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What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
American Thinker ^ | 11-9-2012 | C. Edmund Wright

Posted on 11/09/2012 6:04:21 AM PST by C. Edmund Wright

The story of the 2012 election is that voters still blame Republicans for systemic problems caused by liberalism, and yet they credit Obama for victories brought about by applied conservatism. Now how does this happen? The answer is both a short story and part of a longer festering narrative. Consider: during the Republican primary season, half of Mitt Romney's consultants told him to call Newt Gingrich the devil. The other half told him to merely to claim that the devil worshiped Gingrich. Then these same sorcerers all told Mitt to call Barack Obama "a nice guy." Well, gee, what could possibly go wrong with that plan?

For starters, we still have a country where over 50 percent of the voters think that George W. Bush is at fault for the economic mess and less than 40% think Obama is. Paul Ryan damned near admitted as much in his debate with Joe Biden.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: election; newt; romney; selfpromotion; vanity
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To: old curmudgeon

I agree with everything you said. And IMO, it was a failure of Romney, Ryan, and their consultants. Reagan’s consultants sometimes told him the same thing: but he and Lee Atwater were too smart to take their bullshit advice.

It’s “all of the above” failure.


21 posted on 11/09/2012 6:38:07 AM PST by C. Edmund Wright ("WFT: How Karl Rove and the Consultant Class Have Destroyed America")
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

When we all get out of survival mode,
some of these “targets” of which you speak
should become a bit more literal.


22 posted on 11/09/2012 6:38:23 AM PST by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

If they start a civil war, remember the MSM is the enemy too


23 posted on 11/09/2012 6:39:26 AM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: MrB

Please do not include me, in any more of your posts.

Thank you.


24 posted on 11/09/2012 6:45:15 AM PST by Cringing Negativism Network (America doesn't need any new laws. America needs freedom!)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

You’re sure right about that - after all it was the esteemed Karl Rove who advised GWB not to refute the allegations I mentioned...and maybe that tells us something about the wisdom of having those who are alleged experts in campaign strategy later serving as Chief of Staff and other trusted policy advisory positions. As you say “what could possibly go wrong” with that scenario?


25 posted on 11/09/2012 6:46:01 AM PST by bigbob
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To: bigbob

Yep, that was all part of the “new tone” strategy, and its first cousin “compassionate conservatism.” That’s been our teams official strategy since 2000 every cycle but one: 2010. Hmmm. I think I like 2010 best.


26 posted on 11/09/2012 6:48:08 AM PST by C. Edmund Wright ("WFT: How Karl Rove and the Consultant Class Have Destroyed America")
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To: old curmudgeon

It’s not just the presidential candidates’ jobs to sell. They tried, really, but a great deal of the process in selling the idea of our nation having debt problems is going to be, and has to be, extra-political. In fact, if anything, it’s really a matter of charity work and reaching out at the private level to various individuals affected by poverty to help people build out of the poverty situation, in addition to encouraging others to try living the family life. It’s not as if any, and I mean any presidential candidates alone can sell this, they really, really, can’t. I guarantee you that if it ever is leaned upon such candidates, then it is already too late.

However, with the dollar on the path to further collapse in value, and only so much National Debt we can accumlate, including our interest on the national debt overtaking our Defense Budget, we will be facing the inevitable point where the welfare handouts will simply become borderline worthless, and plenty of people otherwise on the welfare dole will be needing serious help. I would call it Debtageddon.


27 posted on 11/09/2012 6:48:27 AM PST by Morpheus2009
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To: SampleMan
If you want to identify the enemy, it is first and foremost the media.

Absolutely right...

28 posted on 11/09/2012 6:49:10 AM PST by BFM (CLINTON is and always will be a rapist. Never forget!)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

Eventually the debts will ruin the liberal trump cards, the key here is to get the charities and education systems running overtime, because one way or another, the debt will be the backbreaker.


29 posted on 11/09/2012 6:50:02 AM PST by Morpheus2009
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

Politicians are going to go with the flow. Sure the House will act as a firewall, but a fire wall just protects you from the fire, it doesn’t put it out.


30 posted on 11/09/2012 6:53:57 AM PST by fhayek
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To: SampleMan
The older/wiser I become the more I appreciate the old adage, The pen is mightier then the sword.

My eyes were open but Clintons second election and term sealed the deal. The media framed all the issues, made the rule of law a non issue by making Starr a vile, evil, dishonest sob when the opposite was true.

The media controls the masses and does it very efficiently.
I do not believe ANYTHING at all they say.
It will make you ill to your stomach if you are not careful.

31 posted on 11/09/2012 7:00:22 AM PST by winodog (Thank you Jesus for the calm in my life)
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To: GeronL

Pretty soon there will be no MSM...It will just be the media...There will be no dissention. The 1st Amendment will be law in name only. Any argument to the media will be totally squelched and then silenced.
The ONLY news people will get is what the government wants them to get. The internet will be quietly censored and so will “dissadents”.
Welcome to the USSA (United Socialist States of America)


32 posted on 11/09/2012 7:01:15 AM PST by Boonie
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To: All

The news will be obtained from the American Times NY, the American Times LA, the American Times CHI, the American Times DET, etc....


33 posted on 11/09/2012 7:03:23 AM PST by Boonie
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To: Cringing Negativism Network
Obama cannot be re-elected. We need the economy to improve.

Hitler was elected Chancellor in 1933. It took him only 6 years to get that economy humming and take his show on the road into the rest of Europe and then only another 2 years to involve the rest of the world.

Obama won't need to be re-elected.

And yes, I do understand the philosophical differences between these two psychopaths. But with 4 more years of Obama...no one can say with certainty what is coming.

34 posted on 11/09/2012 7:15:26 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts ("The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left." Ecclesiastes 1)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network
start to actually go after targets: The education establishment, the lawyers. The media

Exactly.

But with what message? We've been playing defense, (no new taxes, e.g., is still a government-centric debate point)

It's a mindset that needs to be changed, and THEN the institutions with which to engender them.

Kind of like a corporate mission statement, or the Apostle's Creed, to abuse a metaphor.

35 posted on 11/09/2012 7:22:50 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network
start to actually go after targets: The education establishment, the lawyers. The media

Exactly.

But with what message? We've been playing defense, (no new taxes, e.g., is still a government-centric debate point)

It's a mindset that needs to be changed, and THEN the institutions with which to engender them.

Kind of like a corporate mission statement, or the Apostle's Creed, or the Constitution, say.

Used to be American's talked about freedom, self-determination, what it meant to be a real man or real woman, the list goes on.

Politics has swallowed up all discourse.

36 posted on 11/09/2012 7:30:59 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: P.O.E.

Don’t know how I posted the draft version, then the final. Oops.


37 posted on 11/09/2012 7:32:46 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

The true story of the 2012 election is the failure of a free press to report news in an unbiased way.

The Obama Loving Media has successfully duped the majority of Americans for two presidential elections in a row.

In 2008, most of the press pretended to be non-judgemental while protecting and covering for Obama.
In 2012 the press openly took sides and actively campaigned for Obama.

The racists, career moochers and socialists now run the show.

There will be no peaceful road to return the nation to an ethical, moral nation of independent, self reliant citizens.


38 posted on 11/09/2012 7:56:57 AM PST by Iron Munro ("Strange how paranoia can link up with reality now and then." -- Philip K. Dick)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

McCain, 2008 popular vote: 58,319,442

Romney, 2012 popular vote: 58,163,978

4 years of population growth and Romney didn’t draw what McCain did......


39 posted on 11/09/2012 8:02:58 AM PST by gandalftb
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To: C. Edmund Wright

I apologize for intruding on your discussion. I mentioned race because the door started opening this year, and R&R largely ignored it. The left is so vulnerable in this area. There is an opportunity emerging in Black communities and churches throughout the country. Note CL Bryant’s work, as well as many other African-American Christian leaders. They are waking up to the danger of the far left and what socialist “solutions” have done to their families, and Planned Parenthood has done to their children. A passionate Conservative with the right vision for America could have made a difference.

BTW - Its a lot easier to sell something when you actually believe in it yourself. Did the father of Romneycare really plan on stopping Obamacare? I really wanted to believe it, but based on his political history, I had my doubts, and I know many others did as well.

There are reasons many people did not vote, or wasted their vote on a 3rd party, or voted for Obama, and they weren’t necessarily message or tone. I prayerfully voted for Romney, knowing that the GOP gave us another “its my turn” choice. Could R&R done better articulating their vision, attacking the narrative, and countering the false racism charge? Absolutely. I don’t know that it would have made a significant difference this year.

The GOP needs to stop searching for the magical election elixir and get busy finding a true Conservative choice. Leave the smoke and mirrors to the DNC. Give America a nominee at the top of the ticket that walks the walk, and talks the talk, or else we will be having this same discussion after Hillary is elected in 2016.


40 posted on 11/09/2012 8:13:07 AM PST by Kandy Atz ("Were we directed from Washington when to sow and when to reap, we should soon want for bread.")
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