President Barack Obama paid a visit to Central Florida yesterday for a couple of fundraisers and an impromptu beer summit with a few local unemployed construction workers. The President began his day in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he touted his jobs plan to a crowd at a local Pittsburgh chapter of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Later in the afternoon he took his roving jobs tour to visit Central Florida where he was met with a rousing crowd of hundreds at the Sheraton hotel downtown Orlando.
In his speech to a thunderous crowd of Democratic supporters he flaunted the need for more infrastructure spending and tax cuts, all geared toward job creation and spurring America’s stalled economy.
He also said that pieces of the American Jobs Act have bi-partisan support and both Democrats and Republicans should unite to pass the legislation.
The President spoke for about 20 minutes and once he was finished, signed autographs, shook hands and took pictures. Then he was off to the home of lawyer John Morgan for another fundraiser with athletes, celebrities, and high dollar donors.
Before he arrived at Morgan’s Lake Mary home, the President stopped at a local pub to have beers with a few jobless construction workers and to solicit ideas on how to get America back to work.
But the President probably had more on his mind than just the employment of those construction workers. While in Orlando Mr. Obama found out that the Senate rejected his almost $450 billion jobs bill where two Democratic Senators decided to vote against the measure. Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson and Montana Senator Jon Tester, both voted no on the President’s jobs plan.
The White House states that they did not expect the bill to clear the Senate and will work with Congress to pass smaller portions of the bill.
Yet, it still gives credence to Obama’s big, massive problem heading into the 2012 general election: He does not have the full support of his base.
The President used almost all of his political capital on passing his landmark healthcare bill that was promptly pegged “Obamacare” by Republicans. Soon after the Obama administration has had small wins with a few major victories in the middle. They were able to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, but he ceded the opportunity to roll back the Bush tax cuts and extend unemployment benefits during the debt ceiling debate.
Obama also presides over a stubborn unemployment rate that refuses to fall below nine percent nationally.
Another issue that the President has is people skills. According to a recent Washington Post article the President has no interest in political pampering.
“This president endures with little joy the small talk and back-slapping of retail politics, rarely spends more than a few minutes on a rope line, refuses to coddle even his biggest donors. His relationship with Democrats on Capitol Hill is frosty, to be generous.” The article goes on to suggest that Obama is in essence a political loner.
Shades of Jimmy Carter.
While Obama probably has more issues than he cares to count he may find solace in knowing that his potential opponents from the other side are about as messy as a double whopper with cheese from the King.
Herman Cain thinks that Obama’s not black enough, Rick Perry is still trying to shake off the name of his family’s ranch, and Newt Gingrach is talking about jailing Democrats.
We are 13 months away from the next Presidential election and judging from the President’s political issues and the Republicans inability to find a formidable candidate we may find that it’s not the President who’s lonely it’s the American people.
-JH
