Posted on 02/17/2012 6:37:37 AM PST by throwback
President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has begun discussing whether to attack Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum and try to define him for a general-election audience, potentially breaking from its focus on Mitt Romney.
Obama campaign aides are stepping up their examination of Mr. Santorum's record to assess his vulnerabilities and consider how their strategy might change if he becomes the GOP nominee.
For example, the Obama campaign has criticized Mr. Romney for shifting his policy stances and painted him as out of touch with middle-class Americans. That line of attack might not prove as effective against Mr. Santorum, who Obama advisers believe has gained ground in the nominating contest by looking more genuine and empathic to voters than Mr. Romney.
On Thursday, the campaign's Pennsylvania office sent an email to supporters in the state inviting them to share "recollections'' of Mr. Santorum's record as a senator from the state. The email said his "extreme-right social views are as out of touch as they are memorable.''...
But after Mr. Santorum's surprise victory in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota last week, Obama campaign aides have been rethinking whether a Romney-centric approach still makes sense, campaign advisers said Thursday.
While other Republicans, notably Newt Gingrich, have risen to challenge Mr. Romney in recent months, Mr. Santorum looks to be a candidate whose appeal isn't about to fade, they said.
Mr. Santorum "doesn't come with the type of political baggage that Gingrich had,'' said one Obama adviser. "He has the ability to go farther and is much more likely to be a potential nominee.'' Directing attacks against Mr. Santorum is "under discussion at the headquarters'' in Chicago, he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I don’t know why Obama would interfere in the GOP primary when Romney is doing all of his dirty work for him.
Dangerous to go negative on someone like Santorum too. That in itself presents a danger to Obama because his base can’t help but go rabid on Santorum which will offend Christians of almost all stripes.
they are going to mock him...attempt to humiliate him.
They are hoping that, by the time they are done with him, the mere mention of his name will provoke laughter.
Rick better get ready...and he’s going to have to drop the nice guy act.
Every instance of Obama stupidity needs to be marked down for featuring in future ads.
The material is rich....from the buzzing of Manhatten with Air Force One, to his inability to speak before a crowd when his prompter is down.
Obama doesn’t know what a capital gains tax is.
Obama thinks Austrians speak ....austrian.
Bill Ayers was just a guy in the neighborhood.
And when they go after Santorum’s private beliefs regarding religion? That ought to open the gates to bringing Rev. Wright right back out for scrutiny.
If Rick isn’t ready to ridicule Obama, when Obama has SO MUCH reason to be ridiculed - then he won’t stand a chance.
I am always left frustrated when republicans fail to do what needs to be done.
By the time November comes around, the notion of a 2nd term for Obama ought to send most people into crazy fits of laughter.
... and pretending that the Obama team has to take positive action of any kind while their media allies are already firing at will at Santorum is ridiculous.
so far they’re taking 2 approaches....
1. Try to convince the public that Santorum would attempt to outlaw contraception.
2. Go after him on his homeschooling situation. They are already insinuating Santorum would gut public education funding. They are going to get the teachers all riled up.
Alternatively RS comes off as much more like-able, honest and stable than either Romney or Newt.
Romney can deliver a fine pre-written speech but she looks downright shifty when giving it, and his being for Bush bank bailout TARP but against the GM bailout just re-enforces his image as a rich detached elitist( I warned many times against supporting TARP for this reason), which he probably is,
And Newt... should be obvious.
He will be painted as an extreme right-winger, wanting women to be barefoot and pregnant, wanting to outlaw contraception and abortion, and ready to start a war with the first dictator that pops up............
2. Go after him on his homeschooling situation. They are already insinuating Santorum would gut public education funding. They are going to get the teachers all riled up.
If this is brought up in a debate, it would be gold. Santorum can say “yes, the public school system is awful because......... Now Mr. President, why don’t you send your children to public school?” I think that might just knock Obama out. lol.
That's a dead issue. Even teachers wouldn't care too much about that. Go educate your kids any way you want to.
1. Try to convince the public that Santorum would attempt to outlaw contraception.
Now that's the ticket for Obama. If the Dem's can convince the independent middle that Santorum would outlaw not just abortion but contraception, they'd have a powerful weapon there.
Wait...Is that wrong?
What will be your excuse for Sanctimonious Rick when you are reminded that for nearly a decade, he was very much a part of the Washington insider, big spending, Pork/Earmark loving Senator club, who played a very major roll in helping create this mess.
Especially, give Santorum thanks for helping Arlen Specter
defeat Toomey, so Specter could immediately thank all of us, by being the 60th vote to cram Obamacare down our throats, on a rail.
Why would Rick want to take away peoples' Birth Certificates? I'll bet he couldn't even find some of them....
Santorum on one hand pointed out how bad the public education system is, then sent them to a semi-private but state funded school and forced the State to pay the bill for his kids own special schooling. ($55,000)
You don't think there is a hypocritical tone here? And it will not likely wind up like you project.
eventually you have to order off the menu or you will starve.
Once that order is made, you have to do what is necessary.
I don’t know what teachers you are thinking of....
A dead issue?
Their heads will explode. It’s what they do.
I like it!
I noticed. A long time ago.
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