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Health Care Battle Stymies Obama Campaign Machine

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Aug 10, 2009 9:18 AM CDT

(Newser) – Now that he’s in office, President Obama is having a lot of trouble mobilizing the grassroots network that helped put him there, the Los Angeles Times reports. With Republican health care opponents operating like a well-oiled, talk-show-fueled machine, Organizing for America (aka Obama for America) is stuttering—in part because its left-leaning members aren’t enthusiastic about Obama’s centrist health care goals.

During the campaign, “Obama's sexy, he was hot, and everybody wanted a piece of that,” said one organizer. “Now, people are going to have to work for something that is not quite as slick or sexy.” But some activists say they’re scaling down. “Grass-roots efforts are won at the doors, with neighbors talking to neighbors,” said a DNC spokesman, “not in front of news cameras with folks screaming.”

Obama Health Care supporter Keith Johnson of Saratoga Springs,N.Y. ,left, holds protest signs supporting government managed health care while talking with Werner Rentsch of Schoharie, N.Y.
Obama Health Care supporter Keith Johnson of Saratoga Springs,N.Y. ,left, holds protest signs supporting government managed health care while talking with Werner Rentsch of Schoharie, N.Y.   (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)
This July 14, 2008 file photo shows then Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., greeting supporters at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati.
This July 14, 2008 file photo shows then Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., greeting supporters at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati.   (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong,File)
Protestors hold signs at a rally  in Burlington, Vt., Tuesday, March 17, 2009.
Protestors hold signs at a rally in Burlington, Vt., Tuesday, March 17, 2009.   (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
SilenceDogood
Aug 11, 2009 11:53 AM CDT
well said
DontLikeYou___
Aug 10, 2009 9:25 AM CDT
Obama will never get above 50% approval rating the rest of his term because he is what many called him all along.... an empty suit.
Ucantusethatname
Aug 10, 2009 7:00 AM CDT
Too many foreign trips. Too many photo ops. Too many press conferences. Too many TV specials. Too many press conference interruptions. Americans do not want an arrogant, inexperienced, narcissist revolutionizing the nation's social programs--and certainly not within a few months of taking office. Only a retarded person and members of Congress believe that a national health care system could be paid for by decreasing costs.

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