are nervous something you know I'm I'm not an Internet I'm not gonna tell you I told you so.

But we've been talking for a while here that the build lift off for this campaign is not nearly what was expected -- we were expecting to see -- billion dollar juggernaut.

And the organization that had been.

Lavished with absolute.

Hugs and kisses by the political press and they wrote a book called game change is basically about how.

Magnificent these people work they got out of the gate first ten weeks don't.

And the president is gonna try to reset on Thursday with an economic speech in Ohio.

But they're looking for a -- they're looking for a way to do over the worst of the -- the president doesn't that embolden people like Clinton Democrats.

To be out -- and get that on the record like hey I warned -- You -- this.

Whenever I listen these people talk all I think that it is still the -- 2000 election Judy you probably due to.

There -- some we lose we remember I gather you and me just say there's some things I -- there that would just you know hastily covered over.

And now I think they're looking at this by the -- to get a little bit.

I think yes people like Nancy Pelosi talking about Hillary Clinton as a presidential candidate -- come to that point keep.

Actually saying that.

Not to -- is remarkable.

And I think it all rests right now on okay the president -- done this this business and here's the economy and here's where public sentiment is not good.

And that's like yeah that's why you're hearing that's why you think you -- the Clinton people are out again together laying down their marker -- Where they stand right now there -- now we've been hearing NASA's recent days and that's fascinating I think.

They got they got claws out there okay -- is so good we're going to ask for -- stay for another segment.