Posted on 04/02/2014 9:29:25 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
On Tuesday, House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., presented his 2015 budget proposal. The Senate Democrats did not provide any such proposal; President Barack Obama's proposal posited an unending federal deficit and massive tax increases. Ryan's proposal, by contrast, lowered the rate of increase of spending moderately (by $5.1 trillion over the next decade), struck Obamacare from the rolls, and suggested revamps to Social Security and Medicare. This was possibly the dumbest thing Ryan could have done.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., immediately jumped on the budget proposal, suggesting that Ryan's budget came from "Kochtopia," and that it had been produced in reality by the nefarious Koch brothers. The former Clinton administration secretary of labor called the budget "cruel and unusual punishment." Ryan, Democrats claimed, was mean, nasty, heartless, brutal.
The same day Ryan laid out his blueprint for spending, Obama and his minions claimed victory for Obamacare, trumpeting their fudged sign-up numbers for the Affordable Care Act. "7.1 million Americans have now signed up for private insurance plans through these market places! 7.1! Yep!" Obama blustered. Never mind the fact that Obama had canceled some 5 million health care plans and then threatened people with fines for failing to repurchase under Obamacare; never mind the fact that the administration would not release numbers on how many Americans had paid for Obamacare; never mind that well under 1 million Americans who previously lacked health insurance took advantage of the Obamacare exchanges to get into the market. Obama had wanted his 7 million; now he had his 7 million.
Republicans reacted with predictable confusion and outrage. They suggested -- rightly -- that Obama had "cooked the books." They complained that sign-up numbers did not justify the entire overthrow of the health insurance system. And Obama, the man who canceled plans, doctors and drugs for millions of Americans, responded thusly: "Why are folks working so hard for people not to have health insurance?"
This is why Republicans will lose in 2016.
Democrats understand the art of narrative. Republicans do not. Republicans would rather have Ryan wave around a 100-page budget backed by all the stats. Democrats would rather point at Ryan and say he hates children. Americans don't have time to read 100-page budgets. Case closed.
Republicans would rather complain about each and every aspect of Obamacare. They enjoy debunking Obama's falsified statistics and singling out his corruption of data. Democrats would prefer to point at those Republicans and suggest that they don't care enough about poor, sick children. Americans don't have time to wade through media falsehoods or read beyond the headlines. Case closed.
In 2016, the Democratic Party will nominate Hillary Clinton. Her narrative has already been written by the media: starry-eyed young Republican turned disenchanted leftist seeking honesty and accountability in government; wronged woman married to a charming rogue, victimized by a viciously sexist right-wing conspiracy; first lady, senator, jet-setting secretary of state; elderly grandmother called once more to public service by her ailing country. You can all but hear the music swell and the slow clap begin as she steps to the microphone.
What, precisely, is the Republican narrative? Is it Ryan's CPA-style approach to government management? Is it Chris Christie's government-as-huggable-friend Hurricane Sandy routine? Is it Jeb Bush's riches-to-riches story?
Republicans continue to lose because Republicans get distracted from story by information. Democrats continue to win because they never let information get in the way of a good story. Until Republicans figure that simple truth out, no amount of truth will put a Republican back in the Oval Office.
-- Ben Shapiro, 30, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, a radio host on KTTH 770 Seattle and KRLA 870 Los Angeles, Editor-in-Chief of TruthRevolt.org, and Senior Editor-at-Large of Breitbart News. He is the New York Times bestselling author of "Bullies: How the Left's Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America." He lives with his wife and daughter in Los Angeles.
There is only one reason that Hillary will win and its the exact same reason that Obama won. The GOP Establishment will deliberately take a dive.
I do but I’m not expecting much; numbers count. I don’t see much of the TP in terms of numbers outside of Texas.
Give it time, give it time.
“Understand your forces and understand your opponents and in one hundred battles you will not be defeated.”
We still don’t understand the power of fear.
“Yes, the Democrats want to give you free things, but there is no more free stuff to give. If you vote for the Democrats, they will destroy everything. You will receive nothing. The Republicans want to build the country back up. Then, there might be some help for people in trouble. With the Democrats, there will be nothing. You will be out in the street trying to catch cats to eat.”
Rather conservatives will cheer because it will keep Hillary OUT.
The Republican candidate can win if he/she keeps the message simple. Obamacare is bad. Pound it into the ground and pound it some more.
Democrats focus on narrative because they own the media. Republicans have to hammer back, but it’s an uphill slog. Ocare is part of the message, but I would give at least equal attention to un/underemployment, and pitch that hard to the millenials and minorities. “Obama has stolen your future” is not a hard message to sell, given the realities. “Obama” has grown Medicaid, food stamps and disability, but he’s shrunk jobs” is also not hard to sell.
We can’t expect results at the Federal level when we must go against GOPe and the commies.
Article V, secession and CW2 in that order are the only real ways we have left to advance liberty.
You got it. Gov handouts. Ya can't beat it along with total corruption. The idiot that can't name a US senator or how many there are has a same vote as we do. I'm sure we can see the next prez - the Hildabeast or Jeb. That outcome is assured to go dem.
No, that’s all the Pub candidates since Nixon.
“...Let’s say we win the senate handily in 2014. 2016-we concentrate on getting to 60..”
-
Set that goal for 60 in 2014.
Not impossible.
I have zero interest in Ryan, if he proposes a good budget God Bless him, but as a national candidate stay away.
The GOP narrative?
Where the hell is the conservative/Tea Party narrative?
Sit around and pass blog posts around and wring our hands at how much the GOP sucks?
Detaching ourselves from their stupidity, while secretly hoping they win, does not absolve us of our own inability to do any better.
Simple explanation - “Logic will not get a person out of a position that logic did not get them into”.
Well, you have to factor in our corrupt media. Michelle Obama is touted as some fashion plate with great fashion taste. I've seen pictures of how that woman dresses and I know this is not true; but, that is what the narrative is -- and the press pushes it for the Administration.
So, first woman president MUST be Hillary, so that is what the media will push; and, unfortunately, they will probably be the ones who elect our next President; just as they elected BO. Hiding all her faults, and lying about her accomplishments; which, btw, are zero.
"If you're a business owner or wage-earner, Democrats want to cut your throat with a machete and take away everything you've ever earned to buy votes from the lazy, shiftless, thugs they call a base."
We can play it that way, but it's going to require a different set of personalities than we currently have in office.
If “The Clinton” runs she will win hands down! Never, never underestimate the degeneracy of the American demographic.
An alternate title would be “Why Americas will continue to decline in 2016.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.