GOP sees Rev. Wright as pathway to victory...Politco article

[ElsewheresDaughter]

Obama canNOT win the GE now....please wake up folks we must win the WH...I would vote for Obama in a heartbeat but if he gets the nom we lose the WH

hell even polls have 36% increase of Indies are now saying they have an "unfavorable view" of Obama after his speech. the writing is on the wall.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9116.html

For months, Republican party officials have watched with increasing trepidation as Barack Obama has shattered fundraising records, packed arena after arena with shrieking fans and pulled in significant Republican and independent votes.

Now, with the emergence of the notorious video showing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright damning the country, criticizing Israel, faulting U.S. policy for the Sept. 11 attacks and generally lashing out against white America, GOP strategists believe they’ve finally found an antidote to Obamamania.

In their view, the inflammatory sermons by Obama’s pastor offer the party a pathway to victory if Obama emerges as the Democratic nominee. Not only will the video clips enable some elements of the party to define him as unpatriotic, they will also serve as a powerful motivating force for the conservative base.
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In fact, the video trove has convinced some that, after months of praying for Hillary Clinton and the automatic enmity which she arouses, that they may actually have easier prey.

“For the first time, some Republicans are rethinking Hillary as their first choice,” said Alex Castellanos, a veteran media consultant who recently worked for Mitt Romney’s campaign.

Even Obama’s much-lauded Tuesday speech, which detailed his relationship with his church and focused on the issue of racial reconciliation, failed to shake the notion that Republicans had been given a rare political gift.

“It was a speech written to mau-mau the New York Times editorial board, the network production people and the media into submission. Beautifully calibrated but deeply dishonest,” said GOP media consultant Rick Wilson, who crafted the 2002 ad tying then-Sen. Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden. “Not good enough.”

Until now, questions about Obama’s allegiance to country had been largely confined to the fever swamps of the Internet and e-mail chains. They took the form of dark whispers about the greater meaning of Obama’s failure to put his hand over his heart during one national anthem, his decision not to wear an American flag lapel pin and, at their most toxic, the outright lie that he’s a Muslim or some sort of Manchurian candidate.

With Michelle Obama’s comments last month that she was, thanks to her husband’s candidacy, for the first time “really proud of ,” the topic entered the more mainstream elements of the conservative conversation, ricocheting across talk radio, cable news and blogs.

“All the sudden you’ve got two dots, and two dots make a line,” said Castellanos. “You start getting some sense of who he is, and it’s not the Obama you thought. He’s not the Tiger Woods of politics.”

But if Michelle Obama’s gaffe caused some ripples in the right-wing pond, the Wright videos have detonated the equivalent of a daisy cutter on the conservative landscape, awakening an otherwise dispirited party base.



more... http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9116.html

[bowens43]

1. Yes, post right wing talking points

that elevates your candidate......

[ElsewheresDaughter]

2. Politico.com is posted everyday here

[goldcanyonaz]

4. It's only a good source when they're bashing Hillary.

[Texas Hill Country]

3. Hell yeah they do... they want Obama more than Clinton at this point.

[otohara]

43. When Limbaugh Tells His Dittoheads to Now Vote for Obama

let me know. Until then, I'm pretty sure Hillary is still the one the GOP wants to run against McBush.

[SteppingRazor]

5. My favorite line from the story:

“It was a speech written to mau-mau the New York Times editorial board, the network production people and the media into submission. Beautifully calibrated but deeply dishonest,” said GOP media consultant Rick Wilson, who crafted the 2002 ad tying then-Sen. Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden. “Not good enough.”


I love that the writer used that identifier. I mean, given that, isn't Rick Wilson talking about dishonesty sort of like Keith Richards saying, "Just say no?"

[Leopolds Ghost]

60. Note the use of the racist word "mau-mau" to refer to Obama

As in "mau-mauing the flackcatchers"

Tom Wolfe's account about the Black Panthers on the Upper East Side.

[BigDDem]

6. Didn't the GOP get the memo that BO

made a lovely speech and "God Damn America" is all behind us now?

:rofl:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

52. hehehe I guess they missed it

[Armstead]

7. And of course they won't do the same to Hillary

Face it. They are going to distort and exagerate whatever they can on any democratic nominee.

What the democrats have to do is create the (accurate perception) that they are a bunch of cynical negative creeps huddled in a dark little room.

[Mags]

8. but nothing goes to the heart of the Repugs and middle America

like religion and patriotism.

[Mooney]

9. They have the same knee-jerk reaction to HRC.

All this scandal can do is reinforce a negative impression of Obama. It does nothing for Hillary. It's not going to change the fact that the Republicans are salivating at the chance to vote against her.

[Mags]

12. Actually, I have been checking some right wing sites, some have said if they had to vote

for a Dem, that Hillary would be the one, especially after the Revs. appearances.

[Cali_Democrat]

36. Hillary is essentially a wolf in sheep's clothing

Pretending to be a democrat when she's actually a Repuke. The real Dems see it and now the Repuke's are noticing. Obviously they would prefer Hillary with her DLC and Bush enabling policies. Duh.

[KittyWampus]

16. And Hillary the Lesbian Clinton? LOL!

[Tellurian]

17. Making it quite obvious where Obama's sentiments

lie with his Patriotism.. He hasn't a clue what the Bible Belt will due to his campaign.

It's already starting on the networks.

[Hippo_Tron]

10. Hillary is a policy wonk, the general electorate hates those

There's a reason that she gets Democrats in the primary and Obama gets Republicans and Independents. Democrats vote for policy wonkish candidates because they want to vote for an agenda. Republicans and Independents vote for the person, not the agenda. They vote based on feeling not based on logic.

We've seen this time and again with Kerry, Gore, and many others. I don't understand how Hillary can overcome that.

[Tellurian]

19. But they LOVE their country, just as Sen Clinton and we do..

Race hatred and an acquiescence to 'God Damning America' have no place in our government.

[kid a]

23. spoken like a true RW patriot!! woo hoo - you love your county (and your hillary)

[Tellurian]

37. So, you don't LOVE your country too?

what are you doing here. hmm?

[Hippo_Tron]

47. I'm just gonna ignore this

"Obama hates America" isn't a valid counter-argument to the one I've presented.

[elixir]

11. Makes sense to me. Anger and fear never play well with an audience.

[Texas Hill Country]

20. Are you kidding? Please tell me you are kidding?

[grasswire]

13. the comments there are interesting

Lots of different perspectives.

[olkaz]

14. You should really check out the right wing, they would love you

Anyhow, into the ignore void with you.

[kwenu]

15. Please WAKE UP and smell reality. There will be no groundswell asking the SDs to invalidate...

the pledged delegates. OBAMA will be your Democratic Nominee. The Wright mess at this point will only be relevant to those right wing folks who wouldn't vote for any democrat and those of you who still haven't figured out that your candidate lost weeks ago and won't be catching up anytime soon.

[Tellurian]

25. Obama gave a heartfelt speech..

unfortunately, earlier on he brought race into the campaign helping to galvanize the AA voting block majority for himself. To a degree, he succeeded. Rev Wright is a whole nother story. Obama has made it crystal clear he affirms Wright's words as speaking for him too!

Obama never said in his speech, something like.. "I denounced the hate Rev Wright said in these instances right after his sermon." He never said, "I took him aside privately and explained to him how wrong it is to give hateful inflammatory sermons because "Hate" doesn't work." He never did that, and why my view of Obama has changed. Obama is not presidential material for running our country. His primary agenda is racism. Our country is in shambles. He is not
a candidate for the people, "All the People"!

[kwenu]

41. If he did everything you and the RWs asked you'd still be whining!!!

Get behind your nominee. Hillary cannot win the nomination. The SDs will have to follow the pledged delegates.

[Vinca]

18. The Wright mess, at worst, equals a fraction of the Clinton scandals.

OP should be focusing on Grandpa McCain and his girlfriend, Lieberbush, trying to keep their stories straight about who Iran is training. Hillary might have started writing the Republican's commercials for them, but McCain is doing a fine job on his own writing Democratic ads.

[Tellurian]

29. There was never an issue concerning race..

A GOP "Hunting of the President" was the agenda. Taking down the last duly elected Democratic president in Modern times.

[Vinca]

45. I agree, but the image of the cigar and blue dress are still there and

let's be honest - most Dems will ignore it, but the Republicans lap it right up.

[Tellurian]

54. At least Bill didn't screw the country. Obama plans on making his WH tenure all about Racism!

While Rome is burning and people are trying to survive. He will do absolutely nothing to help America. Why should he; he agrees America should be "God Damned" like his spiritual mentor Wright! pooh, on Obama! :puke:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

21. Were HRC in the lead right now, the pathway to victory would be that 12yo rape victim from 1975.

Or Gloria Steinem mocking McCain's POW status. Or Bill's latest girlfriend.

The fact is the GOP is ALWAYS going to have something to use against our candidate and in its absence, will make something up. We can either hide in the corner and tremble, or meet it head-on like Obama did yesterday, with grace and aplomb.

[kid a]

22. You are SO tainted by your fanaticism, your posts have no merit or truth - Barack STILL leads McCain

and does so over your candidate - GET IT?
SHEESH!!!!

[Tellurian]

31. Look at the poll number in a week..

Obama by his own hand, has turned his campaign into a monumental tragedy.

[kentuck]

24. I don't doubt that...

even if he is second on the ticket. They have nothing else. That's why we have to fight it now. We can't wait until the election.

[tekisui]

26. Good. That shows that is all they have on Obama. And it isn't nearly enough.

[Ian_rd]

27. Yes! Rightwing racism is too strong! We must give in and surrender to it. Immediately!

I know I'll feel better afterward. How about you?

[ElsewheresDaughter]

39. the Jewish community is also worried too

[Leopolds Ghost]

61. Are you saying Jews are racist?

What does Hagee (and Wright) have to do with Anti-Semitism?

[totodeinhere]

28. Obama can win because of the economy.

Remember "it's the economy stupid." We are possibly headed for the worst recession since WWII. With this factor in play, and especially given McCains's enthusiastic support for NAFTA, look for either Democratic candidate to win in a landslide.

So if we support Obama let's go for it. The unelectable thing put out by Clinton supporters just doesn't cut it.

[jackson_dem]

51. Too bad he has no economic record. Clinton beats McCain comfortably on the economy

McCain matches Obama. A tanking economy also makes emotional things like all of what Wright said more receptive to folks.

[The Backlash Cometh]

30. Wright just gave the Dems an opportunity to turn the tables around on the

Repubs. There is a reason why Rev. Wright was outraged. Why won't the Dems do something to shock us all, and show the Repubs exactly why he speaks for so many minorities. Someone needs to repeat all the crap that right-wing pundits have been saying on talk radio and ask the question, "If you had to hear this shit for ten years running, wouldn't you be pissed too?"

[Tellurian]

33. Had too? No one has to listen to a hate monger, when they are free to walk away!

[The Backlash Cometh]

42. That's bullshit.

I remember taxi-drivers would turn up the volume and laugh when Limbaugh hit a particular racist tone. I remember hearing that shit on construction sites. And what was said on the radio was repeated everywhere. My inlaws repeated the crap at every family get-together until I simply stopped going. The politics of the Bush Administration very much depended on that divisiveness, especially when it came time to dismantle public service programs.

And look at yourself now. Oh, how I laugh and how you will see your hypocrisy. You expect us not to listen to the hate talk, which is everywhere, and you all got your panties tied in a knot for comments that you had to go into a private church sermon to find. Damn those black people for thinking they can have freedom of speech in their own private church!

So I say, Shame on you. Shame on you all for not seeing the incredible imbalance and injustice that's going on here. If you don't expect us to listen to all that right-wing hate talk that's everywhere, why don't you show that you live by the same rules and not listen to comments made in a private church?

[Tellurian]

53. There you go...you said it yourself.. "You STOPPED GOING!"

Obama is a racist. He's still sitting there like a lump glued to his seat taking in all the Hate America Racist BS from his spiritual adviser! :puke:

[The Backlash Cometh]

56. Then let the games begin.

I would think you're the racist if you can't understand why they're angry. The last thing that black Americans should do right now is be submissive about this, because the Republicans sure aren't going to let up, if no one stands up to them. You aren't helping the situation, and certainly if you candidate can't understand this situation, they are not fit to be president.

[Tellurian]

58. My candidate is NOT a Racist.. Obama is..

Listen to him throw his grandma under the bus demonstrating clearly Obama IS a racist!

"... .. The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, uh, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know there's a reaction that's been been bred into our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way and that's just the nature of race in our society. We have to break through it. ... .." - Senator Barack Obama

If you don't know what racism is...Obama's words are a sterling example.. "a typical White person"..

Turn it around.. If Hillary said, Obama is a typical BLACK person! You'd be screaming racist. Not that your not doing it already in your deep seated ignorance of knowing what constitutes racism. It seems you're oblivious to Obama demonstrable racism. Obama has disqualified himself from being president. He should withdraw from the race.

[The Backlash Cometh]

59. Racism is the politics of keeping people down.

Whites are the dominant force in politics and whites, particularly in the Republican party, have followed racist policies which continue to keep blacks and minorities suppressed and oppressed and unable to enjoy even the basic liberty to express their anger. You're a perfect example. Democrats who can't see this are just getting in the way of progress. No one is going to respect a culture which allows themselves to be labeled as inferior. If you're a Democrat, why aren't you fighting the correct enemy and that would be Republicans? Or are you a racist Democrat who won't lift a finger to stop Republicans from continually targeting minorities?

[Leopolds Ghost]

62. An EXCELLENT text for an ad. You should post this yourself.

[yodermon]

32. I trust then that you'll work hard to counter these talking points

when Barack is the nominee.
:thumbsup:

[Tellurian]

35. Yes, you work on them..I doubt, I'll have that worry..

Then of course, I'll post affimative talking points here for Senator Clinton's anti Republican campaign for study.

[GoldieAZ49]

34. Exactly wRight- Obama is never going to have a celebration in the White House

with is mentor Wright

not a snowballs chance in hell

He will motivate the repub base, indies and some dems far more than Hillary could, and that is significant

[NorthernSpy]

38. I would rather lose fighting the good fight, than win by surrendering...

... to the same old crap.


Because even if we lose with Obama, in fighting we can still inflict damage on the enemy, and make their victory a Pyrrhic victory. Whereas if we give up on Obama, then it doesn't matter whether we win or lose: we accomplish nothing either way as far as changing politics, and taking our government and foreign policy back.

[LulaMay]

40. Sadly, I agree. That's why he spoke. His campaign, DNC knows it's bad. People are in denial.

[npincus]

44. ..and the GOP has been so right about EVRYTHING...

their brand is in the toilet, and it isn't coming out so soon. Let them TRY and use Wright against Obama... McCain has BIG preacher problems and won't be going THERE. On this issue, they neutralize each other.

Obama can win the GE.

[my3boyz]

46. Oh yes...PLEASE let them underestimate Barack as Hillary did. PLEASE!

[mhatrw]

48. OH MY GOD! REPUBLICANS JUST NOTICED OBAMA IS BLACK!!!

[Perry Logan]

49. Hasn't the Right learned that getting into power is the worst thing possible for them?

[NMMatt]

50. This will be their line of attack

And how they will try to get everyone to vote against their own interests concerning the economy and the war. However, your selective (and completely out of context) choice of misleading polling data proves nothing. 36% of independents (in the poll you cited) said they had a less favorable view of Obama when asked about Wright, NOT that they do not support Obama. Their poll taken the same day showed only an incremental increase in his over all unfavorables and no change vs. McCain among any group. This was before his speech on Monday.

So you have no data showing that this is going to work. The fact that over the past three weeks he's had to deal with Clinton/McCain tag teaming him, unfavorable demographics in the Primaries held during this period, Clinton's dishonest and Rovian attacks (including the likely behind the scenes feeding the videos to ABC News), and a gathering chorus of Right Wingers all seizing on this same issue and has seen no net negative movement in these polls during this period proves how formidable a candidate he is.

I suppose, however, you can always hope with your fellow right wing haters that this will work.

[high density]

55. Clinton can't win it either, so I don't know why

you posted this. She wants to crash and burn and take the party with her. It's her or nobody, and the media is fucking loving it.

[book_worm]

57. Thanks, but I would rather take my chances with Obama than Hillary.