Area Dems see opportunity for Obama at DNC

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September 6, 2012

Area Dems see opportunity for Obama at DNC

By JOE MAHONEY Staff Writer The Daily Star Thu Sep 06, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

Local Democratic activists said Wednesday they expect President Barack Obama will focus on his achievements when he takes center stage tonight at the Democratic National Convention and will avoid taking any strong swipes at GOP challenger Mitt Romney.

Otsego County Rep. Gary Koutnik, D-Oneonta, one of the New York delegates at the convention in Charlotte, N.C., said a speech focused on Obama's leadership in bringing about health care reform and the economic stimulus package would spell trouble for the Republican Party.

Obama, he said, has the potential to "come out of this with a big advantage -- and move this from a deadlocked race to one where he pulls ahead."

Koutnik said he expects Obama will amplify points made by First Lady Michelle Obama to the convention crowd Tuesday night -- and keep the tone positive rather than attempting to rough up the GOP ticket of Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan.

"There are a lot of surrogates on the campaign who can do that for him," said Koutnik, a retired school administrator serving his first term as an Otsego County lawmaker. "All (Obama) needs to do to win is have a good defense. If he doesn't have to go on the offense, that would be fine with me."

Carol Franklin, the first vice chairwoman of the Chenango County Democratic Committee, said she believes Obama will likely discuss his efforts to stimulate the economy during a time of recession and high unemployment.

"He's been doing his best," she said, "but they (the GOP in Congress) have been bound and determined to make him a one-term president, and they haven't given him a chance."

She also contended that Obama's personal story will have far wider appeal to American voters than that of Romney, who grew up in affluence.

Obama, she said, "has a grasp of what the common person has to go through -- as opposed to a person who has been born into money."

As for tonight's speech, Franklin said, "I would hope he would talk about the health care plan. I'm past my child-rearing years, but I think women should have the right to decide what goes on with their bodies. I don't like what the other side is proposing for that."

Cooperstown Democratic Committee Chairman Rich Abbate said he expects Obama will get "a big bounce" in his poll numbers from his convention appearance.

"I think he needs to stay on the up-mode," said Abbate, contending the nation is "much better off than we were four years ago."

Abbate said Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who spoke at the Democratic convention Tuesday night, was particularly effective in ripping Romney's governorship of the Bay State. At last week's GOP convention, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie was cast in a similar warm-up role, but though "he didn't have much to say about Romney, he had a lot to say about himself."

Joining the convention crowd today will be New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Dozens of groups opposed to the natural gas drilling method known as horizontal hydraulic fracturing have sponsored an ad slated to run today in the Charlotte Observer, warning Cuomo that his support of hydraulic fracturing will threaten any chance he has to be president.

Adrian Kuzminski, the moderator of Sustainable Otsego and a registered Democrat, said the ad will ramp up the pressure on Cuomo at a time when he is believed to be on the verge of approving fracking in New York.

"This is really a wonderful opportunity for Cuomo to separate himself from the pack of other politicians who kow-tow to the oil and gas industry," said Kuzminski.