Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Running against a phantom

E. J. Dionne wrote an interesting article in which he tried to describe the Republican's strategy in this presidential election.
For conservatives, this is a go-for-broke election. They and a Republican Party now under their control hope to eke out a narrow victory in November on the basis of a quite radical program that includes more tax cuts for the rich, deep reductions in domestic spending, big increases in military spending and a sharp rollback in government regulation...

In the process, the right hopes to redefine middle-of-the-road policies as “left wing,” thereby altering the balance in the American political debate.
He goes on to suggest that the reason this strategy is making Romney competitive is because of 3 things:
Conservatives have their opening not because the country has moved far to the right but courtesy of economic discontent, partisan polarization and the right’s success in defining Obama as standing well to the left of where he actually does.
That's why we keep hearing Republicans use words like "foreign," "socialist," and hostile to American ideals.

The NRA is trying to convince people that the President has a secret plan to take away their guns and wingnuts are pimping a book by Stanley Kurtz about how he's out to destroy the suburbs.
Since the 2008 campaign, Stanley Kurtz has established himself as one of Barack Obama’s most effective and well-informed critics. He was the first to expose the extent of Obama’s ties to radicals such as Bill Ayers and ACORN.

Now Kurtz reveals new evidence that the administration’s talk about helping the middle class is essentially a smoke screen. Behind the scenes, plans are under way for a serious push toward wealth redistribution, with the suburban middle class—not the so-called one percent—bearing the brunt of it.

Why haven’t we heard more about policies that will lead to redistribution? In part, of course, because controversies over Obamacare, unemployment, and the exploding budget deficit have taken the media spot­light. But the main reason, according to Kurtz, is that Obama doesn’t want to tip his hand about his second term. He knows that his plans will alienate the moderate swing voters who hold the key to his reelection.
What utter fabricated nonsense!!!!

All of this is designed to do 2 things: First of all, it keeps the focus off their actual candidate and his policies (which the majority of Americans do NOT support) and secondly, it stirs up fear (the ONLY thing Republicans have to work with).

And so we'll see in November whether or not Americans are gullible enough to buy the phantom incumbent president Republicans are trying to create.

Between now and then, Romney and his VP candidate will have to go face-to-face with the real things in President Obama and VP Biden in debates. I'd predict that's when this Republican strategy will show itself for the charade it is. And I can't wait!

2 comments:

  1. http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/07/30/dear-jonathan-chait-youre-not-helping/ This is Chait's contribution to the repug effort to define the phantom: scary Black man!

    I am so disappointed with Chait! Wash Post also contributed another article by Westen to spread some more poison! They never get tired and get uglier all the time.

    EJDione also gets confused. After listening to some of his appearances on MSMBC I have many concerns about his level of authenticity!

    Thanks for all the work you do. If not for you we would be crushed by the Beltway liars!
    Smilingl8dy

    ReplyDelete
  2. This whole way of thinking has been in active development for decades and we're now seeing the results. It really is a choice and President Obama is laying it out clearly.

    Who has to lie and cheat like that to get what they want?!! Only people who feel terribly afraid and insecure themselves.

    We are not helpless. It's up to each one of us to shed light with people we talk to, by Twitter, blogs like yours or in any way we can. And it's important to give attention to those in the media and politicians who are telling the truth. Click on their articles, donate, call or email politicians or reporters to thank them. Let others know in some what who is standing up for us.

    Great job, Smartypants. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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