We were worried when Barack Obama kept his distance from Jim Martin, who was in a close dogfight to unseat Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss. Now we know our worry was well founded. Obama could have put Martin over the top, but he chose not to, and now Chambliss remains the victor in Georgia. Worse, a crucial opportunity (along with a win in Minnesota, now being recounted) for Democrats to get to a 60 member supermajority in the Senate to block a Republican filibuster was lost.
Obama was lukewarm about getting involved in the Martin/Chambliss race. He recorded one radio ad and some robocalls for Martin, but didn’t do a TV ad and did not appear with Martin at an event - even though Georgia Democrats have begged him to do so. Facing a similar situation in 1992, President Clinton went to Georgia just weeks after his victory to support Democrat Wyche Fowler (who later lost).
A crucial opportunity to strengthen the Democratic party was lost, and it was lost because Obama was more worried about appearing "bipartisan" than helping Democrats get elected. Perhaps that’s also why Barack Obama poked his head into Daily Kos just once: getting Democrats elected just isn’t that high a priority for him compared to his image.
No one is bigger than the Party. Obama needs to remember that.