E. J. Dionne: Mitt Romney and the go-for-broke election

[flpoljunkie]

Mitt Romney and the go-for-broke election
By E.J. Dionne Jr.
July 29

Here are the two great campaign mysteries at midsummer: Why does Mitt Romney appear to be getting so much traction from ripping a few of President Obama’s words out of context? And why aren’t Romney and other Republicans moving to the political center as the election approaches?

Both mysteries point to an important fact about the 2012 campaign: 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.

What should alarm both liberals and moderates is that this is the rare election in which such a strategy has a chance of succeeding. 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.

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[BeyondGeography]

1. He's exactly right, which is why the Obama campaign should start responding in kind

Backwards, reactionary, extreme. I want to start hearing these words every day from our side.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. I agree

But too many on the left are afraid to hear/read 'mean' words. You can be 'mean' sometimes just by hammering home the truth again, and again, and again.

During 2008 I joked with my dad about how every time Rudy Ghouliania opened his mouth all that came out was:
Give me a noun!
Give me a verb!
Give me a 911!

Now it didn't work for HIM - but it worked until 2007 at least . . .when Obama, Clinton, and Edwards changed the focus in the heavily covered Democratic Primary.


Obama/Biden can keep doing what they are doing - and NEVER backing down. And there will be IndieTeaPublicans who are saying they are 'negative' and 'mean'. So what. They aren't going to vote for him anyways. They just make stuff up and believe it.

Truth to them is mean and negative. Something to consider . . .

[BeyondGeography]

4. Biden keeps saying, "This is not your father's GOP."

That's a twist on a 30-year-old OLDSMOBILE ad. What does that even mean to the average listener?

Get with it, ffs...

[Quantess]

5. Today's Democratic party = close to what your father's GOP was

Today's GOP = insane RW extremists

[mazzarro]

3. I wish Democrats are not tepid in challenging rePIGs

Democrats tepidness have given the rePIGs the opening that they are now using to push for the possible extreme-rightward realignment of politics of the nation. To not forcefully challenge the rePIGs when they lie, or when they broke a working system and lay the blame on them, Democrats make it possible for the rePIGs to escape the consequences of what they have the nation to suffer for their policy decisions. I will be much happier if the Democratic leadership, including Obama himself, can be reliable counted upon to consistently challenge and blame the rePIGs particularly when the occasion calls for it.

[progressivebydesign]

6. One reason: Media Consolidation. Period. That is why this is happening.

If we truly had fair media again in this Country. If a handful of people didn't own the majority of media, and IF Bain Capital didn't own more than half the radio stations, people would be more educated on these fact. But they've been brainwashed, quite literally, by the media conglomerates.

Nothing else matters, truly. He who owns the airwaves, wins. Period. that's why they're getting away with it.