AMAC Exclusive – By Andrew Abbott
![Obama](https://static-asset.amac.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/28062905/Obama-harris.jpg)
Earlier this month, former presidential and U.S. Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke easily cruised to the Democratic nomination for Governor of Texas. However, with O’Rourke currently polling nearly 10 points behind incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott, it seems that the political career of a man once touted as “the future of the Democratic Party” may now be on life support. O’Rourke’s fall from grace is significant not only because it is indicative of a looming electoral disaster for Democrats this fall, but also because Beto represents, arguably, the last “heir to the Obama coalition.”
Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign achieved mythic status within the Democratic Party and the national media. His 2008 and 2012 victories were hailed as a new Democratic majority that would dominate politics for the next century. His ascendency was seen as proof that a progressive message could bring together a diverse coalition of voters that could win national elections. As for the man himself, shortly after his inauguration, Evan Thomas, the editor at large for Newsweek Magazine, said Obama was “standing above the country, above the world, he’s sort of God.” And the media wonder why conservatives think they are biased (and often just plain looney tunes).
This glowing coverage and rhetoric from the media defined the Obama era. In many ways his presidency itself was a media creation. Even as his popularity declined and he stumbled on the national stage, the press continued to extol Obama as a divine figure. Though his reputation has soured with many Democrats in recent years as the party moved leftwards – even the once-darling of the left could not escape the clutches of cancel culture entirely – the media continued to embrace the mythology of his campaign and coalition.
Following former President Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, Democrats and the media scrambled to anoint an “Obama 2.0” that would deliver the country from the supposed evils of President Trump. This candidate would recreate the “magic” of 2008 and 2012 and reinvigorate the party for decades to come.
Arguably, the first and most celebrated of those candidates was Beto O’Rourke. In 2018, the three-term Texas Congressman resigned his seat and raised almost $80 million to challenge incumbent Senator Ted Cruz in one of the most expensive Senate races in history. Fundraisers said of the candidate, “He’s Barack Obama, but white.” His “youthful energy” and “optimism” were all favorably compared to Obama. He told Democrats nationwide that one need not hide their liberal views to win traditionally Republican states. The courage to be openly progressive was a winning strategy, he insisted.
Then he lost the election.
Yet the mainstream media and Democrats were far from done with him. Similar narratives emerged about other 2020 Democratic primary candidates as well. Beto was joined by Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris as the most prominent supposed inheritors of Obama’s legacy. At some point in the 2020 campaign season, each one was anointed “the next Obama.” Each of them received glowing media coverage and flattering profile pieces. Ironically, one high-profile article proclaimed Kamala as “the next Obama” for her “deft vivisection of Joe Biden.” Meanwhile, Beto was memorably featured on the cover of Vanity Fair with the headline: “I want to be in it. Man, I’m just born to be in it.”
Yet something strange was happening despite all the positive coverage: on average, none of these candidates ever polled above 15% even with Democratic primary voters. The support from the mainstream media wasn’t helping them. In fact, in some cases, it appeared to be hurting their presidential prospects. Only two months after the glamorous Vanity Fair cover story, Beto apologized for the interview and said he “regretted” being on the front page. Fittingly enough, the man most dismissed by mainstream coverage was the one to carry the day. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the man dubbed the “Jeb Bush of 2020,” defeated all the Obama heirs.
The media’s failure to pick the “next Obama” appears to largely stem from their inability to understand the last Obama. Before the media decided in 2016 that “populism” was inherently rooted in “white supremacy,” “nativism,” and “xenophobia,” populism was central to Obama’s 2008 victory. He was largely dismissed as “inexperienced” and “too naive” to become president. It was former Senator and First Lady Hillary Clinton whom the media and Democratic establishment thought was the obvious choice for the White House. Obama embraced populist policies like amending NAFTA, proscribing lobbying activities, and heavily criticizing Wall Street. Sadly, as one National Review correspondent put it, “all statements from Barack Obama come with an expiration date. All of them.” Obama soon proved to be as much a creature of the Washington political class as anyone else he shared a stage with in 2016.
Should Beto lose the Governor’s race this fall – which seems more likely by the day – he will have lost a major race in all of the past three election cycles. All told, Beto’s races have cost Democrats over $100 million (and counting – and that’s before the end of the Texas Governor’s race). Pete Buttigieg raised over $100 million in 2020 alone. Booker raised $25 Million, and Harris raised almost $10 million (and vastly more has been spent boosting her political profile by the Biden campaign and DNC). That means that, by the end of this year, the Democratic Party will likely have spent over a quarter of a billion dollars in frivolous attempts to find an heir to the “Obama Coalition”—all of whom have been roundly rejected by the voters. In their defense, each of these candidates garnered rapt media attention at various points. Yet none realized that what they were chasing was only a mirage. Kamala still seems unaware.
The Obama coalition was diverse in more ways than just race. Obama’s 2008 campaign attracted moderates. 49.5% of his voters were over the age of 45, and 70% were Christian. According to most polls, the current Democratic Party base of support is far more white, educated, and elitist than the one which elevated Obama to the White House. That diverse coalition of moderates who are sick and tired of business as usual in Washington still does exist. They’re just not Democrats anymore.
Andrew Abbott is the pen name of a writer and public affairs consultant with over a decade of experience in DC at the intersection of politics and culture.
ALL CANCEROUS TUMORS AND THE ENEMY OF OUR NATION
Hey Texas residents. I live in Georgia but love Texas. Please campaign and keep that idiot o’Rourke out of the Governor’s office you don’t need him.
“…the political career of a man once touted as “the future of the Democratic Party” may now be on life support.”
-How appropriate! I might add what future?
This guy ate magic dirt from New Mexico for his last race. Yeah, no one in their right mind votes for him.
the beginning of racial difficulties and hate were a birth mark of the obama administration and it has over flown into puppet biden. We need to go back to Christian believes, we are all created equal. We desperately need to change communist Washington and go back to being a Constitutional believer.
What the Democrats have proven over and over is that they are unified fighters. IMO they are much better fighters than the GOP. They fight hard and their tactics are NOT the Marquess of Queensberry Rules! So the fact that Bozo O’Rourke is behind in the polls is almost meaningless! Don’t be complacent!
Every one of the humanoids mentioned are filthy, corrupt, venal and fascist in nature. I shudder when considering the type of voters so blind as to support them.
I don’t see how anyone with half a brain could possible vote for these people–Democrats that is–they constantly lie and ram their viewpoint / agenda down our throats, and we’re expected to go along with it otherwise were unpatriotic or racist.
The problem is that a good forty to forty five percent of the nation keeps drinking the Kool-Aid, even when we can prove that the Democratic party is responsible for just about all of our country ills’.
The Dem’s were the party for slavery, yet black voters continue to vote for them. The Dem’s actually had members of Congress in the klu klux klan, yet when you listen to them talk you would think it was the other way around.
The Democratic party is like a used car salesman or a sleazy ambulance chasing lawyer. They say one thing and then do another, everything that goes wrong is your fault but if things go right, they take all the credit. They constantly talk out of both sides of their mouth, and more often than not, talk out of their @sses.
I seriously doubt if that forty to forty five percent of the American people that vote Dem will ever wake up and quit buying into their garbage.
The democrats are evil and they can’t do anything without lying,killing or whatever they can buy from the American people.Evertime a democrat gets in office they destroy all that is good for the people.The American people that vote for democrats are evil and need to be shipped to china.
Honestly, any Democrat in the WH or Congress is a clear and present danger to the wellbeing of the country and its people. That half the country still votes for Democrats over and over again just testifies to the gullibility and ignorance of half the country.
“Beto, Booker, Kamala & Pete”… four failed wannabe’s. Kamel-ah has shown her inept “leadership” hourly since she was selected as VP by some rather dense human beings. Booker? I read somewhere that he’s still hanging out in the men’s restrooms looking for someone to impress. Beto and Pete?! Eh, laughable at best. Incompetent and irrelevant but at least they all fill a chair when they’re “available”. Nah, we now have the most corrupt and screwed up executive guv’ment in my long, long life. There is no “leadership” found in any of those folks mention, including Biden… but hey, it’s what our country wanted… or so I’m reminded daily when I wake up and after tuning to the news realize (yet again) that biden’s still plopping his soiled, adult diaper covered arse on the oval office chair.
Nah, we need a change. Ol’ slow joe most definitely needs one…
MAGA2024! TRUMP2024!
FJB! LET’S GO BRANDON!
Let’s not forget…John McCain was leading Obama by close to 10 points THE WEEK BEFORE THE FINANCIAL COLLAPSE of 2008. When the bottom fell out, the party in office took the blame. The MSM conveniently buried the fact that the collapse was largely due to the Democrat inflicted policy forcing banks to give home loans to unqualified buyers. When thousands of those loans, tanked, they took the market with them. McCain may not have been the greatest candidate, but he lost due to nothing he had control over…not to mention due to nothing done by then-candidate Obama.
It is time for this country to put term limits on each and every representative, senator for two terms and I hate to say this age limits on them including President and Vice President. This country and the world has changed and its time for us to change.
Let the Marxists keep pouring money into failed campaigns. Maybe at some point they will run out of funds!
the Marxist Brothers
As today’s so-called Democratic Party keeps shifting to the Far Left, the Middle and Lower Class Americans realize that their lives will clearly turn towards “servitude to a crazy ruling class of power hungry czarist wannabes!” . . . No thanks!
Once all of the facts are allowed to come out about the 8 years from bho, he will be considered the most corrupt president in our entire history. Harding won’t be able to hold a candle to bho.
Andrew: You state: “Obama’s 2008 campaign medium.com/@ThirdWayTweet/9-surprising-facts-about-the-obama-coalition-92cab3d1c21b attracted moderates. 49.5% of his voters were over the age of 45, and 70% were Christian”. This is false. Pew States: “In2008, 26% of white evangelicals voted for Obama as did 75% of the religiously unaffiliated”!
these misfit dumos are just as dopey as their obozo
What a lot of Americans don’t realize is that Obama is still running this country, not Biden. He and his treasonist co-horts have a Shadow Government that undermine the American way of life. Count George Soros and his family in on this. They are Hell bent to destroy the United States and rule by socialism and/or anarchy. If Americans don’t wake up soon, our lives will never be the same.
The clown car that is now the Democratic Party as far as I am concerned is on life support. They remind me of the Keystone Cops running around bumping into each other constantly spewing nonsense and going nowhere. I feel that listening to Dem’s talk to long your IQ can drop significantly, especially when Biden tries to talk, I mean mumbles to explain anything. One thing about a Democratic Republic at least recently, it does not guaranty smart people in office. I rest my case!!! MZ
What’s a Beto?
He’s a complete idiot! Don’t understand how he’s only 10 points behind.
Let’s just call him Beta-male
In reality Obama was all talk & he NEVER walked the walk & I agree Obama is/was nothing but a ” mirage ” from day one as MSM pushed his FALSE persona & they still think Biden has those progressive qualities, (?) not a chance…
Beto O’Rourke, what a beauty, he doesn’t stand a chance of becoming governor of the local animal rescue center, unless the Dems cheat again that is…
Now onto Gov. Greg Abbott: How’s that wall coming governor? I’m inclined to think Abbott has always been a closet RINO & I will leave it at that for now as the Texas border continues to be flooded with illegal immigrants from around the globe, 24/7, i.e. WIDE OPEN & not only walking in, but being flown into the Texas military bases as well, then bussed and/or flown around the nation in the middle of the night with unannounced flight plans before landing…Lest we forget, Virginia is still receiving 2000 Afghani immigrants per month… Now that VA is a RED state, could that possibly have anything to do with this ‘gift’ from the Biden administration?
Bill… :~)
All of the 4 actual stooges
Diversity is not much of a measure of popularity or merit.
They just never learn! It never occurred to them that not that many people want what they are offering. Obama’s reign was all based on hype; then when he got a Nobel Peace Prize just for being a black President. The attack on our country started immediately. Many democrat voters are voting that way because that’s how they always voted. My 90 year old dad does it because he’s old union and still thinks the democrat party is the “working man’s party”. Not any more.
Mr. Abbott invites us to a summary of some of the Democrats ‘finest’ minds in their party in the article “The Obama heirs that weren’t”. Continually embarrassing, insipid, and shallow, they have nothing to say when held next to Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, or Madison. In the process of becoming wise in their own eyes, the Democrats have become fools.
Hussain , his he-she , Beto , Harris , Pete , Booker ,,,,, these are only a few of the asswipe , liberal , ingrown degenerates of the democratic party. Hussain and his he-she should just go back to the forest and swing their life away and these other Socialist nitwits are a disgrace to hold a seat in OUR government !!
Remember all these nitwits in the aforementioned article are products of our liberal
educational system. I think that sums it up to the max…..
I look forward to these idiots running for President… after COVID and Bumbling Joe, I need a good laugh!
All of them put together could not run this country, they are a disaster waiting to happen.
It doesn’t matter what Country, State, County, Municipality, or School District you are talking about, “People Get the Government they Deserve”!!!
I can’t wait for November!
ALL CANCEROUS TUMORS AND THE ENEMY OF OUR NATION
Hey Texas residents. I live in Georgia but love Texas. Please campaign and keep that idiot o’Rourke out of the Governor’s office you don’t need him.
“…the political career of a man once touted as “the future of the Democratic Party” may now be on life support.”
-How appropriate! I might add what future?
This guy ate magic dirt from New Mexico for his last race. Yeah, no one in their right mind votes for him.
the beginning of racial difficulties and hate were a birth mark of the obama administration and it has over flown into puppet biden. We need to go back to Christian believes, we are all created equal. We desperately need to change communist Washington and go back to being a Constitutional believer.
What the Democrats have proven over and over is that they are unified fighters. IMO they are much better fighters than the GOP. They fight hard and their tactics are NOT the Marquess of Queensberry Rules! So the fact that Bozo O’Rourke is behind in the polls is almost meaningless! Don’t be complacent!
Every one of the humanoids mentioned are filthy, corrupt, venal and fascist in nature. I shudder when considering the type of voters so blind as to support them.
I don’t see how anyone with half a brain could possible vote for these people–Democrats that is–they constantly lie and ram their viewpoint / agenda down our throats, and we’re expected to go along with it otherwise were unpatriotic or racist.
The problem is that a good forty to forty five percent of the nation keeps drinking the Kool-Aid, even when we can prove that the Democratic party is responsible for just about all of our country ills’.
The Dem’s were the party for slavery, yet black voters continue to vote for them. The Dem’s actually had members of Congress in the klu klux klan, yet when you listen to them talk you would think it was the other way around.
The Democratic party is like a used car salesman or a sleazy ambulance chasing lawyer. They say one thing and then do another, everything that goes wrong is your fault but if things go right, they take all the credit. They constantly talk out of both sides of their mouth, and more often than not, talk out of their @sses.
I seriously doubt if that forty to forty five percent of the American people that vote Dem will ever wake up and quit buying into their garbage.
The democrats are evil and they can’t do anything without lying,killing or whatever they can buy from the American people.Evertime a democrat gets in office they destroy all that is good for the people.The American people that vote for democrats are evil and need to be shipped to china.
Honestly, any Democrat in the WH or Congress is a clear and present danger to the wellbeing of the country and its people. That half the country still votes for Democrats over and over again just testifies to the gullibility and ignorance of half the country.
“Beto, Booker, Kamala & Pete”… four failed wannabe’s. Kamel-ah has shown her inept “leadership” hourly since she was selected as VP by some rather dense human beings. Booker? I read somewhere that he’s still hanging out in the men’s restrooms looking for someone to impress. Beto and Pete?! Eh, laughable at best. Incompetent and irrelevant but at least they all fill a chair when they’re “available”. Nah, we now have the most corrupt and screwed up executive guv’ment in my long, long life. There is no “leadership” found in any of those folks mention, including Biden… but hey, it’s what our country wanted… or so I’m reminded daily when I wake up and after tuning to the news realize (yet again) that biden’s still plopping his soiled, adult diaper covered arse on the oval office chair.
Nah, we need a change. Ol’ slow joe most definitely needs one…
MAGA2024! TRUMP2024!
FJB! LET’S GO BRANDON!
Let’s not forget…John McCain was leading Obama by close to 10 points THE WEEK BEFORE THE FINANCIAL COLLAPSE of 2008. When the bottom fell out, the party in office took the blame. The MSM conveniently buried the fact that the collapse was largely due to the Democrat inflicted policy forcing banks to give home loans to unqualified buyers. When thousands of those loans, tanked, they took the market with them. McCain may not have been the greatest candidate, but he lost due to nothing he had control over…not to mention due to nothing done by then-candidate Obama.
It is time for this country to put term limits on each and every representative, senator for two terms and I hate to say this age limits on them including President and Vice President. This country and the world has changed and its time for us to change.
Let the Marxists keep pouring money into failed campaigns. Maybe at some point they will run out of funds!