So a reporter gets into an exclusive briefing with Karl Rove and finds out why they’re being so nice. I figured if they were doing this, it was because the polling showed them it worked. (It also happens to be the same advice I’ve been giving for 30 years to people running against incumbents.)
Then came the main event: Rove, joined by former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, laid out his strategy for winning the White House. “The people we’ve got to win in this election, by and large, voted for Barack Obama,” Rove said, in a soothing, professorial tone, explaining why the campaign hadn’t launched more pointed attacks on the president’s character.
Rove explained that Crossroads had conducted extensive focus groups and shared polling and focus group data with “all the major groups that are playing” in the election. “As many of you know, one of the most important things about Crossroads is: We don’t try and do this alone. We have partners,” he said. “The Kochs—you name it.”
What had emerged from that data is an “acute understanding of the nature of those undecided, persuadable” voters. “If you say he’s a socialist, they’ll go to defend him. If you call him a ‘far out left-winger,’ they’ll say, ‘no, no, he’s not.’” The proper strategy, Rove declared, was criticizing Obama without really criticizing him—by reminding voters of what the president said that he was going to do and comparing it to what he’s actually done. “If you keep it focused on the facts and adopt a respectful tone, then they’re gonna agree with you.”
This article paints Turd Blossom as some kind of genius. Exactly what does he think Obama’s gonna do? Just lay down and take whatever bullshit comes out of the thugs mouths? We STILL have the DNC next week, the debates, and don’t forget that the intrinsic power of the presidency can provide traditional ‘October surprises’ that no one saw coming. The Dems have done their own polling and focus groups. I still say that if Honey Boo Boo can outdraw RNC viewership, then Roves moneybags are worthless. Sure, the race will be close, but I’m convinced that Obama/Biden will serve a 2nd term!
…and there’s one more point to make about everyone who comments and/or visits here. Those of us who are totally disenchanted with Obama’s first term can say so and move on; he has not been everything we expected him to be. Some folks complain that he talks of cutting Social Security and Medicare. Some folks complain that he didn’t close Gitmo. Some folks complain, me included, that he has given in to the thugs much too often.
But, be reminded that this isn’t a matter of the lesser of two evils. This election is a matter of which direction do we want our country to go. Some have said that if we could survive Bush, then what the hell, we can survive RMoney. What is the answer to the question that asks if you keep on doing what you’ve been doing—-and keep getting the same results—what are you if you keep doing it?
My point is that some of us, right here on this blog, are real wussies. Obama didn’t do this or that, but WTF are you thinking? Let’s put on our adult hats and realize what door we’re opening if the same thugs get back into power!!!
Rove’s got that we’re kind of disappointed ad running in Minnesota now. My neighbor comes over and says its the only persuasive commercial he’s seen. He thinks it’s real people expressing real disillusionment. I ask who sponsored it. “Some group called Americans fo Prosperity.” I say that’s Karl Rove and the Koch brothers. “Then those are actors and I fell for it.” The bad news is those guys know how to focus group. The mixed news is my neighbor hasn’t voted in years.
Rove is one smart manipulator. The thing that’s always impressed me about him is that he can tell you, straight out, what he’s going to do and it still works. It doesn’t matter what anyone does to counteract it, because it pushes straight on the lizard brain. And he’s absolutely unerring about what to push. That, “Gee whiz. Nice guy. But so disappointing.” will work like a charm. There’s an awful lot of disappointed voters, and he’s given them a nice big unthreatening peg to hang it on.
The Democrats really need to come up with something better than “Oooga Booga Republicans!” to answer that.
And dandy? Getting back to reality-based stuff, us wussies aren’t complaining about what he didn’t do. It’s what he’s done that bothers us so much. He’s governed very much like the Repubs we’re supposed to be so afraid of. I just can’t find it in me to get all worked up about whether I get a Republican from Column A or a Republican from Column B.
quixote, I’ll discuss these issues further with you on November 7th and by then all the wussies will have jumped back on the bandwagon and the Obama/Biden duo can continue to bring this country back towards real prosperity.
Yeah, well. I don’t like what BHO has done and not done.
But Rmoney? Are they freaking serious?
I keep threatening to write in my dog’s name in November, but BHO would at least appoint some sane supreme court justices should the opportunity arise, should Scalia blow an artery or something.
The country circles the drain and I’m getting to the point of not giving a damn because I can’t stop the looters all by myself.
BTW, nice Atlas Shrugged II advert at the top of this page.
Atlas shagged, indeed.
The planet Kolob is where the Mormon God lives. Mormon’s believe that. Including Mitt Romney. Lots of people believe in God. But for most of them it’s a conceptual belief. That’s not true for the Mormon’s who are convinced that God actually lives on the planet Kolob. Really Mitt? The planet Kolob? Anyone who says that there is no real difference between the Republicans and Democrats should consider the fact that Mormon Mitt Romney believes that God lives on the planet Kolob before they such a silly thing again.
Yikes IMHO: Are you really telling me that Democrats are superior because they place their cosmic being in the ether somewhere?