The Free Beacon’s Ellison Barber said President Obama is "toxic" to Democrats in an interview Tuesday.
"Obama is toxic for Democrats in this election, and everyone seems to recognize that except for the White House," Barber said.
Democratic incumbents including Sens. Mary Landrieu (La.) and Mark Pryor (Ark.) continue to distance themselves from the president and his policies, as his approval ratings sink to all-time lows. But during an interview with MSNBC on Monday, Obama callously reiterated that his policies are on the ballot this election, proving his obliviousness to his administration's failure.
Barber elaborated that Obama’s toxicity is similar to that of former President George W. Bush during the 2006 midterm elections.
"They seem to know [Obama] is not valuable in terms of showing up in the states because he did fundraising, but in terms of campaigning, he hasn't done that for the senate races--only in a few gubernatorial races," Barber said. "And in 2006, President Bush was toxic."
Unlike the Obama White House, Bush understood the negative impact he would have on incumbent Republicans running for re-election. "[Bush] acknowledged that, and made a joke of it and left it there," Barber said.
Barber said Democratic candidates are already at a disadvantage this November, as midterm voters are traditionally older and more conservative. Obama’s refusal to abandon incumbent Democrats’ campaigns is adversely impacting his administration’s agenda.
"In October, when he said the policies are on the ballot that was a big mistake and the fact [Obama administration officials] don't realize it is a mistake is a problem," she said.