David Plouffe: Obama Didn’t Bring Up 47 Percent Because It’s Been ‘Chewed Over’

[DonViejo]

David Plouffe: Obama Didn’t Bring Up 47 Percent Because It’s Been ‘Chewed Over’

BENJY SARLIN 11:46 PM EDT, WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3, 2012

Obama adviser David Plouffe defended the president's lack of any mention of Romney's 47 percent remarks in a post-debate appearance on MSNBC.

"First of all on the 47%, that's an issue that just about 100% of the country knows about. It's been chewed on over and appropriately so," he said. "The reason it's called Romney's problem is because it wasn't a gaffe. It was a revealing moment. We've run advertising on it so our strategy here was not zingers necessarily."

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/david-plouffe-obama-didnt-bring-up-47-percent

[d_b]

1. gotta look forward

not back

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Plouffe is exactly right

A bunch of people will now jump on this thread calling Plouffe an idiot. The difference between those people and David Plouffe is that David Plouffe got a black guy named Barack Hussein Obama elected President of the United States of America, while the people calling Plouffe an idiot never got so much as a beloved high school quarterback elected to student council.

[Floyd_Gondolli]

3. He's flat wrong there

You bring it up. Period. It's the proverbial Easy Button.

But beyond that it's also incumbent on the person asking the questions to address it. The 47 percent is something that had blotted out the sun for weeks. In what world is Romney not asked about it. To put it into perspective, even someone like Chris Wallace would ask him to address it.

It was an epic failure by an apparently tone deaf Leherer.

[TroyD]

7. You're right and David Plouffe is wrong on this one

You should never assume that everyone has already heard about it.

Yes, it got a lot of attention, but many people are just tuning into election season for the first time this year. Not everyone is a political junkie like us who follows it all year.

It should be brought up, PARTICULARLY when you are debating someone who is on stage pretending to be Mr. Caring & Wonderful in public. You point out that the way they have talked about the America people behind closed doors is very different.

[avaistheone1]

11. My thoughts exactly.

[Floyd_Gondolli]

12. That's what bothers me

Plouffe has to know this and I think he does, but you can't come out and say you effed it up. They'll do better next time.

And let me also say that I'm a huge fan of Plouffe and Axelrod. I bought David's book the day it came out and devoured it in short order.

[cling2reality]

19. yes, if we recall, Mr. Kerry, did not think

it was important to respond to the swift boat bullshit because it was untrue.
You have to call them out on things when you get a chance.
Not fucking nod in agreement when the rabid dog is spewing complete lies.

[RBInMaine]

20. Oh they have ads like hell up attacking him on this. The MODERATOR needs to bring it up.

[Overseas]

4. I'm hoping the American people thought about that 47% comment while Romney was spewing lies.

[demgrrrll]

5. No you don't bring it up because anyone that does not think he had an answer to close that

book is wrong, now they still have the chance to go over it and over it again.

[ailsagirl]

6. Disagree

That could have been Nitt's biggest gaffe and I think we need to stick it to him right up to election day. We can't allow that "pack of truths" fade away. It's our strongest ammunition. It's the "real Nitt."

[Bjorn Against]

8. When you lose a debate to one of the worst candidates in the history of Presidential campaigns...

That is probably a sign that your debate strategy did not work, Obama needs to be much tougher in the next two debates there is really no excuse for losing to someone as slimy as Mitt Romney.

[dhill926]

14. + 1.......

sadly....

[avaistheone1]

9. Sorry but public tunes into the presidential debates, not politcal advertising.

The Prez had an audience of millions tonight who wanted to hear his message. Obama had the advantage this evening and he did not go after Romney on the 47% issue. Advertising is catch as catch can. Many, if not most of us will hear little to none of the Obama political advertising. I know that may be hard for campaign hacks to believe.
Do the hacks think that most people chain themselves to their TVs each day channel surfing in anticipation of an Obama ad? Really now?

[Floyd_Gondolli]

18. Sorry, but that's simply not true

Of course the debates matter. Of course Obama could have done better.

But to say the ads don't matter is simply absurd. Good ads DO MATTER. Messaging matters.

The fact is Obama and the DNC have some extremely effective ads running right now and have for months. See, that's a big part of what's been moving the needle. Romney says something stupid and it is exploited over and over again with the right messaging.

People can say they don't like the negative ads and part of me believes them. But whether or not they're influenced by them is another matter entirely.

[msongs]

10. unfortunately obama likes to be kind to republicans nt

[hexola]

13. They don't want to appear to be too close to a clandestine act?

Advertising is one thing - but coming out of the presidents mouth is another.

[NCLefty]

15. Well I hope O's performance was planned (and focus-grouped)

If they did this on purpose, that's one thing. It just didn't look like he was very engaged. I think that's what has some confused/worried.

[treestar]

16. Was there any occasion to bring it up, even?

It would not look good to bring it up out of thing air. And it's not going to disappear because it was not mentioned in this debate.

[MrSlayer]

17. Certainly. They talked about taxes for the first 45 minutes.

There were plenty of spots to hammer it in there. But I also think the moderator was remiss in not bringing it up either.