Whatever happens Tuesday in New Jersey and Virginia, that doesn’t necessarily reflect on President Obama, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today.
Gibbs reminded reporters that Democrats won in both states in 2001 when Republican President George W. Bush had just taken office. At that time, Bush was at the height of popularity following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
But on Nov. 6, 2001 Democrat Mark Warner (now a U.S. senator) was elected in Virginia and Democrat Jim McGreevey won in New Jersey.
“I don’t think anybody thought President Bush was significantly hampered by that … Whatever the results are I don’t think they portend a lot in dealing with the future,” Gibbs said during the briefing.
“We continue to take the long view on what’s going on in Washington and in the country,” Gibbs said.
“We’ll have time to dissect” the results after Tuesday, he said.
TPMDC hears that Obama is planning to be out of town on Wednesday at an event in the middle of the country.