STYMIED IN WASHINGTON OBAMA HITS THE ROAD: COLLEEN McCAIN NELSON
http://online.wsj.com/articles/stymied-in-washington-president-obama-hits-the-road-1405373909#printMode
With his legislative agenda stalled and his approval ratings at new lows, President Barack Obama has been spending more time in recent weeks away from the White House, traveling the country and cultivating the image of a pool-shooting, beer-drinking regular guy.
Midway through his second term, a six-year itch has set in as Mr. Obama increasingly has been talking about gridlock on Capitol Hill and the confines of the White House. His advisers say the president has “cabin fever,” and that he simply wants to be able to go for a walk.
The antidote has been a series of choreographed outings—among them eating a burrito bowl at Chipotle and picking up barbecue in Austin, Texas—aimed at connecting Mr. Obama with average Americans.
The outreach comes as Mr. Obama’s hope of passing any of his major legislative initiatives has faded. Against that backdrop, field trips could serve a dual purpose: boosting Mr. Obama’s spirits and potentially his popularity.
The strategy has the potential to backfire, though. Republicans have argued that he should be focused on a set of escalating foreign challenges and on immigration issues—not on fun excursions. GOP lawmakers and even some Democrats criticized the president for traveling to Texas last week but not going to the border.
President Obama, in an attempt to reach out to middle-class Americans, has been frequenting small town diners and socializing with young Americans at bars. Colleen McCain Nelson explains the strategy behind the presidents new ‘average Joe’ appearance. Photo: AP
Mr. Obama dismissed such second-guessing, saying a border visit would be just a “photo op”—though his trip to Colorado and Texas yielded images of the president playing pool in a brewery and greeting a man wearing a horse-head mask.
“The American people want to see the president not just in the Rose Garden or behind a podium,” said Anita Dunn, who previously served as Mr. Obama’s communications director. “It is important for presidents to feel as though they are not losing touch.”
The trips to meet with regular folks also show the president advocating for his agenda as he rails against Republicans for inaction. “It is lonely, me just doing stuff,” Mr. Obama said recently in Austin. “I’d love if the Republicans did stuff too.”
Mr. Obama spoke wistfully about the last time he went for a walk “unencumbered,” which he said was during the 2008 campaign.
A senior administration official said the president is aware of the challenge of staying connected to the public, and that he first broached the idea of spending more time away from Washington a few months ago. “He’s more interested than ever in getting out,” the official said.
In the past, Mr. Obama has made occasional stops at diners and other local attractions during the course of his presidential travels, but the outings have ramped up in the last several weeks. Mr. Obama started small, venturing out for a short walk from the White House to the Department of the Interior. He made an impromptu Starbucks run with his chief of staff, Denis McDonough. Soon, the White House was planning “Day in the Life” trips that had Mr. Obama spending time with people who had written him letters.
Most recently, he has been making unannounced stops for ice cream, pizza, burgers and a stroll down the street. The senior administration official said these interactions have energized the president. “He gets a kick out of surprising people,” the official said.
The Obama administration has employed this strategy before, launching a “White House to Main Street Tour” in late 2009 as part of an effort to put the president in touch with ordinary Americans.
Other Democrats said these forays into everyday life help humanize Mr. Obama but that, ultimately, they have a limited impact. “The fact that the president does shoot pool is a good thing,” said Democratic pollster Mark Mellman. “But is it going to send his approval rating from 40 [percent] to 60? No.”
“These are useful tactics…but the truth is, the president’s approval ratings aren’t going to go to 60 until circumstances change,” he said.
The president’s escapes from Washington also have highlighted the impasse he’s reached with GOP lawmakers.
The sharply partisan tone Mr. Obama once reserved for Democratic fundraisers now infuses official events. Largely absent from his speeches are suggestions that any sort of deals might be struck with Republicans.
“He’s given up all pretense now of working with Congress,” said Bert Rockman, a professor of political science at Purdue University. “He’s really frustrated with the environment he’s in. All presidents are, but this one is more than most.”
On the road, Mr. Obama’s exasperation has been palpable as he’s openly mocked Republicans’ plans to sue him for abusing his executive authority, and he’s challenged GOP lawmakers to “do something.”
Republicans have questioned how spending time with like-minded letter writers gives the president a better sense of public opinion. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) called on Mr. Obama to halt the “endless campaigning” and invited the president to meet with coal families in Kentucky.
“Mr. President: The campaign trips can wait,” Mr. McConnell said. “You’ve recently expressed an interest in hanging around middle-class Americans for a change. What I’m saying is: Here’s your chance.”
A spokesman for the minority leader said the White House hasn’t responded to the invitation.
The president plans to continue to visit average Americans this summer. William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former policy adviser to President Bill Clinton, said Mr. Obama will need to turn his attention back to Washington if there is any chance of accomplishing something substantive.
The request for emergency funds to stem the surge of children and families crossing the border illegally might provide an opportunity, Mr. Galston said.
For now, though, Mr. Obama has made clear that he’d prefer to spend time with people outside the Beltway. “What I’ve said to my team is, ‘Get me out of Washington,’ ” the president said during a recent fundraiser.
Write to Colleen McCain Nelson at colleen.nelson@wsj.com
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