Republican Presidential Candidates: First the smoke and mirrors?

[Sallow]

Republicans may have formulated a coherent strategy for taking the Presidency in 2012 and it might just work. Hopefully, Democrats are at least "think tanking" this..because if they are not..it's going to be a very tough slog.

Republicans are good at this as well. After the dismal presidency of GW Bush, everyone basically thought they were done. They weren't. They did a masterful job of re-inventing themselves as "Tea Party Patriots" and got a good deal of the public to forget who really was responsible for the financial mess. And they did this by both appealing to and embracing a very far right ideology. But this may have cost them And it might have been a bridge to far.

My personal opinion is either they've realized this..or that they are completely lost. I don't think it's the latter.

Generally, at this point, Republicans have firmed up who they are going to run. That hasn't happened yet. And what they may be doing is this:
-Put up ridiculous candidates to attack President Obama on nonsense issues.
-Let the "Tea Party" types burn themselves out.
-Reinvent themselves as a more "moderate" party.
-Finally run a moderate, business Friendly candidate like Romney (Although he did a very hard right swing and may be damaged goods), Christie or Daniels.

This works on many levels.
1. It continues to damage parts of the health care reform package. IMHO, HMOs want the mandate without the other provisions. And that's why a "moderate" might work out.
2. Burn out the social issues. Republicans can say, "We tried" without the political damage. This accomplishes the "raw meat" for the far right..and looks reasonable to independents.
3. It allows attacks on Obama by "candidates" that aren't going to run anyway. Appealing to both the far right..without hurting independent support.

I seriously hope people are paying attention.

 

[Sallow]

Add in the other part of this strategy was the smash the Unions. I posted a thread on this earlier in the year. It was going pretty well until Governor Walker came on the stage.

This was part of a very deliberate plan to:
1. Rid the nation of campaign finance reform.
2. Smash the fund raising engine of Democrats.

And hopefully they wake up to this.

 

[whitehall]

You laid out a pretty good agenda for republicans fuzz face, why do you still think the dismal political slogan of "hope and change" still works? Obama is on the ropes. Everything he stood for has been found out to be just Chicago criminal politics on a grand scale. What happened to the new communist manifesto of "green jobs" headed by Van Jones, the former leader of a looting and arson rampage? Cash for Clunkers? Don't make me laugh. Now we are mired in a new conflict in Libya and lefties seem dazed and confused by the turnaround.

 

[Sallow]

it is clear that behind the scenes there is a movement to get rid of unions. They all acted at the sametime in almost the same fashion.
I wonder if walker thought he had other GOP members backing him, and thats why he pushed so hard.

As for tossing their retards out in front first? EH i dont think so, A moderate wont do much, because they could loose the loose tea/fringe. They tend to make the most stink these days.

Well..that's why I think they want to burn them out. Let them rage and go nuts for the rest of the year. I am thinking that prior to this..something will break and they will be able to distance themselves from the nuttier component of the party.

It's either that..or they really are collapsing. And that was not the case in the midterms. They had a definite strategy.

 

[Sallow]

You laid out a pretty good agenda for republicans fuzz face, why do you still think the dismal political slogan of "hope and change" still works? Obama is on the ropes. Everything he stood for has been found out to be just Chicago criminal politics on a grand scale. What happened to the new communist manifesto of "green jobs" headed by Van Jones, the former leader of a looting and arson rampage? Cash for Clunkers? Don't make me laugh. Now we are mired in a new conflict in Libya and lefties seem dazed and confused by the turnaround.

Well that's not what this thread really is about.

But thanks for playing, there are door prizes. Please follow the pretty woman with the flowers.

 

[Sallow]

it is clear that behind the scenes there is a movement to get rid of unions. They all acted at the sametime in almost the same fashion.
I wonder if walker thought he had other GOP members backing him, and thats why he pushed so hard.

As for tossing their retards out in front first? EH i dont think so, A moderate wont do much, because they could loose the loose tea/fringe. They tend to make the most stink these days.

Well..that's why I think they want to burn them out. Let them rage and go nuts for the rest of the year. I am thinking that prior to this..something will break and they will be able to distance themselves from the nuttier component of the party.

It's either that..or they really are collapsing. And that was not the case in the midterms. They had a definite strategy.

i do see your logic, and i personally think the tea party really was a gimmick.
So honestly, the GOP needs a new gimmick. Using the tea party i think is done.
I just dont see these guys burning out. Palin Yes, Huck? Yes, i think they are just in it so they can get more money. Which alot of people tend to do.

But if you look at their arguments, the GOP doesnt really have much.

They don't..but look at what they did with the Birchers. And the Bichers didn't go away..

 

[Trajan]

if you think george bush alone was responsible for the blow up, well, you get what you deserve.

"birchers"...comedy gold that is...thx.

 

[Sallow]

if you think george bush alone was responsible for the blow up, well, you get what you deserve.

"birchers"...comedy gold that is...thx.

Alone? Absolutely not. He surrounded himself with a bunch of "business first, regulation no" Friedman acolytes. And to some extent there was Democratic enabling. But it was defintely one of the pillars of his agenda to institute some really dodgy economic policy. With the expected results playing out.

And Birchers? What comedy gold?

 

[Sallow]

i do see your logic, and i personally think the tea party really was a gimmick.
So honestly, the GOP needs a new gimmick. Using the tea party i think is done.
I just dont see these guys burning out. Palin Yes, Huck? Yes, i think they are just in it so they can get more money. Which alot of people tend to do.

But if you look at their arguments, the GOP doesnt really have much.

They don't..but look at what they did with the Birchers. And the Bichers didn't go away..

before my time. explain

The John Bircher society was an ultra right conservative movement. They were committed to dismantling new deal policies, "outting" communists and getting rid of the fed. They called Kennedy a communist catholic beholden to the pope. A really neat trick. Goldwater basically dismissed them entirely..

 

[Trajan]

to "some extent", yes I see. what amounts to an "extent"?

 

[Sallow]

to "some extent", yes I see. what amounts to an "extent"?

In the Veritas File System you can add extents to grow your disks..

Read all about it.

The VERITAS File System

 

[Sallow]

before my time. explain

The John Bircher society was an ultra right conservative movement. They were committed to dismantling new deal policies, "outting" communists and getting rid of the fed. They called Kennedy a communist catholic beholden to the pope. A really neat trick. Goldwater basically dismissed them entirely..

and did they not basically go away after the rush of them?
The tea party is a gimmick and basically gone.
What you see is there push for their agenda, Which is the same as the GOP. Social policies with a little bit of the union stuff tossed in.

This will pass eventually just to be replaced with something else.
Before the tea party they where the Christian evangelicals white vote.

The "Union Stuff" was a big part of the game. Maybe not for the Tea Partiers..but most definitely for the Chamber of Commerce and core Republicans. Much of what the tea partiers were about..was providing cover for the real agenda.

 

[Samson]

Republicans may have formulated a coherent strategy for taking the Presidency in 2012 and it might just work.

Hopefully, Democrats are at least "think tanking" this..because if they are not..it's going to be a very tough slog.


I seriously hope people are paying attention.

So, do you hope people or democrats are paying attention?

Based on your comments, it seems you are having a crisis of confidence in Obama.

I would agree that this is justified, as 2012 seems to be shaping up for Obama like 1968 shaped up for Johnson.

The similarities are surprising.

Both Obama and Johnson helped create unpopular social programs that are splitting the democratic party (although a modern George McGovern is unlikely)

Both presided of unpopular wars (Vietnam was Bobby Kennedy's and Eugene McCarthy's political springboard)

Both never seemed to enjoy being presidential

Both are (were?) Union favorites

Both had incredibly large ears.

 

[Sallow]

Republicans may have formulated a coherent strategy for taking the Presidency in 2012 and it might just work.

Hopefully, Democrats are at least "think tanking" this..because if they are not..it's going to be a very tough slog.


I seriously hope people are paying attention.

So, do you hope people or democrats are paying attention?

Based on your comments, it seems you are having a crisis of confidence in Obama.

I would agree that this is justified, as 2012 seems to be shaping up for Obama like 1968 shaped up for Johnson.

The similarities are surprising.

Both Obama and Johnson helped create unpopular social programs that are splitting the democratic party (although a modern George McGovern is unlikely)

Both presided of unpopular wars (Vietnam was Bobby Kennedy's and Eugene McCarthy's political springboard)

Both never seemed to enjoy being presidential

Both are (were?) Union favorites

Both had incredibly large ears.

Johnson would have easily won a second term.

 

[Samson]

Republicans may have formulated a coherent strategy for taking the Presidency in 2012 and it might just work.

Hopefully, Democrats are at least "think tanking" this..because if they are not..it's going to be a very tough slog.


I seriously hope people are paying attention.

So, do you hope people or democrats are paying attention?

Based on your comments, it seems you are having a crisis of confidence in Obama.

I would agree that this is justified, as 2012 seems to be shaping up for Obama like 1968 shaped up for Johnson.

The similarities are surprising.

Both Obama and Johnson helped create unpopular social programs that are splitting the democratic party (although a modern George McGovern is unlikely)

Both presided of unpopular wars (Vietnam was Bobby Kennedy's and Eugene McCarthy's political springboard)

Both never seemed to enjoy being presidential

Both are (were?) Union favorites

Both had incredibly large ears.

Johnson would have easily won a second term.

 

[Avatar4321]

Johnson would have easily won a second term.

Much like Jimmy Carter did I suppose.

 

[asterism]

Republicans may have formulated a coherent strategy for taking the Presidency in 2012 and it might just work.

Hopefully, Democrats are at least "think tanking" this..because if they are not..it's going to be a very tough slog.


I seriously hope people are paying attention.

So, do you hope people or democrats are paying attention?

Based on your comments, it seems you are having a crisis of confidence in Obama.

I would agree that this is justified, as 2012 seems to be shaping up for Obama like 1968 shaped up for Johnson.

The similarities are surprising.

Both Obama and Johnson helped create unpopular social programs that are splitting the democratic party (although a modern George McGovern is unlikely)

Both presided of unpopular wars (Vietnam was Bobby Kennedy's and Eugene McCarthy's political springboard)

Both never seemed to enjoy being presidential

Both are (were?) Union favorites

Both had incredibly large ears.

Johnson would have easily won a second term.

Oh, before this I thought you were talking from a rational perspective.

Seems I was wrong.

 

[Sallow]

So, do you hope people or democrats are paying attention?

Based on your comments, it seems you are having a crisis of confidence in Obama.

I would agree that this is justified, as 2012 seems to be shaping up for Obama like 1968 shaped up for Johnson.

The similarities are surprising.

Both Obama and Johnson helped create unpopular social programs that are splitting the democratic party (although a modern George McGovern is unlikely)

Both presided of unpopular wars (Vietnam was Bobby Kennedy's and Eugene McCarthy's political springboard)

Both never seemed to enjoy being presidential

Both are (were?) Union favorites

Both had incredibly large ears.

Johnson would have easily won a second term.

Oh, before this I thought you were talking from a rational perspective.

Seems I was wrong.

I was.

And maybe the "Both had incredibly large ears" comment counts as insightful political commentary in your parts.

Here..not so much.

 

[Sheldon]

Generally, at this point, Republicans have firmed up who they are going to run. That hasn't happened yet. And what they may be doing is this:
-Put up ridiculous candidates to attack President Obama on nonsense issues.
-Let the "Tea Party" types burn themselves out.
-Reinvent themselves as a more "moderate" party.
-Finally run a moderate, business Friendly candidate like Romney (Although he did a very hard right swing and may be damaged goods), Christie or Daniels.

This works on many levels.
1. It continues to damage parts of the health care reform package. IMHO, HMOs want the mandate without the other provisions. And that's why a "moderate" might work out.
2. Burn out the social issues. Republicans can say, "We tried" without the political damage. This accomplishes the "raw meat" for the far right..and looks reasonable to independents.
3. It allows attacks on Obama by "candidates" that aren't going to run anyway. Appealing to both the far right..without hurting independent support.

I seriously hope people are paying attention.

That's a good look.

There's one main risk to that plan though: that the TPers will burn out. If this board and the political commentary elsewhere are any indication, there's a borderline-rabid passion to toss Obama out.

This is the most vocal and most motivated sect on the right, and I suspect the Republican establishment is actually fearful of them. This element of the party looks back on those 6 years of Republican control, and are reminded of why the moderates must be purged at all costs and why compromise is just another word for capitulation. So I'm not sure their burn-out is a solid conclusion yet.

 

[asterism]

Johnson would have easily won a second term.

Oh, before this I thought you were talking from a rational perspective.

Seems I was wrong.

I was.

And maybe the "Both had incredibly large ears" comment counts as insightful political commentary in your parts.

Here..not so much.

Who said that?