Forget the Iranian Election, Obama's More Concerned About New Jersey

After his very tepid remarks about the stolen election in Iran, one wonders if Barack Obama even cares the slightest bit about the plight of Iranians seeking freedom. Sure seems as if that Cairo speech was a long time ago, especially when you consider the effect it had on the mullahs.

Though when it comes to domestic politics and his own image, well, then Obama really gets serious.

After all, it's all about him.

National Democratic leaders have their eyes on the New Jersey governor's race - and they don't like what they're seeing.

With recent polls showing Gov. Jon Corzine falling behind Republican challenger Chris Christie, top operatives at the White House and at the Democratic National Committee are worried a loss could hurt the momentum of President Obama's young administration and are committing resources to help Corzine pull out a victory.

So let's summarize. Three days go by and Obama utters nary a peep about the situation in Iran. But they're worried about a gubernatorial race.

Priorities, folks, the man has his priorities: Himself.

As Republicans target the New Jersey and Virginia governor's races - the only statewide elections this fall - as the beginning of a GOP resurgence, national Democrats have concluded they cannot remove Obama from the equation of a possible Corzine defeat, according to three Democratic sources who were briefed on the discussions in Washington. The sources asked not to be named when discussing internal White House and DNC deliberations.

"The Democrats do not want to go down in governors' races this cycle because that would empower the Republicans," said New York-based Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf, who has previously worked in New Jersey. "Governor Corzine's numbers are not good. They can't allow Governor Corzine to crash because it will be perceived as a failure by President Obama and the Democrats nationally - whether it's fair or not."

Empowering mullahs through craven fecklessness is no big deal, apparently. So some Iranian students are murdered by hired thugs, Obama's got politics to worry about.

Empowering Republicans? Well, they're the real enemy, so it's time to pull out the big guns.

Down 10 points to Christie and saddled with a 56 percent disapproval rating, Corzine's "only hope" is to nationalize the race by latching onto Obama and tying Christie to the sinking fortunes of national Republicans like former President George W. Bush, said University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato, who is closely following the races in New Jersey and Virginia.

"He will have to be dragged across the finish line by Obama and other major Democrats," Sabato said. "He doesn't have the strength himself."

Sabato said the White House and DNC have more at stake in Virginia because it has just started to trend Democratic and could swing either way in 2012, while New Jersey can be relied upon to vote for a Democratic president regardless of who is in the governor's office.

"Right now they're both Democratic and he (Obama) doesn't want to see any erosion," Sabato said. "If there is erosion, they would choose New Jersey first."

Expect to see a huge influx of ACORN operatives fanning out around New Jersey this fall. After all, King Obama's street cred is at stake.

Millions are willing to march in the streets of Tehran and risk life and limb while the President of the United States show grave concern for his image in a state he won comfortably seven months ago.

Makes you wonder if he'd more more concerned about a city council race in Oshkosh than he would in the struggle for freedom in a despotic Islamist regime.