How to Campaign Against Obama
Herewith some ideas. Let's crowdsourse this thing. A thousand heads are better than one.
Obamacare: Don’t tax the uninsured! The House GOP should introduce a bill reducing the tax for not carrying insurance to $5 per person. Perhaps that should only apply to people making less than $250,000. Why should we tax the uninsured? Aren’t they suffering enough? The reactions to this will be fun to watch.
Alternatively, or in addition, Romney could say, tongue in cheek, that he will direct the IRS not to punish anyone for failing to pay the tax or carry insurance. That would highlight the lawlessness of the President's immigration non-enforcement.
The Romney Campaign, and/or the RNC should have a crack team going through Obamacare line by line, listing any and all taxes contained in it, and highlighting any bad regulations it contains. They should do the same with any regulations issued by the administration under the law. As they do that, they should also complain that so much of this law is being written by unelected people who are not responsible to their true boss—the American people.
They should also highlight the crony capitalism of it. Obama bought off the big health insurance companies–working with the big guys to help them make money and kill off competition.
Responding to Obama's "Romney is an elite white guy" attacks:
The Romney campaign needs to bring up Solyndra and its many brothers and sisters on a regular basis. Beyond that, they need to focus on Obama’s crony capitalism, all his money from Wall Street and Hollywood, and the billionaires like George Soros who are spending lavishly to get him re-elected, so that they can continue to make money off the government.
The campaign should mention Tony Rezko’s name. How was it that a fixer like that helped Obama buy a house? Did he help Obama get a sweetheart deal on the plot next to his own?
The Romney campaign must become very familiar with Fast and Furious, and highlight it regularly. At the very least, it was a blunder or heroic proportions–a blunder reflecting both Lefty ideology run amok, and the smug arrogance of Obama’s cronies like Holder.
Obama’s background. The President attended an elite prep school in Hawaii and elite colleges, not public school. He spent most of his adult life after that working for an with rich and well connected Lefties, mostly in Chicago. That story tells us a good deal about him, and it bears repeating.
Obama is the product of a class that does not think the average American is capable of self-government. That explains his recent comment that, “this country is at its best when we harness the God-given talents of every individual.” His goal is not to run a government that helps we the people enjoy liberty. It is to harness us, like beasts of burden, beneath our philosopher king.
Obama’s "Bitter clinger" quote should be playing in a continuous loop in the Rust Belt.
The campaign should also play his "hold on sweetie" comment to a female reporter in key markets, full of urban professionals. He probably won’t win those, but it might weaken his fan base.
The overall theme: Obama represents the powerful, not the people. He stands for bureaucracy, not choice.
The smartest man in the world:
Mockery is an important tool, especially against someone like Obama. It hits his image (and his self-image) particularly hard.
The Romney campaign should have a website devoted to Obama’s gaffes, from Obama's 57 states comment, to "corpseman," to his reference to "Cominskey Field" in Chicago, where his "favorite" team plays, to speaking Austrian in Austria (might be fun to get a video from Schwarzenegger on that one), to video of Obama’s pathetic attempts at bowling and at throwing out the first pitch (no red-blooded American mail should throw or bowl like that). This site should have a suggestion box, etc.
Note: I update the original post to add one item I forgot to mention.
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May '10
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Best line ever is the one Mollie Hemingway coins in her post today:
"Imagine the mess you'll inherit if you're re-elected."
Mar '12
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
I'm not sure it's so simple. Swing voters (those who have no preference at the moment, or who may be persuaded to switch their votes), might be influenced by the way that their friends and neighbors who support one candidate or the other talk about him. That means how a candidate appeals to his base matters, as does the broader climate of discussion.
There's also a potential problem with focus groups. If I recall correctly, the Pepsi challenge worked because people prefer Pepsi when thy have a few sips of soda, but they often prefer Coke when the have more. So too with political rhetoric. Words that register in a focus group might not when they are heard over and over.
Nothing wrong with highlighting the cost of gasoline. But I don't think that Romney can win on only that. It might help to mention Obama's veto of Keystone.
Jan '11
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Romney's campaign often notes his business experience. That's fine but contrast that with Obama's "experience". Obama is extremely vain and get get flustered when his views and judgement are mocked & questioned.
Romney could say for instance 'in my career, I helped establish businesses like Sports Authority and Staples employing tens of thousands of workers. As a community organizer, President Obama was instrumental in the development of the drum circle'.
May '11
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
For what it's worth, here are my suggestionsObamacare. Tax or penalty. I would do a Chinatown - tax penalty tax penalty ... The tax is a penalty as are all the raised taxes Obama got and wantsConvention. Rather than Wasting time with the losers and has-Beens that nobody cares about, I would focus evenings on critical issues because the situation is so critical. Bring a team out for each - Ryan, Pauls, others on budget, rice, Bolton, king on foreign policy etc. project commitment to solutions over politics. And have Romney as part of economic one .. Screw tradition. Times are too tough. Energy. I would have romney or surrogate get in a tanker truck at the point of entry for keystone pipeline and stop in each state or community which lost the jobs and have a post-Romney job fair. At the endpoint and thru out , identify the cost of trucking vs pipeline
Mar '12
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Obama borrowed 5 Trillion in 4 years. He has no plan for federal deficits, entitlements or federal debt. When his own Debt Commission suggested a plan, he refused to adopt it. We are going down the same road as Greece, Spain and Italy: we need a real leader to change course. A real leader who will come up with a plan, work with Congress to get it passed. A real leader takes responsibility to fix the problem, not affix blame on everyone but himself.
Edited on July 7, 2012 at 6:02amMay '10
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
A new edition of this thread should be put up every Friday. I like the idea of crowd sourcing ideas. Or maybe the word is crowdstorming?
May '10
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Re tax or penalty? If SCOTUS is going to go freestyle on us, Romney should say that not only is Obamacare a tax, but its billions of dollars taken from the pockets of Americans and billions more in insurance premium increases that will make healthcare more, not less affordable, and kill Medicare as we know it, and kill the worlds best medical system..
Sep '11
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Economy: January 2009: (roughly) 142 million Americans working in the civilian workforce.
June 2012: (roughly) 142 million Americans working in the civilian workforce. (h/t Michael Medved).
Obama clip: "...we've created 4.5 million jobs during my 1st term.."
Tanto to Lone Ranger: "What do you mean, "we", Kimosabe?"
We ran up $5 trillion in new debt for zero net new jobs. Big government didn't work in the 1930s, it doesn't work now. Do we want the next 4 years to look like 1977-1981, or 1983-1987? Stagnation, debt and malaise, or freedom, confidence and prosperity?
Your choice. Vote Romney logo.
Jul '10
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Romney needs to have examples of real people who have been victimized by the EPA and other agencies. The Sacketts are a great possibility. Dems always have a person or two who died b/c they didn't have insurance, and it works.
I do like the original ideas.
Apr '12
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Scarlet Pimpernel
I'm not sure it's so simple. Swing voters...might be influenced by the way that their friends and neighbors...talk about him.
All absolutely true. For those reasons, it's not so simple.
It's all about what resonates. Almost no one can predict it.
Talk to the base, but never turn away from the independents. Obama, by the way, has given up on many independents.
3 boiled down issues:
1) $2.50 gasoline. This is the bullet point. Keystone is just a tiny part of it. Resource exploitation means both lower energy prices and more jobs. Attack it any way that makes sense, but always bring it back to the bullet point.
2) Unleash sidelined capital for job growth. There's over $2 trillion in the US economy cowering in the corner. Promise to unleash it--it doesn't matter how--deregulation; permanent low and reasonable tax structure, end Obamacare uncertainties. Talking tax cuts only works with die-hard GOP types. There's too much deficit and debt--most unengaged people don't understand the Mellon principle any better today than they did in 1924.
3) Check China through strength. Don't talk military spending.
Apr '12
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
When you vote in a primary, your ballot choice is public record. This is what the Parties use to determine who's who.
The independents they go after have voted in last 3 cycles. D-R-D, R-D-R, etc.
GOP's won't bother with D-3's, obviously, and they know they can count on R-3's no matter what. It's all about the independents.
Likely Voter Independents, btw, are mostly professionals/middle management: Nurses. Line supervisors. Small business managers and owners. Skilled tradesmen. $35,000-$95,000 salary/yearly income.
This group is, as you might imagine, mostly conservative leaning. Especially when it comes to money. You can only force them into voting liberal if you successfully scare them off a conservative candidate.
This is why the "establishment" wanted Romney. He's exceptionally non-scary. For good or ill.
Apr '11
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
BrentB67
James Of England
If Romney became the latest in a long line of Republicans to make stupid promises about the DofEd and then watch it grow, I would be very disappointed in him indeed. Even if he succeeded, those who advocate abolishing it tend to talk about moving much of its contents elsewhere. It's symbolism rather than substance. We need substance.
Symbolism? Dept. of Ed serves no purpose other than to give teacher's unions 1 stop shopping. The department was created under Carter, we managed just fine, better actually before then.
This is the height of substance and courage, a change from what we have seen so far. ·
Almost every Republican from Carter to Bush 43 called for the abolition of the DofEd. Most of them said that they'd move functions of the DofEd to other departments. That is symbolism, changes in letterhead masking as budget cuts. Worse, they all failed, and failed miserably. Better to focus on actual cuts with actual budgetary impact (including cuts to the DofEd). The downside is that practical detail requires long, non-punchy documents. Empty symbolism makes for better bumper stickers, but we can't afford great bumper stickers.
Mar '12
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
A Romney bus trip down the Ohio pipeline, or a tanker trip. My favorite idea so far.
And Neolibertarian, as you may have been suggesting, playing not to lose is seldom a good strategy, and yet it's the preferred one of many GOP insiders.
May '12
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Reading the post and the comments, it strikes me just how many weapons the Romney campaign might wield. The choice is almost too great, the mind boggles at the possibilities. On the other hand, what does the Obama campaign have to work with? That Mitt is a kinda nerdy, white bread, managerial type who had so much success in business that he has acquired wealth? Thin gruel. I guess they'll just have to lie.
Jun '12
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
1) Romney needs to focus directly on attacking the counter-productive economic policies and crony captialism of O administration. He needs to do more in that regard along the lines of what Arthur Brooks argues in "The Road to Freedom"-- i.e. the moral case for free enterprise. The economic issue is his forte and he should relentlessly attack O's failed policies, but with specifics, not general platitudes.
At least one PAC should focus on nothing but O's New Party and Democrat-Socialist past, coupled with the Ayres connection. The Ayres connection needs to be re-booted with OWS footage and Ayres' recent comment about waiking up every day hoping to succeed in destroying America (or some such rot). McCain never propoerly went after the Ayres-Dorn connection in '08. It needs to be hammered this time. This shouldn't be Romney's focus, but he should have very sharp talking points that complement the PAC campaign on the issue.
Jul '12
Re: How to Campaign Against Obama
Rework his '08 trademark Hope and Change to read
NO Change NO Hope
and viralize it