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’m a strong believer in pre-emptive mocking.
oh well...I’m still carrying around some bitterness from McCain’s “honorable” campaign.
I hope you are right.
I am surrounded by them, and while some of them fall into the type that you describe, there are even more who are very obedient to the union talking points.
“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”
HE ISN’T OBAMA
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.