You are hereForums / 2012 Presidential Election / Mitt Romney's Entitlement Campaign
Mitt Romney's Entitlement Campaign
The Romney campaign is grappling with an unexpected swell of Republican complaints about the former Massachusetts governor’s political operation...
What began over the weekend with a few stray tweets from Fox News media baron Rupert Murdoch has grown into a larger chorus of criticism from the right over the deftness (or lack thereof) of Romney’s team.
Romney’s general-election approach has resembled the strategy he used during the GOP primaries, a keep-your-head-down, minimalist effort aimed at keeping the focus on his opponent.
**********
Romney is running "Our Turn" campaign. That's what Ann Romney said... You know, the type of campaign that doesn't run on ideas or passion. It runs on a feeling of entitlement.
The downside of this tactic ... Romney has had two straight bad weeks and so the grumbling begins.
Good for the right wing of the GOP for jumping fast, hard and loud on Romney's crappy messaging. The Democrats let Obama get away with almost two years of sniveling, pointless, gutless bipartisanship in 2010 and much of 2011.
Swing voters aren't going to hand the presidency to Romney just because it's "his turn." He's not the kind of guy that can pull this off. No matter how upset the average voter may or may not be about Obama's performance, that voter is also going to have some serious reservations about Mitt. He wants to sell himself as a good manager and a safe bet, but the electorate just isn't buying.
Well here we are Romney is just coasting on “Obama has not done enough for the economy “ lol---- However, the GOP has not laid out a clear credible economic plan on how they will help the middle class and small businesses. They have not spoken about a health plan that will insure the middle and poor. I am well aware that lots of Americans want a reduction on the entitlement programs because it is too costly; some American’s believe more in Austerity verses growth. The word “growth” is labeled as “overspending”. If the GOP can make the word growth sound evil then they will sell this evil word as “big Government”. They hate the word “Growth”. The right wing and GOP candidate wants to promise the America people that they can stimulate the economy by deregulations, severe cuts of the entitlement programs, elimination of the Department of education, cutting public sector jobs like nurses, polices, firemen and teacher; as a result, the GOP will not have to spend a dime to stimulate the economy; the economy will stimulate on its own by virtue of Osmosis “deregulation”. Also, the GOP’s philosophy is to keep the “Big Boys” happy because they will create jobs for “Americans”. Their motto is if we don’t make the job creators happy then they will punish Americans by not creating jobs!! hmmmm
There are some people who really thinks that the more cuts are made and spending is eliminated, then we will see a comeback in the economy. There is little proof that this method works in time of crisis!! This method may be effective during periods of stability but I am not convinced that it is productive during times of crisis. What is really funny to me is how the right wing and GOP is crying that the individual state has more Power than the federal Government!! They have declared that each individual state is sovereign and does not have to obey federal laws. There has not been an uprising among state legislators in years against a federal government. We are seeing the greatest uprising against this administration than what we have seen in many years. More than 25 Governors sued the President’s health plan; many states attorneys disregarded the federal regulations against voter suppression. Lots of legislators sued to have Obama removed from the bench on some nonsense paranoia regarding his birth certificate. This is more than about “partisan politics”. This is an actual revolt and total disregard for this President!! To equate these actions to partisan politics is an absolute denial of reality.
Now that the President is hammering Romney for his politics as Governor and businessman, Romney’s poor misguided wife sees this action as “personal”. If Obama was attacking his Mormon religion, his family history of living in Mexico or attacking how Romney will manage this nation with a sick wife then I can see it being personal but everything else regarding his record is fair game. When the nut jobs went after Jeremiah wright, association with terrorist; the President’s birth certificate; unfit because he was just allowed to go to Harvard because of his skin color and not his ability was totally personal and intended to stir up the old hatred that lies beneath the surface in America. I guess if Obama falls for the ploy of attacking Romney’s wife then it would not look good on Obama. I think Michelle Obama should come out and defend President Obama against Mrs. Ann Romney lol --- Ann Is not running for President so she really needs to shut up about her Husband’s record being attacked. These poor people have no stamina to deal with criticism of Romney’s record; obviously, they are above reproach. They have to be “nicely” attacked, they are too fragile to deal with harsh criticism lol hahaha
It is hilarious how the right wings are blaming Obama for a poor economy when the legislators on the right have completely helped to crash this economy by being immensely obstructive!! The right wing nomination and campaign have been nothing but a joke and a clown show!! They have embarrassed America by their lack of understanding and professionalism on real issues; complete dumb founded by their “ill” knowledge of world events. However, the democrats have failed in their cohesion, lack of a strong unified message and attacking the GOP in their multiple weaknesses!! However, the democrats are still the better and fit party for what is happening in America at this time. Let’s hope the Democratic message gets to voters in time!!
" It is hilarious how the right wings are blaming Obama for a poor economy when the legislators on the right have completely helped to crash this economy by being immensely obstructive!!"
Ok, but what isn't hilarious is the number of "legitimate" journalists and pundits who have bought the right wing "law of physics" -- that Obama can't win re-election if the unemployment rate is above 7.6% (or some such arbitrary figure). If Bush (campaigning against gay marriage) could beat Kerry in Ohio when state unemployment was around 9%, Obama can win w/ unemployment above 8%.
And, as I believe you have pointed out in an earlier post, Team Obama's unwillingness/failure to link Romney and the GOP to the Bush/Cheney administration has squandered a terrific
opportunity -- make that multiple opportunities -- to undercut Romney's "Obama has failed, I will do better" attacks. Nothing hilarious about that either.
That 401Ks and retirement accounts by the hundreds of thousands have been brought back to life on Obama's watch must have security clearance, because Obama will not mention, much less campaign on, how people facing the demolition of all retirement hopes under Bush (the Dow was in the 7000's when he and his pals were done with us; it is now around 12,700) have literally been saved in the past three and a half years. Mine was one of them.*** God forbid Obama should mount a campaign that appeals to seniors in retirement or near retirement.
I agree that the comparison between the two men seems ridiculous on its face. But our dear, beloved country is capable of supporting ridiculous leaders, arguments, and policies. As someone has pointed out, Obama arguably loses at least 5% of the electorate by being black (either from people who would have voted for a moderate white democrat who won't come out to vote for Obama or people who might not otherwise vote that WOULD come out to get the black/Muslim/Kenyan President out of office). Even John McCain and Sarah Palin, a stupefyingly dreadful ticket, lost by only 6% of the popular vote. On merit, they should have lost by 10% or more.
I enjoy your posts and our periodic street fights. I do get nervous at anything that HINTS that the outcome of this election should be obvious. Maybe in a utopian sense it should be, but I fear what I sometimes take to be -- and perhaps incorrectly -- Obamaesque complacency.
*** To readers of this site who occasionally claim that if we are for Obama we can't be true Republicans: In the last eighteen months of the Bush administration, my retirement portfolio dove 17%, essentially postponing my planned retirement by at least three years. Under Obama, in less than four years, my portfolio is up over 40% from my Bush low. I am now back on track for retiring as planned before Bush and Cheney started "protecting America's freedom." Negative 17% personal finances vs. positive 40% personal finances. Is that a Republican enough reason to support Obama?
Tom there is Obamamesque complacency for sure. I do agree that Obama will lose 5% points due to the deprived mindset of some people. However, there is something about this election process that supersedes the usual election process like Reagan, Clinton, Bush senior, Carter, Lyndon and etc. This is the most polarizing and "out of the box" election that I have ever experienced in modern times. I mean we had people like Ron Paul, Herman Cain, Santuran, and Bachmann taken as serious Presidential candidates!! lol --- It is not because of their experience or lack there of but it is their behavior, principles and extreme views that were shocking!! Also, we have lose cannons like Allen West ( who hates Obama with a passion) on the lose saying outrageous stuff like calling the Democratic legislators Communist or Socialist??
He is truly ill but we have someone like him elected to office and allowed to say all types of sick things. Unbelievable!!!--- Freedom of speech has never been more active!! The Right wing has thrown "Political Correctness" out the window accept when they are being called "Racist" lol ---- They decry the word "racist". To use the word would cause them to accuse you of using the "race card and being divisive" lol---- it compares to a man who abuses a woman and then the abuser says " oh she is just imaging things" lol--- Racism is not a figment of someone's imagination; it is a real evil source that is alive and well!! Well back on topic lol----- I do think it should be obvious to the average voter as to the madness with this election process because it is so far from normal until it is unbelievable!! BUT the fact that this election process isn't obvious is reflective of the state of mind, division in ethnocentrism, and inequality in human dynamics that still exist in the American people today.
"This is the most polarizing and "out of the box" election that I have ever experienced in modern times."
Agreed. The only thing that is really different that I can see is that Obama isn't white.
Iraq, as polarizing as it is, has nothing compared to the impact of Vietnam on American social stability. (Bush and Cheney were politically smart enough not to draft middle class kids.) Yes the economy is not terrific, but the stock market is almost at a record high, unemployment was measurably higher during the Reagan recession (and no Republican was screaming for Reagan's head; it was a necessary "correction") and gas prices have not only been higher, but we do not have anything approaching national shortages (I was just starting my teaching career and getting engaged during the "oil crisis" of the 1970s and all the gaslines and oil pancis).
Yes, the internet and cable news have all but destroyed the filters of professionalism and standards for what gets to the public as news, facts, or informed opinion. But technology did not invent racism.
I am waiting for someone to persuade me that the freakish degree of no-nothing GOP negativisim and smear against Obama isn't 90% racial animosity or cynical pandering toward it (I put West in this category). Progressive leaders with media and political platforms feel they have to be very wary about calling this out, for fear of being labeled as race baiters (and, perhaps justifiably, fear of making a bad situation worse).
I am frustrated and appalled by the animosity, but I don't think its source is a great mystery. He is black. Next question. Anytime I see some MSNBC panel commentators pondering the complexities of animosity to Obama they gingerly mention race (even Sharpton takes it down a bit) as a factor and then hurry off to more intellectually tortured analyses. (MSNBC is almost as biased as Fox, and I love 'em, but at least they do not systematically and calculatedly make up crap and put it on their broadcasts.)
I have never felt that Obama had a strong win in 2008 against the GOP. He had a strong win against Hillary Clinton in the primaries. In the fall he ran against a party that openly acknowledged it had failed in both economic and domestic policy. He ran against a dull, palpably clueless presidential candidate. He ran against a VP candidate that had Republican commentators openly calling for her head. Moreover, Obama won with support of the most undependable (in terms of turnout, for whateve reasons) constituencies in the voting demographic: young people and minorities. And he still lost 47% of the vote.
Romney is a better candidate than McCain, and there is evidence he is making Obama into a better candidate than he might have been otherwise. And as for all those super wealthy conservatives that were supposed sit on their money because they lacked enthusiasm for Romney, all we have to do is check the fundraising stats for June.
As long as Romney wakes up every morning white and can keep his chief aids from saying that he would roll back emancipation of slaves on his first day in office, he is a highly competitive candidate.
As long as Romney wakes up every morning white and can keep his chief aids from saying that he would roll back emancipation of slaves on his first day in office, he is a highly competitive candidate. love this!! lol
Bingo!! Tom right on! lol hahaha-- I agree -- MSNBC has been weak on calling a spade a spade! lol--well since the supreme court gave way for donors to splurge money on candidates; Romney is a very competitive candidate!--- lol Romney is the perfect toy and puppet for the billionaires because I have yet to see any intellectual capacity from him. This election is going to be one big whirlwind!!
Thanks, Kelly. The only reason why we forget about the stock market comeback under Obama is that people who are paid a lot of money to remind the country of this fact haven't done it. To riff off of Mr. Romney -- something I do with infrequency and some dread -- there are some people in the WH and DNC campaign staffs I would enjoy firing.