This is why the Bush-Rove approach of never answering criticisms, and letting the Obamanians blame everything on Bush without being refuted was wrong. If you don't deal with it when it starts, it continues to be used.
"This is why the Bush-Rove approach of never answering criticisms, and letting the Obamanians blame everything on Bush without being refuted was wrong. If you don't deal with it when it starts, it continues to be used."
Yep. And what's just as bad: letting Obama frame the terms of the debate ("Obama wants to help the middle class", "Romney's plan will increase taxes on the middle class to benefit the top 1%", etc.) Words are extremely important to the leftists- it's crucial to pay close attention to what they're really saying and emphasizing, and to attack them head on.
Correct. The basis of Axelrod-Rahm-Obama-Chicago politics is to define your opponent. So far, Romney has made no attempt to define himself. The Chicago boys define Romney. Now they will define Ryan unless the GOP strategists get smart.
Ryan has the right message. His problem is that it is a long, complicated message. His audience, the swing voters, are ignorant of economics. They don’t know the difference between the deficit and debt, etc. So we need two parallel efforts.
1. Ryan needs sound bytes that sell.
2. Conservative non-profit educational groups need to target swing voters with educational messages on economics.
Groups like Heritage do us a disservice to advertise on Hannity and talk radio. They should advertise on sports and country stations where the swing voters are that we can attract. The reason so many are ignorant on economics is not just that the academics are leftist. It is also that we spend too much time and money preaching to the choir.