‘Disconnected Obama’ needs to change conversation to help party in midterms

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Washington Post:

President Obama returns to Washington on Monday after a two-week vacation that was neither restful nor productive.

 

From the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., to the airstrikes in Iraq, the ongoing tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the execution of American journalist James Foley, it’s been a tough few weeks for the country — and for its leader.

 

Obama drew criticism from the left for not being forceful enough in speaking out on the fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson and from the right over the death of Foley and the rise of the militant Islamic State. Then there was the golf; nine rounds during his 16 days on Martha’s Vineyard, including a trip to the links immediately after his condemnation of Foley’s killers.

 

That series of events left the impression of a disconnected president, frustrated with both the expectations and the limitations inherent in being the nation’s leader at this moment in history.

 

It also led to worries — expressed privately — among Democratic party strategists that Obama’s seemingly long-view approach to international and domestic conflicts could spell doom for the party’s chances in the midterm elections, which are only about 10 weeks away.

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Obama's early retirement causes concern.