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With Barack Obamas sweeping move to reorder the nations immigration system through the stroke of the presidential pen, Democrats say the White House is making a dramatic and likely irreversible bet that the ultra-diverse Obama coalition will sustain the party through 2016 and beyond.

For months, the premier political question haunting Democrats aside from Hillary Clintons yes-or-no decision on 2016 has been whether Obamas unprecedented support from young people, women and nonwhite voters will roll over into a new campaign, with a new candidate at the top of the ticket.

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After this week, senior Democrats say, it had better.

(Also on POLITICO: How Obama got here)

The presidents decision to use his executive powers to protect some 5 million undocumented immigrants from deportation is bound to draw a backlash from middle-of-the-road white voters. Republicans assailed Obamas handling of immigration in the midterm elections, catering to a conservative and notably less diverse electorate with ads in states such as Arkansas and New Hampshire. Early polling shows significant suspicion of Obamas unilateral action: An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found 48 percent of Americans pre-emptively opposed to the executive actions, versus 38 percent ready to endorse them.

As a political matter, then, the presidents wager is this: that the voters with the longest memories will be those in the rapidly growing, next-generation national electorate, heavily inflected by socially progressive young people and a growing Latino population.

For all the predictable blowback Democrats will face across the South and even in areas of the Rust Belt, strategists hope the party will be rewarded handsomely in states that have swung rapidly toward their party in national elections thanks to accelerating demographic change. That may be small consolation to red-state senators like North Dakotas Heidi Heitkamp or West Virginias Joe Manchin, who may have to defend the policy when they run for reelection in a few years.

But Clinton, the most formidable Democratic figure on the political horizon, channeled the enthusiasm of most party leaders in a statement Thursday night endorsing Obamas decision to begin fixing our broken immigration system and blaming Republicans for the failure to pass comprehensive reform.

(Also on POLITICO: Clinton backs Obama on immigration)

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Democrats bet on diversity

Key Democrats frustrated by Election Day losses say President Obama better get in gear and get the party back in shape that the base needs his leadership.

The base craves his leadership, said Democratic National Committee vice chairwoman Donna Brazile, recounting to Politico the gist of a recent discussion she had with White House political director David Simas. They want him in the mix, talking about what Democrats accomplished, what Democrats are fighting for and what the president has done to make lives better.

Mr. Obama has stated that the election devastations werent really commentaries on his leadership skills and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who was just re-elected to her role, said the same, pointing to the failures of Democrats to get out the vote as the main reason for the Republicans wins.

But other Democrats say the president ought to step up and represent the party properly in the coming months.

He may or may not be the best messenger for the Democratic Party platform, said Vic Fazio, a former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman, Politico reported. But at this point, he is still our messenger. And the first year is very important.

Democrats say the president is in charge of focusing the partys message and that it shouldnt be something that simply says, were not the Republicans.

A strong party is the key to a lasting legacy, said one senior Democratic strategist, Politico reported. Whether its for our ideals as Democrats or its for his personal legacy if we lose the White House and continue to get gutted down ballot, they will repeal the ACA [Obamacare] and everything else weve fought so hard for, and all of this will be for naught.

Meanwhile, Ms. Brazile suggested Mr. Obama needs to dig deep and prepare for a fight.

The Republicans have not retreated from the battlefield, so why should President Obama surrender? He cant give up, he cant waver, she said, Politico reported. All of that looks to Democrats like he doesnt stand for much and its not the truth.

Rep. Bill Pascrell, from New Jersey, put it this way: It looks as if the Democrats have lost our way, and the party needs to have a deep discussion, not just a philosophical but a tangible discussion, about where we are as a party. Its kind of difficult to do that because we have not had that kind of relationship with the White House, Politico reported.

Read more from the original source:
Democrats turn on Obama: Get 'in the mix' and fix our party

JON STEWART: OBAMA NOT THE LEADER OF DEMOCRATS, DEMOCRATS HAVE #39;DISDAIN #39; FOR OBAMA
Follow Me @denvernewb https://twitter.com/denvernewb Visit ME @ http://www.dennewbie.com/ Stewart, O #39;Reilly Spar: #39;I Don #39;t Believe That Obama Is The Leader o...

By: Harper Poppy

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JON STEWART: OBAMA NOT THE LEADER OF DEMOCRATS, DEMOCRATS HAVE 'DISDAIN' FOR OBAMA - Video

Senate Democrats reject bill to build oil pipeline
The Democrat-controlled Senate has defeated a bill to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

By: RTV6 || The Indy Channel

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Senate Democrats reject bill to build oil pipeline - Video

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) suffered a rare but prominent defeat on Wednesday when Democrats chose Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) as ranking member of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee.

Although Pallone was next in line to replace retiring Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) on the panel, Pelosi had come out in strong and vocal support of his challenger, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D), a fellow Californian and close friend to the minority leader.

Although Pelosi this week ran unchallenged as House Democrats leader for the next Congress, Pallones victory highlights the limits of her power and caps a tough run for the California liberal, whos led her party for the last 12 years.

Shes been under a microscope since the midterm election rout, with many Democrats and party strategists itching for some younger talent or at least a fresh message.

This party has to look internally as to where the hell its going, said Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), who had called, unsuccessfully, for a delay in leadership elections to allow members to digest the election results. If we think theres no difference in what happened this time and what happened in 2010 ... we are dead wrong.

Pelosi raised more eyebrows when she downplayed the degree of the Democrats losses by rejecting the wave designation being applied by other observers of all stripes and affiliations.

More recently, she angered many in her caucus when she denied a request from Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq War veteran and double amputee who backed Pallone, to vote in leadership elections by proxy because her pregnancy prevented her from traveling to Washington.

The episode launched a spirited debate in the Democrats caucus meeting Tuesday, inspiring Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the civil rights icon, to make an emotional plea to allow Duckworth a vote.

Even Jon Stewart of The Daily Show hit Pelosi, with a sketch ripping her on the controversy an embarrassing, if trivial, call from a much-watched liberal entertainer who often backs Pelosis positions and has on multiple occasions had her on the show as a guest.

Pelosi bounced back quickly Wednesday afternoon, securing a win for Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) over Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) atop the Veterans Affairs Committee. Brown was next in line to replace outgoing Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine), and Pelosi had endorsed her publicly earlier in the month.

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Democrats rebuff Pelosi in vote