WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm Cally Crossley This is the Cali Crossley Show. We're looking at how President Obama is fairing from the Oval Office to the campaign trail. In his book The Audacity of Hope Senator Obama called for a new brand of politics. In 2008 his supporters expressed their audacity of hope voting for a new brand of leadership. Two years on are voters getting what they hope for instead of hope and change many Americans feel that the Obama presidency has delivered decline and despair. The economy is in the tank. Unemployment is high. President Obama's jobs bill is going nowhere and his approval ratings are low and supporters are wondering what happened to the man who offered change by way of a new kind of governing. This hour we'll examine what voters want and what it would take for President Obama to earn another term in the White House. Up next reading the Obama barometer. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi saying the major U.S.

market indexes are down more than 2 percent after the Greek prime minister shocked other European leaders when he called for a national referendum on the European bailout plan reached last week. The move renewed fears a Greece will default on its loans if European leaders are unable to execute a comprehensive plan that provides Greece with bailout money ensures that European banks. But you want to kiss reports from Athens that after losing popularity for passing austerity measures the prime minister George Papa DRO felt the responsibility for Greece's fate should be taken from the government and given to the people with a national referendum. What's happening also is that there's a confidential coming up on Friday and if the government survives that then they were fined and will be held but there's also a chance that the government won't survive the confidence vote and if it doesn't survive the confidence. That's Joanna kisses in Athens NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports. Italian bonds were hit hard by a new wave of selling the European Central Bank intervened

again today to buy Italian bonds but yields on 10 year bonds came close to the 7 percent level that many analysts fear could trigger a so-called buyers strike where it becomes difficult to sell new bonds. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi whose international credibility is at an all time low promise that at the Group of 20 meeting later this week he will outline budget cutting reforms as pledged to his EU partners last week. Italy has a debt mountain equivalent to 120 percent of GDP and has had stagnant growth for a decade. The opposition Democrat Party said that there was going to is not prepared to deal with the crisis and called on President George Napolitano to appoint a new government immediately. Sylvia Poggioli NPR News Rome. At last check on Wall Street the Dow is down 315 points 2.6 percent at eleven thousand six hundred forty. Nasdaq down more than 3 percent to twenty five ninety nine. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's mother Dorothy Howell Rodham has died. She was 92 years old.

NPR's Michele Kelemen reports the family did not immediately announce the cause of death but said she fell ill last night. Secretary Clinton was about to leave on a trip to London in Istanbul when her mother fell ill. Clinton called off the trip and according to a statement from the Clinton family Dorothy Rodham died just after midnight. The statement says her story was quintessentially American born in Chicago in 1900. She overcame abandonment and hardship as a young girl this statement says describing her as a generous and strong woman and an intellectual who told a great joke and always got the joke. The Clinton family is planning a private memorial service. Michele Kelemen NPR News Washington. At last check on Wall Street Dow down more than 300 points. This is NPR News. 12000 people convicted of crimes related to crack cocaine could soon win reduced prison sentences. They're trying to take advantage of sentencing changes designed to help reduce disparities that hurt

minority inmates. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports the change has been years in the making. Civil rights advocates and sentencing reformers have been fighting for a change in the drug laws for almost 25 years. The old laws punish people caught with crack cocaine. The rock form of the drug much more harshly than people caught with powdered cocaine. Now many inmates can apply for early release three years early on average after action by Congress and a federal sentencing panel. The change is not automatic. Judges will consider the applications and evaluate the danger an inmate presents to society. Carrie Johnson NPR News Washington. More than one hundred eighty billion dollar bill to fund the operations of five cabinet agencies was approved by the Senate on a vote of 69 to 30. The spending measure passed today includes money for space exploration transportation housing subsidies and the FBI for the 2012 budget year. Republican presidential rivals are stumping for votes in Iowa several including

Congresswoman Michele Bachmann former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Senator Rick Santorum attended a forum today where they pitch their economic plans as better alternatives and President Obama's approach so far. Neither Herman Cain nor Mitt Romney attended the event on Wall Street. Dow's down three hundred fourteen points or 2.6 percent lower to eleven thousand six forty one NASDAQ off more than 3 percent so far it's a 20 6 0 2. This is NPR. Support for NPR comes from Cabot creamery cooperative five generations of New England and New York farm families working together to produce naturally aged traditional Vermont cheddar cheese. Well even if you are not paying attention. The bat for the 212 campaign is in full swing. I'm Cally Crossley and this is the Calla Crossley Show the Herman Cain scandal maybe the latest twist and turn in the

Republican presidential nomination battle. And by the way 30 million people are watching the Republican presidential debates. So there is interest by some folks and a lot of them are people who say they voted for the president in 2008 and they're not they are not so sure they will again. So this hour we're going to continue our ongoing political conversations examining the political landscape. And we're taking stock today of Barack Obama's presidency today and looking at how he's doing on the campaign trail. I'm joined by Dori Clark president of Clark strategic communications Robbie parry a professor of political science at Clark University. He's also the president of the Worcester in the branch and on the line from Providence Rhode Island is Ted Widmer. He's an historian and a former speechwriter for President Clinton. Currently he's the director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. Thank you all for joining us today. Thank you. Thank you. Let's start this way because this is what I see on these polls everywhere Ted Widmer.

If the election were held today could President Barack Obama win. I think so he goes well when he's paired against could actually occur. An update on the other side. Less well when it's just do you approve of him or disapprove he said. Forty one percent right now which is a pretty low historic rating for a president going in for reelection. And it is disturbing. Well below where Clinton was in 95 but when you name a candidate against Cain or Perry or Romney does much better. Robbi Perry same question. Absolutely I think he would win in part exactly because of what Ted indicated that we right now do not have a Republican nominee and as a result all the polls do indicate that going head to head against a particular nominee he has particular strengths President Obama against that person if the nominee is going to be a Rick Perry the nominee is going to be Herman Cain the nominee is going to be Mitt Romney

we find that President Obama still has an edge in most polls against all three of those candidates. Dorrie Clark your job to take a hard look at these numbers and as Ted Widmer has said they don't look so hot. So how do you answer the question. Yeah I'm going to join the choir here. I think that Obama definitely has as a very good chance. People are looking around of course they're looking around the economy is in the tank. People are distressed about that they want to see if there's a better option. And you can see that there's been a clear shopping period. I mean Michele Bachmann was hot for a while ago now Herman Cain is hot but Or Not exactly. And so consequently you know people are trying to test the waters but the Republican field has solidified. Nobody knew is going to get in there's not going to be a Deus Ex mock you know. And as people in turn are looking from one candidate to another they're not really that impressed I think Obama's going to be the best option at the end of the day. Well why is it that the rest of

us I don't know what you all are hearing but the rest of us out here it doesn't sound so good I mean I hear the the information about the bad polls. I mean people still like him personally and even then some of that has dropped down if you take polls asking people how they feel about him personally. But the overall feeling about whether or not the country is going in the right direction which usually if it's positive accrues to the president is not being looked at in a positive way Ted Widmer you know it's very very good poll. Ready steps this morning before the interview and I saw one that wasn't about a president just how many Americans think the future is going to be better than the present impasse and only 37 percent do and that's a pretty low number for Americans who are pretty optimistic people and that is disturbing. I mean there is grounds to be worried and I think Romney's probably going to solidify when she gets the nomination.

And you know the full range of the Republican Party behind him so I think you know we have a horse race coming up and the economy isn't recovered very very fully so you can find optimistic or pessimistic statistics where you are where you want to find them but better economic performance over the next year would really be welcome news right now for Barack Obama. Is that the sticking point Rob. I mean is that I mean that those are some external forces at play as well as whatever he himself many President Barack Obama may or may not need to do in order to change it with regard to the jobs bill I mean is the economy the sticking point. The economy is the sticking point. But it's actually interesting quagmire for him. On the one hand most white Americans say and most polling data they are not doing better than they were when President Obama took office. And while African-Americans and Latinos say the same thing they are they awful. They also though have a much more positive outlook on life and that's in part due to

this generation of being the most economists and sociologists have found to be the first generation where blacks Latinos are able to give something back to their offspring. And so the economy is an interesting question I want to just take blacks as an example you have cities like Detroit that have estimated 50 percent black unemployment you have black youth unemployment at 25 percent nationwide higher given some of the polls and so you have clear. Economic concerns in his core base constituency persons of color and young people. But among those people who most pundits argue those constituencies are the constituents that constituencies they really carried him over in 2008. They while they are hurting economically they're also more positively viewing their outlook in terms of with President Obama in office than with someone else. Now let me just say this before I asked during the same question that is you know anecdotes are are terrible according to scientists because you know it's not scientific but anecdotally there

were Latino people downtown Boston protesting the president saying we're not happy. That seems to me that when you even if it's a small group that's a sign of something that speaks to. Small group of those folk that you're talking about Ravi who may have a positive outlook but people are not happy enough to go and take a sign and protest. How should that be regarded. Well well it's interesting because it's Latinos and to be honest looking at that broad ethnic group we'd have to really identify really what ethnicity within the Latino race broadly speaking were those persons who are occupying those signs because we find that certain ethnic groups within Latino and Asian populations are overwhelmingly in support of President Obama still today. We do know for example that when Americans and some other Latino ethnic groups are are not very excited about President Obama's prospects and so you really have to look at these subgroups within Latino and really Asian communities the data.

But you're absolutely right there is definitely discontent with President Obama. But one thing that he has done well which is why I think you only see a handful of those. Instances and not instances occurring nationwide is that he his whole red red rhetoric for this re-election so far has been rhetoric in terms of winning the future and has been rhetoric based on you know what he promised to do. And so all of the speeches lately have been about winning the future and terms of a futuristic outlook which again is an outlook that is something that is supported by most of his constituency groups of color that he won overwhelmingly with in 2008 and also his his key rhetoric is that is working for the those groups of people why I think you don't see so many Latinos and other persons of color who are discontent on them you don't see so many of them in the streets. Yet if at all if you will is because what he has done is indicate that well this is what you elected me to do and in fact I have. I have led on these issues and that is resonating with persons of color. Is it resonating

dory. I don't know that it's really resonating with anyone. I blame President Obama for this really. And here is somebody that has come in and he's called one of the greatest orators of his generation he excited everyone. I mean as we know we think back to 2008 and even conservatives were excited about the guy that was such a. A furor about how he was going to change everything it was this new era and he utterly failed to capitalize on that I mean obviously yes we've had tremendously hard times we've had you know the worst economy since the Depression. He was able to pass health care. But what has he done wrong what could he do differently. Number one with health care he was so hands off. And I understand the impulse because it was something that burned President Clinton. But nonetheless he let the Congress just you know you figure it out guys you handle it. And maybe that's a nice way to get buy in. But over time it means that he's not controlling the dialogue He's not controlling the agenda.

What I would like to see Obama do because it's obvious at this point that you know the big picture soaring rhetoric. You know we have a jobs bill that's not going anywhere. Look back to Clinton's playbook in 1906. We need small bore items we need school uniforms we need the modern equivalent of the V-chip because those are small things that can get done and it tell a story about the broader picture. If you have a Congress that kind of hates you like Obama has now you need small bore and you need to seize on those victories. He's not communicating effectively. Ted Widmer your bailiwick is speech and rhetoric. Is Obama communicating affectively and I want to point out something that you wrote in 2010 about President Obama. You said it the real problem is that it's hard to ask for patience when you have promised once in a generation change. So in a way the success of 2008 is now the problem that's me quoting you to you. Well I agree with myself and I agree with

Torie I think in a way behind his own 8 ball he was so exciting in a way and gave so many beautiful speeches and then governing is harder than that. Governing is a lot more than speeches. And he hasn't given as many things he has seen himself quite frustrated by the impasse with Congress should be but Clinton had an almost magical ability to project exuberance and confidence and love of governing even when he had problems with Congress too that were very very serious. So it's almost like a cold and we just like to see more love. But the battle in our are bitter. He hasn't done nothing at all I mean he's done a great deal putting small bore but somehow that message hasn't gotten out is as effective because the American people as I think it did under Clinton I am hard pressed to say why. A few months ago I thought he needed to do more Clinton style events like open air vent and go to places like Michigan and Ohio and go to factories.

He has actually been doing that but somehow it just hasn't really broken through the cynicism of the people right now. Well I want to continue to talk about that cynicism and how it may be impacting President Obama and his election possibilities I'm Kalee Crossley. We're talking about President Obama his achievement his failure with the president election presidential election one year away. How is he doing on the campaign trail. We're opening up the lines this hour we want to hear from people who voted for him in 2008 or you want to vote for him next year. Are you going to vote Republican. Are you going to sit the selection out 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. We'll be back after this break. Keep your dial on WGBH Boston Public Radio. This program is made possible thanks to you and Skinner auctioneers and appraisers of

antiques and fine art. You might consider option 1 downsizing a home or selling a collection 60 auctions annually 20 collecting categories Boston and Marlborough online at Skinner and dot com and Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates making it easier for patients to be healthy. With 21 locations across Greater Boston Harvard Vanguard welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance Care Made Easy dot org an affiliate of Atrios health. On the next FRESH AIR criminologist David Kennedy talks about his approach to reducing inner city violence by offering offenders alternatives before resorting to arrests. We don't want to arrest you want to lock you up take the help. Listen to your community. But this is not a negotiation. Kennedy has a new memoir. Joining us this afternoon at two on eighty nine point seven. Celebrate 25 years of Celtic music on WGBH by joining the Celtic club. It's a great way to support the news and music you depend on every day on a

discount. And if that weren't enough to say thanks with a pair of tickets to a Christmas membership starts at $150 for more insight and opinions about issues rooted here in Boston where is the investment in the country. Local issues local talk Boston Public Radio. Good afternoon welcome back to the Calla Crossley Show. If you're just tuning in we're talking about President Obama. The presidential election is only one year away. The economy is floundering. Unemployment is high. What would it take for President Obama to earn another term in the White House. We're I'm just I'm we're talking about that this hour with political strategist Dorie Clark Robby Perry a professor of political science at Clark University and Ted

Widmer director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. We're taking calls we want to hear from folks who voted for Obama in 2008. Does he still have your vote or are you aiming to cast it for someone else. Let us know how you're thinking and and also how would you think about how he's doing in the job if you're supporting him at 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. Let me read from a couple of our Facebook commenters This is from Ali. I fully support the president's re-election despite being personally disappointed by some of his actions. People need to remember that it has never been enough to simply vote for change. You have to be willing to hold your politicians feet to the fire when they stray from what you voted for. And this from Joseph. I'll vote for President Obama again but with less enthusiasm than in 2008. As long as the Republican Party trends conservative on social issues and tries to force me to live my life the way they say I should swallow my fiscally moderate tendencies to

keep the right wing from controlling my life. Now you can comment on our Facebook page by visiting w w w dot Facebook dot com slash Kelly Crossley Show. I'm going to go to a call that Rob you just respond to both. Joseph What do you think. Well I think their sentiments are correct. Whether you vote for President Obama with less enthusiasm or still a vote and the thought that counts the level enthusiasm is really less significant than just getting out and casting a vote. And I absolutely agree with Ali that a lot of people voted for what they consider to be change and they are really discontent with the pace of change not necessarily with some of the things if you look at specific polling data some of the things he has done. But the reality is most people are not aware of what President Obama has accomplished in terms of bills and terms of the significant rhetoric that he has utilized that has actually led to particular policy actions. And what we find is that when people are made aware of what he has done and when people are more

cognizant of what is the actual President Chavez's Congress job they begin to focus on the fact that it's really Congress who has been the impediment to the change they voted for in 2008. We obviously focus on President Obama because that's the topic of the show but we cannot forget that he works in concert with congressional leaders and they have what a 13 percent approval rating. Now they have a 9 9 OK. So I'm not even. So I'm not even up to date on that and you know President Obama's 41 percent which is alone is historically low and I get a lot of comparisons to the Clinton administration the reality is had he followed Clinton modules for success he would not be the president and states and so obviously he has to walk to a different tune and he's done it to a sudden extent and he set some success he had some failures but we have 12 months and that's a long time for things turn around. We're going to calls Jane. Oh say from Boston Go ahead please you're on the Cali Crosley show I don't. Oh it's oh it's

Jose. I already look like Jane sorry go ahead please. All right I was there I was trying to haul stuff for a bear to reassure those who are being left you know their community in one spot each morning 46. I want to tell you that we worked very hard and are trying to calm things. I want people to vote for I put up Obama years ago I'm pretty you know that was very hot because the only candidate we hog was somebody we crossed and recrossed a lot being mean them. So where no Obama campaign we've got from expecting their first that 90 day shelf pizza I think you're going to see you will be there are immediate Shawne Merriman already formed to will take longer if we really wanted to believe that there was not a need to take the vote on him. We gave Obama before you vote I'll go ahead. You know it's funny. So what do you feel now so what do you feel now though. Not we feel now that we both well you know Obama at all. You know we all can feel that. Thank you meant in more than 60 percent of the reputation I mean we I we you know

were we began we know we had to be brave. We need not only he began percent deviation will be for him but also still carries the war same old people were people patients I'm not the function that you can't think. Let me interrupt you Jose. Does that mean you're voting Republican or that does that mean you're staying at home and not voting at all. Depends on the order of the crowd reporting on candidate we're going to go to the country they'd be somebody we propped open up every form takes us somebody who is not shouting all feelings human feeling you know we always quote them seem otherwise we will go ask everybody to want to blank. OK. It's up there. All right well thank you Jose for calling in. That's a sobering comment for President Obama thank you very much. Sam on your cell phone give us a check in with us tell us how you're feeling. Kelly Crossley Show here at eighty nine point seven. Hi thanks for taking my call. I think that the Obama presidency is is is a smashing failure. I mean talk about a guy who came to office with so much

political capital and I think it really at least for me and people I talked to it really did draw really bright line between somebody who could walk the walk and someone who just talks the talk. And Obama is the consummate talker. But when the guy has to walk he's walking with the power elite. That's who he walks with too he can talk as much as he wants to at least for me and my friends. We're not putting our vote down with that guy because I think we know where he stands. And my vote is going with people that Occupy Boston. I think that's the only choice Americans have now because Republican or Democrat I think we're finally learning it just really doesn't make much a lot of difference and that Ralph Nader had it right all the time that it really just doesn't matter it's two sides of the same coin and it's it's a it's a corporate power structure that won't change until the structure changes. OK. So Sam by saying you're going with Occupy the Occupy movement that means you're sitting it out because the occupiers Oh I buy Boston they're sitting it out but they're

they're sitting it out it at the park there. So that's what I'll be doing a lot. That's what I meant. You're not going to the polls. That's what I meant. You're not going to the polls right now will go to the polls sure but will vote for someone who can do this but who will support structural changes so I think in the last election it was someone like Ralph Nader. So it is talking about the real issues and not around the perimeter I mean the real OK so who's always who's in the race for you now then who's doing that. I mean who's out. Well I don't I didn't win yet but I would be someone like Ralph Nader someone who talks truth to power who really tells it like it is ok until money gets out of politics until someone spends her I do 99 percent it's the hope it's a lost cause. OK well thank you very much Sam for your call. All right I need to add you to weigh in on these callers and what do you say. I know the frustration is real and the intentions are good but every vote for Ralph Nader like candidate is a vote for the Republican Party and it's not a realistic option and I think colors are being pretty hard on Obama I mean you know

frustration is inevitable and there are real reasons for it there are many ways in which you promised change we haven't seen it but he has done some big things going back to how terrible the economy was I mean quite a lot worse than it is now in the fall of 2008. And stimulus. Package before did probably say something that was would be more like a depression and a recession and the auto industry was bailed out and I think most was pretty good about that and lots of small bore initiatives that improved transparency and good secrecy and secret prison foreign policy is largely gone pretty well I mean the Arab Spring is unresolved but pretty good performance and that people were criticizing off the summer and fall and it ended up pretty well and so I think people need to be patient and realize that government is slow and probably candidates shouldn't promise once in a generation change because it's not easily done. But you have to think about. We

have two realistic choices it's going to be a Democratic nominee and a Republican nominee and you just have to pick which one it's better for you. And Ted do you agree with Robbie when he says that when most people then most people do not understand what his accomplishments are because from these callers they're like I don't see what he's done I do. I think that's. Problem of his own creation he's pro real capital into some difficult legislation and then he hasn't sold it very well yes and boasted about it effectively and he hasn't. I don't think drawn the contrast to how bad things were when he came in and I think that's something that would be part of the story he needs to start telling that you know things that we didn't get everything we wanted over the past four years but things are better than they were in 2008 by a lot of nice and good. The Iraq war effectively and he has promised to end you know pretty close to end the Afghanistan war those are big things. Dorri I'm going to quote you to you now. Back in August you said if the story is not getting out that's Obama's fault and he's boring people to death in telling the

story. Are you still on the same page into those callers. A sort of support what you said then. Well I think largely I mean Ted's right. Obama has done some tremendous things. He took so much heat for Libya and now all of a sudden these months later he's vindicated kid off he's gone. I mean that's that's huge the guy who is responsible for the bombing of Lockerbie killing all these Americans he's gone. Osama bin Laden gone. Just about anybody should be sitting there and having that the laurels wreath around their heads. And for some reason Obama is not getting the credit. Why isn't he getting the credit. I think it's because. This president who won the election through innovative use of the Internet social media word of mouth just hyping people up person to person. I think that he has dropped the ball on being able to communicate like that once in office. And certainly we've seen from Deval Patrick who is you know here in Massachusetts somebody who won and you know it was such an exciting

candidate. And sure he won re-election a second time too but similarly people's expectations diminish over time it's less exciting the second time around. And it's hard it's fundamentally hard to keep those people engaged throughout your time in office. But Clinton was able to succeed because his people mastered backwards and forwards. The new innovation of that time which was the 24 hour news cycle and cable news TV. Obama is not doing what he can to harness opinion leaders and get people talking viral. You know Word Word word mouth to mouth about what he's doing. The audience is splintered. It doesn't matter if he gives a talk on TV anymore the TV networks are going to cover him people are watching them anyway they're losing Flipboard on their I-pads and getting news tailored to them. We need to find a way to infiltrate that. Ravi a lot of the successes of the achievements that both Ted and Dory pointed to are really foreign ones that are there are huge and the global standpoint but is it the story that he needs to be telling from from Dorian Ted's viewpoint not

being heard because he's not focusing domestically as much as perhaps he should. I actually disagree of that I mean any president and just to be fair as a political scientist any president is constantly involved in domestic and foreign issues to the extent that people know about as a completely different issue. The media is not covering the domestic successes he has made. The media is not covering his various speeches domestically around the country on a host of domestic issues from the economic situations to jobs to health care etc. So what do you say when Dorry says that's not the media's job anymore that's his job now because with the media splintered and the audience is splintered and he's got to figure out how to master that to get the message. I have to say I disagree I say that we cannot ignore two things about President Obama and 21st century president one media absolutely matters what people think about President Obama is filtered through whatever media they watch. If you watch Fox news you watch MSNBC if you watch CNN and if you watch PBS

whatever how you think of the president is filtered through that media lens. We also can't ignore the fact that this is a president who is an African-American and what we historically know about African American presidents is all that we know is related to President Obama because we haven't had one before. And this is important because he can't be as aggressive as a President Clinton because then he's accused of being arrogant or he's accused of being an angry black person. So he cannot the comparisons to prior presidents really don't apply because he does not have the same advantages and privileges even though he is the same same occupant as any prior presidents so he has to massage things differently. And what people also forget is that he came into a political party system that he was not the presumptive nominee like Hillary Clinton was. And so he he was always kind of running against their own Democratic establishment now of course that has changed. What's important understand is that

most people forget the Democratic Party is the most diverse political party really in the history of this country. And so when you have a Democratic majority or supermajority in Congress and a Democratic president the lay person thinks that oh well everything should happen that is liberal and progressive an extremely left wing but the problem is that when you have most Democrats in the Senate who are in fact conservative or moderate and you have a frankly do nothing liberal caucus in the House of Representatives it makes it impossible for for any Democratic president to really coalesce those various constituencies within one party to result in the change that they hoped for and that's not a problem of Obama that's a problem of the Democratic Party. All right. Our phone number 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1. Eighty nine seventy. You just heard from Robbie Perry I'm going to Jeffrey now from Wilson New Hampshire. Go ahead please you're on the callee Crosley show. Hi there how are you. Fine and you. Excellent I think. President Obama has done a fabulous job unfortunately. Congress has tied his hands right to his back in think a

lot of people have forgotten that when President Obama took this office he inherited a tremendous problem in this country. He has fought tooth and nail in tooth all the way to make changes is done very few unfortunately mainly because of Congress. My honest opinion here. Congress completely needs to be fired. They all need their benefits stripped from them. So US taxpayers do not pay for their health care their pensions or anything else anymore. We need to re-elect all their. Physicians. And put a six year term limit on them so that when they don't do their job and end up going home after their term limit they end up having to answer to their own people at their own place. Thank you very much for the call. You're listening to Eddie 9.7 WGBH and online a WGBH dot org we're talking about President Obama the presidential election is a year

away. Can he get reelected. I'm joined by political strategist Dorie Clark Ravi Perry a professor of political science at Clark University and Ted Widmer director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University and you can join the conversation at 8 7 7 3 0 1 0 8 0 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 seventy. We really want to hear from folks who voted for President Obama in 2008. How will you vote next year to wade in East Providence Rhode Hampshire New Hampshire Rhode Island. I'll get it. Wade from East Providence Rhode Island Go ahead please you're on the Calla Crossley Show. Hi how are you. Not bad you know on I I come from the generation of voters that their first time voting was Obama's election and you know we all got caught up in the whirlwind of speeches that he gave. And yes vacations are pretty high. Granted I think we've all learned a lot that

government doesn't vote and that many times than that. But this is too slow and it's slow to the point of incompetence. And I think that's what he is is showing that he's incompetent and he's not capable. But doing the things he promised he was going to do to the point of his foreign triumph. Like in the Arab Spring the enemy I don't think he deserves is that he doesn't deserve any of the credit for that because Nieto took the lead in that not us. He was not the one who killed bin Laden. Our Special Forces Granted he may have made the order but who's to say that George Bush wasn't wasn't enough for him at that I'm a George Bush supporter. I'd like to think of myself as a moderate moderate liberal but so where will you go this time on the ballot. What will you do see that the kind of terrifying thing because I was so caught up in what he promised and bussed in to the system and now that does not. I just

recently started to kind of get into Herman Cain and then these allegations are brought on him and it just it seems like a never ending cycle of someone being built up and then tore down again and then so I don't know you'll be you'll be taking a close look at everybody right now. Yeah. You can do. I mean that they call it that they're starting with Occupy Boston as well what does that mean. It almost seems like the most righteous thing to do. OK. If you only want to think that you know understand that until the power structure has changed that the corporate money doesn't want to give the power and I think that happens. Thank you very much wait for that insight I appreciate it. Let me just follow up with Wade's insight because there was a piece in The Boston Globe by Max Chelton He's a recent graduate of Tufts University and he has his article is titled Why are millennials infected with Obama apathy and is a couple points he makes in 2008 Obama was simply the right person at the right time. He quotes a tough

some more. Philip Valentine who worked on the campaign and then here's another piece. I believe Obama's biggest failing was allowing a culture of partisan bickering to grow and paralyze our national government said Tough junior John Levinson an international relations major. So a lot of young people quoted in this piece who are sort of reflecting what our caller Wade just had to say. Quick. Lightning Round response from you guys before we had to break the culture of political partisanship has been in full throttle before before these youngins were even born. There was a New York Times piece recently by Jonah Sarah talking about you know where did it start how do you trace it back he traced it to to the Bork hearings in 1907 and then you know very easily you can say all right that was the Democrats persecuting a Republican in. You know you move forward and throughout the entirety of the 1990s the Republicans were trying to do

character assassination on on Bill Clinton and everybody else. It's been going on for a long time. It is a shame that Barack Obama who campaigned on rising above it could not effectuate that change and and sort of you know viral in fact Congress to become as mature as he is. I think you could say it's a weakness of Obama's and that he has tried to stay above the fray in so many ways and so resiliently while everybody is throwing punches around him and it makes him look a little weak and a little bit helpless because you know kids don't do it. But nonetheless it's not Obama's fault. You can't blame the man for that. And it's a little naive to do so. Ted would more young people feeling Obama apathy and expressing what Wade said. How do you respond. Well I. I didn't agree with a couple Wade's points and I know his frustration is real but you know Obama did give the order to kill Osama bin Laden. And you know Bush did not I mean it's just a fact Obama was behind that operation. Secretary Gates

served both presidents said it was because of his call it EVER seen a president make and dado does deserve much of the credit but the United States is overwhelmingly the power behind NATO's. So I think it's quite fair to give Obama credit for leadership leadership from behind. But still leadership in Libya. So I think the young people should be patient it's hard for young people to be patient especially when you've been over promised something which I think maybe we all were but that's not the worst. To over promise is not as bad as July. And I think we need to hear more from him about the successes he has had I don't think he is described that effectively and I think we need a vision for the second term. We don't just reelect President automatically think we need him to step up and give a compelling vision. Probably will not be as compelling as what we heard in 2008 but still there's room for imagination and eloquence in some things we haven't heard. A long time from Robert Perry.

I teach this generation every day just had a class this morning talking about these issues sensually The problem is that most young people do not understand how the American government system works and functions. And they blame the president because that is the person who they presumably see and whom they vote for. What they don't understand is that the president has a host of responsibilities including being the leader of the party running I was in the executive office of the president in the White House and obviously for niggling A6 presumably successful relationships with leadership in Congress and so the discontent. I think is is is evident because of frankly of most young people's ignorance of how the American political process works. I think that if more were educated on what any president is able to do and is not able to do then the blame would be more spread not soley on any particular

president but also on Congress on the inability of the Supreme Court to address some of the issues in the legal arena which they could have address and they've chosen not to. Things like that and to this in that we view government in totality with the three branches of government I think we all will be better equipped to do be better judgers of what it is we find to be successful or not. All right more coming after the break. We're talking about President Obama can he win another term in the White House. We want to hear from voters who supported President Obama back in 2008. How will you vote next year. 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. And you can send us a tweet right to our Facebook page. We'll be back after this break. Keep your dial on the 9.7 WGBH. Coming.

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Morocco Cairo in Mexico City joined us here at the world. Coming up at 3:00 here on eighty nine point seven WGBH. You can support eighty nine point seven and pick up tickets to some great live events at the WGBH box site. And your contribution gets you more than just a night on the town. You'll also receive a whole year's worth of member benefits. Discounts are good at shops and restaurants all over New England. And the knowledge that you're helping to support the programs you depend on. It's all online at WGBH dot org slash box office. Welcome back to the Calla Crossley Show if you're just tuning in with the presidential election one

year away we're talking about President Obama this hour. We're assessing his presidency today. We're exploring his chances of winning another term. I'm joined by political strategist Dorie Clark Ravi Perry a professor of political science at Clark University and Ted Widmer director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. We're taking calls we really want to hear from folks who voted for President Obama in 2008. Are you going to vote for him again and if not why. 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 8 7 7 3 0 1 89 70. So let's go to Earl from New Hampshire you're on the callee Crossley Show Go ahead please. Hi. I don't really blame Obama about the economy because I realize he inherited a heck of a mess. Michael core with Obama is with his lack of progress on civil liberty. We saw a huge erosion of civil liberties under Bush and Obama has done very little to correct this I think. And in fact has made the

matter worse in many cases. The most recent example being the assassination of an American citizen. The guy was a terrorist but you don't get rid of him. And you get rid of him by arresting him trying. All right thank you both. Well thank you very much Earl for the call and again our guest to respond in just a minute but before let me take Steve's comment from Cambridge please go ahead please you're on the callee Crossley Show. Thanks for taking my call I just want to say you guys are a great alternative to us. WB You are. We'll take that. So I'm not sure which gentleman mentioned if the you know you're really not voting for an individual you're voting for a party and I think there's about over 24000 people change jobs when you're you know when you reelected president and it's all those individuals from the cabinet and some praise from places the you know the Supreme Court that you're voting for so it's really an ideology you know to know an individual going to blame Obama for a lot of these things is just not right

and I think if you're struggling like most of us are right now in America then you know that. The Republicans are going to help out. Thank you very much for the comment Ted. Let's first get your response to my first caller's comment which is about the civil liberties and how do you see that resonating with some folks who are unhappy with President Obama. Partially agree with that. I mean I think I don't know the particulars but you know obviously would be better to catch and try a suspected terrorist than to assassinate him. But you know not knowing the particulars makes it hard to weigh in on that maybe that was the only option. Guantanamo was not closed. We were expecting it would be but he has done some things he did close many of the secret prisons in Europe. And there's just been far greater transparency and accountability as president than under George W. Bush executive orders demanding secrecy were overturned and so he has done some impressive work in

civil liberties perhaps not enough. I mean there are other areas of liberal criticism I think you can say and many have said that the work on climate change and environment has been pretty unimpressive. I think that's true. But I agree with what the second caller said. You know we have two imperfect options we have a Democratic Party and a Republican Party and the nominee from each and I think if you're unhappy with the economy and. Government is responding to people that think the Democratic party probably has more imaginative solutions than just cutting spending which is basically the Republican platform. Ravi Barry So the second caller says we need to emphasize I think it was you who said it's the party not the president. Absolutely. And that's rare. We hear the head from from Americans who are active involved in politics. People have to remember that the results of any presidential administration

is a combination of yes and the president's leadership but also of their ability to work with Congress in Congress's ability to work with them. What we have had is a very strenuous relationship between President Obama and Congress. Post a Republican takeover in the House and really the same thing goes for his own. Democratic Party you know everyone knows that President Obama was much more liberal as a state senator much more liberal as a senator than he is today as president. States the perfect example of this not respecting the civil liberties but civil rights is you know what he's been able to achieve in the LGBTQ community and to some extent in the African-American community as well. These are not minor accomplishments. And his own evolution as it relates to just marriage equality as one example is an example of how he is working with the Democratic Party to kind of assure through systematic

change that that party has long been against as early as President Clinton who obviously signed the Defense of Marriage Act and of course now isn't actually against his own signature. You know and so when he's out of office and so what we find is that we are concerned not only about President Obama's ability to get re-election but we're also should be concerned about the people who are going to be joining him in the House and the Senate and what we should also be talking about in my opinion is encouraging people to be Coddington about their local representatives and their federal representatives who any president elect is going to have to work with those various levels of government. OK dory. Brought up a couple times by color so let's hear you weigh in on it. The Occupy movement. Some callers have gone as far as to say hey I'm just going to go hang out with those guys and now think about whether or not I want to engage in the process because I'm that disappointed. Is the Occupy movement in and of itself a good thing for

President Obama or a bad thing from a political standpoint. Well I think there's been an interesting narrative arc with Occupy Boston and Occupy Wall Street in all of its offshoots around the world. You know when I first started out people thought you know wait what what is this there is sort of this initial confusion you know who are these people they don't have goals they're all just sort of squatting somewhere and you know I think people were scratching their heads and then about a weekend all of a sudden the tide turned and people were like yes you know we we're we are now embracing democracy this is people taking to the streets. And so the coverage has been has been largely positive you know people think oh you know yes the citizen uprising is here we're finally doing something. And you know I am pleased I'm beginning to perceive a bit of a shift now. The weather is turning heads getting cold. There is just a story in the paper today about how homeless people are kind of OK. Think about the way pi ers I'm asking whether the movement itself is a good thing or a bad thing for President Obama politically.

Yes what I would say to that Cali is that there is this liminal moment and it needs to be seized. I think that it could be a good thing if if at this moment we are able to get the group somehow if someone is able to take a bit of leadership and steer it and say we want action we want these things let's do it. It can give Obama enough cover to actually be able to do something that would be great. What I suspect is going to happen is that it's going to stay disorganized it's going to get more disorganized people are going to get disgusted and it's going to fizzle out into nothing. And you think he should then therefore back away from it or. Or you don't know. You're you can tell right now. I think that at this point he is able if if there's a little cooperation from the occupiers to say oh look we have this sign of citizen discontent. Let's take action. Let's leverage it let's create something good from it. If he waits too long the moment is gone because the public is not going to stand for this kind of ruckus. Ted Widmer What do you think. It's a tough one for him I don't think you want to completely embrace it but it's a very interesting

one. But it you know whether another reason I wonder about it shelf life I think you know he does want to engage Wall Street he doesn't want to simply oppose Wall Street. I mean among other things. Donations from Wall Street. So I think we want a better strategy going forward. You know maybe the old model is OK but we need ideas from him some of which can come from Occupy Wall Street. You know I don't know if he wants to go you know literally Occupy Wall Street with them I mean I think you ask a president who want to come free to a degree. Despite what some of my liberal friends of the ivory tower might say I don't even qualify this takeover of various cities a movement by definition in sociological and political science terms it's not it doesn't have the structure the organization the objectives the goals to really call it move and I think to do so that really does a disservice. I think it does have a very important message that Obama should try to take advantage of while the

iron is hot so to speak once the weather turns it's cold. I have every doubt in the world that people are going to be sticking through these various tent protests in various cities around the world really now as the weather changes and so if it's not done honestly in the next couple weeks I think will be a missed opportunity. And I also think that you know it needs to. Needs to be better organized. One of the things that was can it harm him it can harm him because it's so disorganized. Everyone who is liberal had complaints and still do about the various things that were images and things that were said in the elements of the Tea Party rallies across the country. Well you actually see the exact same elements on the other side of the aisle of the Occupy effort that's going on nationwide and over the globe. And we find that the media is paying attention to those

extreme elements and that's because in terms of Occupy that's all they have to pay attention to because there is no objective there is no organization. There's no there's no method or purpose to what they're trying to do. Whereas the Tea Party they kind of got the message and then they sense have become better organized and lo and behold they're a force to be reckoned with. Last word during your advice to President Obama at this moment. My advice to President Obama is that starting now he needs to sit down with his policy team come up with three concrete objectives and keep hammering them home to people so they actually know what he's advocating for and what he stands for for the next term. He needs a vision and to say it clearly. Thanks very much we've been talking about President Obama with Dorie Clark you just heard are president of Clark strategic communications Robbie Parry professor of political science at Clark University. He's also president of listers Brandt and Ted Widmer joined us from Providence He's a director of the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University thank you all. You can keep on top of the Calla Crossley Show at WGBH dot org slash

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