Barack Obama has lost the Hamptons.
That sentence is a fat target for ridicule, I know, since the Hamptons are often reviled as the playground of the ridiculously rich and the promiscuously silly — hardly the working-class Democratic base. As is usually the case, there’s some truth to the stereotype, but enough exceptions to that rule to make the White House pay attention. The Hamptons is where the Democratic energy, money and intellectual firepower of Manhattan goes for R&R. It’s just not another beach.
Over the Labor Day weekend, I went to a number of events in the Hamptons. At all of them, Obama was discussed. At none of them — that’s none — was he defended. That was remarkable. After all, sitting around various lunch and dinner tables were mostly Democrats. Not only that, some of them had been vociferous Obama supporters, giving time and money to his election effort. They were all disillusioned.
Let me call the roll. I am talking about are writers and editors, lawyers and shrinks, Wall Street tycoons and freelance photographers, hedge funders and academics, run-of-the-mill Democrats and Democratic activists. They were all politically sophisticated, and just a year ago some of them were still vociferous Obama supporters. No more.
Frankly, I was surprised. The Hamptons are a redoubt of New York liberalism. It is to campaign money what the Outer Banks are to fishermen. I expected more than a few people to defend the president. No one did. Everyone — and I do mean everyone — expressed disappointment in him as a leader. In that area, they thought he was a bust. Some articulated detailed critiques — the nature of his stimulus program, for instance. They argued that more money should have gone into long-term infrastructure programs. Most, though, skipped the details and just registered dismay: Where had their “change” agent gone?
In general, Obama was faulted for lacking political skills. I have long held this view, citing just recently his refusal to take advantage of the Republican leadership’s desire to nickel-and-dime disaster aid and instead give them the gift of scheduling his jobs speech on the night of the GOP debate. Obama held out for an hour or two and then ordered a retreat — an epochal moment in weakness, confusion and brain-dead politics. From his grave, Lyndon Johnson wept.
It makes me sad, too. Oh wait, no it doesn’t. LOL!
i am having giggle fits in the great northwest, so many giggle fits. love it, they are seeing that he is an actor, and not a very good on either.
Disillusioned enough to vote other than Democratic or just disillusioned enough for idle cocktail chatter?
@NYGino:
I wonder the same thing. It’s like that scene in an Officer and a Gentleman:
” I have nowhere else to go!”
More rubes self-identify.
The Liberal Lament, by Skookum
They will hold their patrician noses,
even though they are held up so high
And pull that lever, that is Obama’s
Like cutting a fart with heart felt sigh
They will think curious thoughts
and be glad they could at least vote
against the Conservative onslaught
To keep Liberalism’s spawn afloat
And be so damned happy and glad
They didn’t need to give money again
To Obama broke down on ’08 launch pad
I Hope to Hell, we’re done with lame brain