Posted on 12/16/2008 11:46:03 AM PST by lewisglad
Ominous music. Grainy footage. Headlines showing that Obama--OMG!--once supported Blagojevich. References in news reports noting that Obama aides might have had talked to Blagojevich about filling the Senate seat Obama vacated. And the kicker: "Questions Remain."
As the indictment filed against Blagojevich notes, the guv was not too pleased with the Obama camp. So it's unlikely that any talks that did occur were of the pay-to-play variety he fancied. But here's the bigger political picture: the GOP ought to be careful in deploying the usual political attacks against Obama in the near future.
At a moment when the country confronts several crises--an economic meltdown and two ongoing wars--a distinct majority of Americans are rooting for Obama. He won the popular vote with 53 percent of the electorate. And my hunch is that given the current economic troubles, there are a number of McCain voters--who are not ideologues or Obama-haters--who would like to see Obama succeed. After all, it's their economy, too. Would these McCain voters (who may be independents) rather watch Obama help preserve modern-day American capitalism or would they prefer to enjoy him being slammed by GOP mud balls?
Put together the Obama voters and these reasonable (and/or worried) McCain voters and you have over 60 percent of the electorate, maybe close to two-thirds. If the Republicans go too far in assailing Obama with sideshow issues or unfounded allegations (or insinuations), it risks angering a fair number of people--and not just Democrats. The GOP's burgeoning Blagojevich-Obama campaign is reminiscent of the McCain camp's use of the Bill Ayers issue.
There's a big mess this nation--and Obama--needs to deal with. Poking at Obama with a partisan stick could backfire. (Do sticks backfire?) Sure, on a difficult matter like the auto bailout, the Republicans may be able to get away with obstructionism. Yet overall and highly partisan efforts to undermine Barack Obama may not be embraced by voters outside the party's hard-core base.
It's often difficult for an opposition party to figure out how to be the Loyal Opposition. In these tough days, that task may be even harder for Republicans. Anyone not yearning for a GOP comeback ought to be delighted to see the Republicans attempting to exploit the Blagojevich scandal and make it more of an issue for Obama than it seems to be. The Blago story is a delicious one. But voters must be worried more about their jobs than that particular opening in the US Senate.
Do they remember Mark Foley?
Correct.
That’s one of the advantages of controlling nothing - you have nothing to lose. Republicans can say whatever they want, now - the Democrats’ free ride is over.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
0’b couldn’t be on good terms with the Blago/Chicago mob unless they were convinced he was just as shit- y as them and ready anytime to prove it.
But here’s the bigger political picture: the GOP ought to be careful in deploying the usual political attacks against Obama in the near future
Is that you McCain?
Time for the moderates to sit down and shut up. They had their chance, they got creamed just last month.
This is politics, not ballroom dancing.
LOL....and ditto what you said, twice!
“I’d like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I’d look up at your lifeless eyes and wave, like this. Can you and your associates arrange it for me, Mr. Morden?”
Vir Cotto
Absolutely. I want to see the first indictments, pleas, then the so called talking, ratting out of other Dems. I will give the faux Messiah a benefit of the doubt but not, not other Dems involved in DC and in ILL.
Worse yet, they did it at the expense of national security and risking the lives of our military and citizens. All for political payback/power. May karma visit them soon and in a big way...
Me entering the current GOP establishment would account for a 50% growth in spine.
LOL!
Right! Like republicans have anything to lose.
How about showing some onions out there for a change?
ALL our politicians are downright wimps for not flushing dishonesty from congress. I’ve never been so disgusted by the sitting gutless members of both parties.
Bosom buddies.
Lightweights
We’ve been pushing the envelope for too long; time to bust through! We don’t need no stinkin’ RINOs.
Instead of assuming this, why not look into it? Isn't that what our venerated media is supposed to be doing? Oh, that's right, lapdogs are only compliant creatures that don't risk offending their masters.
Well, since September 11, 2001, there has been a very big mess that this nation -- and President Bush -- needed to deal with. It's called the War on Terror.
And yet, I somehow do not recall anyone in the MSM suggesting that it was wrong for the Democrats to poke President Bush with a partisan stick.
“He won the popular vote with 53 percent of the electorate.”
Then they try and spin it to 60% (then 3/4 or 75%) support.
You can spin it the other direction too. 53% is what he got. What percentage of that was not pro-Obama, but anti-Bush/Republican? I would guess at least 10%. Down to 43%.
At least 5% were actually conservatives that hated McCain so much they wanted to punsih the Republicans for nominating McCain (the “Obama will screw up like Carter, then we’ll take control in 2012” crowd.) Down to 38%.
So by my spin, Obama really on has the support of 38% of the country.
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