GOP plans to throw ‘the book’ at Obama 2012: President’s own words will be used against him in elect

[Judi Lynn]

GOP plans to throw ‘the book’ at Obama 2012: President’s own words will be used against him in election
PETER WALLSTEN; The Washington Post • Published January 02, 2012

WASHINGTON – With Republican voters in Iowa set to finally begin picking a nominee to challenge President Barack Obama, GOP officials in Washington are quietly and methodically finishing what operatives are calling “the book”– 500 pages of Obama quotes and video links that will form the backbone of the party’s attack strategy against the president leading up to Election Day 2012.

The document, portions of which were reviewed by The Washington Post, lays out how GOP officials plan to use Obama’s words and voice as they build an argument for his defeat: that he made specific promises and entered office with lofty expectations and has failed to deliver on both.

Republican officials say they will leverage the party’s newly catalogued video library containing every publicly available utterance from Obama since his 2008 campaign. Television and Internet ads will juxtapose specific Obama promises of job gains, homeowner assistance, help for people in poverty, lower health insurance premiums and stricter White House ethics standards against government data and news clippings that paint a different reality.

The willingness of GOP officials to discuss their strategy at this stage underscores the view, in both parties, that the general election campaign has begun– even if an official Republican nominee has not been selected.

More:
http://www.theolympian.com/2012/01/02/1932968/gop-plans-to-throw-the-book-at.html

[Firebrand Gary]

1. The beauty of this is that in all those things the President experienced TOTAL obstructionism.

Same BS as in 2008! Except this time the public watched with eyes wide open as the Republican Party chose to "defeat" Obama rather than do what was needed to move the nation forward.

If the GOP wants to turn the volume up on their 500 pages of talking points, let them. They will fail. Funny thing about FACTS, they cannot be changed.

[ut oh]

33. I agree...

Whatever is 'produced' out of this 'book' can easily be countered by... 'and the GOP said 'No!''

I just hope Obama doesn't use his 'cave to the neanderthals' strategy....

[Doctor_J]

50. facts can't be changed?

have you been in a coma for 20 years? The Repuke base thinks that Obama is a socialist, global warming is a figment of Al Gore's imagination, the media is liberal, tax cuts increase revenue, and Newt Gingrinch is a pillar of morality.

Wake up!

[Sherman A1]

2. And this is a surprise?

There are people in both the Democratic & Republican Parties that pretty much just do this for a living. Collect data, comments, speeches & plan how to use those things against their opponent.

[nxylas]

4. Sounds like political campaigning 101 to me

Nothing unusual about it in the slightest.

[Surya Gayatri]

11. Like, yeah, so this is news? n/t

[ProfessionalLeftist]

3. "job gains, homeowner assistance, help for people in poverty, lower health insurance premiums..."

...and stricter white House ethics standards are ALL things Republicans don't give a DAMN about. What pray tell are their answers to all these issues? "Drop Dead"

Of course illiterate, low-information voters will swallow their propaganda whole, believing in every word regardless how hypocritical it all is.

[Solly Mack]

5. Well, that's not without a pant-load of hypocrisy is it?

[joshcryer]

6. It'll fail hard.

[gtar100]

7. No doubt highly edited and twisted, just as Breitbarf does in all his fine work.

Remember clearly that the most important thing for the GOP is to get elected. Note also how little they actually address the nuts and bolts issues of governance. They care only about controlling the means of power. They have no vision for the future that includes any of the following:

... in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,...

Those sorts of things just don't compute in a republican head.

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

32. Exactly...

... out of context, out of synch and out of truth is what it will be, with plenty of help from the PACs enjoying unlimited funding from the fascists.

[Telly Savalas]

41. This is a tactic that needs to be punished mercilessly

For every 30-second ad that those douchebags run that do this, the Obama campaign needs to run a 1 minute ad showing how the quote was taken out of context, emphasizing how the ad is propagating bullshit, and asking the viewer if they can trust the White House to an asshole that lies to them.

In the debate, Obama needs to stick a finger in the face of his opponent can call him a liar and demand he retract the ad and apologize.

Standing up and fighting doesn't mean engaging in jerk-off tactics like making fun of a candidate's spouse. It means biting into his or her ass and not letting go when they play games with the truth.

[Thaddeus Kosciuszko]

8. People have grown accustomed to politicians promising the world and then delivering nothing.

[24601]

14. That doesn't mean, however, that voters overlook and/or excuse it on election day.

The easiest way to blow this election will be to under-estimate the opposition and to gloss over promises not kept.

[Deb]

9. What, "The Good Book" isn't serving the filth's purpose anymore?

Sounds like just another RW resource that's twisted, chewed and regurgitated to justify hate. They never, ever change.

[Kahuna]

10. Is that all you got, repukes? One thing about the president is..

in general people trust him and believe he is honest. So, good luck with that.

[DinahMoeHum]

16. Very few, if any scandal/s linked to him, too. . .

at least none that really stand out. . .
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/november_december_2011/features/scandal_in_the_age_of_obama032995.php

[Scottybeamer70]

12. and I hope the Democrats

play a video about 500 times a day of Mr. Turtle Face and his remark about "defeating Obama is my only goal."......

[greymattermom]

13. why would they do that?

To me, the underlying assumption of this argument is that Obama's campaign promises would be good things. If you're against him for not accomplishing what he promised, aren't you in favor of the outcomes of the promises? For example, "I don't like Daddy because he promised me a pony and I didn't get one." Assumption: pony=good.

[JDPriestly]

15. And do the Republicans seriously think that their own

videos and statements won't harm them even more?

Romney?
Gingrich?

Foot-in-mouthers all.

[rocktivity]

17. I'm shaking in my shoes

rocktivity

[katsy]

18. Two can play that game.

My money's on Obama.

[annabanana]

19. A trenchant political cartoon will say "obstructionism" well.

I wish I could draw one.

[Historic NY]

20. Compare & contrasts...on every piece of legislation.....

all the Democrats will have to do is play an never-ending loop of No, no, no.

[annabanana]

21. and "HELL No!". . We've got some great clips. . . n/t

[elleng]

22. And theirs back at THEM!

Mine: 'Candidate Obama, reasonably expecting to find a workable situation, hoped to accomplish x, y, and z. Upon arriving in Washington, and facing ponderous problems remaining from previous administration, he ran into the buzz-saw of repug refusal to cooperate on major issues, thus seriously complicating his endeavors.'

Senate's 60+ 'majority' to act, McConnell's "Most important task: see to it that PrezO is a one term President,' and since 2010 elections, impossible dealings with House, refusing to behave like a governing entity, no idea how a bi-cameral institution must work.

[Politicub]

23. Sounds like red meat for the anti-Obama crowd on DU

Smart strategy on the gop's part.

But for people who get beyond slogans and soundbites, they will see the remarkable volume of progressive legislation and appointments from President Obama and his administration.

I hope the majority of voters aren't flailing in the wind like GOP primary voters once we get to the general election. There will be a clear choice to make.

What this strategy will do, though, is show the contrast between what Obama stands for versus the paleoconservatsim of the GOP. In this regard, the president comes out on top.

[GoCubsGo]

24. Is it going to be like that "book" they threw at him when they invited him...

...to discuss his health care proposal? That kind of book-throwing? No doubt they'll end with the repugs sputtering, "Golf! Golf! Teleprompter! Teleprompter! Vacation! Teleprompter! Ditherditherditherdither!"

[santamargarita]

25. Typical Right-Wing Bullshit!

[treestar]

26. But then wouldn't they have to be pointing to

things that liberals want?

And criticizing Obama for not getting them?

They must think liberals are stupid. So Obama did not get us a liberal world, so let's vote for Romney. They are assuming liberals are too stupid to even check out what Romney stands for.

[Fearless]

27. Quoting out of context... the last resort of the GOP.

When all else fails, de facto lie.

[jerryster]

28. Everyone on this thread dismissing the tactic as failing...

except me. I see this as an effective tactic that could -possibly - put Obama on the defensive. And if you're explaining, you're losing. However, there are other problems I see that are much more troubling.

First, I heard Chris Matthews say that the Obama campaign is planning to fold its tents in Pennsylvania AND Ohio and follow this idiotic "narrow path to 270". To count on Iowa and Virginia to put Obama over the top is suicidal. And with everything that has happened in Ohio this year why on earth would any Democratic candidate concede the state? It baffles me.

I also believe that the Obama campaign is scared to death of Romney. I know that might seem ridiculous to many. But how else to explain how giddy the Obama camp becomes every time it looks like one of the other wingnuts might beat him. Finally, I contend that so far Romney has run a focused, disciplined campaign. Everyone keeps talking about his 25% ceiling and his flip flopping. If he wins the nomination with that 25% then that's all he needs. He hasn't panicked and he showed last week that he knows when - and is willing - to go negative. Two people destroyed Newt Gingrich last week. One was Newt and the other was Romney.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

43. Romney supporter?

[jerryster]

52. Don't know if you're still checking this thread.

I am an ardent Obama supporter. That's why I'm so upset. I think the re-election strategy is flawed, especially if Matthews is correct about conceding Ohio and Pennsylvania.

The thought of a 3 headed monster (RepubliKoch control of WH, Sen and House) sends chills down my spine.

[NYC Liberal]

46. One problem: you're assuming Obama won't be on the offense himself.

He ran an exceptional campaign last time around. He's not going to simply lie and wait for the attacks; we've seen that he won't

[Kahuna]

47. What's wrong with it is, it isn't true and in most instances...

save for gitmo...the president can point to progress, even if the progress is minimal.

[jerryster]

53. And I think the progress is more than minimal.

He has an excellent record to run on. He should do that in as many states as possible. And he has to stop saying "the do nothing Congress and start saying the "do nothing REPUBLICAN Congress. Jonathan Alter mentioned it on Hardball last night and he's right.

[AlbertCat]

29. Uh... doesn't this play right into the...

...DO NOTHING CONGRESS strategem. It's not like Obama hasn't tried to get things thru Congress. How many roll calls have all or most Dems voting "aye" and all Repugs voting "nay"?

[jwirr]

30. But not in context of course. Makes it kind of even because they have said enough lately to make

our ads for us.

[a2liberal]

31. What I don't get about this ad strategy

Even if a viewer sees one of these ads and 100% agrees that Obama didn't deliver on these promises, and even if he/she 100% agrees that it's only the President's fault that he didn't deliver on the promises: How is voting for the GOP which wants to work for the opposite of these promises going to help matters any? So I just don't get the messgae they're trying to send... "Obama didn't give you what he said he would give you and you wanted so vote for us so we can not give you that stuff while telling you we're not going to give it to you"???

[greymattermom]

37. yep

exactly what I think too

[Lone_Star_Dem]

34. The major problem with this strategy is...

Many GOP voters don't understand the words Obama uses in the first place.

This seems like a big waste of effort to me. All they need to do is show a picture of him sitting in the oval office with the caption "What's wrong with this picture? Vote Republican." They'll agree without question and it's a message that will resonate with likely Republican voters.

[xxqqqzme]

35. "...even if an official

Republican nominee has not been selected...."

Proving it is ALL about (corporate) party NOT country or people.

[Jack Rabbit]

36. That might even work, EXCEPT

. . . that their own candidate will be a fumbling, bumbling flip flopper with neither a brain, a heart nor even a coherent message.

[Islandlife]

38. Isn't that tobe expected? Nothing new or newsworthy here

[RoccoR5955]

39. What book?

The coloring book, or the comic book. After all, they are running a bunch of clowns. I couldn't imagine any of them coming on strong, after the Cons said that their number one job was to make Obama a one term president.

[liam_laddie]

40. Bob Shrum...

Let's hope that loser has NO influence in 2012. Shun him!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

42. Cuts both ways Repukes

Flip flopper Romney should have a wealth of outtakes. If not him all your other whack jobs.

[center rising]

44. In other words, they'll lie about Obama's record.

[kiranon]

45. Boring strategy. GOP has lost its cool. Obama hasn't. Enough said.

[The Last Democrat]

48. "and I hope the Democrats

play a video about 500 times a day of Mr. Turtle Face and his remark about "defeating Obama is my only goal."......

And on our dime.

[Doctor_J]

49. I fear the president will come to rue

calling SS an entitlement. They can also use his words to bash congressional Dems.

Let's hope the president decides to fight back, instead of "reaching across the aisle".

[gkhouston]

51. Sounds like a good year for The Daily Show.

Amazing how the Republicans never seem to think anyone can/will find a video relevant to their bullshit du jour.

[and-justice-for-all]

54. That works both ways asshats.