Obama’s Decline Helps Lamberti’s Chances

BY BUDDY NEVINS

Barack Obama’s declining political fortunes are good news for Al Lamberti.

“The sheriff will definitely benefit from his (the president’s) unpopularity,” said pollster Jim Kane, a Browardbeat.com contributor.

Although politics is fluid, it is flowing against the president.  Obama is being dragged down by the poor economy…even in Broward.

The Republicans picked up a New York City congressional seat Tuesday that Democrats were favored to win by 10 points. What does it portend for Broward?

Nothing good for Dmocrats.

Democrats have already found a scapegoat for the disastrous defeat: Orthodox Jews.  Debbie Wasserman Schultz say they voted against Obama because they are upset with his policy on Israel.

Others are blaming the light turnout.   But wouldn’t Democratic voters have turned out if Obama was a stronger president?

Democrats Could Lose Broward?

Democrats in Broward are worried…very, very worried.

“We’re starting to wonder if we could actually lose Broward,” one leading Democrat said.

It has happened before.  In 1980.

The Democratic condo voters were at the height of their power. The Democrats had an incumbent in the White House – Jimmy Carter.

But it wasn’t enough. Ronald Reagan beat Carter in Broward by more than 80,000 votes.

Many Democrats say Obama is an echo of Carter.  Like Carter, Obama can’t accomplish much in Washington.  Like Carter, Obama can’t seem to repair the economy.  Remember the “misery index,”  the economic indicator combining unemployment and inflation that helped defeat Carter?

Democrats blame the Republican Congress for Washington’s troubles.  It doesn’t matter.  People want the president to lead. Obama looks powerless.

Voters in New York City believed that.  Their vote Tuesday was a warning to Broward Democrats: There is a lot of work to do.

Unless Obama rolls up a huge win in Broward, he loses Florida…and most likely, the nation.

The president won Florida  in 2008 after winning Broward by 255,000.  Repeating that margin now looks impossible.

I know Broward voters who are fed up with Obama.  They perceive it’s his fault that the economy has not gotten moving again. They voted for Obama last time. This time they are demoralized and may not vote.

Trouble for the Democrats can only help Lamberti.

The sheriff won last time by a few votes against an Obama landslide. Lamberti will do better with a weakened Obama on the ballot.

Will 2012 be like 1980?

Or will it be like 2008?

Right now I’d bet on 1980.  Or 1984…when a Reagan’s second win in Broward helped sweep Republican Sheriff Nick Navarro into office.



12 Responses to “Obama’s Decline Helps Lamberti’s Chances”

  1. City Activist Robert Walsh says:

    Sherif Lamberti for another term-God I hope not.Run Democrats run. To my Indepedants (like myself) get into the ball game. We cannot stomach this man for much longer. Go kiss Gov.Scotts bald head Al…

  2. Git R Done says:

    Lamberti is a lot better than Ken Jenne was, so what’s the big deal with the Democrats? Geez!

  3. Anti-Robert Walsh team says:

    oh no-more robert walsh? Ban him.

  4. Bob Adams says:

    President Obama is not to blame for the economy, or our national paralysis. However I have been seing shades of Jimmy Carter for a year. Obama, like Carter, is a good man who is adrift. He is still better than any of the Republican field; but he shold stand down in favor of Hillary
    Clinton!

  5. Likely story says:

    Wishful thinking buddy!

  6. Give Me A Break says:

    I agree with you Buddy…Lamberti will win, not because of the President but because the 2 D’s are horrible hill billy candidates..Lambertis has been recently above the fray and highly visibile

  7. Its a Miracle says:

    “The Republicans picked up a New York City congressional seat Tuesday that Democrats were favored to win by 10 points. What does it portend for Broward?

    Nothing good.”

    Very telling, Buddy. At one time you could have been called objective, maybe a Moderate, but your written words tell us that you are really in Obama’s camp, a shill for the Democrats. Notably, you did not write, “What does this portend for Broward Democrats?

    Nothing good.”

    Instead, because you think that Republicans can offer nothing good, you chose to write what you did. Subconsciously or on purpose, these are your true feelings on display for all to see. Admit your partisanship. Don’t “correct a simple typing mistake”. Let your words stand so all can see.

    FROM BUDDY:
    I meant “nothing good for Democrats” in the context of what was written. The entire piece is about that subject.

    But you make a good point. I added the words you suggested.

  8. Chip OffDaMarca says:

    Why don’t I Gov Scott to appoint Lamberti to something. Then, I’ll get Gov to appoint Tory Alston as Sheriff. That may not help Obama, but it may get the democrats to draw a nice redistricting map, right? It’s good to be the King(maker)

  9. Dem For Lamberti says:

    I support the Sheriffs re election. This should be a non partisan position.

    FROM BUDDY:
    State Rep. Jim Waldman, D-Coconut Creek, proposed that the sheriff be non-partisan. His proposal was killed by Democrats on the Broward Legislative Delegation.

  10. the real give me a break! says:

    Israel looks crazy and hires all folks who claim to have a lock on the community and people who are whores every 2 yrs during election. Same ol thing

  11. Smart Move says:

    The presidential election is more than a year away. A year in politics is a very long time. History offers countless examples. Here are a few:

    – Who gave Marco Rubio any chance of winning his US Senate seat a year before that election?

    – Who thought that Barack Obama could defeat Hillary Clinton in a Democratic Primary a year before that took place?

    – Who could have guessed on 9/10/01 that one day later Rudy Guiliani could suddenly become “America’s Mayor” and a presidential hopeful?

    – Who would have said a year ago that Hollywood would put pension reform on the ballot?

    – Who even heard of Rick Scott one year before he became Governor?

    Politics is fluid. Unpredictable. Much can change in 400 days. In fact the nation’s political mood has never been more unpredictable than it is right now. Anything can and likely will happen.

    For Obama things do not look good at the moment. However it’s a big risk to venture a guess about where that or any race will be a year from now.

    As to constitutional officers becoming non-partisan, Broward has failed to place that question before the voters in the form of a county charter amendment. As mentioned, State efforts have also failed. Those are the ways that come to mind for changing it.

  12. LEO for Al says:

    Sheriff Al Lamberti will win the next election because he has done a great job cleaning up the politics. He is a law enforcement officer, not a career politician. BSO is oen of the best forces in the nation partly due to the sheriff’s dedication in a poor economy.