President Obama?s reelection campaign is struggling, as his once loyal fan base has begun to turn its back on him. It began when labor leaders criticized the White House for what they perceived to be a failure on the administration?s part to come to the defense of unions. Now, MTV ? the network which last October hosted a youth town hall meeting called ?A Conversation with President Obama? ? has denied a request by Obama?s reelection campaign to help the President connect with American youth.
Though MTV claims it does not wish to be involved in political campaigns, it has long had a reputation for pushing a political agenda. A Conversation with President Obama is a prime indicator of just how political the station could be, and the Rock the Vote campaign was a long and popular one for the network.
Likewise, MTVs website features a section entitled, Think MTV, where visitors can get informed, get heard and take action on the issues that matter to you most. Causes featured in this section include what MTV has dubbed modern-day slavery, which, according to the site, is as follows:
Modern-day slavery, also referred to as human trafficking, occurs in labor markets and can be found everywhere, from the food you eat to the clothes you wear; it can also be found in the commercial sex industry, with pimps exploiting girls as young as 12. All of this is happening in the U.S., in our backyard. As overwhelming as that can be, the power to end it is within our reach.
On that same page, MTV interviews performer Demi Lovato and asks her what she would do if she were U.S. President for a day.
Additionally, Girl Ups teen reporter Sofia Stafford recently visited the Clinton Global Initiative where topics such as green jobs, global events, and sexual health are addressed and later reported on her experience on MTVs website.
According to Buffy Wicks, who runs Obamas “Get Out the Vote” campaign, high unemployment among millennials could potentially turn young voters off to the President.
Analysts say that MTVs denial of the Get Out the Vote campaigns request is an indication of a growing problem for Obamas reelection campaign.
President Obamas chief political adviser, David Axelrod, admits that Obamas road to reelection is a Titanic struggle, and concedes that the President does not have the wind at his back. The Blaze writes, Axelrod shared his stark assessment on the next election with a crowd of New Hampshire politicians and business leaders Tuesday morning.
At the National Press Club on May 20, AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, a close ally of the Obama administration, issued a subtle threat to Democrats:
You can be a friend and make a mistake once in awhile. And we can forgive you for that mistake. The difference is this: that were not going to spend precious resources helping candidates that dont stand up and help us.
In June, Trumka made a similar assertion:
I have a message for some of our “friends.” For too long, we have been left after Election Day holding a canceled check, waving it about [and saying,] “Remember us? Remember us? Remembers us?” asking someone to pay a little attention to us. Well, I dont know about you, but Ive had a snootful of that s***.
Also in June, First Lady Michelle Obama confessed that she believed her husband’s reelection campaign would be a long and difficult one.
In 2010, Peter Brown of the Wall Street Journal predicted that Obamas reelection would be difficult based on the data acquired from the census. He wrote:
Of course, no one knows what the political environment will be in 29 months, but the 2010 Census is certain to change the Electoral College math in a way that will favor the Republicans. Should the president roll up the popular vote majority that he did in 2008, the new scorecard for 2012 wont make a difference come Election Day.
Meanwhile, Rasmussen Report polls show that against any generic Republican contender, President Obama is in a near tie.
