Listen to Lawrence's description of PrezO's brilliant strategizing.

[elleng]

[muntrv]

1. I'm listenin' and watchin'. Obama's pullin' the "rope a dope."

[SalviaBlue]

2. "What you are seeing is the most masterful rope a dope

ever performed by a president against an oposition party in congress."

[0rganism]

9. at some point, if the "doper" doesn't hit back against the "dopee"...

you have to concede that it was all just a one-sided ass-kicking. Nice to know Lawrence thinks there's still some time left in this round.

[cliffordu]

35. Wrong answer. Apparently you aren't paying attention.

Sorry.

[nc4bo]

3. As long as he isn't serious about touching SS, M/M.

He can rope-a-dope straight through the eve of election night 2012.

[jaysunb]

4. I'm LMAO !

At all the naive Obama haters that have spent weeks bashing the Prez before they even understood what was happening.

Governing aint easy. Repeating msm & republican bait is. :evilgrin:

[jpak]

5. Obama is playing the GOP like a fish - and is gonna make them eat their peas

yup

[FLyellowdog]

19. Exactly.

[JuniperLea]

6. Yeah...

I've been saying as much all day... but I'm battered and bruised and tired of the insults... so on this happy thread, good night, and good luck!

[CreekDog]

8. you can say that --but i have to judge by the plain meaning of his words

otherwise i'm forced to believe that things don't mean what they appear to mean --and that's just screwed up.

yes, i will be happy if it all works out the way the polyannas among us say it will, and has been planned to all along, but it's completely illogical to rest on that assumption.

in the meantime, i have to be willing to judge the plain meaning of what i see and not the hoped for, but contradictory meaning that is hidden.

[JuniperLea]

51. Pollyannas? Really?

Ok. I've never been called that before, but I'm game, no worries.

You really don't see him using their own ideas against them? Their own budget suggestions? You don't see the weepy orange boner backing down from something that he himself had earlier supported?

Grab a step ladder... and while you're at it, would you please give me a good put down name along the lines of Pollyanna that you'd agree to accept without being insulted? Turn about is fair play, donchano.

[spanone]

11. goodnight JL

[ClarkUSA]

12. You did good, kid.

Goodnight. :hug:

[EFerrari]

14. If you're tired of the insults, stop posting them. n/t

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ClarkUSA]

40. That's insulting. JL did nothing of the sort in her replies.

[JuniperLea]

52. Good thing I already had that person on ignore...

I was accused of all sorts of ugliness yesterday... including being homophobic. I'm still not quite over that one.

I'm not sure what it is that DU has become, but the vile monster breathes foul odoriferous stench breaths.

[blkmusclmachine]

45. +1

[KittyWampus]

30. I've been trying all weekend.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[snappyturtle]

10. Enlighten us please. What exactly did Lawrence say? Thanks. nt

[boston bean]

13. obama's got the pubbies where he wants them. and he looks reasonable.

he is winning independent and rino votes.

blah bitty blah blah blah

[gkhouston]

16. Yet Another Multi-dimensional Chess Argument.

The idea being that they'd get to the deadline and the only thing that both sides would have in common would be a deep desire to not default, so they would agree to raise the debt ceiling, not just for 60 or 90 days, but for the long term, so this wouldn't come up during the campaign. It's the sort of gamble that usually paid off after many twists and turns on The West Wing--but this isn't fiction. The best we'll get, IMO, it's a short-term raise of the debt ceiling.

[spanone]

18. think about it. 'republicans refused to reduce social security and medicare/aid'

mate!

:rofl:

[gkhouston]

23. No, "Republicans refused to raise taxes". No surprise there. n/t

[KittyWampus]

28. Which means the coming default IS THEIR FUCKING FAULT. How can you not get that?

[gkhouston]

29. Which only works if the media is willing to say that. Last time I

checked, the media was pretty biased, and not in favor of Dems or the truth. It's an extremely risky play, assuming that even is the play.

[aquart]

39. Media may be too busy.

A factor we aren't looking at is Republican anxiety about the spreading Murdoch scandal.

Blackberries can be hacked.

[madinmaryland]

15. A little more information those of us who can't watch it. Thank you!

[peace4ever]

20. Is it so brilliant that it can't be described?

If it is to claim that by cutting SS and Medicade/care he will gain votes in 2012, that does not make any sense considering 2010 and the popularity of these programs.

[ClarkUSA]

21. Wait for the transcript. Paraphrasing doesn't do O'Donnell justice.

[EFerrari]

22. It's so brilliant you will need sunscreen and shades just to watch the rerun.

[Marr]

33. lol-- I like the air of elation that springs up around the most devoted fans

when a new pack of talking points arrives. It's like Christmas morning.

I expect this little theory will be quoted three times per minute for the next few weeks, and regularly linked to as "proof" that this or that critic is wrong.

[ClarkUSA]

41. You should know...

"when a new pack of talking points arrives."

[Marr]

47. Oh yeah? Did you put me on the mailing list? n/t

[ProSense]

24. President Obama

is not allowed to have a strategy. He's not supposed to be a politician. There is no such thing as negotiation. He's supposed to text his every move to everyone before making it.

The next three weeks are going to be interesting: rumor, speculation, anonymous sources, people declaring that they're not going to vote, the MSM declaring the Democrats in trouble...

It will be as if no President has ever negotiated before.

I still wonder what would have happened to unemployment benefits in a Republican Congress?

Yeah, expanding the Bush tax cuts sucked, but imagine the other parts of the deal that would never have been enacted: unemployment benefits, additional Medicaid funding, EITC, etc.

Even if one imagined a scenario in which Republicans extended unemployment with no lapse in benefits and for a year (fat chance), does anyone really believe that the other critical funding and tax credits would have had a chance of passing?

There was an article recently about the Medicaid funding from the deal expiring (it was for six months). The President gets no credit for at least securing the additional appropriations, but he will get criticized for the expiration. Where's Congress? Where are the Congressional leaders who wanted to leave these benefits to the GOP?

[elleng]

26. ...

:thumbsup:
:hi:

[cliffordu]

36. Wish I could rec this post. Dammit.

:applause:

[TheKentuckian]

25. Strategizing to what end that could plausibly outweigh the risk or even the automatic give away

it is impossible to avoid based on ground ceded for cheap?

The usual bullshit of conjuring a few independent voters, as they run away in droves?

You know the ones you started with that signed on to at least a somewhat more liberal campaign, that were enough for the largest Democratic margin in many years were enough, right?

[KittyWampus]

43. There will be no giveaway. That's the point. There is no deal. There will be no deal.

[Marr]

49. Can I quote you on that?

I say there will be a deal, and a very bad one. We'll get it at the last possible minute, and everyone who's currently urging the crowd to shut-up and have faith will be explaining how every horrible piece was unavoidable, had to be done to avoid armageddon, etc.

[sendero]

27. How many times...

.. have we heard this bullshit? You come back when Obama has some success- but more likely you will pout about blue dogs and other insurmountables to excuse the feet of clay of your supposed n dimensional chess player.

He's playing all right, he's playing his base and the center.

[Lucinda]

32. Even if it were true, there are a great number of people

being stressed by the political game playing here. These trial balloons and speculation are stressing out the elderly and the sick. And it's lousy.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

34. HE WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! n/t

[Enrique]

37. here is the video, im not impressed

i notice no one in this thread could express any of ODonnells ideas, they were just so brilliant you had to hear them for yourself. Well I just heard them and it looks to me like a pundit on TV spinning something.

http://thelastword.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/11/7063413-breakdown-of-obamas-strategy

[FreeState]

38. +1

[KittyWampus]

42. Would you like me to express them? OBAMA DRINKS BOEHNER"S MILKSHAKE!

If the Republicans default on the debt, they will pay politically. It will be 100% their fault.

And it's almost certain they will.

[ClarkUSA]

44. !!!!

:rofl:

:thumbsup:

[Vattel]

46. According to O'Donnell

it is crucial that the Republicans don't realize that Obama is just bluffing. That is a bit worrisome. If O'Donnell has figured out that Obama is bluffing, and has announced on TV that Obama is bluffing, then one might wonder why the Republicans can't figure it out too. Also, if O'Donnell is correct, then Obama is quite the liar. If O'Donnell is right, then Obama really isn't willing to cut spending in the ways he says he is willing to cut spending in exchange for revenue increases and debt-ceiling extension. I guess I hope that O'Donnell is right, but I remain skeptical that he is.

[Doctor Jack]

48. It doesn't matter

It doesn't matter that O'Donnell announced it because the GOP will never listen to him. It is the same way that if a Fox News "reporter" figured out some republican strategy and discussed it on TV, that it wouldn't even show up on our radar. Besides, the republicans are trapped now and good luck having them explain why they didn't raise the debt ceiling because Obama was bluffing and they didn't like that. Have them go on TV and spend 15 minutes explain Obama's strategy and use that as a reason why they didn't increase the debt limit. It will never work. At this point they will just take the $2 trillion in spending cuts, raise the ceiling through 2013 and be glad this is over.

[Vattel]

50. Good points except for one thing.

O'Donnell is suggesting that Obama doesn't want a bill with spending cuts and revenue increases. The strategy is aimed at getting the debt-ceiling raised through 2013 with no spending cuts. I can see how it might work. The Republicans, or at least their leadership, know that they have to raise the debt-ceiling. The real issue is whether they raise it for the short-term or the long-term, and what comes with the Bill that will raise it. The hope is that will give up their spending cuts in order to avoid revenue increases, and so they will offer a bill that merely reduces the debt-ceiling.

[Erose999]

53. I think the "rope" is being used more as a tourniquet than as a lasso...

and the "dope" is just the same old GOP talking points.

[Ganja Ninja]

54. I'd be happier if instead of the "Rope A Dope" he would take a page from Mike Tyson ...

and bite Boehner's ear off.

[elleng]

55. I understand the sentiment (ICK!) but think Cantor + others more problematic.

Surprised to find myself saying this, but them's the facts, I think.