Frogs Notice Scorpion on Back

So you're a politician and you're having a hard time motivating your supporters. What do you do? Barack Obama has decided to scold them:

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Obama made a point to argue — “with intensity and passion, repeatedly stabbing the air with his finger” according to the magazine — that his followers in 2008 must not stay home this year.

“It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election,” Obama said.

In fact, the President now has doubts that his followers are serious:

Whatever complaints they might have about climate change or other issues, Obama said, it is “just irresponsible” that some Democrats and progressives were lacking enthusiasm for the election.

“If people now want to take their ball and go home that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place,” he said. “If you're serious, now's exactly the time that people have to step up.”

No word on whether he came up with this theory on the golf course. Sorry, that was too easy. Still, you can tell that there's something amiss. The followers aren't so keen on following:

“I think it is a remarkably condescending message,” said Darcy Burner, the executive director of ProgressCongress.org and the Progressive Congress Action Fund.

“The fact that they are frustrated and discouraged has as much to do with the rhetoric coming out of the White House as anything else,” she said. “And this is the latest example of that.”

Then there's this:

Progressive blogger Jane Hamsher was harsher in her criticism of Obama. “This isn’t about GOTV,” she wrote on her blog. “It’s about setting up a narrative for who will take the blame for a disastrous election. And once again, the White House doesn’t care if they make matters worse in order to deflect responsibility from Obama….”

She said Obama was engaged in “setting up a fall guy for November. The headline should really read: Obama Distances Himself From Democratic Voters.”

Well, Jane -- may I call you Jane? -- if blaming George W. Bush is getting old, the President needs someone else to blame, and that would be you. Congratulations on learning an important lesson: never go into battle with a leader who shoots the wounded.