Slog
News & ArtsSunday, September 16, 2012
2012 The Romney Campaign Looks Around for Another Issue to Care About
Posted by Paul Constant on Sun, Sep 16, 2012 at 10:31 AM
BuzzFeed says the Romney campaign has finally made the terrible realization that they're not going to win by running on the economy, and so now they're trying to find some ground to fight on.
Romney and — particularly — his running mate Rep. Paul Ryan, have spent a week road-testing alternatives, going positive and going negative, swinging at the president on everything from faith to foreign policy. The new efforts mark a shift from a summer of fruitless discipline and a convention in which attempts to present a friendly, moderate tone trumped any policy substance. And campaign planners said their moves mark a new campaign consensus.
[...]
Ryan himself has emerged as a central player in this calculation, making the case internally for a clearer conservative policy message. One high level Republican with ties to the campaign told BuzzFeed that Ryan was chaffing at Boston constraining him from talking about and defending his policy ideas from Democratic attacks. Ryan wanted to be "unleashed," the Republican said.
The problem with this is that Ryan's policies are all disastrous in the polls. Nobody believed the story that Republicans want to save Medicare with coupons. Nobody wants to sacrifice popular government programs to deal with the deficit. I can't think of a single teabagger issue that is popular with the general electorate.
Stepping further back, this is all starting to sound like a repeat to me. Conservatives are anonymously slagging on the Republican candidate in news stories, private fears that the campaign is flailing are being made public, and the young hotshot VP choice is begging to go more conservative. I swear I've seen this story before.
1
They won't realize that the Teabaggers are an anchor because that's how deluded they are. W. killed conservatism. Nobody trusts conservatives because they've failed so badly. But they cling to it because it's all they have.
5
I remember when the Reps used the slogan "the party of ideas." They haven't had a fresh idea in well over a decade.
However, they DO have a multi-billion dollar media machine.
However, they DO have a multi-billion dollar media machine.
6
Romney's not "flailing" as much as you think. Obama's convention "bounce" peaked at 7% early last week, and is now back down to 3%. I'd say the victory party is just a bit premature.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150743/Obama-…
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150743/Obama-…
7
If this is deja vu all over again, I just hope it ends the same way in 2012 that it ended in 2008.
8
The mistake is telling everyone how bad the economy is.
We know that already!
However, what Obama offers is a safety net.
This is what Reagan offered...he made people feel safe and secure...that he would protect Americans.
Obama pretty much says, heck, I can't control the economy, it's not my job, but I'll make sure you don't end up on the street.
Romney telling everyone how bad it is is like saying "Look, it's raining, see, I told you". But at least Obama is handing out free umbrellas.
We know that already!
However, what Obama offers is a safety net.
This is what Reagan offered...he made people feel safe and secure...that he would protect Americans.
Obama pretty much says, heck, I can't control the economy, it's not my job, but I'll make sure you don't end up on the street.
Romney telling everyone how bad it is is like saying "Look, it's raining, see, I told you". But at least Obama is handing out free umbrellas.
9
@6 Convention bounces are expected to fade. Obama had a 7 point bounce. Romney's was zero. Short of a major catstrophe, I'd say it's looking pretty good for Obama right now, although I share your cautious outlook as a general rule.
10
#7, it won't end up like 2008. If Obaba wins, he'll wing by a very thin margin. No more than a percentage point. Whatever the amateurs and wishful thinkers want to say about it, the economy always sets the table, the this time around the economy sucks.
Kid yourselves all you want, but if Obama wins (a big "if," even now), it will be narrow and lucky.
Kid yourselves all you want, but if Obama wins (a big "if," even now), it will be narrow and lucky.
11
Typos there.
Whatever the amateurs and wishful thinkers want to say about it, the economy always sets the table, and this time around the economy sucks.
Whatever the amateurs and wishful thinkers want to say about it, the economy always sets the table, and this time around the economy sucks.
13
@11,
Hey Typos there,
I'm not convinced that Obama will win by your narrow and lucky prediction. Intrade shows Obama in the lead at 66% to Romney's 44%.
But honestly, I don't take much stock in polls. I just vote my conscience.
Hey Typos there,
I'm not convinced that Obama will win by your narrow and lucky prediction. Intrade shows Obama in the lead at 66% to Romney's 44%.
But honestly, I don't take much stock in polls. I just vote my conscience.
15
Republican intractability is coming home to roost.
You have christian conservatives, not popular with the general public.
You have teabaggers, not popular with the general public.
You have the corporate elitists, not popular with the general public.
And then you have the old school Republicans (the sane and rational ones) feeling like their own party is pushing them to be Democrats.
Their complete unwillingness to compromise and govern has made them a party with the insane running the asylum. They make the Dems look golden.
You have christian conservatives, not popular with the general public.
You have teabaggers, not popular with the general public.
You have the corporate elitists, not popular with the general public.
And then you have the old school Republicans (the sane and rational ones) feeling like their own party is pushing them to be Democrats.
Their complete unwillingness to compromise and govern has made them a party with the insane running the asylum. They make the Dems look golden.
16
@8 -
I agree with what Jimmy Carter's wife answered when a TV reporter pressed her to explain Reagan's popularity: "He makes people feel good about their prejudices."
I agree with what Jimmy Carter's wife answered when a TV reporter pressed her to explain Reagan's popularity: "He makes people feel good about their prejudices."
18
Interesting thing about typos in Slog is that most of the time our minds automatically correct them. I read @10 just fine and reading the correction in @11 made me realize that I had replaced the "the" with an "and" automatically.
I generally don't submit corrections unless I used the wrong word or something's missing so that it doesn't make sense.
I generally don't submit corrections unless I used the wrong word or something's missing so that it doesn't make sense.
19
@18
I don't submit corrections even though I use wrong words all the time. Slog is like Atari 2600 for sad-mouthed adults. I don't want to say it's a dumb hobby, but very little personal growth happens because of it.
I don't submit corrections even though I use wrong words all the time. Slog is like Atari 2600 for sad-mouthed adults. I don't want to say it's a dumb hobby, but very little personal growth happens because of it.
20
10 &11
You can talk about a sucky economy, but while the job numbers are climbing slowly, they are, in fact climbing. And the stock market just hit a four year high. If the economy sets the table, we may be having the soup course.
You can talk about a sucky economy, but while the job numbers are climbing slowly, they are, in fact climbing. And the stock market just hit a four year high. If the economy sets the table, we may be having the soup course.
21
#13, you might not take stock in polls, but you notice them enough to get them wrong, anyway. Look, I'm not Kreskin the magician. I hope Obama wins, but I think it's going to be a very close election.
Romney isn't "flailing." All of these things are ripples on the pond. The state of the economy outweighs them, and electoral history going back to 1948 predicts Romney wins by a whisker.
If that doesn't happen, it'll be because Romney's campaign was terrible, and maybe even because Obama's wasn't the usual haphazard bullshit you see out of Democrats, at least so far.
But we've got a month and a half for the Democrats to fuck it up as they tend to do, and for the Republicans to wave the flag and appeal to God. All I'm saying is that the nyah-nyah-nyah tone of the article is premature.
By the way, Intrade is a snapshot. That "poll" can change in a heartbeat. The next bunch of stories will be about how Obama's lead has evaporated and therefore was never real. And we're seeing the Israelis trying to intervene in the election by beating the drums for a war with Iran.
This thing ain't even close to be sewn up. I still think it's Romney's to lose, and everyone knows that it ain't easy to kill a vampire.
Romney isn't "flailing." All of these things are ripples on the pond. The state of the economy outweighs them, and electoral history going back to 1948 predicts Romney wins by a whisker.
If that doesn't happen, it'll be because Romney's campaign was terrible, and maybe even because Obama's wasn't the usual haphazard bullshit you see out of Democrats, at least so far.
But we've got a month and a half for the Democrats to fuck it up as they tend to do, and for the Republicans to wave the flag and appeal to God. All I'm saying is that the nyah-nyah-nyah tone of the article is premature.
By the way, Intrade is a snapshot. That "poll" can change in a heartbeat. The next bunch of stories will be about how Obama's lead has evaporated and therefore was never real. And we're seeing the Israelis trying to intervene in the election by beating the drums for a war with Iran.
This thing ain't even close to be sewn up. I still think it's Romney's to lose, and everyone knows that it ain't easy to kill a vampire.
22
Obama won the popular vote 53-46... seven points. Not exactly a blowout. It'll probably be closer this time... but we all know the national popular vote doesn't count for much. How he does in the swing states will determine everything.
The difference from 2008 is that Obama is the incumbent, and Dubya is only present in ghost form. Let's not all start sucking each other's dicks just yet.
The difference from 2008 is that Obama is the incumbent, and Dubya is only present in ghost form. Let's not all start sucking each other's dicks just yet.
24
I agree with Mister G. Obama is up, but not by a lot, and he can fall behind. We still have a month and a half of debates, crazy conservatives making movies, the administration plain dropping the ball, L.A. getting an earthquake, Obama getting a stroke, and whatever other unpredictable thing can happen.
Things are going okay but let's not ease up.
Things are going okay but let's not ease up.
25
I knew Romney was in trouble when he told young people to ask their parents for the tuition for college. The same parents who no longer have jobs and need help themselves.
26
@22- There's still some time until November, I think we can suck each other's dicks a couple of times and still be ready for the election.
28
@15 - Sane, old-school Republicans of the days of my youth have long been purged from the party of that name. What remain are just screaming religio-fascists, with the corporate puppeteers' hands wayyyyy up their alimentary canals. Scared, insane old white people with apocalyptic visions.
About 40-45% of the Yoo-Nighted States.
About 40-45% of the Yoo-Nighted States.
29
Other topics for R & R to run on since their "focus" on the economy is not working? Why not claim that Obama's father is an American-born communist?
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/09/16/…
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/09/16/…
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