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CBS News Political Director: 'Obama Can Only Cement His Legacy If He Destroys the GOP'
NewsBusters.org ^ | January 19, 2013 | Noel Sheppard

Posted on 01/19/2013 7:44:56 PM PST by Kaslin

"The president who came into office speaking in lofty terms about bipartisanship and cooperation can only cement his legacy if he destroys the GOP. If he wants to transform American politics, he must go for the throat."

So astonishingly wrote CBS News political director John Dickerson at Slate Friday evening in a piece astonishingly titled "Go for the Throat! Why if he wants to transform American politics, Obama must declare war on the Republican Party."

Dickerson is no longer interested in Obama trying bipartisanship in his second term - as if that's what the President did in his first.

"Obama’s only remaining option is to pulverize," Dickerson wrote. "Whether he succeeds in passing legislation or not, given his ambitions, his goal should be to delegitimize his opponents. Through a series of clarifying fights over controversial issues, he can force Republicans to either side with their coalition's most extreme elements or cause a rift in the party that will leave it, at least temporarily, in disarray."

Did I mention this man was the political director for CBS News?

"[B]y exploiting the weaknesses of today’s Republican Party," Dickerson continued, "Obama has an opportunity to hasten the demise of the old order by increasing the political cost of having the GOP coalition defined by Second Amendment absolutists, climate science deniers, supporters of 'self-deportation' and the pure no-tax wing."

"The president can stir up these fights by poking the fear among Republicans that the party is becoming defined by its most extreme elements, which will in turn provoke fear among the most faithful conservatives that weak-willed conservatives are bending to the popular mood," added Dickerson. "That will lead to more tin-eared, dooming declarations of absolutism like those made by conservatives who sought to define the difference between legitimate and illegitimate rape—and handed control of the Senate to Democrats along the way."

"Presidents don’t usually sow discord in their inaugural addresses, though the challenge of writing a speech in which the call for compromise doesn’t evaporate faster than the air out of the president’s mouth might inspire him to shake things up a bit," Dickerson concluded. "If it doesn’t, and he tries to conjure our better angels or summon past American heroes, then it will be among the most forgettable speeches, because the next day he’s going to return to pitched political battle. He has no time to waste."

So the recommendation of CBS News's political director is that Obama begin his second term by "going for the throat" of his opponents to destroy one of the nation's two political parties.

Is this in any way appropriate for a so-called journalist that's supposed to remain neutral and impartial in his dealings with political leaders?

This is what one expects from people on MSNBC.

After Bob Schieffer's absurd comments earlier in the week comparing Obama's anti-gun initiatives to America defeating the Nazis in World War II, is CBS making another huge turn to the left further distancing itself from being an impartial news source?

If not, maybe someone at CBS ought to remind Dickerson of what his role is at the organization and what it means to be a journalist.

Like most in his industry, it appears Dickerson has forgotten


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: goforthethroat; obamalied; obamunism; partisanmediashills; thechicagoway
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To: cripplecreek

it is a call for war......


61 posted on 01/20/2013 5:52:52 AM PST by bert ((K.E. N.P. N.C. +12 .....The fairest Deduction to be reduced is the Standard Deduction)
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To: livius

Thanks. I would add that there has been far too much loose talk on the right about choosing a hill to die on. I am not interested in finding a hill to die on. I am interested in finding a hill on which to break the enemy’s attack, and from which to launch a counterattack. The internal tensions in the democrat coalition are a good place to look.

We should always be on the attack. Channeling Patton this morning ....

Indiana, Michigan, and wisconsin have all gone RTW in various degrees, Indiana all the way. That may be more important than anything that happens in Washington in the next four years. There should be a steady media campaign in Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania highlighting every new job in the RTW states and every job lost in the union thug states, and mocking the union tool pols who hold their states back. And I would go all in for school choice, and campaign nonstop in black communities. Obama chose Sidwell for his daughters and locks your kids in lousy schools. Shame, shame, shame —

Attack.


62 posted on 01/20/2013 5:56:30 AM PST by sphinx
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To: Kaslin

Obama’s No. 1 and No. 2 allies in destroying the GOP seem to be John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, who must be closet Democrats.


63 posted on 01/20/2013 6:11:52 AM PST by Theodore R. ("Hey, the American people must all be crazy out there!")
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To: VideoDoctor
he'll be number #1 on America's $hit list. Bet on it.

Oh, no, NEVER bet on the American people to do the right thing; Nancy Pelosi, I believe it was, just said that 50 percent are totally incompetent.

64 posted on 01/20/2013 6:19:37 AM PST by Theodore R. ("Hey, the American people must all be crazy out there!")
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To: Bshaw
Half the morons we are made to suffer on TV would fold into the fetal position when denied their Starbuck’s white mocha frappaccino by 9:00 AM daily.

I disagree with this statement, Bshaw; that's what Southerners thought in 1860, that "weak" Yankees wouldn't fight to keep the South in the Union. But it turned out that southerners paid far more per capita in tariffs than did the northern peoples. They went to war to obtain southern wealth. Mississippi was the fourth or fifth wealthiest state in 1860. And today, we would find a wide legion in the North in particularly willing to take up arms to advance socialism, whether actual weapons or political control. Once men get into the notion that they can take away the wealth of a "rich" neighbor, there is tyranny.

65 posted on 01/20/2013 6:25:19 AM PST by Theodore R. ("Hey, the American people must all be crazy out there!")
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To: PapaBear3625; 2ndDivisionVet; Andonius_99; Andy'smom; Liz; sickoflibs; neverdem; Antique Gal; ...

ping


66 posted on 01/20/2013 6:41:18 AM PST by GOPJ ( Gang members breaking down YOUR door- daughter and wife screaming for help - Dems took YOUR gun....)
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To: sphinx

I agree - we should go on the attack. How can we get any support if we just skulk off and prepare to die?

This is very difficult because the media, which decides what ideas to talk about and what ideas to ignore, is not only not on our side but actively opposed to us (”us” being defined as people whose ideas run counter to the socialists’ totalitarian plans).

But it can have still an effect on the local level.

In addition, we have some excellent thinkers, such as Newt Gingrich, and even some emerging leaders already in elected office outside of the state government sphere, such as Mario Rubio and Ted Cruz. I don’t think the battle is lost by any means, although I do expect the left to become increasingly fierce and repressive, and I think Barry’s second term is going to be even less fun than his first.


67 posted on 01/20/2013 6:46:46 AM PST by livius
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To: lwoodham

“Go for the throat” sounds like a call to battle. Bring it bitches.”””

Isn’t this ‘news person’ calling for attacks on members of Congress, and state legislatures, duly elected by the people???

Shouldn’t he have to defend himself against an indictment for such remarks???

Isay this is a direct threat against Republican party members, elected or voters.


68 posted on 01/20/2013 8:17:57 AM PST by ridesthemiles
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To: ridesthemiles
“Go for the throat” sounds like a call to battle. Bring it bitches.””” Isn’t this ‘news person’ calling for attacks on members of Congress, and state legislatures, duly elected by the people???<./I>

You're right - if we talked in that - the language of violence - Homeland Security would be called. I guess liberal elites get passes. Well, passes from each other - like elite thugs in every banana republic.

69 posted on 01/20/2013 8:40:33 AM PST by GOPJ ( Gang members breaking down YOUR door- daughter and wife screaming for help - Dems took YOUR gun....)
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To: ridesthemiles
“Go for the throat” sounds like a call to battle. Bring it bitches.””” Isn’t this ‘news person’ calling for attacks on members of Congress, and state legislatures, duly elected by the people???

You're right - if we talked in that - the language of violence - Homeland Security would be called. I guess liberal elites get passes. Well, passes from each other - like elite thugs in every banana republic.

70 posted on 01/20/2013 8:41:06 AM PST by GOPJ ( Gang members breaking down YOUR door- daughter and wife screaming for help - Dems took YOUR gun....)
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To: Theodore R.
Oh, no, NEVER bet on the American people to do the right thing;

Well, then you cheer for Obozo, Pelosi, and Reid.

As I see it.. HISTORY has ALWAYS shown that any leader operating such as Obumbler has always brought the roof down on himself because the people FINALLY wake up and choose to move on..

Maybe you're hoping for, in the long term, a first time win for the bad guys?

I'll ALWAYS wager on GOOD eventually prevailing because "EVERYTHING happens with a GREATER GOOD in mind." That means sometimes the worst of things must occur so we finally understand what NOT to do.

71 posted on 01/20/2013 8:54:32 AM PST by VideoDoctor
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To: Kaslin

I don’t know about that. I have seem the same sentiment being expressed here, so Dickerson and Obama and GOP-hating Freepers here (of whom there is a large number) can all work together...


72 posted on 01/20/2013 9:49:38 AM PST by nwrep
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To: Kaslin

One party rule is the typical strategy of would be dictators.


73 posted on 01/20/2013 10:21:21 AM PST by The Great RJ
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To: Kaslin
CBS News Political Director: 'Obama Can Only Cement His Legacy If He Destroys the GOP'

Same with CBS.

74 posted on 01/20/2013 10:21:56 AM PST by stevem
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To: VideoDoctor
Once the dollar collapses, and the GAO says it will, he'll be number #1 on America's $hit list. Bet on it.

But he will be the everloving hero of the hard left. And, as far as being enemy #1, I do not think he cares. I do not think his handlers care either.

As a matter of fact, I believe that the lefties, as demonstrated by this CBS puke, will simply blame any republican they can.

75 posted on 01/20/2013 10:36:26 AM PST by VRW Conspirator (Sometimes it takes calamity to lead to serenity - FReeper RacerX1128)
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To: sphinx
Indiana, Michigan, and wisconsin have all gone RTW in various degrees...

I have been saying for the longest time: unions are the Democrats army. Cut off the funds to the army. When Dem politicians cannot depend on union money and ground dummies to do their bidding, they are severely weakened.

Attack - It should be a Repub party automatic reaction. When the lefties call for "Gun Control", the Repubs should go 180 degrees in the opposite direction, whatever that may be. More gun shows, more "loop holes", tax breaks for gun manufacturers and dealers, etc.

76 posted on 01/20/2013 10:46:39 AM PST by VRW Conspirator (Sometimes it takes calamity to lead to serenity - FReeper RacerX1128)
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