January 25, 2010
— DrewM For all the talk of Obama as a thoughtful genius with a world class temperament, the guy relies on a handful of 'safety blanket' type devices. From the ever present ToTUS, to rhetorical ticks like "As I've always said", "Let me be perfectly clear" and, "This (fill in the blank) is unprecedented", Obama has a limited range of tricks to communicate his message and the thrust of his actions.
None of these however is more ubiquitous than blaming George W. Bush. It had become such a crutch that last week Obama was still saying "the last 8 years", as if the first year of his administration hadn't happened (at his disastrous Ohio town hall he changed it to "the last decade", which includes a year of Clinton and Obama but whatever). Seems though people (well, Democrats) are finally noticing and the act is getting old.
This fall, said Democratic strategists, their clients must be more strategic about if and when to play the Bush card — and do so only if their opponent has an actual personal or political connection to the former president that can be explained to the electorate.“It’s got to be highly relevant,” said pollster Joel Benenson. “It has to be done in a way that’s not gratuitous and on issues that affect people’s lives. You can’t just brandish [Bush’s image] and wave it like a pennant.”
“Voters are smart about this,” added pollster Geoff Garin. “There’s got to be some credible relationship, either in terms of how they voted or [in terms of] specific policies that they’re supporting now.”
ItÂ’s not, Garin continued, one size fits all, but for some GOP candidates, the line of attack still carries some promise. He cited Rep. Roy Blunt, a House majority whip in the Bush years who is now running for a Missouri Senate seat, and former Rep. Rob Portman, who served as BushÂ’s budget director and is now running for the Senate in Ohio.
“Those people were really present at the creation, and making the case against them as helping to create the Bush economy is still very powerful,” Garin said.
During the Bush years, however, Sen.-elect Scott Brown was practicing law in Wrentham, Mass., and serving in the state Senate.
So when Democrats, realizing in the raceÂ’s final week that they were in danger of losing the seat previously held by Ted Kennedy, rushed up ads depicting Brown as being a Bush clone, it had little effect.
They’re “linking me to people I don’t even know!” Brown exclaimed in the days leading up to his election.
So what exactly do Obama and the Democrats have to run if not the evil memory of George W. Bush? There's the failed, and increasingly unpopular stimulus plan, that's wasted hundreds of billions of dollars. The wildly unpopular heath bill and a divergence between what people want in the way of dealing with terrorists and the administration's policies.
Yeah, I'm guessing they are going to stick with blaming Bush. It may suck but it's the best option they have.
Posted by: DrewM at
07:15 AM
| Comments (80)
Post contains 522 words, total size 4 kb.
"Chimpey McBushHitler!" they cried.
Their words echoed off the flat stone edifices, and faded into the distance.
Nothing happened.
"No Blood for Oil!" they shrieked, also with no result.
"HALLIBURTON!"
They looked around in utter dismay. The Magic Marxist Incantations weren't working anymore. No one knew what to do.
"I know," said one, "let's attack the Banks!"
They turned in unison, training all of their collective hatred and venom on America's financial institutions. They called their media allies, who also trained all of their hatred and venom on the banks.
Not one of them considered just how far out of touch this approach would seem to the American people, but it DID result in an immediate stock market crash, so the Democrats patted each other on the backs, declared victory for the day, and went home to plan their next hugely popular Hate Campaign.
The End
Posted by: Sam Adams at January 25, 2010 07:19 AM (GkYyh)
Posted by: Michael Moore's ass at January 25, 2010 07:19 AM (wPZU5)
Obama's still saying "the last eight years"... too funny. Remember during the election when he said he'll be in charge for "the next ten to twelve years"?
I guess telling time isn't his strong point.
Posted by: Average Jen at January 25, 2010 07:20 AM (fRnux)
with the usual "voters in the 8th district don't want to go back to the Bush-Cheney failed policies." That is really comical in this case. Fitzpatrick served one term before losing in 2006, was rated the most independent Republican in his class by National Journal (i.e.voted with the Republicans the least) and was endorsed by the Sierra Club and even a couple of union locals here. He even voted against one of the defense appropriations bills in 2005 because of the earmarks and riders he didn't agree with. He had John McCain here for his announcement. The Dems are going to get their asses handed to them if they try to beat him this year with the Bush card. Posted by: rockmom at January 25, 2010 07:20 AM (w/gVZ)
Is there any doubt the MSM (the White House stenographers) are already writing the headline: "Obama Delivers The Best State of the Union Speech in History!"
Posted by: This is boner at January 25, 2010 07:21 AM (rgfwM)
Posted by: Ellie Light at January 25, 2010 07:21 AM (gJL6J)
Posted by: jeff at January 25, 2010 07:22 AM (+uoRK)
Posted by: Scrapiron at January 25, 2010 07:22 AM (GkYyh)
Posted by: Robb Allen at January 25, 2010 07:22 AM (MPhK9)
Nobody is blaming Bush.
But it was the endless vitriol and bitter partishanship that emanated from the Bush White House that have led down the road to where we are today.
Clearly, the Democrats regaining control of congress have made it the most ethical in our country's history. And that's not because of Bush. The tax cuts for the wealthy, the excessive greed on Wall Street, all are Bush-era effects.
They need to be stopped. We need super-SUPER-majorities in Congress, plus Obama needs to be re-elected in 2012, in order to put an end to the bitterness that Bush has left behind.
Nobody is laying blame here.
Posted by: Madame Speaker Nancy Pelosi at January 25, 2010 07:22 AM (6uiF7)
Posted by: MRI at January 25, 2010 07:22 AM (aVQo/)
Posted by: maddogg at January 25, 2010 07:23 AM (OlN4e)
Chapter 1: Blame Bush
Chapter 2: Blame Bush
Chapter 3: Blame Republicans and Bush
Chapter 4: ???
Chapter 5: Blame Bush
Posted by: EC at January 25, 2010 07:23 AM (mAhn3)
You lie!
Posted by: This is boner at January 25, 2010 11:22 AM (rgfwM)
--and yo' breath stank!
Posted by: logprof at January 25, 2010 07:25 AM (gJL6J)
You know why Democrats can't govern?
Because they're nothing more than a college faculty. All they have are lofty goals with no details and lame-brained ideas which don't work in universe of reality and only end up making things worse.
Posted by: This is boner at January 25, 2010 07:26 AM (rgfwM)
Posted by: Some subtle lefty at January 25, 2010 07:27 AM (7BU4a)
Yeah, by now some folk might be noticing that Obama just appointed THE FUCKING DEVIL INCARNATE to help with raising money to help Haiti.
We're not as dumb as you look, Barry.
Posted by: Sharkman at January 25, 2010 07:27 AM (Zj8fM)
Posted by: Scrapiron at January 25, 2010 11:22 AM (GkYyh)
Actually, he increased it by a factor of 10.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 25, 2010 07:28 AM (7BU4a)
You idiots just don't get it, do you? This is so simple.
We're simply gonna replace all the Bush references with Sarah Palin!
Easy peasy.
Posted by: Democrats and MSM at January 25, 2010 07:29 AM (tWf3S)
Posted by: Purple Avenger at January 25, 2010 07:29 AM (+2Sr1)
What exactly was so bad about the Bush/Republican congress years that isn't worse now?
Posted by: 18-1 at January 25, 2010 07:30 AM (7BU4a)
Posted by: eddiebear at January 25, 2010 07:30 AM (wnU1W)
Posted by: KJB at January 25, 2010 07:31 AM (w91MW)
Keep digging knuckleheads.
Posted by: Prepubescent Democrat at January 25, 2010 07:31 AM (gJL6J)
Posted by: maddogg at January 25, 2010 07:35 AM (OlN4e)
Posted by: The Chicken at January 25, 2010 07:35 AM (wOGfT)
Posted by: Dem Talking Point #54,769 at January 25, 2010 07:36 AM (wPZU5)
Posted by: AmishDude at January 25, 2010 07:36 AM (T0NGe)
Posted by: Harry Potter at January 25, 2010 07:37 AM (dcKUM)
If the Republicans had a lick of sense, this tactic would be disastrous.
January 4th 2007: The day Pelosi became Speaker of the Democratically controlled 110th Congress
DJIA end of session: 12,800.18
National unemployment rate for December 2006: 4.5%
2006 Federal Budget Deficit: $247.7 billion
Average GDP growth for 2006: 3.4%
Median Home Value in December 2006: $244,700 August 2009 $177,500
Average price for Regular Unleaded Gasoline December 2006: $2.30
Federal Debt as % of GDP 2006: 64.55 2008: 70.00 2009(projected): 90.36
Nonfarm employment in thousands Dec 2006: 137,000 September 2009: 130,947
Posted by: toby928 at January 25, 2010 07:37 AM (PD1tk)
Don't worry little buddy, when my Dem friends tear you up by excessive fucking, we'll be happy to supply more.
Posted by: Donny Tyson at January 25, 2010 07:37 AM (wPZU5)
He really does believe that, doesn't he? How did his awesomeness translate into his foreign policy again?
Posted by: CUS at January 25, 2010 07:38 AM (wOGfT)
As far as jobs and the domestic economy go, I'm not sure what was actually wrong with the Bush years.
But that is an entirely different thing than the fantasy that leftists have about how awful things were then.
In other words, "Shut up, we won."
Posted by: Rahm at January 25, 2010 07:38 AM (3h3kv)
This is supposed to be a happy occasion. Let's not bicker and argue over who killed who.
Posted by: Queen Nancy of Swamp Castle at January 25, 2010 07:39 AM (5GcKk)
Posted by: rightzilla at January 25, 2010 07:39 AM (rVJH4)
Posted by: fluffy at January 25, 2010 07:39 AM (4Kl5M)
Posted by: Agnostica at January 25, 2010 07:42 AM (gbCNS)
Posted by: George Orwell at January 25, 2010 07:42 AM (AZGON)
Barry is pulling out the 2008 playbook but the game has changed on him.
Posted by: TheQuietMan at January 25, 2010 07:45 AM (1Jaio)
Posted by: eddiebear at January 25, 2010 11:30 AM (wnU1W)
wow. Barry H. Obama the H should be for hubris.
Posted by: TheQuietMan at January 25, 2010 07:47 AM (1Jaio)
-------------------------
You forgot "This isn't about me."
What's that they say about "It's not about the money?"
Posted by: schizuki at January 25, 2010 07:47 AM (8dnmm)
Posted by: Agnostica at January 25, 2010 07:47 AM (gbCNS)
Sounds like a drinking game to me!
"As I've always said" = drink
"Let me be perfectly clear" = drink
"This (fill in the blank) is unprecedented" = drink
"Have no doubt" = drink
Blames George W. Bush = drink.
Blames GW Bush by name = 2 drinks.
Cameo by TOTUS. = sip
Everything sounds like a drinking game to me.
Posted by: Max Entropy at January 25, 2010 07:48 AM (uuZjB)
I guess telling time isn't his strong point.
Nah that was his way of telling us he wants to be president for-EVAH!
Posted by: JohnBigBootie and his tin foil hat at January 25, 2010 07:48 AM (PxSHp)
Sounds like a drinking game to me!
Be careful with the SOTU drinking games. If you drink every time Zero lies, you'll die of alcohol poisoning.Posted by: Hatchet Five at January 25, 2010 07:50 AM (wPZU5)
The article misses a fundamental point. The fact is that lots of independents and Democrats are re-visiting the Bush years and coming to the conclusion that despite his flaws in policy, he was a strong leader for the United States. So the blame game goes way beyond the issue of relevance, to an issue of credibility and values.
Posted by: Mr. Peabody at January 25, 2010 07:50 AM (09ntO)
Posted by: JohnBigBootie at January 25, 2010 07:52 AM (PxSHp)
Posted by: Barry Soetero, esq. at January 25, 2010 07:52 AM (27KAF)
With apologies to Bobby "Boris" Pickett
They did the bash
They did the Bush bash
The Bush bash
It was a 2008 election smash
They did the bash
Posted by: TheQuietMan at January 25, 2010 07:53 AM (1Jaio)
Posted by: Somesay the Strawmarian's cousin, Logic L. Fallacy at January 25, 2010 08:06 AM (wgLRl)
"As I've always said, let me be perfectly clear, the number of special interest corporate and union lobbyists attending secret health care meetings is unprecedented. It's Bush's fault."
"We need change. We can't continue the failed Bush policy of winning wars."
"The stimulus package created or saved jobs. Unemployment is still 17%, but that's Bush's fault."
"We will fight for healthcare."
"95% of Americans will get a tax cut."
"I offered to go through the healthcare bills line-by-line, but the Republicans wanted to rush it through Congress."
"Driver licenses for enemy combatants, a voter registration card, and a nice fruit basket too!
Then on the morning of November 3, 2010... "What happened?"
Posted by: oldhardhead at January 25, 2010 08:20 AM (HOEF/)
Posted by: runningrn at January 25, 2010 08:20 AM (CfmlF)
Posted by: joeindc44 at January 25, 2010 09:12 AM (QxSug)
Posted by: KJB at January 25, 2010 09:14 AM (w91MW)
"My oponent is a Republican and that means he has ties to the disastrous economy of Republican President Herbert Hoover! Damn That Hoover!"
What, to remote a connection?
Posted by: Mikey NTH at January 25, 2010 09:48 AM (O9Cc8)
Remember how the press badgered Bush to name all of the mistakes he'd made as President?
Funny, no such questions now, are there?
Posted by: Sam Adams at January 25, 2010 10:08 AM (GkYyh)
#7 Ellie Light
Axelrod called, he said you're not getting paid any overtime for the week-end blogging, and you need to write something more original. It's getting old.
Posted by: Martha at January 25, 2010 10:13 AM (kFsTd)
The Only Americans Who Do Not Have Jobs During My Unprecedented Administration are Wreckers, Deviationists, and Anti-Social Elements. Let Me Be Clear, I Will Name The Names Of These Criminals During My Address. Who Could Have Imagined Ten Years Ago That The State Of The Union Address Would Be Given By A Black Man? Let Us Hope The Audacity Of Hope As We Reject The Failed Bush Administration Policies."
-Read from the Teleprompter of the United States by the Kenyan Usurper, Barry Soetoro.
OK, I confess, this is me. I've been wanting to use "wreckers and deviationists" all month since I finished a book on the North Vietnamese war effort.
Posted by: SGT Dan at January 25, 2010 10:29 AM (GgXZc)
Posted by: unknown jane at January 25, 2010 11:07 AM (5/yRG)
Krugman was pushing this meme last week. I would bet there is a briefing paper circulating among lefty pundits suggesting this.
Posted by: Steve L. at January 25, 2010 11:45 AM (Gkhxf)
Posted by: Steve L. at January 25, 2010 11:47 AM (Gkhxf)
PS
Put the teleprompter in the middle occasionally.
Posted by: Ellie Light
Posted by: kansas at January 25, 2010 12:35 PM (mka2b)
http://tinyurl.com/5s6k5t
Hypnosis is all they have, really. Lies and deceptions, all day, every day.
Posted by: Taqiyyotomist at January 25, 2010 01:20 PM (ltfED)
Trance Inductions; Hypnotic Anchoring; Pacing and Leading; Pacing, Distraction and Utilization; Critical Factor Bypass; Stacking Language Patterns; Preprogrammed Response Adaptation;
Linking Statements/Causality Bridges (is that like the one at Chappaquiddik?);
Secondary Hidden Meanings/Imbedded Suggestions (well, who at AoSHQ doesn't use this one, I mean, really...);
Emotion Transfer; Non-Dominant Hemisphere Programming
All part of Obama's satanic bag of tricks.
Posted by: Taqiyyotomist at January 25, 2010 01:27 PM (ltfED)
Posted by: His Nibs at January 25, 2010 01:36 PM (sYvA6)
Posted by: Banjo at January 25, 2010 02:51 PM (1DQ52)
This bashing of the stimulus plan is likely misguided in the long run. It should be more specific.
But maybe the public can handle more specifics. Who knows.
Posted by: Joya at January 25, 2010 05:14 PM (1+c7l)
Posted by: Drider at January 26, 2010 03:11 AM (aZn+0)
Posted by: Chemical Ali at January 26, 2010 06:22 AM (zJMWE)
Posted by: Clever Moniker at January 26, 2010 12:13 PM (qs11W)
Posted by: سلم الرواتب الجديد at June 21, 2011 02:19 AM (DQvuM)
Hide Comments | Add Comment | Refresh | Top
64 queries taking 0.2401 seconds, 208 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
Posted by: Ellie Light at January 25, 2010 07:18 AM (pr+up)