Thread: Republican 2010 Election Strategy; Hide the GOP agenda and attack Obama...

Shocking! Not.

Originally Posted by Raw Story

GOP lawmaker: Republican agenda should be kept hidden

By Daniel Tencer
Friday, July 16th, 2010 -- 4:48 pm

In laying out his case for why the GOP should have a minimal platform for the November elections, a New York Republican has given ammunition to critics who say the party knows its policies wouldn't be popular if they were put under the microscope.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) told a radio show Thursday that the GOP should focus on its strategy of being against President Barack Obama's policies, but shouldn't give too many specifics on its own policies -- or those policies could be used against them.

GOP strategy should be "a combination of being against what Obama is for, and also giving certain specifics of what we are for," King told the Bill Bennett Radio Show. "Having said that, I don’t think we have to lay out a complete agenda, from top to bottom, because then we would have the national mainstream media jumping on every point trying to make that a campaign issue."

Critics are seizing on King's comments as perhaps the most concrete evidence that Republicans fear that American voters would turn against them if they looked into the specifics of how the GOP plans to address the economic crisis and other issues facing the country.

"Deliberately hiding one's ideas for fear of examination is not only cowardice, it's indicative of a party that suspects its own beliefs would be rejected by the public," writes Steve Benen at the Washington Monthly.

Alex Seitz-Wald at ThinkProgress, who first reported on King's comments, suggests that King seems to be overlooking the fact that policy agendas are exactly what election campaigns should be about.

"[A]n agenda should be a campaign issue — the most important issue," Seitz-Wald writes. "But King’s political calculation reflects the strategies of several Republican candidates, like Sharron Angle and Rand Paul, to hide from the mainstream media, lest they accidentally reveal more of their extreme agenda."

Benen points out that some conservative commentators have been criticizing the GOP's vague political platform in this election cycle. He points to an article by Jonah Goldberg that applauds the GOP for "regrowing its spine" but adds "that spine is only valuable if you use it for something."

In an opinion piece last month, conservative writer David Frum said that simply opposing Obama's policies would not be enough.

"A positive agenda may be more necessary than usual this year, if only as a way to inoculate Republicans against Democratic attacks on an anti-Medicare, anti-Social Security secret agenda," Frum wrote.

Originally Posted by Washington Post

Republicans divided on the importance of an agenda for midterm elections
Gallery

By Karen Tumulty and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 17, 2010

Sometime after Labor Day, House Minority Leader John A. Boehner plans to unveil a blueprint of what Republicans will do if they take back control of the chamber. He promises it will be a full plate of policy proposals that will give voters a clear sense of how they would govern.

But will Republicans actually want to run on those ideas -- or any ideas? Behind the scenes, many are being urged to ignore the leaders and do just the opposite: avoid issues at all costs. Some of the party's most influential political consultants are quietly counseling their clients to stay on the offensive for the November midterm elections and steer clear of taking stands on substance that might give Democratic opponents material for a counterattack.

"The smart political approach would be to make the election about the Democrats," said Neil Newhouse of the powerhouse Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, which is advising more than 50 House and Senate candidates. "In terms of our individual campaigns, I don't think it does a great deal of good" to engage in a debate over the Republicans' own agenda.

Others are skeptical that any Republican policy proposals will have much of an impact. "They really still have to have a sharp contrast with the Democrats," said John McLaughlin, another leading Republican pollster whose firm counts both the House and Senate campaign committees among its clients. "They really need to drive that home before people will be willing to listen to what Republicans stand for."

It's not that Boehner (Ohio) is arguing for a cease-fire. The debate among Republicans comes down to this: The speaker-in-waiting, for all his love of political combat, thinks that voters will not trust GOP candidates if their attacks don't also provide at least some substance. The consultants argue that public anger, if properly stoked, alone can carry the party over the finish line. In their view, getting bogged down in the issues is a distraction and even a potential liability.

One who begs to differ is the architect of the last GOP takeover of the House. "Consultants, in my opinion, are stupid," former speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said in an interview. "The least idea-oriented, most mindless campaign of simplistic slogans is a mindless idea."

(snip)

When Dems hide their agenda it's because they know THE PEOPLE will reject it. When Repubs hide their agenda, it's because THE MEDIA will attack it.

Conservatism doesn't fit into a sound bite as well as liberalism does. Why try to sell your agenda through the media if you are conservative? It won't work.

Obama is such a disaster that the Repubs will win by default just like Obama did because of Bush. Nothing new there. Don't act like this is a one way street.

Originally Posted by Downbound Train

...Don't act like this is a one way street.

Don't be a Moran... it certainly is a one way street.

Republican 2010 Election Strategy; Hide the GOP agenda and attack Obama...

It worked pretty well for Obama in 08.

Originally Posted by Jer

It worked pretty well for Obama in 08.

HUDGE FAIL!!!

Dude, the Obameter from Polti-Fact is tracking "the more than 500 promises Obama made during the campaign"... If that isn't laying out your agenda, what the fuck is???

Link; http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/

(On an aside... How is your Summer going so far? Been as wet up there as down here in the big shitty the last couple months?)

Originally Posted by Downbound Train

When Dems hide their agenda it's because they know THE PEOPLE will reject it. When Repubs hide their agenda, it's because THE MEDIA will attack it.

Conservatism doesn't fit into a sound bite as well as liberalism does. Why try to sell your agenda through the media if you are conservative? It won't work.

Obama is such a disaster that the Repubs will win by default just like Obama did because of Bush. Nothing new there. Don't act like this is a one way street.

UR a dick

Originally Posted by mock vomit

(On an aside... How is your Summer going so far? Been as wet up there as down here in the big shitty the last couple months?)

Pretty much - see my "Complain about your shitty summer weather" in the Snow Conditions forum. I was going to go Extreme Whitewater Flyfishing today, but the water is so high I have absolutely zero chance of catching anything and the water's so high that I'm actually afraid to try bodysurfing down the rapids/falls. Although I may still go if I can find my TLD fullface helmet and a shuttle partner. Can you make it up to the flyfishing only section of the Peshtigo by about 3pm?

Originally Posted by Jer

...Can you make it up to the flyfishing only section of the Peshtigo by about 3pm?

Sorry, my drinking club has a running event at 3 PM today... It would take an act of God for me to intentionally miss a Hash these days!!!

You didn't miss much. Next time I'm going to try a boogie board instead of one of those boat bumper things. Gotta get one of those dry bags for my camera so I can post a rad TR.

Originally Posted by Downbound Train

Conservatism doesn't fit into a sound bite as well as liberalism does. Why try to sell your agenda through the media if you are conservative? It won't work.

Heh.

"Abortion"
"Socialism"
"Drill Baby Drill"
"Clear and Present Danger"
"Islamofascists"

Originally Posted by Tippster

Heh.

"Abortion"
"Socialism"
"Drill Baby Drill"
"Clear and Present Danger"
"Islamofascists"

That may be "republicanism" but it's not "conservative".

I wish it were easier to demonstrate the difference between the two, and I wish a real conservative would manage to run without also being insane.

Originally Posted by Captain Awesome

...I wish a real conservative would manage to run without also being insane.

With the current state of the two-party system and rampant retardation/Palinization of America, insanity is a requirement, unfortunately.

Republican 2010 Election Strategy; Hide the GOP agenda and attack Obama...

please explain what was different in the previous presidential elections. i never heard anything above 'fuck bush' or 'he's just like bush'. obama did lay out a groovy plan for the space program and then yanked the rug and entire foundation out from under them. local economy killer, props!

Originally Posted by mock vomit

Dude, the Obameter from Polti-Fact is tracking "the more than 500 promises Obama made during the campaign"... If that isn't laying out your agenda, what the fuck is???

now legal in (at least) 2 states - ObamaCare covers abortions!

one man's fullfilled promise is another man's disdain.

edit: waittaminute. was that a broken promise or a fullfilled promise?

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

now legal in (at least) 2 states - ObamaCare covers abortions!

Out of curiosity, which two states? Because the HHS released a statement stating that abortions will not be covered in the high-risk pool / Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) except in the cases of rape or incest, or where the life of the woman would be endangered.

Originally Posted by Triage

Out of curiosity, which two states? Because the HHS released a statement stating that abortions will not be covered in the high-risk pool / Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) except in the cases of rape or incest, or where the life of the woman would be endangered.

cant remember the original article but a quick google found this.

yeah, i know. i picked the best one.

so do you want to try to defend obama on the space program?

Originally Posted by Ripzalot

yeah, i know. i picked the best one.

From your article (note that Maryland was (past tense) planning on funding abortions and that the HHS plans to enforce the executive order):

The truth of the matter is that news today that Maryland was planning on funding abortions in their high-risk pool is but the tip of the iceberg. Don't be surprised if another story drops. And if it's not a high-risk pool. And the administration will have to provide a new myth or actually act — as HHS is saying it plans to — to prohibit that which is not currently prohibited.

I'm not in favor of the Federal Government funding abortions, and I wouldn't be surprised if in the future Obama's executive order / the Hyde amendment is circumvented but as of right now your own source indicates that, that is not the case for the time being in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Mexico. You can read more on the administrations response to these allegations, here.


I disagree with Obama on the space program. I think NASA is rad.

cool that you disagree on the space program!

anyone else? bueller?

like i said, that wasn't my source. but let's preserve this moment in case of future reference needed.

while I hate to see us lose our grip as the leaders of space exploration and science. NASA has become somewhat dysfuntional, throwing private contractors at it may just make it worse and more expensive (ie blackwater, halliburton)

what we really need is big cutbacks in defense. (cold war is over old people, get used to it) what the fuck we need 57 nuclear subs for?!? ....willing to bet half the subs could still do the whole job.

Pretty sure Obama thinks the "Space Program" is "rad" too, he just didn't think that spending money on Radness to keep an obsolete program (The Space Shuttle) running due to the failure of the new program to garner either scientific viability and necessity (Mars? Why not establish a long term Moon colony first?) Congressional approval, or actual popular support.

NASA has rested on old laurels too long. Now that they extended the program for a year you don't hear shit from the fucking naysayers here. Wonder whose fault it will be if we have another Challenger because we're using spaceships older than most Maggots.

Guys - can we get back to talking about Extreme Whitewater Flyfishing? This politricks shit is hella-boring.

Originally Posted by Jer

Guys - can we get back to talking about Extreme Whitewater Flyfishing? This politricks shit is hella-boring.

Whitewater fishing, eh? That would actually make fishing interesting, but if you're serious about using the word "hella" I would suggest you pick one of you many guns, and give yourself the business end.
DBT once again has it backwards, Conservatism makes a great sound bite, since it's a belief system that leaves out all shades of gray, and it's really easy to fit said sound bites on your hand to remember later!