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Voters Punished Obama, Dems for Going Deaf

Election should be a wake-up call for out-of-touch White House

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 6, 2009 5:19 AM CST

(Newser) – The Democratic Party should view its walloping in Tuesday's election as an opportunity to start listening before it's too late, writes Peggy Noonan. The Democrats have been focusing on the wrong issues since they gained power last year and that explains the huge swing to the Republicans in Virginia and New Jersey, Noonan writes in the Wall Street Journal, dismissing the New York special election as "too messy."

Voters care a lot more about the impact the recession is having on their lives than about any big health-care package, writes Noonan, a fact that appears to have passed President Obama and his yes-men by. "What happened Tuesday isn't a death knell, but it is a fire alarm," Noonan writes. "Something's wrong, fix it, change course. Show humility. Bow to the public."

[Images (1)]

[Quotes (2)]

President Barack Obama listens to a question while attending the White House Tribal Nations Conference yesterday. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

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This White House has gotten bad at listening. It paid the price for that on Tuesday. - Peggy Noonan

Both states hired new governors. The good news for the GOP is that they hired Republicans. The bad news is that if the Republicans don't make progress, they'll fire them too. - Peggy Noonan

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 11 comments

Derni

Nov 7, 2009 12:56 PM CST

Stress should be on Health Care-Economy-and getting our troops back-everything else-unless life threatening- should be on the back burner.

AdaptAndOvercome

Nov 6, 2009 12:16 PM CST

Noonan is a moron. Caring about economic issues and not Health Care...one goes hand in hand with the other moron. If you can't pay for health care and have high health care bills...you have nothing to contribute to stimulate the economy. What did she do..go to the Sarah Palin school of logic. REPUBLICAN SPIN isn't it great...they win 2 governors seats by default and they think they've accomplished great things. Remember the congressional seats (2) THEY WENT TO DEMOCRATS, one that HAD BEEN Republican since 1872. REPUBLICANS NEED TO GET A CLUE...ALL THE SPINING THAT THEY ARE DOING HAS GOT TO BE MAKING THEM DIZZY.

riffran

Nov 6, 2009 12:07 PM CST

and THAT is the very reason both sides lose at one time or another...either complacency or arrogance.....the PEOPLE can be a fickle prospect......

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Wall Street Journal (Source Grid »)

Politics • Health

Jon Corzine • recession • Republican Party • health care reform • Peggy Noonan • Democratic candidates • Obama administration • President Obama • election day November 2009

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Voters Punished Obama, Dems for Going Deaf