In Wednesday’s White House briefing, press secretary Josh Earnest told ABC News’ Jon Karl that some blame will lie at President Obama’s feet if Democrats lose control of the Senate. According to Earnest, “the president will get at least his share of the blame, whether that’s deserved or not,” while adding Obama will get credit if, on the flip side, Democrats end up victorious and hold on to control of the upper chamber of Congress.
Jon Karl: A lot of people are predicting things are going to turn out badly for Democrats. You’re a little more optimistic on this. I’m just asking if you turn out to be right does that show — the president has said that it’s his policies that are on the ballot. The president has said that these are candidates who have supported him in Congress. If you do better than expected, won’t that show that there’s support for the president’s policies?
Josh Earnest: Only because you so cleverly asked this question will I do my best to indulge it. What I will say is this: I am confident that if Democrats are able to hold on to the majority in the United States Senate that there will be plenty of credit to go around. And I think that somebody like the president who has made an aggressive case for policies that benefit middle class families that so many Democrats support, I am confident that the president will get his fair share of credit for that.
I am also confident that if things don’t turn out the way we hope and expect that the president will get at least his share of the blame, whether that’s deserved or not, that will have to be determined by someone else. You have certainly observed these election cycles more than I have over the years. And I think that we would agree that whoever is sitting in the Oval Office at the time of these elections take place gets some credit for the success and at least as much of their share of the blame if they don’t go the way that that person hopes. And there is a long track record of that in American political history and I am sure it will continue this year.
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[h/t: RCP]