Posted on 11/18/2011 8:07:56 AM PST by SeekAndFind
For some time now, many conservatives have thought that President Obama is the Second Coming of Jimmy Carter. They think that chronic 9% unemployment, creeping inflation, and a foreign policy of self-abasement and weakness will doom Obama to a single term, and that he'll slink off with his tail between his legs in disgrace, just like Carter did after 1980.
Maybe they should be thinking about the election of 1996 instead.
Does anyone remember the disaster that was Bill Clinton's first term? The first attempt to put gays in the military, the first attack on the World Trade Center by Muslim fanatics, and the "Assault Weapons" Ban? The proposal to raise taxes, increase spending, and downsize the military? Hillary arrogantly proclaiming that she was no little Tammy Wynette standing by her man and baking cookies? That she would revamp the entire health care system, by herself, in secret, without congressional input? Does anyone remember the Waco debacle, which led directly to the Oklahoma City bombing, and Clinton's allegation that it was the fault of talk radio? Does anyone remember the landslide Republican victory in the House in 1994, breaking forty straight years of Democratic control -- a massive rebuke of the Clinton administration?
And yet...Clinton got re-elected in 1996. He didn't just squeak by, either -- he won a crushing 379-159 victory in the Electoral College and beat the Republican ticket by eight and a half percent in the popular vote.
Conservatives were in shock. How could this happen? Answer: after the 1994 conservative revolution in the midterm elections, the Republican 1996 presidential campaign turned into the Revenge of the Flaming Moderates. The Republican primaries featured banal, milquetoast candidates like Lamar Alexander (whose campaign strategy was to don a flannel shirt and stand in front of a sign ...
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
RE: Wasn’t the economy doing better?
In 1996 the stock market was on its boom phase, the tech bubble was on its way and unemployment was just 5%.
Clinton also wisely triangulated his positions essentialy taking off all the issues the Republicans have against him.
He listened to Dick Morris and signed Welfare Reform, capitals gains tax reduction and the budget was close to being balanced.
Do we see ANY of that today?
RE: you want Republicans to grow up and vote for Bob Dole 2.0 in 2012!
Who among the current lot is Bob dole 2.0 ?
2. When Bill Clinton took office unemployment was 7% in 1996 unemployment was at 5.6% and trending downward, it would be 5.2% by election day. When Obama took office unemployment was 7.8% now it is 9.0%, and is expected to be well over 8% on election day.
3. In 1996 Bill Clinton ran a positive campaign, a good economy, building a bridge to the 21st century etc. Obama can't run on his record, so he is running on class warfare, "do nothing congress". etc.
4. Bob Dole, although a decent person, was a lousy candidate. He had the charisma of a paper sack and next to the youthful and charismatic Clinton he looked old, tired and weak. Not matter who we nominate in 2012, they should be more charismatic and appealing than Dole.
(I'm not saying that Obama can't win. But the election is not going to be a repeat of 1996 if he does.)
RE: you want Republicans to grow up and vote for Bob Dole 2.0 in 2012!
Who among the current lot is Bob Dole 2.0 ?
Perot ran in 1992 and 1996.. He had a bigger impact in the 1992 election.. but still thanks to him we got Clinton.. total a$$Hat..
I like Bob Dole a stand up good guy but he is no NEWT! Newt is a bulldog. If he is the nominee he will rip at BO like nobody has to date. That said I believe the media is dug in deeper than ever before. That is a big concern when you are trying to stay on message and your opponent has a well oiled battle force protecting him. Big concern. My second concern is this... US! To date we have done a poor job at supporting our nominees. I knew the media would attack them but the conservative voters have piled on almost all of them. you can not win an election when you are attacked from your own side. Obama got his OWS to steer the news clear of his failures and the media is working away after the debates to demean every candidate that takes atop a poll. Bambi has been let off the hook at 39% and crawled back to 45% with just this alone. If we continue to be divided and help throw our guys under the bus he may just get back to 50% Articles like this are a warning.
All good points on why 2012 is NOT 1996 but please add:
1) FoxNews
2) The rise of conservative internet site
3) people in 2012 are PISSED
But we'll have just a subset of the same candidates we have now, and they will have been beaten like pinatas for 8 months by the MSM.
I fully expect the left to pull some shenanigans similar to the Perot fiasco.
0bama has, all his political career, pulled “something” in order to not have to run head to head with his opponent.
It’s the Chicago way.
Clinton could run on a strong economy. Obama cannot run on a weak economy - he can’t claim success, and he doesn’t have enough of the voters dependent on government to get a majority (like the PRI in Mexico did).
The other advantages of Newt are:
* He’s already survived being demonized and kept going. Others might whither in the onslaught. He’s done it and come back.
* The Contract with America 15 years ago was great. A new one of similar welfare reform and government downsizing based on the old is what we need.
* Newt was disgraced for adultery and two divorces 15 years ago. After Clinton’s Monica Lewinsky and the homosexual liasons other Congressmen had with boys and Barney Frank, Newt’s affairs look conservative.
Conservatives were told by the GOP Machine to just ignore their dubious political history and to fall for the Cult of Personality PR campaign manufacture around their resumes.
In 2012, Newt Gingrich is the Bob Dole/John McCain type candidate only without the military service
Perhaps. That's one reason I believe that the conditions for the bombing were set in place by the ATF. Just like Fast and Furious, I believe the operation was intended to scare the American people into more gun control. A small bombing at a federal building in the heartland was supposed to give Clinton the moral high ground on gun control against the eeeeeevil "militias" (which were something else entirely).
Well, a couple of things went wrong. McVee and his accomplices were able to get more and better explosives (insert mysterious Islamofascist group here), and the Democrat-contributor contractor of the Murray Building went way too light on the concrete mix. The whole building came apart, and 150 people were killed. I don't think that was supposed to happen.
Find it odd how when the Newt machine was trash talking Cain around here 24-7 no one was at all worried about it
NOW that Newt is in the cross hairs suddenly were are all suppose to just shut up and worship at the shrine of St Newt.
Worst field, ever. And I say that as a Cain supporter, but if Cain doesn't improve..this field is by far the worst ever. Better to focus on winning the House and Senate, and getting gridlock for Obama's second term.
I think it would be funny to just let the rope go (tug of rope contest) and let the Dems just fall on their butts. As the economy worsens and worsens those that have been on the Hopium too long will realize the Dems want to destroy it.
My fear is that when Romney is the nominee we will have to worship at the shrine of St Mitt.
The good news is, JimRob will never allow that to happen.
Actually the field is quite good. Far more conservative ‘Pubbies in the race and not running as well.
This ‘race of midgets’ is lamestream spin.
The comparison of Romney and Dole is adapt however.
I pray to God you're right. While Obama is not the only villain in this government by far(Sunstein, Jarret, Axelrod, Holder, Chu, Napolitano, Sebelius, the list goes on), he is the focal point of power for the progressives. Knock him out, get somebody in that's willing to take major chunks out of the federal bureaucracy (and will say YES to impoundment), and this country MIGHT have a chance.
I agree...my prediction is that, due to low turnout, Obama wins, but the Pubbies hold the House and take the Senate.
Nothing will get done until 2017, at the earliest, because the 2016 campaign will begin around 1/1/13.
Atlas will be in full shrug mode by 2014.
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