Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Romney runs against a figment of his imagination

Last night I was struck by Andrew Sullivan's response to Romney's victory speech in Florida.

Everything this man says is a lie. He's doubling down on the big lies I tried to counter in that Newsweek piece. The president Romney is describing does not exist. Obama is demonizing and denigrating every sector of the economy? That is a pure lie. As is the repeated lie that Obama is an appeaser. Has Romney understood what has happened to the Iranian economy these past few months? Does he think Osama bin Laden thinks he was appeased?

Let me just say right now: this speech is the most dishonest, manipulative, disgusting series of lies I've heard in a very long time. And its core premise: that the president hates this country, whereas Romney believes in it.

I didn't listen to it, so this morning I read the transcript. Sullivan is right.

The truth is that in order to challenge President Obama, Republicans have had to develop a caricature of the man that has absolutely no bearing on reality. Bill Maher did a great job of explaining it. Last night Romney continued those lies.

President Obama wants to grow government and continue to amass trillion dollar deficits...

President Obama’s view of capitalism is to send your money to his friends’ companies...

On one of the most personal matters of our lives, our health care, President Obama would turn decision making over to government bureaucrats...

Like his colleagues in the faculty lounge who think they know better, President Obama demonizes and denigrates almost every sector of our economy...

President Obama believes America’s role as leader in the world is a thing of the past.

And the big dog-whistle finale...

President Obama wants to “fundamentally transform” America. We want to restore America to the founding principles that made this country great.

The question I have is how all that will shake out when folks actually pay attention to what President Obama says and what he's done. For base voters who live in the bubble of Faux News and conservative talk radio - I suppose it will continue to go over pretty well.

But for independents and low information voters who will only start to really pay attention next fall - they'll have the contrast of being able to weigh what Romney says (if he's the nominee) against what they actually hear and see from the President. I'd suggest that will only serve to demonstrate what a liar Romney really is.

Things aren't going real well for Romney right now with independents. He's dropped 20 points in favorability with them since November. You have to wonder what happens to that when folks see the reality that he's actually running against a figment of his imagination.

2 comments:

  1. My concern is not who the Republicans will elect to rep them, but that people will not show up at the polls.

    Either because they are disenfranchise or because they believe since Obama will win, they (Ind / Dem) can stay home.

    ReplyDelete
  2. In this political climate, Anon, I don't understand how any liberal or even faux liberal, could have "Obama WILL win" in their lexicon. I'll always remember the large crowds that came out to hear the President prior to the 2010 elections as he campaigned his heart out for many Democrats who never even had his back, and how the electorate failed him come the vote. It doesn't make me feel more secure now to say, "Well, President Obama wasn't on the ballot in 2010." Even though that was factually true, it was not politically astute---we effectively abandoned President Obama to the mob. If he cannot govern FOR The People without a supportive congress, then The People must give it to him, or, excuse me, STFU, and that includes "the electorate as Obama-bystander-groupies." You know, give him some hammers and nails and broad planks, and secure the damned keys as he entreated. /r

    Anyway, Ms. Smarty, I'm breathlessly awaiting "Mormons For Obama!" Or a least, "Mormons Against Mitt!" Hmmm, or how about "The--at-long-last-BLACK Mormons for Obama" or "The Ex-pat Romney's for Obama." Okay, I'm wasting this space.

    ReplyDelete

Why Christian nationalists fear freedom

For years now a lot of us have been trying to understand why white evangelical voters remain so loyal to Donald Trump. I believe that the an...