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Seven Ways 2012 Won’t Be Anything Like 2008 For Team Obama
The New Republic ^ | April 13, 2012 | 12:00 am | William Galston

Posted on 04/13/2012 9:45:20 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

With the general election now underway, it’s tempting to assume that President Obama has a built-in advantage by having at his disposal a campaign operation that earned universal plaudits in 2008. But as Team Obama itself already knows—or, if not, will soon come to realize—the 2012 contest will be very different from the president’s triumphant march to the White House four years ago. The key question will be how the old campaign staff responds to the new electoral landscape. Here are seven realities that Team Obama will have to adjust to.

2012 will be a referendum, not a choice. One of the best established findings of contemporary political science is that in presidential contests involving an incumbent, the incumbent’s record is central to the public’s judgment. A race for an open Oval Office is about promises and personalities; a campaign for reelection is about the record and performance of the person currently occupying the White House. To be sure, Obama can offer his vision for the future and new proposals to flesh it out. But if the people don’t approve of his record, that won’t matter much.

No more promises of bipartisanship. Obama will have to abandon—or at least radically modify—the promise to heal a polarized political system that was at the heart of his rise to national prominence, starting with his dramatic address at the 2004 Democratic convention. And because his inability to foster this reconciliation has disappointed many people who voted for him in 2008, he’ll have to explain why he couldn’t do it in a way that redirects that disappointment toward the Republican Party and its nominee.

No more “Yes, we can.”

(Excerpt) Read more at tnr.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: election2012; obama; obama2012; onetermobama
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To: justiceseeker93

“...the Left as a bunch - when candid - isn’t very upbeat about O’s re-election prospects.”

No, and they shouldn’t be upbeat. BHO2 and allies talking up income redistribution sounds brave and socially just on the cocktail circuit. Then Democrats, in the quiet of their homes, realize the majority of voters in this nation are middle class and opposed to communism in any way, shape, or form. OOPS!

Democrats generally fall into that middle class categroy, too, and giving up everything one owns and trusting the government is a crazy thing to do. This is especially true when noticing that the Dem Party echelons are filthy rich and not giving up anything!


61 posted on 04/13/2012 12:58:37 PM PDT by SatinDoll (No Foreign Nationals as our President!)
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To: Publius6961
Caught Romney giving a Big Speech to the NRA Convention in St. Louis....Fox and CNN

Spoke to Gun Rights and got big Applause...

Also said he will cut taxes and slim the Government...

Want to hear him take back earlier statements on Global Warming.

62 posted on 04/13/2012 1:06:51 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The Global Warming HOAX is about Global Governance)
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To: Buckeye McFrog

Hot Air had a link up....maybe they will say more.


63 posted on 04/13/2012 1:08:59 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The Global Warming HOAX is about Global Governance)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

The article says that if unemployment stays high, BO won’t get re-elected.

Does that factor in the fact that a foreign FBO is contracted to count the votes?


64 posted on 04/13/2012 2:03:21 PM PDT by FrogMom (There is no such thing as an honest democrat!)
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To: justiceseeker93

Wonder if it is due to lose of jobs and declining use of paper newspapers? We take the local left wing rag so hubby has sports section, puzzles, and the Sunday coupons for me. I’d just buy the Sunday paper...only on normal Sunday’s as there are no coupons in a holiday Sunday paper. Other than that it is a race baiting left wing rag only fit to cut up a watermelon on or scale fish on,


65 posted on 04/13/2012 2:26:22 PM PDT by GailA (Any congress critter or president who FAILS to keep faith with the Military, WON'T keep faith with U)
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To: muleskinner
Nah, not much difference between the two./s/

Romney specializes in buying up companies and the liquidating them. There is no difference between the two. Except that Obama is a communist/terrorist.

66 posted on 04/13/2012 2:55:45 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: Publius6961
I wanted Newt to be the Debater.
67 posted on 04/13/2012 5:28:27 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The Global Warming HOAX is about Global Governance)
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To: muleskinner

Nicely said.


68 posted on 04/13/2012 5:29:40 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (The Global Warming HOAX is about Global Governance)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Ohaha had two major pieces of legislation which were supposed to fuel his reelection: (1) the trillions dollar stimulus which bombed, and, (2) the healthcare mandate which could soon be kaputski or partially disemboweled by the USSC.

=========================================================

Obama's open mic slip in Russia revealed his hidden agenda. He didnt say "after the election, or “after the next election.” He said: “This is my last election" ....... reassuring the Ruskis that he'll then have "more flexibility after the election....”

Clearly Ohaha's certainty WRT staying in offce is not based on his approval ratings or massive opposition to his cockamamie polices----mandated healthcare, trillion dollar stimulus, using aborted babies' brains in lab experiments, giving himself massive executive power over Americans, co-opting religious beliefs, high gas prices, the GSA scandal......to name a few.

No. Ohaha's certainty stems from his knowledge that he will stay in office---not by the will of the people---but by buying his reelection, using unprecedented vote fraud.

FIRST AND FOREMOST----WE MUST ATTACK THE MASSIVE
VOTER FRAUD OHAHA INTENDS TO USE TO GET REELECTED.

Remember, voter fraud is the Chi/mobs' specialty---do NOT underestimate Rahm and Axelrod (both running O's reelection), and Valerie whatsherface in the WH.

Let us not forget----the minute they hit the WH, the Chi/mob went into action: the WH Chi/mob took over the census---and now have all the CV they need to file phony FEC reports using stolen federal dollars as campaign contributions.

THIS MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD Obama's ex-COS "Wall Street Rahm" "suddenly" discovered he wanted to be Chicago's mayor---the little turd went before the mics and announced his campaign "raised $10 million in just a few weeks." Rahm also controlled the US Treasury as COS. This turd-o-crat knows where all the stolen Federal money is hidden....Wall Street knows how to make money disappear faster than a cream puff at a Weight Watcher weigh-in.

=================================================

Do not underestimate the cash the Ohahas/Chi-mob can come up with to fix the election......remember, these are the kingpins of Chicago politics. At one time, conscientious FEC investigators verified money was coming from legal citizens....but if Obama wins there will be no investigations. Remember, there are billions unaccounted for in Obama's stimulus packages (probably used in the last election cycle).....you can be sure the Ohaha kingpins have tons of money stashed away for 2012.

==================================================

POINTS TO PONDER

<><> author Dean Koontz estimates there's about $90 billion missing from the US Treasury.

<><> Ohaha's ex-COS Chi/Mayor Rahm Emanuel is running the reelection campaign----b/c this Wall Street turd knows where all the money is hidden. Rahm also controlled all US Treasury assets (at Obama's behest) when he was COS.

<><>The Ohahas took control of the census upon taking office----they have all the necessary CV to phony up contribution reports for the FEC.

=======================================

WATCH FOR PHONY FEC REPORTS The Ohaha's "say" they added $45 million to reelection coffers in February.....raised jointly by the DNC, "Obama for America" and two other joint fundraising committees — the "Obama Victory Fund" and the "Swing State Victory Fund,"...and whatever other voter frauds they dream up.

69 posted on 04/13/2012 6:33:55 PM PDT by Liz
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To: justiceseeker93; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; ...

Thanks justiceseeker93.


70 posted on 04/13/2012 11:02:51 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FReepathon 2Q time -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: GailA; All
We take the local left wing rag so hubby has sports section, puzzles, and the Sunday coupons for me...Other than that it is...only fit to cut up a watermelon on or scale fish on.

With few exceptions, newspapers around the country - which used to be an important source for real news and opinion - have morphed into leftist propaganda organs due to ownership changes over the last fifty years or so. Whereas there once were newspapers representing a wider variety of opinions and it was appropriate to separate opinion from fact by putting opinion on the op/ed pages, today's rags generally have abandoned such niceties. In doing so, they've alienated potential consumers. That's a major reason why many have gone out of business and others are on shaky financial footing.

71 posted on 04/14/2012 4:46:08 AM PDT by justiceseeker93
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To: justiceseeker93

Boy I wasted half and hour or more reading a bunch of very stupid NR articles.


72 posted on 04/14/2012 5:27:52 AM PDT by Impy (Don't call me red.)
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To: SoConPubbie
If “conservatives” would stay in and fight - we might have a chance to beat the liberals. But, every year, every candidate, every decision, FR is full of the naysayers, the “he lost me because of ..........” crowd.  No one is good enough for them - so they, in effect, throw in their votes to the other side. Guess they are more interested in giving their vote to the perfect candidate than in preserving America for us and the future.  Sure glad our country was formed by others who could see that you do not always get who or what you want - but you keep the goal in mind and fight.

I know this makes sense to you, and I can see the logic in it.  I'm just not convinced the logic holds up in the real world.  Let's get a bit absurd for argument's sake.  Okay, you've got a choice between Obama and Satan(R).  What's your option?  While this is absurd, it at least opens the door to the idea that there could possibly be a scenario where you couldn't vote for the guy with the (R) after his name.

I and others are suggesting to you, that we have reached a point where we can't sign on any longer.  The person we are asked to contemplate shares so few of our ideals that we are unable to fall in behind them.  Romney is a lying big-government piece of..., well you know.

Look at this graphic in a post from yesterday.  LINK

Do you honestly want to throw in behind a man who supports abortion, has shown time and again that he wants gun control legislation, that will raise taxes, that does support gay marriage and gay adoption, that believes in global warming and cap and trade, amnesty for illegal aliens, and could easily nominate a Leftist court tiping justice to the SCOTUS?

You honestly think this guy is going to save the United States?  IMO he's just going to lead us on down the path to destruction.

To be clear, I'm not critical of you, because I have argued both sides of this issue.  In the end, I have found that it does us no good to back people who aren't going to turn things around.  If they're willing to sign on to this much Leftist agenda, then I have no use for them.  Our nation would be in severe danger under either of these men.

I personally think it's best to let a guy with a (D) behind his name destroy this nation, if someone is going to do it.

If a guy with an (R) after his name does it, Conservatives will always get the blame.  To hell with that.

73 posted on 04/14/2012 9:51:56 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Okay, now lets see if the RNC, Rove, and Card can get him elected without their core base. Game on!)
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To: DoughtyOne

DO,

Was this meant for me?


74 posted on 04/14/2012 10:59:52 AM PDT by SoConPubbie
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To: SoConPubbie; oneaglewings

No dang it. Sorry SoConPubbie, no it wasn’t meant for you. I linked your post and accidentally posted to as well. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.

OnEaglesWings post 73 here was for you.

Take care folks...


75 posted on 04/14/2012 6:23:18 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (Okay, now lets see if the RNC, Rove, and Card can get him elected without their core base. Game on!)
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To: DoughtyOne

Thank you for your thoughtful post.

From my side of the issue a few points:

Supreme Court Justices that will be put in place in the next term. Look at the radicals and muslims Obama has salted throughout every office. With him appointing judges - sharia law will be in the mix. These new judges will have an affect on laws for 30 years.

Obama tends to be a dictator - watch out for his actions after the election. Free speech is already being hampered, the constitution is being attacked, and there is an assault on religion.

Look out for gun control, theft of American wealth being transferred to foreign nations while crippling our own ecomony.

Marxism, socialism, communism (whichever)

High Taxes

Increased efforts at hamstringing every aspect of America to bring America down - oil production, industry, jobs, environmental restrictions, control of property - on and on.


So, no need for me to sit by and wash my hands of it. I will vote for anybody other than Obama.

There will only be radicals knocking on the doors of the conservatives. There will be no lesson learned by the GOP because the GOP is really already hogtied by Obama.

Have you noticed how quiet they are on every shocking action Obama hits us with?

So - I really do not care what the GOP thinks of anything - I am not contributing to them, I have no respect for them.

I am voting to do what I can to save America. I could not live with myself if I sat out the election even if my vote is wasted on someone a little more liberal than I would like.

At least Romney or whoever opposes Obama is not a muslim, is not a Marxist, is not trying to destroy America, is not trying to suppress free speech or religion, is not trying to turn America into a 3rd world country and would not be salting the Supreme Court with radicals or sharia law advocates.

May God bless this country again and help us to elect a person that will not destroy this country and its people.


76 posted on 04/14/2012 11:01:21 PM PDT by oneaglewings
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