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You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2012 / Do We Dare Fight Back?

Do We Dare Fight Back?

by @heymistermix.com|  April 21, 20129:49 am| 119 Comments

This post is in: Election 2012, Even the "Liberal" New Republic

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Noam Scheiber at TNR (of course) files a pearl-clutcher about the Obama campaign:

Some of the anxiety centers around Cutter, who oversees the daily combat operation in Chicago and is legendary in Democratic circles for her Dresden-esque tactics. Whereas the communications apparatus for the Romney campaign, like Obama’s in 2008, must simultaneously sell policies, craft speeches, and win each news cycle, Cutter has the advantage of commanding a deep bench of operatives whose only focus is the latter. “The point is, that’s all they’re doing,” says the strategist close to the White House, noting that the West Wing shoulders the rest of the workload. This creates a major resource asymmetry, which Cutter has exploited with brutal efficiency. Chicago’s preferred formulations—on everything from the “Ryan-Romney budget” to Romney’s penchant for “hiding” the truth—reliably find their way into leading news outlets.*

While such tactics can be highly effective in any given moment, the risk is that they ultimately taint the Obama brand. (In 2008, the campaign considered it undignified to spar with the RNC, as it did during the great caterpillar controversy.) Still, a spokesman says the Obama organization is very pleased with Cutter’s work. […]

I can’t understand the mentality of people who worry about the “taint” that comes from standing up for yourself, all while the Obama brand is being subject to a daily river of shit being forced into the media by the Republicans and the Romney campaign.

Also, too: my inbox is full of mail from an Obama operative assigned specifically to pick and package items for bloggers, and she’s very good. While the Republicans have been tearing themselves apart, Obama’s been building a top-notch, professional campaign.

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119Comments

  1. 1.

    General Stuck

    April 21, 2012 at 9:53 am

    I can’t understand the mentality of people who worry about the “taint” that comes from standing up for yourself, all while the Obama brand is being subject to a daily river of shit being forced into the media by the Republicans and the Romney campaign.

    Perfect

    And I adore Stephanie Cutter.

    Still, a spokesman says the Obama organization is very pleased with Cutter’s work

    So is I

  2. 2.

    Handy

    April 21, 2012 at 9:57 am

    Cutter RAWKS!

    GObama 2012!

  3. 3.

    Jennifer

    April 21, 2012 at 9:58 am

    So I’m guessing that Scheiber would be just fine if the entire campaign was about important stuff like whether or not the president ate dog meat when he was 6 years old, because heaven forbid, you wouldn’t want to get dirty fighting back.

  4. 4.

    beltane

    April 21, 2012 at 9:59 am

    TNR’s concern troll is concerned, and his concern has been duly noted. Carry on, Stephanie Cutter!

  5. 5.

    General Stuck

    April 21, 2012 at 9:59 am

    And, just as Clinton did in 1995 and 1996, Team Obama has lashed a moderate GOP front-runner to right-wingers in Congress and portrayed him as a mortal threat to the welfare state.

    This sort of RW framing shit is the calling card of DLC republican lights, and it is good news they are nearing extinction in the political wild/

  6. 6.

    dmsilev

    April 21, 2012 at 10:08 am

    @General Stuck: Calling Mitt Romney a moderate is the height of blinkered centrism. All that really matters is how a prospective President Romney would govern, and does anyone really believe that he’d go against the GOP Congress on things like Supreme Court nominations?

  7. 7.

    Villago Delenda Est

    April 21, 2012 at 10:08 am

    And, just as Clinton did in 1995 and 1996, Team Obama has lashed a moderate GOP front-runner to right-wingers in Congress and portrayed him as a mortal threat to the welfare state.

    If you consider someone desperately trying to portray himself as a hair to the left of Attila the Hun, in order appease the bloodthirsty howling hyenas of the Rethug base, to be “a moderate GOP front-runner”, well, then you’re not paying fucking attention.

  8. 8.

    Schlemizel

    April 21, 2012 at 10:08 am

    I have noticed the media running a lot of “Obama has this problem or that problem” stories since Willard became the obvious nominee. They are really worried that they won’t have a horse race to cover this fall and are working overtime to create the illusion of one.

    Hopefully this BS won’t take hold, Dems will continue to fight and wingnuts will stay home because they don’t have a horse in the race.

  9. 9.

    PeakVT

    April 21, 2012 at 10:09 am

    I can’t understand the mentality of people who worry about the “taint” that comes from standing up for yourself

    The media has different expectations for each party. Republicans are expected to be aggressive and dishonest, and Democrats are expected to be passive and honest. Thus deviations by Republicans are pleasant surprises, and those by Democrats are disappointments.

  10. 10.

    rikyrah

    April 21, 2012 at 10:10 am

    Cutter, like DWS, is ALWAYS ON POINT

    and ALWAYS ON MESSAGE.

  11. 11.

    Villago Delenda Est

    April 21, 2012 at 10:12 am

    @Schlemizel:

    They are really worried that they won’t have a horse race to cover this fall and are working overtime to create the illusion of one.

    DING DING DING DING DING

    The Horse Race narrative must be defended and promulgated, at all costs, because if they don’t have it, they’ll be forced to actually have to work to get our attention, and if there’s anything these assholes hate to do, it’s actually make an effort, not coast.

    The tumbrels can never roll too soon for these pathetic twits. Never.

  12. 12.

    dmsilev

    April 21, 2012 at 10:12 am

    An interesting contrast is this NYT story, in which Professional Republicans bemoan the fact that the laws passed by the frothing-at-the-mouth state legislatures might distract from the important business of cutting the taxes on rich people:

    Some Republican strategists and officials, reluctant to be identified because they do not want to publicly antagonize the party’s base, fear that the attention these divisive social issues are receiving at the state level could harm the party’s chances in November, when its hopes of winning back the White House will most likely rest with independent voters in a handful of swing states.

    It doesn’t matter what the empty vessel known as Mitt Romney claims to believe this week, the Republican party is increasingly dominated by maniacs, and that’s a real problem for the rest of us.

  13. 13.

    RalfW

    April 21, 2012 at 10:12 am

    Kinda makes ya wonder if TNR actually wants a Democrat in office, don’t it??

    ETA: And describing Romney as “a moderate GOP front-runner” makes me wonder if Scheiber is board-certified insane.

  14. 14.

    amk

    April 21, 2012 at 10:13 am

    stef cutter’s messaging is penetrating the minds of voters and hence the media thugs’ hissyfit.

  15. 15.

    Allan

    April 21, 2012 at 10:19 am

    @Villago Delenda Est: It’s actually simpler.

    Their employers depend on political advertising dollars. Blow-outs are bad for the bottom line. Horse-races return maximum profit for shareholders.

    Follow the money.

  16. 16.

    General Stuck

    April 21, 2012 at 10:21 am

    @dmsilev:

    He is campaigning as a full metal wingnut, or has up to this point. How he would govern is anyone’s guess in a multiple choice kinda way, for a multiple choice kind of candidate.

  17. 17.

    Villago Delenda Est

    April 21, 2012 at 10:23 am

    @Allan:

    Well, they want the most profit with the least amount of effort.

  18. 18.

    Xecky Gilchrist

    April 21, 2012 at 10:24 am

    the communications apparatus for the Romney campaign, like Obama’s in 2008, must simultaneously sell policies, craft speeches, and win each news cycle

    Bullshit. There’s no policy to sell beyond tax cuts and deregulation, and two generations of Redoublechins and not a few Democrats have already been selling that. Crafting speeches is pointless when the candidate can’t deliver them – so it’s one out of three here.

  19. 19.

    General Stuck

    April 21, 2012 at 10:25 am

    Gawd forbid, but if we were to get a President Romney, he would be like any other 1st term president, wanting most of all a second term. Visa vi when Limbaugh said jump, Mitt would say how high. When another wingnut orb said, why aren’t you bombing so and so country, Mitt would say, “we’ll get right on that”.

  20. 20.

    Unseen Majority

    April 21, 2012 at 10:30 am

    All I can say is that I love “campaign mode” Obama, and I hope to god “bipartisan” Obama doesn’t immediately consume him on Nov 7nth.

    Too bad it took him this long to realize that the Bipartisan Party doesn’t actually exist. Too bad for the country as well, because if ever there was a time that we needed strong liberal policies it was in the aftermath of the Great Recession.

  21. 21.

    kth

    April 21, 2012 at 10:31 am

    You know what would really taint the Obama brand? Losing in November. Keep kicking ass, Stephanie Cutter.

  22. 22.

    Mickey

    April 21, 2012 at 10:34 am

    Yawn, still 200 days out or whatever and the arm chair quarterbacks are already crawling out of the cracks in the floor.

    Orange Satan site is already going there. Time for me to stop going there….again. Only reason I still go there is for Jed Lewison.

    But the icing on the cake was the Cole post the other day how he’s bumbed about the rivers of shit pumped out the the Republcans daily and how we should just give up and let them have the key. That was a think of beauty. Forever disqualifed him from being allowed to run a political blog much less even post in one. Not that I didn’t already think so.

  23. 23.

    xian

    April 21, 2012 at 10:35 am

    @dmsilev: ironic, isn’t it, how they were more than happy to push bs right-wing social issues (like the gay marriage referendums that helped get evangelicals out to put Bush the lesser over the top the second time) and suddenly have discovered the chickens are home, and roosting.

  24. 24.

    General Stuck

    April 21, 2012 at 10:35 am

    @Unseen Majority:

    sigh

  25. 25.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 10:37 am

    Fuck TNR. Does anyone actually read that shite?

    Sooner rather than later, they’ll end up declaring bankruptcy like the rest of the magazine industry.

    As far as I can tell, their online section doesn’t even allow comments from non-subscribers. Not as bad as a paywall, but still, not exactly a recipe for success. Instead it’s an echo chamber for the few people still stupid enough to buy from a newsstand.

  26. 26.

    Mike in NC

    April 21, 2012 at 10:38 am

    Stop reading TNR. Stop reading Slate. Stop reading The Atlantic. They are all in partnership with the Village.

  27. 27.

    the Conster (f/k/a Cat Lady)

    April 21, 2012 at 10:40 am

    @Unseen Majority:

    LOLWUT?

  28. 28.

    Culture of Truth

    April 21, 2012 at 10:41 am

    While such tactics can be highly effective in any given moment, the risk is that they ultimately taint the Obama brand

    This is why we can’t have nice things

  29. 29.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 10:43 am

    @Mickey:

    Forever disqualifed him from being allowed to run a political blog much less even post in one. Not that I didn’t already think so.

    Mickey, I’ll make you a deal. If we pretend to care for like five minutes, will you finally STFU about this? You’ve been posting this for at least a couple of days now, and still, nobody else gives a shit. Also, who’s “qualified” and not “qualified” to run a blog isn’t exactly your wheelhouse, now is it? Get your own blog.

    But yeah. We’ll give you a full FIVE MINUTES of pretending to give a fuck, as long as you promise to SHUT THE FUCK UP ABOUT THIS FINALLY once your five minutes is up. Deal? (Yeah, I didn’t think so)

  30. 30.

    MattF

    April 21, 2012 at 10:48 am

    Once upon a time, liberal ‘political wisdom’ consisted of conceding that wingers were mostly right about most things, although you couldn’t actually say so out loud. And, gosh, that worked so well. In the real world, thankfully, it’s been discovered lately that the knives are out, and yeah, it’s OK to defend yourself.

  31. 31.

    Brian R.

    April 21, 2012 at 10:50 am

    I can’t understand the mentality of people who worry about the “taint” that comes from standing up for yourself

    Amen to that.

    Democrats specialize in attacking one another and fretting that we’ll look bad if we stand up to the Republicans. It’s maddening.

  32. 32.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 10:50 am

    @Culture of Truth: Funny, the only “taint” I saw in this whole thing was that GOP taint that the author of this insipid little piece was busy licking.

  33. 33.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 10:52 am

    @Culture of Truth: oh and I nearly forgot:

    This is why we can’t have nice things

    FTW

  34. 34.

    urizon

    April 21, 2012 at 10:57 am

    This is great news for John McCain.

  35. 35.

    Brian R.

    April 21, 2012 at 10:57 am

    @gaz:

    FTMFW.

  36. 36.

    Mickey

    April 21, 2012 at 11:02 am

    @gaz: Say again? Everything after “waaaaa”. Better wipe that Cole spunk from the side of your mouth. How about just say some horseshit about pie filters. Yea, that one is always a great come back.

  37. 37.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:02 am

    @Brian R.: Thanks. Occasionally I manage to post something that thrusts my caffeine/schadenfreude inspired rage into stark relief.

    IOW, I try.

  38. 38.

    samara morgan

    April 21, 2012 at 11:03 am

    Do We Dare Fight Back?

    certainly not at Balloon Juice.
    we are “better” than that.
    ;)

  39. 39.

    gogol's wife

    April 21, 2012 at 11:07 am

    @Schlemizel:

    See today’s New York Times. Front-page story about how Obama’s big donors are deserting him. I scream and then my husband says, “Not everything in the New York Times is true, you know.” (and he’s to the right of me)

  40. 40.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:08 am

    @Mickey: You have a weird impression of your own writing if you think your moronic and juvenile post is worth the effort of constructing a clever retort.

    The best retort, in this case – is to let your stupid little post speak for itself.

  41. 41.

    Ellie

    April 21, 2012 at 11:10 am

    No, sorry Noam, but it’s Romney who has lashed his own sorry ass to the crazies. I really don’t think the Obama campaign arranged his association with Trump, Kobach, Nugent, etc.

  42. 42.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    April 21, 2012 at 11:10 am

    Slightly OT: I just explained a progressive versus regressive tax system to my 12 year old, to overcome some of the things his teacher says. It’s great having smart kids. He also now understands work income versus investment income, and why Mitt Romney sucks.

  43. 43.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:10 am

    @samara morgan: I don’t know where you came up with that nonsense.

    ** breaks beer bottle *

    now come over here and say that =). I’ll cut a bitch… with my ‘bama knife.

    /unserious response.

  44. 44.

    samara morgan

    April 21, 2012 at 11:13 am

    @gaz: suzanne and the BJ Moral Authority Police.
    do you need links?

  45. 45.

    EriktheRed

    April 21, 2012 at 11:13 am

    A little “pearl-clutching” isn’t bad as long it’s followed up by some action to deal with whatever’s causing it.

  46. 46.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:14 am

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent): If my kid came home from school spewing political stuff that her teacher said, I’d be at the school, the very next day giving said teacher a very uncomfortable dressing down. I’d use the word “indoctrination” a lot.

    Outrage wouldn’t even begin to describe it.

  47. 47.

    sublime33

    April 21, 2012 at 11:14 am

    Being upset that an Obama win would be tainted by these tactics makes as little sense as being upset that your favorite basketball team won despite committing a few personal fouls during the game. Teams that rarely commit fouls rarely win.

  48. 48.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:15 am

    @samara morgan: No. I don’t.

    Like much of the commentariat, I do my best to ignore the “BJ Moral Authority Police”, whomever the fuck they are.

    I don’t get my moral code from a blog.

  49. 49.

    samara morgan

    April 21, 2012 at 11:16 am

    @gaz:

    with my ‘bama knife.

    and do you wish to be bled with a wtsai or a crysknife?
    /sharpens blades

  50. 50.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:18 am

    @samara morgan: Knives really don’t bug me. I used to cut myself. It runs in my family. So if you want to make a few gashes – you’re about 15 years too late. =)

  51. 51.

    Culture of Truth

    April 21, 2012 at 11:20 am

    Because I’m mean:

    Stephen Glass! Stephen Glass! Stephen Glass!

  52. 52.

    Jennifer

    April 21, 2012 at 11:21 am

    I used to cut myself. It runs in my family.

    Really? In my family, it was more like someone would just “trip” and fall onto a knife someone else just happened to be holding at the time.

  53. 53.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:22 am

    @Jennifer: heh. or “fall down the stairs”

    31 flavors of dysfunction! yay!

  54. 54.

    samara morgan

    April 21, 2012 at 11:23 am

    @gaz: of course! you’re emo. that explains it.
    I’m scene.
    do you know what that is? emos cut themselves….the scene cut others.

  55. 55.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:24 am

    @samara morgan: Emo vs Scene?

    what is this bullshit?

    I didn’t cut myself because it was cool.

    Where’s your head at? I’ve been out of HS for too long to understand this shit anymore.

  56. 56.

    kay

    April 21, 2012 at 11:27 am

    @Schlemizel:

    I think they always do it when a primary is over. It’s a way to re-set the narrative for the general.

    They give Romney a bump going in.

    It’s waaay too early to celebrate, like Romney’s people are doing. They’re not even in the same room with their opponent yet and Mitt and Ann are declaring victory.

    It was an absolute given he’d be handed a bump after the primary. Just take the gift and move on.

    I think it’s that weird sense of entitlement wealthy conservatives have, where they take credit for the fucking sun coming up in the morning.

  57. 57.

    Belafon (formerly anonevent)

    April 21, 2012 at 11:28 am

    @gaz: Sadly, this teacher seems more clueless than anything. She doesn’t give long speeches, she’ll just make some kind of comment once in a while and then and when my son tells me, I make sure to correct it. She also occasionally says things about Islam that indicates that she gets her news from one source.

    He’s in the sixth grade, so he’s becoming politically aware during an election season. So, between his teacher and his classmates, he’s having to learn not only the facts, but how everyone’s belief fits into it. My oldest, an 11th grader, and I gave the middle one the abbreviated history of Islam on the way to a store a few months ago.

  58. 58.

    danielx

    April 21, 2012 at 11:33 am

    Alrighty then…remember when Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity, oh, and how could I forget – Karl Rove – were accused of cheapening the Romney/McCain/Bush/Republican brand and were duly admonished by the Villagers with appropriate pearl clutching?

    Yeah, me neither.

    Oh, I forgot…Democrats are supposed to play nice. Only the Republicans are allowed to get down and dirty, because if the Dems do it they’re engaging in partisan politics and class warfare, and we certainly can’t have that.

    If the Obama campaign has decided to piss all over the Villager Handbook of Political Etiquette, it’s about fucking time, Villager pearl clutching and wounded sensibilities be damned.

  59. 59.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:37 am

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent): Good luck to your kids. I was fortunate enough to attend what is probably the best high-school in my state. We had idiot teachers, for sure, but we also had a very engaged and active community of concerned parents – and in general, that worked in the favor of the students. In high school, I was once asked to stay after class for turning in a social studies assignment that didn’t jibe with my wingnut teacher’s belief system. It was well done, and he gave me an F to boot. So during this “detention” my mother showed up and gave him the dressing down of his life. With the principal present, in his own classroom. I’ve never seen an “authority figure” so taken aback as I did that day. He was bright red, and clearly very nervous. I grinned like an idiot the entire time. He never fucked with me after that. And kept his political beliefs to himself after that =)

  60. 60.

    kay

    April 21, 2012 at 11:38 am

    @Schlemizel:

    Mitt Romney was up against an absolutely horrible GOP field, and he had to spend tens if millions of dollars to beat them.

    I don’t know what happens in the general, but that is, in fact, what just transpired here.

    They can spin it any way they want but Newt Gingrich was not a credible opponent, and either was Santorum.

    So we’ll see. He’s proved nothing yet. He beat 2 lobbyists, 2 crackpots, a religious lunatic and a wealthy dabbler. Victory!

  61. 61.

    the fugitive uterus

    April 21, 2012 at 11:39 am

    you don’t really have to open up a can of whoopass, however. thousands of clips of Romney lying about Obama’s record, all day every day, countered by the TRUTH and statistics, to me, is very powerful. it won’t win over the people who will never vote for Obama anyway, but it will influence independents who are easily frightened by negative politics. so i may be wrong, but i think they are doing the right thing.

    wait for the ads.

  62. 62.

    runt

    April 21, 2012 at 11:39 am

    This is the thing which I (a Yuropean communofascist) always find so baffling about American politics: You have one party, the Republicans, who are absolutely convinced that they are right, and then you have another party – Democrats – which for the most part seems convinced that the Republicans are right as well – or, at the very least, that the Republicans have the public on their side. If Dems don’t believe this, it’s hard to see why they always wet their pants at the thought of actually fighting the GOP.

    It’s really a miracle that there’s a market for a publication like TNR: A magazine for and by Democrats which spends much of the time lamenting that Dems are wrong and ridiculing the left.

  63. 63.

    Matoko Borgia-Steeler

    April 21, 2012 at 11:39 am

    http://action.elizabethwarren.com/content/earth-day-canvass-elizabeth-warren

    Earth Day Canvass with Elizabeth Warren

    Meeting at Powderhouse Park- In the event of rain, we’ll meet at 25 Russell Street, between Davis Square and Mass. Ave.

    Date and Time:
    Apr 22 2012, 10:30 am to 1:00 pm
    Location:
    Powderhouse Park – Across the Street from the Broken Yolk 136 College Ave.
    136 College Ave, Somerville, MA 02144
    Contact:
    Diane Masters- 617-331-6447

  64. 64.

    Cacti

    April 21, 2012 at 11:42 am

    If it isn’t abundantly clear yet, Romney’s M.O. is to fling shit like an enraged gibbon, and hope no one notices he’s running on the same warmed-over, trickle down crap that’s the mother’s milk of every GOP pol.

    Let the concern trolls be concerned.

  65. 65.

    General Stuck

    April 21, 2012 at 11:44 am

    @gogol’s wife:

    See today’s New York Times. Front-page story about how Obama’s big donors are deserting him. I scream and then my husband says, “Not everything in the New York Times is true, you know.” (and he’s to the right of me)

    If you read all of that article, it is clearly a piece of crap that contradicts its own meme throughout. Hyper concern that just isn’t there for overall monies for the Obama reelection campaign, that are actually larger with more available, where Obama is far out in front of both Romney and the RNC in that department.

    It is a hack piece that in a backass way, is stroking the Rove outside superpacs, that are getting tons of outside and anonymous donations.

    This is a Politico piece, but it lays out the very potential problems of the wingnuts running a primarily Citizens United campaign. That gives outside groups the lead in funding the GOP candidate. I think it is a disaster in the making for an already fractured party.

  66. 66.

    amk

    April 21, 2012 at 11:45 am

    @kay: tweeted.

    He beat 2 lobbyists, 2 crackpots, a religious lunatic and a wealthy dabbler. Victory!

  67. 67.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 11:46 am

    @General Stuck:

    This is a Politico piece, but it lays out the very potential problems of the wingnuts running a primarily Citizens United campaign

    I know right? Sometimes I love the Law of Unintended Consequences. CU is one of the best things that happened for the dems during the GOP primary/fail parade.

  68. 68.

    butler

    April 21, 2012 at 11:47 am

    How is the “Ryan-Romney budget” any kind of underhanded political formulation? Ryan proposed his budget (twice!), it passed the GOP house once and will probably pass again, and Romney came out and endorsed it. He fucking endorsed it! Where’s the lie? What the hell are they worried about?

  69. 69.

    Boots Day

    April 21, 2012 at 11:54 am

    Team Obama has lashed a moderate GOP front-runner to right-wingers in Congress and portrayed him as a mortal threat to the welfare state.

    Romney is, by his own description, “severely conservative.” I think we should be polite and call people what they want to be called.

  70. 70.

    amk

    April 21, 2012 at 11:57 am

    There have been 22 recessions since 1900. 16 have started under Republican leadership, 6 under Democrat leadership

    http://www.nber.org/cycles.html

  71. 71.

    Lojasmo

    April 21, 2012 at 12:03 pm

    @dmsilev:

    It’s funny, though, I think Rmoney wigth a democratic house and essentially tied senate would be little worse than where we are now.

    Of course, I will work for a stronger dem leg, and for Obama.

  72. 72.

    Jennifer

    April 21, 2012 at 12:06 pm

    FDR, 1932: The New Deal
    GOP/Romney, 2012: The Raw Deal

    Repeat it until everyone is as sick of it as “thrown under the bus.”

  73. 73.

    Matoko Borgia-Steeler

    April 21, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    @Lojasmo:

    I seem to remember the Democrats rolling over for Dubya often enough. But perhaps it was just an illusion…

  74. 74.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 12:16 pm

    @amk: heh. nice link too. points for nber.

    The wingnuts would call nber socialist or something, even though they were quoting from them in 2007

  75. 75.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    @Lojasmo:

    It’s funny, though, I think Rmoney wigth a democratic house and essentially tied senate would be little worse than where we are now.

    Only if a supreme court justice does not retire or die in the next 4 to 8 years.

  76. 76.

    Pangloss

    April 21, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    Republicans have been relying on the propensity of Democrats to adhere to “ethics” and “fairness” for decades now. Meanwhile, the GOP is wearing Purple Heart bandaids, adjusting the terrorism threat level according to the polls, making voting more difficult for targeted groups, and erasing any sort of barrier to secret private money in elections. I don’t feel guilty in the least that we’re fighting smart, at least.

  77. 77.

    Mnemosyne

    April 21, 2012 at 12:21 pm

    @the fugitive uterus:

    you don’t really have to open up a can of whoopass, however. thousands of clips of Romney lying about Obama’s record, all day every day, countered by the TRUTH and statistics, to me, is very powerful.

    That’s the thing, though — countering Romney with his own words is, in the eyes of the Village, not fighting fair and being a bully. They’re going to spend most of this campaign season demanding that Obama hold back and not fight hard, because they know perfectly well that if he doesn’t, it’s going to be like putting Tiny Tim in the ring against Muhammad Ali.

    Fortunately, Obama and his team are smarter than that and are basically telling the Village to go fuck themselves. Mitt Mondale has no idea what he’s gotten himself into.

  78. 78.

    gelfling545

    April 21, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    @Belafon (formerly anonevent): It is worth discussing this 1st with the teacher: i.e. that you do not believe that her political/religious opinions are a part of the curriculum and 2nd with the principal if needed. Sure, you can provide correct info to your kids but many kids aren’t reporting at home what they’re hearing in school. Teachers are supposed to be very careful about not conveying a particular political viewpoint and respectful of all religious beliefs. Of course, I taught in NY State & things may be different elsewhere, still, it’s worth bringing it up.

  79. 79.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    @Mnemosyne: This.

    I think the white-house groks this. at least now – and at least during the campaigning.

    I think Occupy should have occupied the NYT, MSNBC, Fox, CNN, et al.

    At some point we should direct the torches and pitchforks at the villagers. In a sense, they ARE the ones directing the course of this country, instead of reporting it.

  80. 80.

    Kane

    April 21, 2012 at 12:31 pm

    @Schlemizel:

    I have noticed the media running a lot of “Obama has this problem or that problem” stories…

    The Problem with Obama

    Obama is too black
    Obama is too white
    Obama is not black enough
    Obama’s lack of Washington experience problem
    Obama’s Hispanic problem
    Obama’s Asian problem
    Obama’s Jewish problem
    Obama’s Catholic problem
    Obama’s Black voter problem
    Obama’s White voter problem
    Obama’s elderly problem
    Obama’s women problem
    Obama’s white elderly women voter problem
    Obama’s reliance on young people problem
    Obama’s white collar voter problem
    Obama’s blue collar voter problem
    Obama’s Reverend Wright problem
    Obama’s problem with not being vetted
    Obama’s Muslim perception problem
    Obama’s elitist perception problem
    Obama’s aloofness problem
    Obama’s big state problem
    Obama’s small state problem
    Obama’s problem with the Right
    Obama’s problem with the Left
    Obama’s Hillary Clinton problem
    Obama’s Bill Clinton problem
    Obama’s Ronald Reagan problem
    Obama’s Jesse Jackson problem
    Obama’s Michelle Obama problem
    Obama’s bowling problem
    Obama’s lapel pin problem
    Obama’s problem with Hillary voters
    Obama’s Pledge of Allegiance problem
    Obama’s Populist message problem
    Obama’s problem with speaking against Iraq invasion
    Obama’s 50 State problem
    Obama’s gun problem
    Obama’s abortion problem
    Obama’s Foreign policy problem
    Obama’s Domestic policy problem
    Obama’s surrogate problem
    Obama’s Appalachian problem
    Obama’s Israel problem
    Obama’s Pakistan problem
    Obama’s Iran problem
    Obama’s Cuba problem
    Obama’s Florida problem
    Obama’s popularity problem
    Obama’s problem with living abroad
    Obama’s problem with not traveling abroad
    Obama’s problem with traveling abroad
    Obama’s patriotism problem
    Obama’s endorsement problem
    Obama’s Union problem
    Obama’s Business problem
    Obama’s working class problem
    Obama’s Internet whisper problem
    Obama’s small donor problem
    Obama’s big donor problem
    Obama’s Liberal voting record problem
    Obama’s stadium convention problem
    Obama’s problem with leading McCain in the polls
    Obama’s Bubba Gap problem
    Obama’s arugula problem
    Obama’s orange juice problem
    Obama’s fundraising problem
    Obama’s media attention problem
    Obama’s problem with problems

    Just a short list of the “problems” the media said that Barack Obama had during the 2008 campaign. Never in all my years did I see a candidate saddled with so many so called problems. So now that the 2012 general election is officially underway, it’s a bit of a deja vu moment to read that President Obama now has a fighting back problem.

  81. 81.

    amk

    April 21, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    @Kane: Niiice.

  82. 82.

    becca

    April 21, 2012 at 12:46 pm

    @Pangloss: So true.

    We have done a fair amount of cheek-turning. Now’s the time to cut some canes.

  83. 83.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    @Kane: What I take away from all of that, is that Obama is a great problem solver. =)

    heh

  84. 84.

    burnspbesq

    April 21, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    @Mickey:

    But the icing on the cake was the Cole post the other day how he’s bumbed about the rivers of shit pumped out the the Republcans daily and how we should just give up and let them have the key. That was a think of beauty. Forever disqualifed him from being allowed to run a political blog much less even post in one. Not that I didn’t already think so.

    You’ve been determined to be bat-guano insane, and no one is paying attention to anything you say. Try selling your nonsense somewhere else.

  85. 85.

    Dulcie

    April 21, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    @Kane: 9,999 problems, so to speak. He needs Jay-Z to update that song for the campaign!

  86. 86.

    Anya

    April 21, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    @samara morgan: We are better than targeting people’s religion you bigoted ass. No one said we cannot fight hard against wingers and their media enablers.

    Also, too, Stephanie Cutter rocks.

  87. 87.

    Schlemizel

    April 21, 2012 at 1:11 pm

    @gaz:
    Mickey should get its own damn blog were only Mickey approved posters can hold forth. There, all alone Mickey could leave normal humans alone & fuck him or her self

  88. 88.

    Yutsano

    April 21, 2012 at 1:13 pm

    @burnspbesq: I don’t know why we indulge a Canadian who refuses to clean up his own messes and instead tries to influence a country where he has zero say in the outcomes. Harper is still PM. Until Durf fixes that mote in his eye his rantings are pointless.

  89. 89.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    @Yutsano: He’s Canadian too? Jesus wept.

    Mickey/Derf: DIAF, this ain’t your ballgame.

  90. 90.

    Schlemizel

    April 21, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    @kay: He’s proved nothing yet. He beat 2 lobbyists, 2 crackpots, a religious lunatic and a wealthy dabbler. Victory!

    LOVE IT!

    But the media is sure going to try to convince us he can win.

  91. 91.

    Valdivia

    April 21, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    @Kane:

    epic

  92. 92.

    Yutsano

    April 21, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    @gaz: To the great chagrin of RedKitteh and Comrade Mary. Even worse: he lives in Vancouver. I promise to not let these facts spoil my affection for my ancestral homeland. He’s probably just an Anglo anyway.

    /ribbit

  93. 93.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    @Yutsano: I see this kind of crap from time to time.

    The thing I hate about it is to me, it’s like someone being invited into my home – and then examining my cupboards and criticizing how I organize my dishes.

    I comment on Canadian politics, but generally I try to limit it to the things I admire. I like their healthcare system for example. Otherwise, it’s just rude, and it’s none of my business to criticize their electorate. Or at worst, I say that something is unfortunate. I’m not about to blame canadians or one of their parties for Harper. It’s not my business. And it’s rude.

    When commenting on the politics of another country, You’re a guest Mickey. Act like it. Didn’t your parents teach you this?

  94. 94.

    Redshift

    April 21, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    We got all the way through this thread without anyone calling bullshit on this?

    In 2008, the campaign considered it undignified to spar with the RNC

    According to who? In what bizarro world did Obama get a reputation as a great campaigner with a top-notch campaign organization without engaging with the opposition except in high-minded civic matters?

    That sure isn’t the way I remember the campaign!

  95. 95.

    Clime Acts

    April 21, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    @gaz:

    I used to cut myself.

    This explains so very, very much…

  96. 96.

    eemom

    April 21, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    While the Republicans have been tearing themselves apart, Obama’s been building a top-notch, professional campaign.

    Haven’t read all the comments, but at the end of the day, This.
    Just This. All the rest is noise.

    It’s gonna be a STOMP.

  97. 97.

    Clime Acts

    April 21, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    @gaz:

    When commenting on the politics of another country, You’re a guest Mickey. Act like it. Didn’t your parents teach you this?

    omg, you are a moron.

  98. 98.

    TooManyJens

    April 21, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Chicago’s preferred formulations—on everything from the “Ryan-Romney budget” to Romney’s penchant for “hiding” the truth—reliably find their way into leading news outlets.

    “Chicago’s preferred formulation” about Romney hiding the truth is still a lot kinder than the reality that he lies constantly and without compunction, so Scheiber should quit crying.

  99. 99.

    TooManyJens

    April 21, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Chicago’s preferred formulations—on everything from the “Ryan-Romney budget” to Romney’s penchant for “hiding” the truth—reliably find their way into leading news outlets.

    “Chicago’s preferred formulation” about Romney hiding the truth is still a lot kinder than the reality that he lies constantly and without compunction, so Scheiber should quit crying.

  100. 100.

    Unseen Majority

    April 21, 2012 at 2:14 pm

    @the Conster (f/k/a Cat Lady): Not my problem if you can’t read.

  101. 101.

    Hill Dweller

    April 21, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    The media will never acknowledge it, at least publicly, but Romney’s lying is pathological. He even lies about meaningless shit, like his being destitute in France.

    Willard is Nixon reincarnate.

  102. 102.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 2:22 pm

    Clime Acts/Kola Noscopy, Pedophile Enthusiast;

    I wear your criticism like a badge of honor.

    I used to cut myself. You * still * advocate for statutory rape.

    So as far as “revealing” statements about oneself, you really have no room at all.

    OTOH, I find your blistering lack of self-awareness to be extremely comical. Keep up the good work, sport.

  103. 103.

    gaz

    April 21, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    @Hill Dweller:

    Willard is Nixon reincarnate

    Nixon was more savvy

  104. 104.

    cat48

    April 21, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    Noam’s article made me laugh out loud. Especially liked the part about how the WH handled “Centrist” David Brooks criticism:

    Perhaps the best way to measure the staying power of the new toughness is to observe how Team Obama responds these days to critics of the approach. During their first few years in office, senior aides would often fret when the paragons of respectable centrism derided Obama’s rhetoric as too harsh or his proposals as too liberal. This time around, as the likes of David Brooks were knuckle-rapping Obama over budgetary hyperbole in his AP speech, the White House doubled-down. Office of Management and Budget staffers mounted a furious behind-the-scenes response, ultimately fighting to a draw with a “half true” rating from the fact-checking site Politifact. Around the West Wing, much was made over this triumph. Hope and change it was not. But sometimes you have to be willing to settle for a small victory instead.

  105. 105.

    eemom

    April 21, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    @Hill Dweller:

    Willard is Nixon reincarnate.

    This was touched on the other day in some poor troll-infested thread.

    I think it’s an interesting comparison, but as I said at the time, as despicable a human being as Nixon was, I STILL don’t think it’s fair to him. At least he WAS a human being, and an actual self-made man.

    Shit, I was saying to a friend the other day that even Satan Incarnate, i.e., Dick Cheney, is more worthy of respect than Romtron. His soul may be a black hole of evil, but at least he HAS one.

    Romtron is nothing but a vacuous shell of a human form.

  106. 106.

    rikyrah

    April 21, 2012 at 3:14 pm

    Kane

    that post rocked…on so many levels

  107. 107.

    David Koch

    April 21, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    you’re kidding!

    Even the liberal New Republic is worried about fighting the republicans? !

    gosh, didn’t see that one coming.

  108. 108.

    Hugely

    April 21, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    @Kane:

    Obama’s problem with problems…

    heh good one :)

  109. 109.

    samara morgan

    April 21, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    @Anya: yeah….we are “better” than that? I’m not.
    you go right ahead tho.
    Bishop Romney’s religion is fair game, just like JFK’s was. What happens if Jesus tells Romney to attack Iran to save Israel? People questioned if JFK had primary allegiance to Rome…and he wasn’t even ever a priest.
    We already had a president that took direction from the bible– that fucking WEC retard George Bush and his war on Gog and Magog.

    @eemom: not Nixon, but a photo-negative of John Kerry.
    Think about it….Bishop Romney was preaching to the heathen french in Paris while American kids were fighting and dying in VietNam. Romney actually attended counter anti-war protests….SUPPORTING the war and the draft. He had a deferment yet he was still all for sending more american kids into the meat grinder of Nam.
    John Kerry served in that meatgrinder and came home to protest what he came to see as an immoral and unwinnable war.

  110. 110.

    samara morgan

    April 21, 2012 at 3:39 pm

    @Lojasmo: except for next supreme court appointment?

  111. 111.

    samara morgan

    April 21, 2012 at 3:44 pm

    @Anya: theres a lot more skeletons in bishop romney’s closet that are going to be dug up before the election.
    and the click hungry media is going to worry every bone of those skeletons, because of the JiT(Just in Time) newscycle and social media wave propagation.
    And people are going to talk about it all.
    better grow some skin over those tender fee fees of yours.
    Romney can believe whatever he likes under freedom of religion– but its also his choice to run for president, and volunteer those beliefs for the cruel scrutiny of the electorate and the press.

  112. 112.

    samara morgan

    April 21, 2012 at 3:50 pm

    @eemom: think about it– john kerry wealth BAD– bishop romney wealth GOOD.
    but both candidates had to deal with a lack of base enthusiasm.

  113. 113.

    zizi2

    April 21, 2012 at 4:06 pm

    @Kane:
    Could I quote you and your list on other blogs, please? You just summed up the inanity ever since Candidate Obama dared to declare his run for the Presidency up till this day.

    Ah another recurrent refrain right up until election day was “Obama’s Bradley Effect problem”

    Thanks for this, Kane

  114. 114.

    mclaren

    April 21, 2012 at 6:19 pm

    Chicago’s preferred formulations—on everything from the “Ryan-Romney budget” to Romney’s penchant for “hiding” the truth—reliably find their way into leading news outlets.

    TRANSLATION: “News outlets persist in annoyingly reporting the facts about Mitt Romney.”

  115. 115.

    Heliopause

    April 21, 2012 at 8:43 pm

    Noam Scheiber at TNR (of course) files a pearl-clutcher about the Obama campaign:

    Actually it was a lengthy piece and you focused laser-like on the one tiny bit that had the faintest whiff of “pearl-clutching”. But bravo, the usual crowd in the comment section have predictably fallen for your troll.

  116. 116.

    HobbesAI

    April 21, 2012 at 8:44 pm

    “Some of the anxiety centers around Cutter, who oversees the daily combat operation in Chicago and is legendary in Democratic circles for her Dresden-esque tactics.”
    I didn’t know that Obama was hiring wizards.

  117. 117.

    Gex

    April 21, 2012 at 9:06 pm

    The right and their courtiers are bullies. It works best for cowards like that to intimidate their opponents into not fighting back, because they can’t win an actual fight legitimately.

    Fiscal conservatives needed the Southern Strategy and the Christian Coalition to win elections and advance their policies. That’s bullying. They can’t fight fair and square.

    Worse yet, the sell all their bullshit as being patriotic all while showing they do not give two whits about government by the people and just want to get their way all the time. They want one party rule, they talk about it all the time, and their followers don’t even care that what they are buying into is Soviet/Chinese/Iraq style totalitarianism.

    ETA: The tea party rubes who oppose taxes for the wealthy are begging for serfdom when they refuse cuts to their own medicare and social security while demanding that the neo-aristocracy get whatever they want. And then, magically, they think they’ll still get their medicare and social security, believing that the 1%ers will stop after they take all the money from liberals, young people, and brown people.

  118. 118.

    Allan

    April 21, 2012 at 9:19 pm

    And what should I receive this afternoon but a lovely email from Stephanie, with a panoply of stories, videos and blog posts daring to tell the truth about the difference between Mittbot and our President, complete with easy-peasy sharing buttons to send each and every story across all social media.

    Curses! Is there no end to her wizardry?

  119. 119.

    Kane

    April 22, 2012 at 12:01 am

    @zizi2: By all means use the list as you wish. Thanks~

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