Romney Edges Ahead, as the Obama Team Gets Desperate
It is far too early to know whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney will win the presidential election, but the latest polls must not be giving Obama much comfort. The New York Times/CBS poll, one heavily skewed to give the Democrats a bigger margin (surprise, surprise), shows Mitt Romney with a 3-point lead over the president. It is within the margin of error, but it nevertheless reveals Romney quickly widening what was a large gap in the president’s favor. Sixty-two percent of the respondents said that the economy and jobs were most important to them in deciding who the candidate of their choice should be. In other words, Romney’s lead is due to the belief of those polled that he would be able to deal with producing jobs and improving the economy better than the president.
For the president’s base, his recent announcement in favor of gay marriage was greeted with an outpouring of gratitude. But when asked by the pollsters whether Obama’s support of same-sex marriage would make them more or less likely to vote for him, 26 percent said less likely and only 16 percent said more likely. A strong 57 percent said it would not influence their choice at all. Moreover, 67 percent of those polled said Obama’s announcement was done for political reasons, while only 24 percent thought he announced it because he thought it was right. To put it another way, Obama may have motivated his base, but in terms of the general election, his position has not helped him at all.
As others have noted, including Karl Rove, the cover of this week’s Newsweek, depicting the president with a halo over his head and the heading “The First Gay President,” may very well backfire by turning off the half of the country that is strongly opposed to gay marriage. Moreover, the article by Andrew Sullivan in praise of the president’s decision can easily be discounted since Sullivan is not only gay himself and a major advocate of gay marriage, but also a fierce cheerleader for the president.
The poll also revealed that Romney now has the edge in women voters, 46 to 44 percent. Remember that just a few weeks ago, when Rick Santorum was making contraception the issue, all the pundits argued that Romney would lose because he could no longer gain the support of women. And one month ago, the same poll showed the president leading among women by 49 to 43 percent. That is an astounding gain in a short time frame.
All of the above explains why the Democrats are trying to make Romney’s personality, rather than the economy or foreign policy, the issue in the campaign. That is why you will continually hear that Romney is a bully, that he put his dog on top of his car during a vacation trip, and that as head of Bain Capital he caused many to lose their jobs and to suffer. Once a bully, always a bully.
What Romney has to do now is not only counter the disingenuous video released yesterday about how horrible Romney’s leadership at Bain Capital was, but explain to the electorate how democratic capitalism works. And here, surprisingly, Obama’s former auto czar, Democratic financier Steve Rattner, came to Romney’s defense on Morning Joe. When asked by Scarborough what his thoughts were on the Obama campaign video, Rattner replied:
I think the ad is unfair. Mitt Romney made a mistake ever talking about the fact that he created 100,000 jobs. Bain Capital’s responsibility was not to create 100,000 jobs or some other number. It was to create profits for his investors, most of whom were pension funds, endowments and foundations. It did it superbly, acting within the rules and acting very responsibly and was a leading firm. So I do think to pick out an example of somebody who lost their job unfortunately, this is part of capitalism, this is part of life. And I don’t think there’s anything Bain Capital did that they need to be embarrassed about.
If a leading Democratic liberal and Obama supporter like Rattner, who himself has become a millionaire from equity funds management, can tell the truth when asked, clearly the electorate can also be informed about how capitalism works. On this point, the Romney team has already responded with their own video showing that Romney’s team created thousands of jobs in Indiana by funding another steel company. And, of course, they can point to the many jobs lost and dealerships closed as a result of the terms of Obama’s bailout of Chrysler. Under capitalism jobs cannot be guaranteed. As Joe Scarborough pointed out, his late father used to say when he was laid off for a year and a half that “if you want a guarantee of employment, go to the Soviet Union.”
So as it looks now, the president is in for some rough sledding. He will attempt to deal with this by increasing the attacks on Romney as a person, and by shifting left in order to reassure his dwindling base that they have reason to come out and do the kind of legwork that enabled him to win in 2008. Look for more promises to students, women, gays and African-Americans — pie in the sky that the gullible among these groups, he hopes, will respond favorably to.
If the Republican Party does not mess up its chances, it is indeed possible that Mitt Romney will be our next president.
“Squirrel!” – Obama
Brilliant, Marc, simply brilliant!
I just spewed coffee all over the keyboard.
My own contribution was to be that coming out (pun totally intended) for gay marriage we now have absolute proof that the Hollywood clowns who thought that having the Fonz jump a shark tank would be a good idea are now undoubtedly working for Team Obama.
Calling Obama something like mildly insane is one way to deal with his presence, but I prefer to look at the propaganda created under the FDR administration that taught us to worship the President, especially those who increased the power of the state. So some social psychologists created a model president, merging Washington, Lincoln, and FDR, good fathers and moderates alike, they alleged. I wrote about that move here: http://clarespark.com/2011/09/29/the-abraham-lincoln-conundrum/. In the 1920s, Democratic politicians severed Lincoln from the earlier “Black Republican” lineage and linked him to Jefferson and Jackson, whose agrarianism and militarism was more agreeable to them than that of Thaddeus Stevens or Charles Sumner.For that move see another blog: http://clarespark.com/2011/12/10/before-saul-alinsky-rules-for-democratic-politicians/. You might find it engrossing.
Idolatry is always wrong, and it’s especially wrong when the idol is the head of state.
On this point, the Romney team has already responded with their own video showing that Romney’s team created thousands of jobs in Indiana by funding another steel company.
Uhhh, that’s a winning argument? Call me stupid, but I don’t see how that resonates with voters. “Hey, guys, I just created a thousand new jobs in India. Aintcha proud of me?”
The guy who loses his job is probably pretty indifferent to whether he loses it because his position was taxed out of existence by a rabid socialist or shipped overseas to a fledgling economy by a capitalist. He just knows he no longer has a job, but has a family to feed. And in most cases, he did nothing to warrant it.
I’m not saying I hate Romney (not my first pick) or Bain Capital, but there is something wrong with responding to criticism of your people neutral profit margin increasing business model by highlighting the commonly disdained practice of outsourcing to India.
Dude, last time I looked at a map, Indiana was part of the U.S., not of India.
Rik. The really disgusting part about it is that India has two universities that are members of the Big Ten! That’s what happens when you outsource. Now I know I’m not going to vote for that Romney guy!
Mitt is going to win, as the US Citizens with brains can see he cares NOT for the USA, he plan from his Fathers Dreams is to bring DOWN the USA, he believes all countries should be Equal and the US has been in power for too long- Read Dinesh D’Souza’s book ” The Source of Obama’s Rage” it is an eye opener & His movie / documentary this summer will help the average US Citizen see the real obama and his Socialist / Anti Colonial plans
The correct title of this outstanding book is “The Roots of Obama’s Rage.”
Obama’s Father Exposed As Anti-White Terrorist By British, U.S. Intel
http://westernjournalism.com/obamas-father-exposed-as-anti-white-terrorist-by-british-u-s-intel/
Ooops! I feel really stupid now. Mmmmm, crow tastes good!
Rik, your comment is unintentionally brilliant — it’s just the sort of mistake that Obama makes all the time. I hope that somehow his campaign picks up on it and repeats it! I can just see Romney correcting him in a debate: “Mr. President, that’s Indiana, not India.”
You’re not far off. Only a couple of weeks ago, Obama stood at a bridge and could not remember that it went to Ohio, not Indiana. You really have to wonder how long the LSM can maintain this self-induced torpor.
Torpor, excellent word, man.
Is India the 56th or 57th state? I can never remember.
Check the koran.
The laid-off worker did nothing to deserve a job either. The point made about whatever the hell Bain Capital does not being done to create jobs is the important point here. Important because it highlights the difference between economic freedom and capitalism. Free market economics involves buying/selling, lending/borrowing, investing/producing to try to make a profit on producing goods/services. Capitalism, as a term, is only a little more than 150 years old. capitalism involves speculation, not investment. Credit-default swaps and similar whatever-the-hell-they-are schemes make profit from manipulating financial instruments or betting on market moves, rather than investing in successful companies. It is gambling, and classical (free-market) economics always concluded that gambling is non-productive. Make no mistake — the Left has conflated economic freedom with capitalism, because capitalism is correctly perceived as finagling to make money parasitically on the free market. Conservatives, as mushy-moderate non-Leftists instead of Rightists, defend this cr*p along with basic economic freedom, and they will end up sinking both. Currency manipulation is economic blood-sucking whether done by Red China or George Soros. Just one more example of the ur-Truth that discrimination is the hallmark of the civilized mind. Conservatives and moderates are part of the problem to the extent that they try to preserve all existing aspects of the capitalist/free-market system, instead of pruning the suckers. Conservatives/moderates also guarantee eventual failure because they refuse to defend natural morality and normal social structures, which make human society possible. The ultimate failures are wack-job Libertarians, who campaign in lockstep with the Left to abolish existing human society, which is the only natural human living arrangement. Libertarians operate on the philosophical level of a two-year-old. Just consider Ronpaul’s bizzarro isolationaist foreign policy and rejection of any moral sense in human affairs. This is more distopian than Marx and Freud combined. Marx and Freud proposed to change natural human social arrangements with their own ideological replacements, but even they understood that human beings had to live in some kind of social system. Libertarians are pushing a world inhabited only by infants, as described in “Stranger in a Strange Land” the old hippie/Leftie sci-fi fantasy. Might sound good to some throw-back geeks/feebs, but 100% impossible in the real world of Human Nature. Look at the European Union (“dogs and cats, living together!”) for a quick example of neato ideas that cannot work as long as real humans have to live with them. The only possible good to come from the EU disaster might be German domination of Europe at last.
Hey Jake, its time for you to go to the hardware store because I’m sure you have a screw loose. I’m too tired right now, yes I work, to take you on point for point; but, you offer a really skewed view of people and philosophies. My suggestion is that you take an enema and your condition will correct itself.
Really… no, really, beer spewed out my nose as I read this sophomoronic rant!….
Obama’s desperate? That’s been Obama’s entire supposed ‘legacy’!
Desperate for the emotionally-led rubes to buy his pie-in-the-sky promises, pushing his glaringly counterproductive ‘change’ as ‘progress’.
Desperate when explaining in ’09, ’10, ’11 and present day the U.S. ‘needing’ the incompetent Fed to run interference and ‘improve’ a myriad of areas when in reality they should and we do not.
Desperate. I haven’t seen, read of the CiC react in ANY other shape or form.
I don’t agree with the “Obama is desperate” statement. Obama is simply doing what he’s been doing all along; defining the narrative using the crystal clear, transparent methods of Alynski – WORDS. Obama has simply thrown words out there and tried to create the image that Romney is an aggressive bully. He’s isolating Romney now and attacking him – “Isolate the target …. blah blah blah”.
Romney would do better to expose the rhetoric for what it is “communist” doublespeak PROPAGANDA (not lies) …. … rather than go tit for tat with Obama (thereby implying that he is guilty) and get bogged down in useless arguments while the bully image is STILL out there. When the bully image wears off (unless it’s re-inforced again by Obama); there will be another verbal garbage attack that creates another “negative image” of Romney and if that is repeated voters (people) may well believe it. Just ask Alinski … no wait; he’s dead. Any propagandist worth his/her salt knows exactly what Obama is doing; see, he isn’t lying he’s just using words and slogans to tear down his opponents by taking advantage of the natural tendency of people to buy into “The Big Lie” because deep down they can’t believe someone would tell that big of a lie … so it must be true. The bigger the lie the more effective it is … I truly wonder if Romney is prepared for this, because it’s just the beginning of the Drive-By propaganda tactics and he’s not giving me any condfidence at all.
I’m so sick of folks like you projecting YOUR cowardice onto Romney. Romney is better prepared to deal with Obama than any of the other GOP candidates, both in this cycle AND the last one. This constant wringing of the hands and whimpers about how Romney isn’t making you confident is a lot of BS. If you actually believe what you wrote (rather than simply trolling around in order to be obnoxious) then you need to start paying attention to what Romney is doing rather than scaring yourself into thinking that Obama can’t be beaten. Romney has a response prepared for every attack and the response is delivered with remarkable rapidity. And now that everybody else has finally dropped out, Romney’s focus is even greater than it was before.
Stop cringing and do your part!
Thank you. I am sick to death of all the pearl-clutching over how Obama is some intellectual heavyweight who cannot possibly lose. Please. The man is incapable of running on his record, which needs to be the main point that Romney and anyone NOT on Team Obama needs to bring up repeatedly. All POTUS can do is attack his opponent, whether it involves pointless (and possibly fictional) accounts from WaPo or misleading ads.
Mitt’s a big boy. No, he is not the ideal conservative and, frankly, neither was anyone else who ran. But they all ran for the job; they took the time and energy to put their ideas out there. Romney’s captured the majority of the votes. Stop whining, stop whimpering, stop over-stating The Obama’s magnitude. He will not be the first incumbent to lose, unless the rights finds one more way to turn what should be a walkover into a loss.
Yeah. But he is getting TOTALLY desperate too.
Ain’t it beautiful?
I don’t think Romney is acting desperate at all. I don’t know why there is such a reluctance on the part of some to give Romney his due. He destroyed Newt Gingrich’s candidacy; he can just as aptly destroy Obama as well. Of course, Mitt will have to tread more lightly in Obama’s case due to the AA factor. Surely that needs no further explanation.
Won’t happen but Romney’s gambit against the first Black (now Gay) President should be that he is not an African American but rather a socialist man-child alternately raised by Muslims and White Communists whose only African blood comes from a polygamist Muslim African from Kenya who was not an African American and was actually the descendant of Arab slave-traders, not the African American victims of slavery brought to the American shores in chains. The Obama forebears forged the chains in order to restrain others, they did not wear the chains. Now Obama for the last 3 1/2 years has tried to keep the American Blacks, with whom he shares nothing in common in bondage as he shrinks the money supply (through debt and inflation — since money value comes from capitalism and profits, money being congealed profits from capital production) since
a. as a socialist he hates capitalism, capital, profits, money and American Exceptionalism and
b. having been trained as a Franz Fanon anti-colonialist he hates the USA and he wants it destroyed.
As a necessary consequence he has driven the lower classes further into poverty and used Fast and Furious to empower the Mexican drug gangs to import more poison into the USA which over the last 30 years and before has destroyed the lower classes inclusing millions of Blacks and Hispanics. To foster his Leftist agenda he cares nothing for the Lower Classes, the Blacks and the Hispanics but thinks by keeping them down and on the plantation he can keep them as loyal voters.
Getting the truth of Obama’s lower class hatred, or at least his complete disregard of their interests, as more and more of them are victimized by expanding unemployment in the face of a dwindling sources for borrowed government transfer payments that have been decimated in value by inflation loss of government credit, may not increase the number of minority votes for Romney, but it might cause the Minorities to stay home as the scales fall from their eyes. Exposing the Fraud for the minorities is really all Romney has to do. A tall order but it is doable in the swing states.
Focusing on Obama’s background has not done much good. The principles of AA (as misguided as they really are) serve as a force field of protection that surrounds Obama. Any discussions about Wright, Ayers, Alinsky simply prompt the “racist” alert, followed by fingers quickly poking into ears & shouts of “LALALALALALA!!!” emanating from the very quadrants that need to hear these things the most. Better it be for Romney to simply stick to Obama’s dismal record, hammering those facts home frequently & repeatedly. There is no way anyone can accuse Romney of “racism” over that; they can try of course, but their cries of protest in that context will ring really hollow. JMO.
Yes, propaganda. Get ready for propaganda, Mitt. Not that your own statements are purely true.
In terms of believability, I find it easier to believe what Romney says over what Obama says. Romney, “I support Israel.” or Obama, “I have Israel’s back.” For instance, right now there are massive manuevers going on in Jordan. Included in these maneuvers are troops from Egypt and Pakistan which are not friendly to the USA or Israel. Am I wrong in being concerned?
When it became apparent a couple of months ago that Romney would be the nominee I was turned off by his progressive past and concerned if he had the capacity to ramp up his message to take on Obama.
I remain concerned about past beliefs in anthropogenic global warming, Romney care, and ethanol subsidies, but Romney is proving an adept and aggressive counter puncher with a message that is drowning out the President’s. People seem to be listening carefully to Romney after taking stock of the policies put forth over the last 3 1/2 years.
I didn’t realize that this election had the potential to be so much fun. I have especially enjoyed all the ineptitude of the vaunted Axelrod machine as it sputters and misses on the war on women, the contraception mandate, and the epiphany on gay marriage. Looks like the leviathan has beached up on a shoal and is flailing its tail to get back to deeper water as the sun beats down on its hide.
Looking forward to its death throes. Expecting lots of agitated tail swinging followed by an enormously fowl stench.
Indeed, they seem to be simply dusting off the tired old leftist arguments from the 60′s, put some new paint on them and trying to sell them as new.
Next up, legalizing marijuana, all cars are unsafe and ….cyclamates and DDT.
They’re running out of straw men. And, these straw men seem all-too-willing to run into a burning house, never to be seen again.
However, it has been a real trip down memory lane by giving us a History-Channel worthy review of everything that was wrong with that decade. Ralph Nader, hippies, bell-bottom pants, the explosion of drug use.
One thing I’ll say for Alynsky, ridicule really does work, especially when your opponent’s position is ridiculous.
All of this makes me wonder if behind Barack Obama there really has been an unseen puppeteer with brains and resources, and that puppeteer has given up on Barry.
Think back to 2007, 2008: The Obama campaign was a well oiled machine. Think ‘BMW’. HIllary was a formidable and experienced opponent yet the Obama 2008 campaign ran circles around her.
Today the Obama Campaign is the gang that can’t shoot straight. Think Yugo.
Has the Puppeteer said to Barry, “You’re on your own”, packed up hs brains and resources, and left?
Think back to 2007, 2008: The Obama campaign was a well oiled machine.
You mean, the public impression of that campaign was run like a well-oiled machine, by our ‘mainstream’ media. That’s how the public, after all, got its information about Obama & Co. Literally billions of dollars worth of campaign contributions – in the form of adulation of the ‘non-partisan’ Obama, and the savage denigration of Sarah Palin – were provided by the groupthinking newspapers and TV networks, in the form of ‘news’ articles and broadcasts.
With a three-year track record, the kneejerk media adulation has diminished, and even the MSM has shown some criticism here and there, amidst its still heavily favorable coverage. Perhaps the Obama habit of limiting press access, and threatening candid reporters with excommunication, has chilled the fervor of some editors and producers.
And the public is taking the acts of the administration, instead of the stories, with some healthy skepticism. Recent polls on the economy and on socially-loaded subjects like gay marriage show the skepticism as growing.
Obama’s need for 2012 campaign cash has already sucked the resources out of the leftists’ attempt to recall Governor Walker. The campaign is running scared. Let the fear grow, and with it some optimism for the future of the country.
Have to disagree. The primary fight against Hillary laid the ground work for an exemplary campaign – well planned, well funded, and well executed. The media didn’t exaggerate a thing here. Your getting caught up ‘emoting’ to use a favorite pundit term of the moment – knowing your opponent is not the same as praising them.
Obama ran a genuine ‘run the rack’ kind of nearly flawless campaign strategy – just one reason why it is insane to under-estimate the skills of those who work for him AND the advantages of incumbancy.
What is different now – besides his failed track record?
For one, he doesn’t have the same kind of resources for a ground game (ACORN & smaller local outfits nationally) nor the ‘suprise factor’ of being a first timer – running during an economic crisis unfolding.
That makes a huge difference in states like Virgina, North Carolina, Indiana, states that had prior been reliably Red but givnen unique circumstance he managed to peel off. Not to mention traditionally contested states like Florida, Ohio, PA – and now new states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado & New Hampshire (formerly relibably Blue) – plus a formerly solid Democrat state like W. Virginia that he has probably alienated for at least a generation because of his war on Coal.
Despite occational reports to the contrary, O-man will have plenty of money to run a similar race as he did in ’08 – that means millions of ‘walk around money’ to pick up the homeless at shelters, buy them a happy meal, and get them to vote Dem.
But besides not having ACORN allies to implement this steal the vote kind of democrat (small d) tradition – There are the TRUE THE VOTE people holding Secretary of States nationally to their obligations to counter any fraud – besides ordinary citizens devoted to oversight.
I think the desperation Radosh talks about is real in the Obama camp. Not only do they recognize Romney is a formidable candidate – just the kind of seasoned player who can’t be shot down with a single misstep – having shown in the primary quite he’s quite capable of devestating opponents one on one via debates or on the stump – they know the ‘likablity’ factor is nothing more than what McCain had going for him in ’08 – the consulation prize as being a good trooper when loosing. (McCains not being ‘likeable’ but rather ‘Patrotic’)
No. I see Obama making, per his usual professorial assessment, a pretty shrewd political calculation given his difficult circumstances. Forget about all the clap trap about ‘triangulation’ ala Clinton. Forget about all the Propaganda pushed by minions like David Remnick that Obama is really a ‘centrist’.
No. He’s an ideologue and a man of the left and always has been. Two years of Fox and Breitbart has had the desired affect for anyone paying attention. As a result, now he is RUNNING AS WHAT HE IS.
And of course he isn’t talking about that at all – nor will he – he is only talking about how heartless and stupid Republicans are – and how Romney is the worst thing that could happen to the country. Don’t expect to hear much else right through Nov.
Desperation is not really the correct adjective – at least not yet – (although I do believe that is the correct one concerning his handlers). I mean after all – back in ’88 Du-cocky was up double digits on Bush I at this date in that cycle.
No. A dead heat isn’t sufficent to turn him into a truculant Jimmy Carter. Of course he not only believes he can win – HE BELIEVES HE SHOULD WIN.
And if he does – he will give the left the dream weaver they have been gushing for all of their lives – because nothing will matter to this President but his ego ala his legacy. Nothing will keep him for the kind of presidential signings and policy pushes to drive us into irreprible fiscal insolvency.
In this irresponsible way Obama sees himself as Reagan from the left; insolvency AIDS HIS LEFTIST GOALS – morphing the country left into an entitlement state that can’t be repealed via politics once the bond market necessitates we abandon world leadership and supremacy via our military and eventually our economy. On all of this Levin is absolutely dead on.
Undo what Reagan restored – American Capitalism – in favor of what Democrats have wanted since the days of Nixon and Carter – A better version (from their view) of Europe.
Never ever forget what this guys ‘core beliefs’ are essentially – that all we need do to tackle our deficits are – 1) Tax the wealthy & 2) gut the military to roughly the combined total of the UK, Canada, France & Japan.
His is the kind of ego Eric Hoffers described in the TRUE BELIEVER – that there never has been anyone like him nor will their ever be again.
A few polls this early are virtually meaningless. As for pronouncing His “O”lliness “desperate”, that’s just silly, he is simply doing exactly what he’s always done, avoid substance, embrace fringe distractions. The non-stop drumbeat of Romney’s pom pom squad is what comes across as desperate.
I think it’s pretty desperate of you to deliberately ignore reality simply to say the same old stuff. Bizarre ABR “arguments” are officially obsolete and neither helpful, insightful nor even relevant.
Thank you for once again proving my point, and, as always, with such class.
JustAl,
You’re right about polls this early as alot of water is going to run over the dam between now and November 6, but opinion is hardening and Obama’s efforts to paint Romney as unacceptable are currently falling on deaf ears.
Wait until the Supreme Court makes its pronouncments on Affordable Care and Arizona immigration. If those cases go against the administration’s position the American people are going to further seperate themselves from the feckless leader. Also, it looks like the economy is unlikely to recover appreciably before the election, especially if the Euro dives and recession hits Europe. Those events will all be harmful to reelection. The campaign’s attempts at diversion are not going to counter the gathering narative.
Dems will begin to abandon Obama as the summer wears on, you watch it will happen. Bill Clinton has already publicly criticised the President’s spending and policies against capital. Others will be joining the chorus soon.
Long way to go, but this could really snowball.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
Yes, it is early. And yes, polls change and often dramatically when we get close to the election. That said, nothing good is happening in Obamaland. Neither has been actually nominated yet and Obama is hip deep in mud. Romney is pretty much taking the high road, and it’s working (he’s presenting himself as he is, which is usually the best approach). Right now I think the most significant metric is the lack of enthusiasm within the Democratic hierarchy (Kennedy, Clinton et al). Yes, they will vote for him. Yes, they will step forward with endorsements. But we now know those endorsements will be half-hearted; they will not be rallying their own base with any enthusiasm. Among the myriad factors that do not bode well for Obama, that bodes worse than most.
A challenge from Hillary is probably about one sigma.
That is a major worry. If O gets too damaged to carry the red flag they will find another use for him and the Hildabeast could easily step in. She’s worse than he is because she’s smarter than he is.
Another shiboleth. So far her performance as Sec of State has been truly mediocre…..to put it politely.
A good and timely read, Mr. Radosh, but with one caveat: It wasn’t Rick Santorum who made contraception the issue; it was George Stephanopoulos, no doubt at the behest of the DNC, and Santorum rose to the bait.
I’m with Moira that Romney is loaded for bear (or rather, wild ass) and ready to punch back twice as hard, to recycle a phrase. And also with Samizdat that this is going to be as much fun as a 90-degree Sunday at the waterpark! Do they REALLY think they can convince the public that Mitt Romney is a cruel man? The only reason they can get it to fly for a second or two is because the dude is so modest about his more personal adventures! I’ve had the pleasure of seeing “The Book of Mormon,” and came away thinking that the lead character was different from Romney only in being full of himself, and might grow up to be just like him someday! (Too bad Parker and Stone won’t be able to get the movie out by this fall. They did swing 2004 for W with “Team America: World Police” – and if that wasn’t true, then it SHOULD have been!)
Yes,and in aswering the question Romney slapped Steponallofus around but good, while Rick Santorum stepped in the Poo.
I thought it was Newt that beioth slapped the boy wonder around on the contraception nonsense.
Not that it matters, the important thing is that the condescending insufferable little prick got it handed to him good.
One of McCain’s failures was his reluctance to camp[aign aggressively pointing out Obama’s deficiencies; shady associations, empty legislative record, and total lack of experience. McCain was too polite out of concern for being tagged a racist. Romney too is presenting an above the fray personna. This time, however, this superpacs will make sure that the real Obama is on display. The race baiting will not work this time around.
Ron et al. I would take current polls with a grain of salt, a very large grain. Today’s Rasmussen Daily Tracking Poll has Romney leading Obama by just one percentage point, well within the margin of error of the poll. So, it is essentially all tied up. I think it will remain that way until late in the summer, so there is little point about getting excited right now about poll numbers.
If I were a Republican strategist, I would want to keep getting numbers out that support the “race is very close” impression. This way support for Romney will solidify. If it looks as if Romney has it without breaking a sweat, people will not turn out for the election, thinking he doesn’t need them, and he could lose. So we keep seeing polls of registered voters as opposed to “likely voters”. Romney will look much better among the latter population….
I still have not been able to attach the descriptors of sedition, treason, embezzlement and fraud to Romney. Let the youth vote decide between cool and boring.
Here’s an idea for a Romney ad. Jay Carney was asked about workers at GM and Chrysler losing their jobs, and he said that’s how capitalism works. So, just pair that with the Obama ad criticizing job losses under Bain.
One advantage Obama had in 2008 was that they tightly controlled the messaging – Anita Dunn bragged about this. The messaging seems disjointed now, perhaps because Obama is having trouble meshing his roles as candidate and President. It’s also harder o control the message when you have a record.
Were wife is right, it was George Stephanopoulos who raised the contraception issue, and D!ck Morris suggested the clearly out of the blue question was planted by the DNC.
You’ve got it right – except for one thing – Obama has never stepped into the role of president simply because he doesn’t know what its like to ‘be’ a president. He’s been a campaigner all his life – its all he’s ever known and is unable to perform in any other fashion. Kinda like a one trick pony.
K.T. Good point. Perhaps it is that Obama panders to the audience in front of him. If he were principled, his messages would be consistent, but since he isn’t, he simply can’t keep track of all the things he has said. With a lot of this being recorded, over time the contradictory statements come to light. He had a couple of flubs in his campaign (“clinging to guns and religion” comes to mind), and they seem to be multiplying. I think he arrogantly thinks he can talk his way out of anything, so that adds to his making recklessly inconsistent statements.
Part of the reason for the messaging debacle is because each of the socialist operatives is (more or less) allowed to be independent. This, in socialism, is a no-no. In the DDR and the USSR, no one spoke on policy without consulting with their higher-up. But, even in US-based socialism, freedom to think and freedom to speak show their obvious advantages by outing the truth, even by accident.
Each operative is so enamored of their own power that they tend to believe in their own autonomy. Clearly, Herr Obama will be displeased with Carney’s statement. In an endeavor to appear as commanding as the office he represents implies, Carney spoke out of turn and will feel the heat for it. Or, he’s actually saying what the dumbass-in-chief told him to say. The obvious inability to connect the dots with past events of his own doing and/or the avoidance of having to be held accountable for such a statement or..the third possibility that seems to be an Obama trait is to have an underling float out the line as a test-run and if it’s met with dissatisfaction, he himself can say something different.
Obama is not very smart but is perhaps a debatable master at manipulation. All of us have known people like this at some point in our lives but I think all would agree that we never once considered such people to be all that bright. Just manipulative. I lost a job once because of such a manipulator. I got it back and the manipulator had several problems of his own but his modus operandi wasn’t too different than Obama’s, albeit without the official help.
He did use others to get his message out and to spread gossip. Yet another mark of a childish mentality. Avoidance of responsibility, fear of speaking his mind, except when he thinks no one is listening (Operation ‘hot mic’…flexibility with Russia)and such.
But it’s more likely that Carney thinks he can not only speak for the president, but think for him as well. In unfettered socialism, this is where the holes in the armor start to show and the truth comes out no matter what they try to do. Be it through contradiction, lies uncovered or facts not matching the narrative. Right now all three are in extreme exposure to the public and uncontrolled. It was inevitable.
They (Fox) interviewed the CEO of the company that employed those two guys that lost their jobs. It turns out that there were FOUR plants that were taken over by Bain… Three survived due to the oversight of Bain. How many employee’s of the hundreds of dealerships that were shut down over the GM take over have there been?.. Mitt.. do an ad the the hundreds if not thousands of folks that lost their jobs due to this administration think they can get into the VC arena..
There are a lot of reasons for voting against Obama! There is a humorous cartoon on the bruised knuckles of President Obama at http://drawfortruth.com/2012/05/16/bruised-knuckles/
At least Romney was dealing with private funds at Bain Capital. Obama has invested literally billions of dollars of PUBLIC tax money into companies that have literally gone bust, such as Solyndra. Almost all of the money going to “green jobs” has been a waste and let’s not even talk about how many people lost their shirts when General Motors and Chrysler were “restructured.” Let’s see how many GM factories and car dealerships went under when the government took over and let’s have a nice discussion on how much stockholders lost in the company, but how well unions did when GM was taken over by the government. Nobody was forced to invest with Romney. But Obama literally played with OUR money and lost a ton of it, as well as a number of jobs. I think it would be wise for the Republicans to remind voters about this. It will show voters what happens when the Federal government decides to make its own “investments.” It usually loses a lot of money. YOUR money.
You missed funding foreign jobs with American taxpayer money. The examples are: the manufacturing plant built in Finland that was supposed to create American Jobs and funding Soros’s Brazilian oil exploration. Here is a valid point concerning Brazil’s oil exploration. They are drilling off shore in Brazil. Obama hasn’t let a US company drill off shore. Where do you suppose all those oil rigs went?
Each time they try to paint Romney as a vicious capitalist lap dog, the voters cheer. They want that to get us working again. O was an exercise in philosophy. I spoke to blue collar guys who voted for O because they wanted to give a Black guy a chance. They also hated Bush for the bail outs. They also hated Bush for invading the wrong country. And on top of that, he would not defend himself from Hollywood, and then they ran a stuffed man.
O had to win based on the situation. Now it’s different. People are really suffering. Economy stalled. People want a guy who looks like a CEO of a corporation, not the night manager of a coffee shop in Cambridge, Mass.
Romney will win. The next day, loans will be given, and I for one, will buy a car. Sitting on my wallet till then
Still Voting For ‘Mitt Romney’?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQwrB1vu74c&feature=related
Yes.
See, Romney is also capable of evolving. Your point being?
You say evolving. I call it lying!
If it isn’t “evolving”, then Obama is also lying. So, pick your poison. I know Obama’s poison will kill our country, so I’ll go with Romney.
Yes!
Obama is, politically-speaking, the weakest incumbent president in living memory. The economy is a shambles. His record of empty rhetoric and false promises provides grist for an endless series of devastating attack ads. The independents who voted for him because they thought he would be pragmatic and post-partisan no longer have any reason to support him. I think that Obama can win in only two scenarios: (1) With the help of a truly high-profile third-party candidate (which does not appear likely at this point) and (2) by demonizing Mitt Romney to such an awful extent that people will vote for four more terrible years of Obama just to avoid being snapped in two and gnawed on by the monstrous Mitt. Hence the bullying/Bain narratives as Ron points out here. But that ain’t gonna be enough.
Politics can indeed change fast, and there’s a long way to go, but the fundamentals here all look very, very bad for Obama.
I will never understand why we don’t march in the streets about his giving our tax money to these green frauds: that corzine is one of his bunlders – so where did the money go and where is it now? Could be sitting in a swiss bank? But there is no investigation of corzine, and where this money is sitting. Holder is a terrorist and knows where the bodies are burried and so will stay in until obama is out of office. Obama can’t get rid of him no matter how many Americans or Mexicans are killed by fast and furious. I hope Gov Romney will get rid of everyone in that corrupt office.
The best defense against bullying on a mass scale would be the defeat of all Democratic candidates in 2012. The nation has been bullied enough by these would-be overlords from Obama on down.
Ron Paul!
Sorry, that ship sailed a couple days ago.
I don’t think dems are smart enough to get desperate. They believe the press and the oversampled polls and their cronies in the massive circle jerk that is the liberal bubble surrounding DC. Nope. This is sloppy messaging, but they don’t miss a beat moving on to the latest poll-tested distraction. No one will be more surprised than them at the magnitude of their losses in November when they lose all three houses of government.
Then there will be several years of ranting in the media about the stupid electorate…
“Then there will be several years of ranting in the media about the stupid electorate…”
Which will have the interesting consequence of further alienating the viewing/reading public from the MSM.
Americans can endure a lot but being called stupid isn’t one of them. They will abandon their favorite talking heads the minute they figure it out. Some, of course, will never have the clue-bird land on their shoulder but we know who they are. Hopeless for them.
But if/when the media starts flaming the people they normally pander to, it’s over for them.
“They believe the press and the oversampled polls and their cronies in the massive circle jerk that is the liberal bubble surrounding DC.”
Reminds me of the Great Leap Forward, which was largely caused by a combination of local officials fudging agricultural production numbers to look good and Mao’s self-delusional belief of said numbers, which prompted him to ‘tax’ all of the food in the country leading to a widespread and devastating famine that killed 40 million people.
Delusion knows no bounds.
Admit it. We’re lucky Romney is our guy.
This is not particularly about this story, but it does give you an idea about how Gov Rmney was raised and it tells you about a great kid that I hope keeps his focus and his humilty.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765576444/Mormon-prep-basketball-phenom-Jabari-Parker-makes-the-cover-of-this-weeks-Sports-Illustrated.html
To my fellow libertarian-leaning PJM readers. You MUST vote for Romney this fall! You cannot throw away your vote by staying home or casting a ballot for Gary Johnson or writing in Ron Paul. These will all be votes that could be needed for Romney to beat Obama. I know that you want to be pure of heart and all that, but put your energy into helping make the Republican coalition slightly more libertarian, instead of insisting on total purity and thereby helping Obama. The Republicans are not perfect, no party ever is. But they value freedom and personal responsibility, much more than do Democrats, the party of collectivists and group identity, group victimization politics. The Republicans are willing to go SOME of the way toward where you want to go. The Democrats are going to continue legislating via the EPA, the LRB, the FCC, the tax code, ObamaCare… they would OWN us all, all of our labor, all of our money, if they could. You must not vote in ways that let’s Obama win. Don’t make an unsophisticated political choice, and throw your vote away on a person who cannot win. Vote with the Republicans. Help them make their choices in more libertarian ways.
back when my daughter turned 18, and voted in her first presidential election, she voted for ross perot. when she saw the consequences of that election she vowed never to make the mistake of voting for a “third party” spoiler candidate again. she’s in her 40s now, a wife and mother, and she’s no fan of obama, nor is anyone in my family. mitt may not be the perfect candidate but he’s a hell of a lot better than what we have in office now.
Obama keeps revealing himself for radical he is because he thinks he has his re-election in the bag. My friends who are of a conspitacy mind think he has all kinds of fraudulent means to get himself re-elected; rigged voting machines, people registered to vote in several states, illegal aliens voting etc. Personally, I think Obama is acting this way because in his own megalomaniac mind he can not image himself not getting re-elected.
You can fool
all of the people some of the time,
some of the people all of the time,
all of the people all of the time,
and some of the people some of the time.
That sums up Presidential elections nicely.
Romney can lose, and badly, if he doesn’t get some good advice, and quick.
For example, the latest thing I heard him say was that Obama in office has kept pointing out how bad things are, “but, he has done absolutely nothing about it.” Weak! He should at least have added, “and has made things even worse.”
This is just one tiny example. He’s not tough enough.
BO is relaxed and comfortable because he couldn’t care less about America or its people. Win, lose or draw the election matters not to him. He basks in the adulation and furthers the Islamic cause- he is a light weight airhead who lives in an NPD induced semi comatose state of grandiose delusions.
I hope America wakes up and bounces this imbecile in November.
Headkicker Romney is a superb choice.
I haven’t completely researached this BUT…
Obama’s Father Exposed As Anti-White Terrorist By British, U.S. Intel
http://westernjournalism.com/obamas-father-exposed-as-anti-white-terrorist-by-british-u-s-intel/
Keep remembering that Obama was elected by only 30% of registered voters. There was a 58% turnout and of the people who actually voted, 52% voted for Obama. Multiply 0.58 and 0.52 and you get 0.30. Just 30% of registered voters saddled us with Obama. Forget about the polls and just vote. He has not gained followers.
good point and advice paul, see you at the polls in november.