The president likes to make Republicans look like “kooks.” And they usually take the bait

[DonViejo]

How Obama Got Into the Republican Party’s Head

The president likes to make Republicans look like “kooks.” And they usually take the bait.

By David Weigel

“Attn skeet birthers,” tweeted David Plouffe. “Make our day—let the photoshop conspiracies begin!”

It was Feb. 3, a week and change since Plouffe had left the White House and joined Twitter, and he was already on top of a meme. The New Republic had asked President Obama whether he’d ever shot a gun. “Up at Camp David,” he’d said, “we do skeet shooting all the time.” A small number of conservatives asked—totally reasonably—whether there was any proof. The White House released a photo of the president firing a shotgun.

But it did so by having deputy communications director Dan Pfeiffer call the critics “skeeters,” and then came Plouffe, egging it on. “Day made,” he tweeted, hours later. “The skeet birthers are out in full force in response to POTUS pic. Makes for most excellent, delusional reading. #whereistrump”

Why, in 2013, is the White House still talking about Donald Trump? Has any of its domestic enemies been vanquished as completely as the host of The Apprentice? No, none of them have. The point of this exercise didn’t become clear until Tuesday, when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor wrapped up a sophisticated two-day exercise in Republican rebranding. Day 1 meant a visit to a D.C. charter school with media in tow. (“Eric Cantor grabs a plastic dinosaur from the pile of toys in front of one-year-old Mekhi Scott, taps the beast on the table and growls, RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”) Day two meant an hourlong speech at the ...

To continue reading, click here:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2013/02/eric_cantor_rebranding_the_republican_party_barack_obama_and_the_democrats.html?wpisrc=newsletter_rubric

[Kalidurga]

1. The president likes to make Republicans look like “kooks.”

easiest part of his job.

[clydefrand]

2. But then again,

he needs to something for relaxation!

[santamargarita]

3. They don't need President Obama for that...

but yes he is good at it.

[JHB]

4. You can't make them look like kooks...

...you can only create situations where kooks will reveal themselves.

It's an important distinction. They're already kooks, pre-made.

[Cosmocat]

5. And he does not do things to "make" them look anything

he is a pretty darn reasonable, intelligent and respectful person.

Again, this is part of the frame the media does by extension for the republicans to blame the president for them being jackasses.

They are jackasses being jackasses. He isn't doing anything to make them look that way.

He is DESPERATELY trying to run the fucking country.

It becomes a sideshow because they have literally jumped the shark.