Exploiting Obama’s Achilles Heel – “It’s The Economy, Stupid”

Flopping Aces ^ | 02-24-12 | Mataharley

[Starman417]

While the two front runners still follow the Obama contraceptive distraction down the political rabbit hole, and away from Obama's record, at least the two "also rans" - Ron Paul and Newt - are trying to remain focused on the winning issues important to voters, needed for a Nov win of the WH… the economy, and by proxy, prices at the pump.

Say what you will about Ron Paul's idiosyncrasies on foreign policy - and I have - but his efforts to continue driving home foolhardy Fed policies that tank the US dollar and out of control spending need to be heard all day, and every day, until the GOP Convention.

Tag teaming the Paul consistent messaging on monetary policies, Newt's out of the gate opening remarks at the most recent Republican debate in Arizona zeroed in on another Achilles heel for the WH … the prices at the gas pump, and securing the nation with a self-sufficient American energy policy.

You go back and look at the founding fathers, they'd have had very clear messages. Hamilton would have said you have to have jobs and economic growth to get back to a balanced budget. You're never going to balance the budget on the back of a highly unemployed country. And so I would be committed, first of all, to a program of jobs and economic growth.

Second, the energy issue is enormous. The leading developer of North Dakota oil estimated recently that, if we would open up federal land and open up offshore, you would have $16 trillion to $18 trillion -- not billion -- trillion dollars in royalties to the federal government in the next generation, an enormous flow which would drive down prices to $2.50 a gallon, would help us balance the budget and would create millions of jobs.

~~~

We have enough energy in the United States that we would be the largest producer of oil in the world by the end of this decade. We would be capable of saying to the Middle East, "We frankly don't care what you do.

Both of these candidates have their fingers on the pulse of electorate sensibilities. Whether they were privy to James Carville and Stanley Greenberg's latest Democrat internal polling at Democracy Corps released the day after the debate or not, their focus could not have been more timely.

Carville, creator of Clinton's winning catch phrase, "It's the Economy, Stupid", has proven his decade ago strategic slogan is timeless… although he's likely to be chagrined that it's playing better for the opposition team these days. Still, despite the not so good news in the Dem internal polling about Obama's invisible recovery not being bought - hook, line and sinker - by the party faithful, the Democracy Corps data opens on a rosy picture:

The President and the Democrats are indeed doing very well at the outset of 2012, and the Republicans are doing pitifully. They are not unrelated. Republicans in Congress and in the primary battles are driving independents into the Democrats’ camp and consolidating and energizing parts of the progressive base. There is improved optimism about the macro economy and the President’s approval rating is up to 50 percent.1

But Democrats should keep their wits. Nearly all the gains have been produced by the Republican slide, not Democratic gains. Both parties and politicians are reviled. And most important, the voter has not seen personal economic gains and Democrats are no more trusted on handling the economy – the heart of this election.

Some of the emerging Democratic messages are on target, but others miss what is really happening and pose considerable risks. The on-target messages set up an effective electoral choice around the middle class, but the off-target ones could give the Republican nominee a platform for challenging the President’s economic record.

The bad news for the WH? No amount of messaging from the bully pulpit is convincing the poll responders that the economy is moving in the right direction, there is progress on job growth, or that "America is Back". Another party shaker is that the Republicans still enjoy a four point lead over the Democrats on who is the party viewed more favorably for dealing with the economy.

But the good news is that Obama won't have to significantly change his campaign materials, because the polling results showed the strongest messaging that appealed to voters - including the coveted swing voters - was perpetuating the "middle class warfare" rhetoric. As I pointed out in my December post, Obama Campaign Strategy: Crystal Ball, Unicorns and Houdini Economics, since Obama cannot effectively point to his economic record without using crystal ball "it would have been worse" trajectories, and Houdini economics for the invisible economic recovery, he was going to have to rely on good ol' Alinsky tried and true approaches… keep the masses who consider themselves "middle class" disgruntled.

The Single Issue with the Max Impact - Energy Policy

This is where Paul's monetary policy, and Newt's focus on gas prices and energy reform come into play. And apparently, even Obama isn't blind to this potential carpet bomb to his campaign strategy. Because out of all of the GOP candidates following the debate, Obama chose to zero in on "also ran", Newt and his promises about gas prices.

[RoosterRedux]

Obama’s Achilles Heel is a broad as Moochelle’s rear end!

[smoothsailing]

[FrankR]

[E. Pluribus Unum]

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Its Not the Economy Stupid—Its the Gas Prices Stupid! This hits everyone—the poor in their old cars are hit the worst. This will kill any modest recovery—even a synthetic one. In the end it will be the gas prices that bring him down. No amount of “MSM” Happy Talk can counter this—even a modest decrease will not help. Think Waterloo.

[vigilo]

The Republican party made so serious attempts to oppose Obama in 2008. They have done nothing against him in the last 4 years. Nothing will change in 2012. Oh, the GOP will make a few noises here and there, but, nothing significant.