Posted on 09/16/2012 3:36:11 PM PDT by drewh
Coming at a moment of international crisis, as U.S. embassies in the Middle East were beset by anti-American protests, the interview brought shudders from some Republicans who fear the Romney campaign is running aground in its final stretch.
"Deaver is turning over in his grave," said one prominent Republican strategist, referring to Michael Deaver, the late image-maker for Ronald Reagan. The Republican asked for anonymity, because he did not want to go public with his growing despair over the GOP tickets prospects for winning this fall.
"I cant get my head around this," said John Weaver, a former strategist on Republican John McCains presidential campaigns. "What is their message? What is going on here? This is not a complicated race against Obama. This is about having a detailed plan to move this economy forward and dont make any unforced errors and be disciplined and focused. Theyre anything but that."
Romney also declined to attack Obama over his characterization of Egypt as not being an ally, something his advisers have done. He pointed out that the country is, officially, a non-NATO ally, but explained what the president seemed to mean.
"The presidents saying they are not may reflect the fact that theres been a change in government and a change in relationship as a result of that," Romney said. "And what their status will be going forward in terms of the relationship with our nation is something which Im sure will be developing over time."
Before an audience of campaign donors, however, Romney sharply condemned Obama for not making time to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this month at the U.N. General Assembly.
"I thought the presidents decision not to meet with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu was an extraordinarily confusing and troubling decision,"
(Excerpt) Read more at standard.net ...
OK to be fair.
I am all for Romney getting aggressive.
I do question however the WaPo in this regard.
(a lot)
Anyone know the author?
Everybody is on Romney..Shouldnt they be on Obama?
Be cautious whenever papers publish statements from “anonymous Republicans”
They are usually anonymous because the source is a well-known RINO, or they don’t exist. Remember what these “insiders” said about Paul Ryan.
Republican lawmakers say Romney campaign needs to change course
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/249685-republican-lawmakers-say-romney-campaign-needs-to-change-course
I find Obamas campaign stategery baffling.
I find his presidency and economy baffling.
Congressional Republicans said Romney should make a concise, bold promise to reform wasteful spending in Washington.
He should say, I will manage your money in Washington. I will eliminate waste, fraud and abuse. Obama wants you to send more money so he can spend more money.
I’d love to see Romney’s internal polling.
These guys are either 100% convinced they’ve won already or they are idiots. Let’s hope for the former.
I’d like for Romney to come up with a specific list of things that he will repair when elected.
And more blather from the lefty Wa Po with un named sources and all sorts of nonsense. Must be that Mitt and Paul are doing something that gets their dander up.....
A quote from a McCain strategist. Priceless.
One thing you never see is the Democrats off message like this. There are all these players who are nominally Republicans (Peggy “I voted for Obama because I wanted to look cool” Noonan, Steve “MSNBC prostitute”Schmidt, John Weaver (McCain actually fired him), the ever present anonymous GOP stategist which does not have the guts to speak on the record, and others) who are trying to advance their own cause by undermining Romney’s campaign.
You would never see a Democrat do this.
As opposed to Obama’s message of a long hard road to poverty and marxist enlightenment?
another lefty rag that does the WH (i.e. O) bidding...note not a name mentioned just ‘GOP lawmalers’.....maybe Olympia Snowe???
The Weekly Standard published an open letter to Romney from contributor Peter J. Hansen urging him to be more specific in his policy prescriptions. Conservative media titan Rupert Murdoch this week tweeted: Romney must draw a clear line: offer a specific path to restore the American dream versus ugly Obama class war with jobs disappearing.
BTTT.
Pretty much says it all.
Again no one named in the entire article, thus completely made up out of whole clothe to meet a libs deadline. Just like the anonymous Republican strategist. No attribution, then the “person” does not exist. No balls, no glory.
Two legislators said Romneys image as a seasoned Mr. Fix-it is undermined by the perceived vagueness of his policy agenda.
If youre going to bring it to the American people, youve got to show details, said the lawmaker who questioned what he saw as efforts during the GOP convention to cast Romney as a warm and fuzzy candidate.
Or the opposite. The polling is bad, and they are looking for a wa forward.
The entire article makes me itch. The weird non sequitur about Bush at the end especially. Bizarre and wandering article.
Another GOP lawmaker said the aura Romneys advisers are trying to create around the candidate has muddled the most compelling rationale for his candidacy: he is a no-nonsense problem-solver who can turn the economy around.
My advice is dont try to turn him into something hes not, said the senator.
He needs to say if you elect me, this is what youre going to get, someone whos going to bring common sense to the White House, he said.
She's as left as they come, read some of her earlier writings especially during the GW Bush era.
I'd not waste a post on her column.
Another news media narrative is developing in the MSM echo chamber.
Amen
His Message on the Middle East?
Everything the man does stinks.
Do you really believe any of this BS? That Romney really is behind?
I agree. I have felt for two months that they were holding back as long as the numbers fit their model. I wonder sometimes, though, because it seems like they are sort of letting Obama back in the game. I hope it is the former, too!
Well, this is the Washington ComPost speaking, and they’d do anything to help Obama win.
But, regretably, they are right about this. Romney spoke out that once. Once and only once. Otherwise, he has pretty well faded into the woodwork ever since he finished bashing Rick and Newt.
Once in a while he gets his guys to point out that he’s a businessman, so he can fix things. That’s about the extent of it. And he has done NOTHING about the media stacking the debates with nobody but left wing stooges.
What is this, the Onion? WaPo is quoting a professional saboteur about how to spin the Obama/Hillary foreign policy catastrophe into a Romney fail? And people are discussing it as if this "analysis" exists in some kind of non-contextual void?
This is the narrative the corrupt media is going with this week, I guess.
Drudge has Politico running an “inside” story on the Romney infighting. Not by accident.
The media is disgraceful.
No I do not.
Obama stepped on his dick this week and he get’s a bounce?
No way.
“Prosperity and freedom do not benefit one group over another. They benefit us all.” —Paul Ryan
I guess this stupid reporter is not aware of this current news report: “Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney plans to talk up some specifics of his economic proposals as he enters a critical period of his campaign”
That is the way the MSM see it.
Romney speaks out and they say it is only a political play. That he does not really mean it.
I think there is a clear line. Either you want more government “help”, or you want the government to get out of peoples way. Both sides have accepted that formulation. Anyone who says there isn’t can’t see the forest for the trees.
You are correct. Of course they should. But the GOP has been saddled with a buffoon for a candidate and it’s feeding frenzy time right up until the election.
I can’t believe people who were a part of TEA destroying RATS left and right in Nov 2010 (to their unending surprise) think the same TEA just said ‘oh, screw it’ to Nov 2012. None of zero’s base is energized. Most of ours is.
The Weekly Standard and Rupert Murdoch BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA now name some true conservatives.
Do I think Mitt needs more specificity ? Sure thing but will the lame stream media report it? Of course not. I don’t care what the current meme is. Our job is to get conservatives elected to the house and senate and make sure that O does NOT have a second term....under any circumstances
Yeah there is someone Romney should be listening to. The most inept campaign in GOP history.
Pathetic how easy the Democrat propaganda machine buffaloes the "conservative" media.
yes he is behind if 10 to 18 pct more rats come out in November and that is not happening on planet America
There’s a legal aphorism, `When you’ve won, stop talking.’
Romney knows what he’s doing. Obama is doing a good job every day—for Romney.
Proof? Obama’s side—Democrats, the MSM, et al.—are doing all they can, but they can’t change Obama.
People on Obama’s side (like here) can’t keep Obama from serial pooch-screwing, so they are advising Romney to act differently.
I’ll dig up an old saw: Let Romney be Romney. Unlike Obama, he didn’t just fall off the turnip wagon.
Quite honestly I don’t understand where the TEA party has gone.
After 2010 they just sort have went away.
I am sure they will get specific with the debates....that’s what they are for.
TEA went NOWHERE. Still 100% here, just silent running now, not about to give RATS any advantage via communication.
I suspect despite the liberal moderators, Romney will dissect Obama in the debates.
I know Ryan will handle Crazy Uncle Joe.
These recommendations you identify are good ones but policy prescriptions, however specific, aren’t really necessary. Just look at BO’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. There are no specifics, just childish and vague plattitudes, and he won. It seems the Democrat party has PT Barnum for campaign manager. Individual Dems make outrageous statements and follow courses of action that could well cripple our nation’s security and economy for decades—but they tell a bunch of lies and are able to win elections.
Republicans need to grasp at least a few points (and probably a few more):
1. Everything you say, whether good or bad, will be presented to the public as bad. You have to have your own information outlets and failing to support and promote new popular information outlets to counter the hard left news media has been a problem for Repubs since the 1960s.
2. Being nice and not saying anything that is too harsh results in your being invisible. If you don’t have hard-hitting simple statements to repeat over and over for the electorate, you will be seen through the propaganda of the hard left media. Failing to aggressively defend your positions, as Bush 43 failed to do, results in your being vilified with myth.
3. Going on stage to debate with the left managing the debate will damage your campaign—it is not “reaching out to the middle”. There is no such thing as the moderate voter, only socialists, Americans, and people who aren’t very knowledgable about politics or government. Those are the only three voter groups.
4. Most people don’t understand foreign, economic, domestic, education, or any other policy. Policies put people to sleep and there is no way people can understand the long-term consequences of political policies. At best, voters know whether a proposed policy hurts them immediately or helps some seemingly poor unfortunate people. Voters have no idea what Obamacare will play out in the next ten years. If it isn’t hurting their pocketbook or health this afternoon, and if it sounds nice to help all the poor people, the prospect of crippling health care quality and costing people a fortune in the process is all just mumbo-jumbo to them. Republicans must keep the message simple and hard-hitting. It must be repeated often. Remind voters that Obamacare means no more good health care and remind them they will need to pony-up $X to get bad care.
Tell voters everyday that the Dems want to be Greece. Tell the voters that the Dems are screwing up the middle east. Keep up the drumbeat!
“Silent running”
I was thinking the same thing, and approve.
“Silent running”
I was thinking the same thing, and approve.
“Death from below”
Yes I do believe it. Look it, polls might be off a few points but they show trends and a pattern. ALL have Romney behind, except Ras and Romney just went from being four points head to one point according to Ras.
There isn’t a clear message. It should be about the state of the economy and Obamacare. Hit both hard and often.
Watch and wait, and listen...
Reflex!
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