WASHINGTON (Reuters) — President Barack
Obama and his Democrats face the challenge of limiting fallout from
Obamacare and drumming up voter enthusiasm in the November congressional
elections, problem areas exposed by the loss of a Florida candidate who
had led in the polls.
The defeat of Democrat Alex Sink by Republican David Jolly in a
special election last Tuesday has raised anxiety levels for
Democrats as they struggle to hold on to control of the Senate in
November and pick up seats in the Republican-held House of
Representatives.
Paramount on the Democrats' list of concerns about November is the
need to ensure that voters feel motivated to go to the polls. Obama
won handily in presidential elections in 2008 and 2012, but
Democrats lost control of the House in the 2010 midterm elections,
when his name was not on the ballot.
The Florida race reflected turnout concerns, as Sink had been
leading in the polls in the days ahead of the election. But the
party did not get enough supporters to polling stations to take
advantage.
"If we'd had better turnout, we would have won. It's that simple,"
said Democratic Representative Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. "We
need to think about how to energize our base."
A focus simply on turnout, however, could distract party leaders
from recognizing the dangers presented by the president's healthcare
law and, with his approval rating mired in the mid-40s, his relative
unpopularity.
The Jolly victory has emboldened Republicans to press their case
hard against Obama's signature first-term achievement despite mixed
opinions about how big a factor the Affordable Care Act played in
the race.
Democrats are aware they will need to be careful in how to handle
the healthcare law, which had a disastrous rollout last October and,
months later, remains controversial in many respects.
Their strategy? Attack Republicans for wanting to repeal the law and
avoid getting stuck in a defensive crouch over it. "Never defend,
always attack," said Senator Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat who is set
to retire.
"People running for re-election are trying to figure out how they
are going to talk about it," he said. "Republicans have been good at
drilling down that message that it is bad."
White House officials and Democrats rejected Republican arguments
that the healthcare law was on the ballot in Florida. They say the
healthcare website is now functioning well, and that perceptions of
the law will change by November as more people sign up and enjoy its
benefits.
"It will improve in the public's mind because it is working, and it
will continue to work," said Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson.
That is not necessarily a universal view among the party's
supporters, however.
"My view is that Obamacare is a plus, eventually. Whether it will be
between now and November, I don't know," said Senator Angus King, a
political independent from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats.
Obama continues to face tough questions about the law. In a WebMD
interview published on Friday, he fielded concerns about the cost of
insurance under Obamacare, limits on doctors, and lingering
struggles with the website.
Obama used the interview to detail a comprehensive defense of the
law ahead of a key March 31 deadline for getting people signed up.
"On a daily basis, we're getting tens of thousands of people who are
signing up. We're able to monitor whether there are long wait times
on the website, whether things are getting stuck," Obama said.
Republicans see ample room to take advantage of what they feel are
weaknesses in Obamacare.
"I think it bodes really well for Republicans that the White House
continues to deny reality. Unfortunately for the vulnerable running
this year, President Obama can't unilaterally delay the November
election like he has parts of Obamacare," Republican National
Committee Chairman Reince Priebus told Reuters.
Problems with the president's healthcare law are part of a toxic mix
as politicians must also grapple with Americans grousing about the
job market and global instability presented by the Ukraine crisis.
"I think it's the lightning rod that sort of captures all the
animosity and bad feelings that Americans have about everything
else," said David Yepsen, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy
Institute and Southern Illinois University. "Obamacare has come to
symbolize something more than just healthcare. It's the general
dissatisfaction that people have."
White House officials see Obama as a critical factor in emphasizing
to Democrats the need to vote in elections in which his name will
not be on the ballot. A prolific fundraiser, the president is in the
midst of an active schedule of headlining events to raise money for
Democratic candidates. His next event is in Miami on Thursday night.
Obama will help frame the debate around economic issues, they said,
part of his drive to highlight the need to improve the quality of
life for the middle class and fault Republicans for blocking his
agenda.
While the White House is emphasizing the need for party unity, there
is a recognition that some endangered Senate Democrats in more
conservative states will put some distance between themselves and
the president.
Democrats are in search of the best way to talk about Obamacare on
the campaign trail.
A Democratic Party aide, speaking on the condition he not be
identified by name, said Senate Democrats received a memo from
pollster Geoff Garin in recent days alerting them of a poll taken in
conjunction with this week's Florida special election.
The poll found that "keeping parts" of the Affordable Care Act that
work and "fixing those that don't" drew higher numbers than "the
Republican message of repeal," the aide said, adding that this is
the message senators are urged to campaign on.
The aide said that "the potential larger issue is the president's
unpopularity. If it doesn't improve, you may see more Senate
Democrats shy away from him."
At a Senate Democratic retreat earlier this year, Obama said he
understood why some Democrats do not want to campaign with him, and
that he does not feel offended, said a Democratic senator asking not
to be identified by name.
The president made clear he will campaign in those states where he
can help rally support and get out the vote and will do what he can
to raise campaign funds, the senator said.
Republicans need to pick up six Senate seats in order to wrest
control of the 100-member chamber from Democrats. If they win the
Senate, Republicans would control Congress, which would give them
the ability to confound Obama's agenda for his remaining time in
office.
(Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan;
editing
by Caren Bohan and Gunna Dickson)
The defeat of Democrat Alex Sink by Republican David Jolly in a
special election last Tuesday has raised anxiety levels for
Democrats as they struggle to hold on to control of the Senate in
November and pick up seats in the Republican-held House of
Representatives.
