David Axelrod, one of the president’s top political strategists, made a statement on Fox Sunday morning that caused many to doubt his commitment to Barack Obama’s campaign (or, to doubt his abilities as a presidential strategist).
“The choice in this election is between an economy that produces a growing middle class, and that gives people a chance to get ahead, and their kids a chance to get ahead,
and an economy that continues down the road we’re on,” Axelrod said [emphasis added].
The president‘s detractor’s have pounced on Axelrod’s statement,
saying things like, “
@davidaxelrod‘s right: choice IS btwn growing economy vs continuing down down road we’re on…
#Axelrod4Romney,”
and, “Hi
@davidaxelrod, in your esteemed opinion, who exactly is to blame for ‘the road we’re on?’ The SITTING PRESIDENT perhaps?”
Conservative commentators have
noted that the president seems to be running a 2012 campaign similar to that of 2008, as though he has not been in office for the last several years.
In their estimation, Obama is running against “the system” and a “lame duck congress,” among other things, as a distraction for the growing national debt and unemployment numbers that are not as low as promised.
The charge against the president’s campaign, however, is not so literal as to imply that the opposition literally wants to convince the public that we are in 2008. It seems Axelrod may have gotten carried away, since “the road we’re on” has been set by his own president for nearly four years.
Axelrod didn’t technically endorse Romney, but many
speculate that his comments will reappear in many Romney campaign ads!
Erica Ritz
