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Another Perspective
Mitt Is Doing Just Fine
Even if he’s against the ropes, he’s got Obama right where he wants him.
Remember the famous “Rumble in the Jungle,” where an aging Muhammad Ali outfoxed a youthful, overeager George Foreman in one of the greatest fights of all time?
Ali was almost over the hill at age 32 and hadn’t held the title for five years. Foreman was a youthful 25 and had been crowned champion when he clobbered Joe Frazier, who had beaten Ali in the 1971 “Fight of the Century.” In his prime, Ali had won by “floating like a butterfly stinging like a bee.” Now in 1974 there was a question of whether Ali’s aging legs could keep him out of reach of Foreman’s devastating power.
When they finally entered the ring, Ali astonished everybody by cowering against the ropes and letting Foreman beat him mercilessly. To this day it is not clear whether Ali’s corner knew what was going on — they kept yelling at him to get off the ropes and move around. For eight rounds Ali took literally hundreds of blows until Foreman had punched himself silly. Then he suddenly jumped off the ropes and decked the arm-weary Foreman with a flurry of five punches.
That’s the kind of fight Mitt Romney should be fighting — and is fighting — against Barack Obama.
There is no sense in trying to match Obama, gutter-punch for gutter-punch. The Obama team has obviously decided (what else could they do?) that the President cannot run on his record. Therefore the only thing to do is hit Romney with whatever comes to hand. There won’t be any attempt to be logical or consistent. Anything that turns up they will throw at him.
Thus, when the Boston Globe runs a stupid story saying Romney was “lying to the American people” because his name appeared on Bain Capital SEC filings after he had left the firm to run the Salt Lake Olympics, Obama’s team didn’t wait a day before announcing Romney had “committed a felony” and “should go to jail.” When it turns out Fortune had already vetted the whole issue six months ago and it involved nothing more than a procedural matter — well, on to the next issue.
Obama is punching himself silly. He has reached the point where he is ad libbing and that puts him out of control. His now famous outburst about “You didn’t build that [business]” — which may have been the turning point in the campaign — was right off the top of his head. You know perfectly well he’s been saying the same things for years with Valerie Jarrett and Bill Ayers. It’s only his careful self-censorship that has kept these things under control. Now he’s losing it.
Every one of his campaign gambits may cause a brief sensation — and be celebrated in the media — but they quickly wear thin. The Obama team has apparently decided, for instance, that the under-24 generation can be won by mining the social media. How many times have you now been invited to the President’s birthday party? How many times has Michelle Obama asked, “Are you in?” This may cause a sensation among people who have iPhones implanted in their heads and burnish the candidate’s Hollywood celebrity. But is this what people want in a President? Is the thrill of texting going to replace common sense? In any case, Facebook ads don’t generate much interest. Look what happened to the IPO.
In the midst of this all, Romney is doing exactly the right thing. He is standing above, appearing presidential. Sure, he should air some footage highlighting Obama’s claim that every startup business is really the work of the government. And sure, he should allow a few surrogates to drive home the point of Obama’s crony capitalism little more forcefully. But for the most part, Romney is remaining dignified and unflappable while saying over and over that Obama’s antics are “not worthy of a President.” That’s exactly the right approach. Let Obama flail away from one thing to another. The issue that is on people’s minds is the economy and that isn’t going to go away.
There’s only one real danger in all this. That is that Romney could peak too soon. What you don’t want is for the perception to settle in that Obama is on the downslide and Romney is actually going to win the race. Then there will be a sympathetic backlash. I still remember my mother saying she voted for Truman in 1948 because she felt sorry for the poor guy. You saw what can happen last week when a bunch of stupid Republicans in Indiana set up an Obama punching bag at a state fair. There was an immediate outcry and it was Republicans who looked “un-presidential.” You don’t want to turn Obama into the underdog. That’s where he runs best.
In addition, die-hard conservatives keep demanding that Romney lay out some huge declaration of principles and make a point-by-point case for capitalism. I don’t think that’s what you want, either. The truth is, if you turned the contest into an up-or-down vote on capitalism, capitalism would probably lose by about 60-40.
People only like the fruits of capitalism. They don’t necessarily enjoy the process itself. That’s because capitalism promises change and disruption with little ultimate security. The real name for capitalism should be “the system whereby individuals respond to market signals by creating new things and new ways of doing things that people want.” The definition of socialism is “the system whereby the government overrides market signals and in order to create the things that it wants.” We’ve seen this as Obama has spent four years trying to create a windmills-and-biofuels economy that only a few people want and that won’t do anybody any good.
We actually don’t know what kind of economy we should be creating over the next ten years. That’s because the market is a process of discovery. All Romney can do is allow those signals to come through loud and clear so that people will respond to them. But that isn’t enough to satisfy the average voter and all it does is create the anxiety that nobody is doing anything. Much better to have an activist President squandering billions of dollars of “stimulus” money on a National Energy Plan. At least we can all see what he’s doing.
People do not like change and do not embrace it easily. That’s why we have environmentalism — so that affluent people can find a good excuse for leaving things the way they are. Nor do they always like to change Presidents. Right now Romney represents something unknown while Obama — bad as he may be — is at least familiar. If people start expecting Obama to lose, they may begin to have doubts: “He really hasn’t been that bad. At least he’s trying. Maybe we should give him one more chance.” I’ll be happy if Romney is still 3-4 points behind in the final week. Then voters will be able to go into the booth and say, “Do we really want another four years of this? Let’s try something different.”
Right now Romney is running a very smart, tactically sound campaign. All the mistakes have been on the other side. If he can maintain his dignity and continue to appear presidential, that should be enough to sway those last few crucial votes. Remember, this election is not going to be decided by people who have already made up their minds they can’t stand Obama. It’s going to turn on those last few voters who finally get tired of watching the President flail away.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (99) | Leave a comment
More Articles by William Tucker
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Appleby| 7.23.12 @ 6:47AM
That's a good bucket of excuses for Romney's non-campaign and the lack of interest in whatever he does say. He's doing it on purpose!
Here comes the apocalypse.
ElGordo| 7.23.12 @ 10:26AM
MEDICARE AND BABY BOOMER ALERT -- $ 500 BILLION REMOVED FROM MEDICARE
.
For those of you on Medicare and the Baby Boomers who soon will be, be forewarned that Obama is removing $500 Billion Dollars from Medicare to subsidize ObamaCare. ... This will increase the time of waiting to see a doctor, reduce treatments available and increase the possibility of Death Panels.... Remember Obama's suggestion, "Just take an aspirin".
.
OBAMA and Every Democrat Senator voted to reduce Medicare by $500 Billion Dollars
.
To reverse this , ObamaCare must be repealed and Mitt Romney with 51 Republican Senators will repeal it.
Kwan| 7.23.12 @ 11:36AM
Good points Gordo any oldster on Medicare voting for Obama is exhibiting signs of advanced dementia and needs immediate medical attention. Obama and the left view our senior population as "useless eaters" who are of no use to the "Revolution".
Brookschwarzenegro | 7.23.12 @ 5:00PM
Difference between Reagan and Romney:
Reagan was an actor who became a politician; Romney is a politician who who would be better off being an actor
Boar Hunter| 7.23.12 @ 2:43PM
For years, leaders like Romney stood by as a large portion of American culture was successfully high-jacked by liberals who used the education system of our country to indoctrinate rather than educate the last couple of generations of children. Romney himself, through his lack of moral compass furthered this agenda.
Obama's election was simply a visible manifestation of the cancerous tumor the liberals are responsible for creating in our country.
I don't begrudge anyone the opportunity to vote for Romney "because he's the best we can do." I just don't believe it.
I am sick to death of people like the esteemed Mr. Tucker claiming Romney has Obama right where he wants him. The debate over the choice of these two (supposedly) diametrically opposed political paradigms should be a no brainer, yet they poll neck and neck?
With the fearless tenacity of a wolverine, the media continues to propagandize unabated. Why shouldn't they. They keep chewing on the seat of Romney's pants and what does he do?
Mr. Tucker, I would like to know; when did it become dignified to allow a wild beast to chew on your behind without consequence?
Get a stick and knock it off of you and beat it until it crawls away as an example to others.
You called me a felon? Does Tony Rezko ring any bells? How about William Ayres? Solindra?
Brookschwarzenegro | 7.23.12 @ 4:56PM
Irony for you is:
Romney is more liberal than Nixon was-- and Nixon was basically a liberal.
vtwin| 7.23.12 @ 4:32PM
Rumors out of the old McCain campaign, they saw 23 years, as to why Romany doesn’t want to release his tax returns.
1)Romney gave less than the 10% per year he claims he has been giving the Mormon Church.
2)Romney was receiving over a million dollars a year salary from Bain Capital while he wasn’t, wink wink, working there.
3)Romney was paying far less in taxes than even the paltry 13% paid in 2009.
4)Romney had more secret accounts overseas including illegal accounts now reported under the various amnesty programs.
Tom near Boston| 7.23.12 @ 4:33PM
Yes, so let's all congratulate ourselves when we're eating our rations at the reeducation camps that we all saw it coming and that's why we sat it out.
I wish the guy talked like Newt, too. But not only is the guy our only and last chance, he will be a pleasant surprise. He managed to get himself elected in a liberal anthill like Massachusetts by compromising just enough with the cretins on Beacon Hill, but not so much that he screwed things up. Romneycare was a mistake, but nobody was saying so at the time.
When the Big Dig tunnel dropped a tile on a lady, killing her, Mitt went after the entrenched head of the hackerarama that was the Big Dig. He screamed at him within views of telephoto lenses at the site. The rats fled and the turnpike boss was canned and mocked -- and even the communist Globe didn't dare try to hang blame on Romney. The whole rest of the guy's career has been spent making cash and fixing broken organizations. With a Republican congress, he will have no reason -- policy or political -- to play footsie with the lefties anymore.
Brookschwarzenegro | 7.23.12 @ 4:54PM
I'm not concerned with Romney's domestic policies-- he is a crypto-liberal; it is his foreign policy, Bush's foreign policy was bad, Romney's may be worse.
Quartermaster| 7.24.12 @ 3:04PM
We've had a terrible foreign policy since the 1890s. It got us into war with Spain, Germany twice, which lead to Korea, and Vietnam. Most of that has been under Demonrats.
Appleby| 7.23.12 @ 6:47AM
That's a good bucket of excuses for Romney's non-campaign and the lack of interest in whatever he does say. He's doing it on purpose!
Here comes the apocalypse.
aware| 7.23.12 @ 6:50AM
A new deck chair arranger will make all the difference in the world, right?
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 9:19AM
Did it ever occur to you that, re-arranging the Deck Chairs might actually bring things in to focus, that might otherwise Sink One's Ship?
Do you people know what a WET BLANKET is? Or, who BUZZ KILLINGTON is? What about being A DOWNER? Do you know what that is?
What is wrong with you people?
In the words of American Dad's - Stan Smith - "We don't live in AmeriCAN'T. We live in AmeriCAN".
Enough, already, with the crying.
Romney's who he is. And as long as he's not that White Hating/Jew Hating/Muslim Loving/America Hating/ CCKSCKR, that's good enough for me.
If you go in to a Restaurant that doesn't serve Lobster, and you've got your mind made up that you want Lobster? All the BITCHIN and MOANIN in the world, ain't gonna put a Lobster on your plate.
So, STFU and eat what's on The Menu.
Or, GO HUNGRY, and let The Muslim get back in, whereby, you can STARVE.
It's ROMNEY.
Get over it!
JimP| 7.23.12 @ 9:37AM
I'm no Romney fan and I get why people are still expressing reservations about him. For my fellow 'AntiMittites', I do think that after Obama, a Romney Presidency will be a positive good and seem like Reagan Redux. We conservatives will just have to continue our "long twilight struggle" against the statist GOPers and elect conservatives to Congress this fall and 2014 to 'help' Mitt be more like Reagan and less like the Bushes. Obama IS that awful. He even makes Carter's four years seem less horrific.
aware| 7.23.12 @ 9:54AM
Meanwhile the goalposts are once again moved leftward. But thanks to this new perspective it probably would "seem" like Reagan Redux, but it won't be from the goalpost placement at Reagan's time.
JimP| 7.23.12 @ 10:05AM
Of course it's not Reagan's goalpost. I understand that, but we have no better choice unfortunately.
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 11:22AM
If you've got a better idea, spit it out.
It don't do any good complaining about things that you CANNOT CHANGE.
But you'll keep Bitching, anyway, cause that's just who you are.
aware| 7.23.12 @ 2:21PM
Yeah, everything is unicorns and rainbows. Anybody that's not bitchin' and cynical plainly is living in a fantasy world.
It does even less good going along with what you cannot change.I'm sure there are enough party men like you to drag the nag over the line without the help of idiots like me, right?
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 4:07PM
Still waiting for YOUR PLAN, Genius.
aware| 7.23.12 @ 4:35PM
Want something that I hope adds to you, because I know your heart is in the right place?
http://www.mefeedia.com/watch/32463794
If not, no offense intended or taken.
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 6:21PM
Again.
Still waiting for your plan.
aware| 7.24.12 @ 5:51AM
If you had taken the time to watch the link I gave you would know "my plan". It sure isn't putting faith in the criminal class, whether Romney or Obama.
Keep thinking you can get a member of a criminal gang to protect you from the predations of the gang he's a member of. Then keep wondering why the predations continue. Then repeat the process every 4 years.
Such is the life cycle of the herd critters. Hoping, voting, and thoroughly fleeced.
spike59| 7.25.12 @ 6:53AM
ohhhhh...you're one of the tinfoil hat crew...never mind, PLEASE stay at home on EVERY election day
Occam's Tool| 7.23.12 @ 4:41PM
I still think he has to go nadular. Cock punch whenever possible. Smear the bastard like he did Newt.
spike59| 7.25.12 @ 6:50AM
absolutely; ObaMao showed in 2008 (particularly during the Philly debate with Shrillary) that he has a glass jaw; his own ego. if romney hits him with the one-two punch of mockery and the puncturing his myth-balloons, he'll crumple to the floor, whining that 'it's not fay-urrrrrrrr'
JohnLeo| 7.23.12 @ 2:25PM
I have noticed this also. As the Obama Administration has progressed, I find myself having kindly thoughts about Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.Of course I do my best to suppress them, but Obama keeps bringing them to the surface. As to conservatives who remain leary of Mr. Romney, we desperately need to have conservative majorities in the House and Senate. Romney will have to work with them to get anything done. Thus he would be governing quite a ways to the right of the current socialist leader.
aware| 7.23.12 @ 9:50AM
I keep hearing how first we elect Romney, who we know full well isn't 2 things, Obama and conservative. Then "we hold his feet to the fire", what ever the hell that is.
Yet every time I post a copy from his own web site to show how messed up this all is, I get waylaid for insufficient zeal supporting him. By the same ones that claim they will "hold his feet to the fire".
I'm a little skeptical that you can do after an election what you won't do before. Read what the man himself says on his site and see what he has done. As obvious as the calamities are facing us a complete idiot can give a speech saying the right things.
I give you that Romney is not as horrible as Obama, it's obvious too. He will also be far worse than Bush, at a time far more perilous than then. He wouldn't be the nominee if it wasn't for the support of the very insiders that have FUBAR'ed this Republic. Conservatives sure as hell didn't have anything to do with his selection.
You are free to believe that removing Obama makes everything OK, but I just see a very dark time coming soon without this November having any effect whatsoever. The point of no return was passed 20 years ago. The die was cast long before that.
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 11:30AM
What's the point?
If you're not voting for Romney, then you're voting for The Muslim.
If you sit at home, and POUT, because he's not EXACTLY what you wanted, then you're voting for the Ccksckr.
It's that simple.
He's not my first pick either!
But he's a Million times better than that POS MFer, that's in there now.
God, you're a Pain in the Ass.
Grow Up, or go upstairs and Kill Yourself.
You're not doing anybody, any favors, with your daily Woe is Me routine.
You're starting to sound like an Idiot.
aware| 7.23.12 @ 2:15PM
No, voting for Obama is voting for Obama. Period. You are asking me to do the same thing I did in '08 and look what that got me. You do it this time.
Boar Hunter| 7.23.12 @ 2:56PM
What! Your not going to join TLP in the excrement cafe?
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 4:12PM
No.
He's gonna join you in the Dumb@ss Diner, pissing in your own Drinking Water, amd reviling in your own Imagined Superiority, as Obama gets Sweared In for another Term.
Good Plan, Idiot.
aware| 7.24.12 @ 6:27AM
At least language superiority is not imagined. "sweared" is not even a word. Wonder if you are missing anything else?
"reviling" is to use abusive language. Something you do more than anyone else. Freudian slip?
I'm supposed to believe you have a better grasp of the nebulous world of politics than the solid world of the English language, right?
Quartermaster| 7.24.12 @ 3:10PM
TLP is a moron with keyboard. I'm guessing they give computers and net access to their asylum in mates as therapy.
The reality is TLP has no plan, just a pipe dream. We are here because we kept votng for the lesser evil, and then wonder why we get evil.
Now we face another "lesser evil" election when we need an actual good. Rottsa ruck boychik cause you ain't gonna get anything near what you need, much less what you want. I'm gonna vote Mittens, but I'm under no illusions that he will do any good. He's just another GOP insider lining his own nest.
I expect Zer0 to be re-elected, frankly, because the country has been run by low info voters since 1932 that keeps returning the lesser evil to office and now they are too blind too see the lesser eveil at all.
spike59| 7.24.12 @ 6:24AM
Time to face reality:
voting for ObaMao helps ObaMao
voting third party helps ObaMao
writing in a candidate helps ObaMao
not voting helps ObaMao
the only thing that can help stop "the Reign of Error" is a vote for Romney-he's not my ideal candidate, either-but this is the choice with which we are faced. time to put on the big boy pants and deal with it
funny how you call yourself 'aware' when you're the EXACT opposite
aware| 7.24.12 @ 6:37AM
The well used hum of the Hive. Just keep your place in line until you get to the guy with the nail gun.
There is NO ERROR. Just a well worked out plan that you don't see.
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 11:33AM
" Read what the man himself says on his site and see what he has done"? Try doing likewise with the current POTUS [Dreams, $800billion, Welfarecare, Solyndra, etc] and then compare the two. Any sane, rational voter will then run to the polls in November to place a bet on Romney and Republicans!!!!!!!!!!
aware| 7.23.12 @ 2:21PM
I don't think so!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 4:14PM
He said SANE and RATIONAL.
He wasn't talking about you.
Quartermaster| 7.24.12 @ 3:11PM
Or you.
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 9:32PM
That's your problem......YOU DON'T THINK!!!!
aware| 7.24.12 @ 5:52AM
And you don't see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
spike59| 7.24.12 @ 6:26AM
sez the moron who would rather sit at home and whine for another four years-you might as well join the Dems; they LOVE whiners
aware| 7.24.12 @ 6:33AM
Yeah, principles are for "morons". I got it. The Rulers love the serfs who take their plate of gruel and say "Thank you, sir!" without complaining. Good little knave. Soon even the gruel will be taken away and the cattle prod will be used. But by then the "Thank you, sir" will be habitual and automatic.
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 11:27AM
No, this will not be a "new deck chair arranger". This will be someone who has the educational and professional business experience to possibly solve our nation's fiscal and monetary problems [if given a majority of Republican congressmen to assist him in same]. Will he be able to accompolish a solution? Who knows, but at least he'll have the desire to and the means to do so, which is the complete opposite for the moron-in-chief that we're now faced with [who does not want to solve our problems and even if he did, would not do so because he a socialist-Marxist-radical Democrat]!!!!!
aware| 7.24.12 @ 6:01AM
A banker stooge will solve our monetary problems, yeah. And all you have to do is look at his "plan" to know the fiscal problems are beyond his grasp.
I can just see Mitt overturning the tables of the moneychangers at the Temple. Yeah.
Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 7.23.12 @ 8:00AM
I don't think it's close.
I see very few positive comments about Obama anywhere except the few left who believe in the tooth fairy also.
Stephanie| 7.23.12 @ 8:03AM
That's good to hear Bill. I hope he looses by a landslide so large it's embarrassing for him. I want to see him walk out of our White House for the last time while we drink champagne and toast to the end of THE worst presidency of our nation's history. We here in eastern VA will party like there's no tomorrow.
spike59| 7.23.12 @ 12:59PM
Stephanie, when you're popping the cork, listen slightly to the west; we in central VA will be cracking the seals on our 101 Kickin' Chicken and a suitable longneck
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 9:28AM
I do believe that you are correct O'Stalin.
Places like The WAPO, and that other Fish Wrap, The New York Times, are touting the advantage Abu Hussain has in Colorado and Nevada, while they, simultaneously Paper Over the IN PLAYness of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and ILLINOIS.
And, in case anyone doubts that these States are attainable, remember this - Even the Family Dog will LASH OUT if it receives enough ABUSE.
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 9:30AM
Also, that was THE WORST FIGHT I ever saw. And that includes the one against the Japanese Wrestler.
searcher0| 7.23.12 @ 9:29AM
at least the tooth fairy gives away her own money!
JimH| 7.23.12 @ 8:21AM
BO is spending a whole lot of money and credibility early in the campaign throwing every piece of S**t it has on Romney at the wall hoping that some of it will stick. If you don’t have a big lie maybe a bunch of little ones will do. They are trying to project a particular image of Romney and with the MSM as the amen corner they are having some success. They hope to make Romney constantly be on the defensive and not let him point out what the man behind the curtain is doing. To go with the boxing analogy, they are trying to get ahead early on points and they will seek to avoid any toe to toe confrontations later. I just hope at the end we don’t hear someone say – Mitt, you coulda been a contender.
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 4:19PM
I really don't think that you people understand the Scope of the Damage that this MFer has created, or exactly how many people have been affected by it.
Come November, go out and Vote, and save the Country.
Staying home is not an Option, as long as you're not Mentally Impaired, which some of you, clearly are.
JimP| 7.23.12 @ 9:02AM
Hey, this was a pretty good column except for that BS about "die hard conservatives". Somehow I've missed all the demands being made by the "die hards". Please name these people. Yes, out them. We need to know who they are so that we may factor their die hard conservatism into the big picture equation in real time so that we do not get sucked into their conservative vortex and blow the election for Romney. Can any commenters help me out on this? I genuinely think this is BS and want a list of names who, in your considered OPINIONS [to avoid law suits], are "die hard conservatives" making the demands to which the author refers.
Fiscal| 7.23.12 @ 9:54AM
This is hogwash. Romney is throwing the same stuff back at Obama. You don't see this stuff on Fox News, but Romney's diatribes are all over CNN and NBC. Romney has more "Pants on Fire" lies than the Obama team. What about Sununu claiming that Obama is not an American and playing into the base with the birther thing?
I wish the Romney strategy was "rope-a-dope", but it isn't -- it is "tit for tat". The Obama team is actually using the Rove strategy he used for Bush in 2004 and "Bain" has become the Romney "Swift Boat". I really believe that Obama is holding back, just like Ali, and will hit Romney at the end with a "you can't trust him" campaign highlighting all of the misstatements and reversals just to get elected. This will be backed up by Romney's refusal to give specifics on his programs and budget.
The way he should play this game is by having a "nothing to hide" approach and actually telling the American people what he would do. I think the economy is so flat that people would vote for a guy with a concrete plan. Romney is obviously afraid of losing votes by putting out specifics. I think he's wrong on that front. He should show his courage by being bold. By the way, you'll notice the campaign has not mentioned Obamacare for a while....
ElGordo| 7.23.12 @ 10:25AM
MEDICARE AND BABY BOOMER ALERT -- $ 500 BILLION REMOVED FROM MEDICARE
.
For those of you on Medicare and the Baby Boomers who soon will be, be forewarned that Obama is removing $500 Billion Dollars from Medicare to subsidize ObamaCare. ... This will increase the time of waiting to see a doctor, reduce treatments available and increase the possibility of Death Panels.... Remember Obama's suggestion, "Just take an aspirin".
.
OBAMA and Every Democrat Senator voted to reduce Medicare by $500 Billion Dollars
.
To reverse this , ObamaCare must be repealed and Mitt Romney with 51 Republican Senators will repeal it.
Purp| 7.23.12 @ 10:45AM
All Romney's campaign is "I'm not Barack Obama, and I approved this message" ... If he thinks he can coast to the Presidency on that and ".. you people have gotten all your gotten get from us about our financial situation ... " he has another THINK coming.
JP| 7.23.12 @ 11:28AM
Playing Rope-a-Dope requires the person to do nothing but absorb hit after hit until the assialant exhausts himself - in this case until Obamas sqaunders millions in adds in June, July, and August. Come Sept-Oct Obama would wish he hadn't spent all of that campaign cash so early and so often. Or so goes the story.
I don't know if it is the right strategy. But, the President has had to spend over $70 million in ads the last 21/2 months, and his poll numbers haven't improved. But, Mitt cannot lay against the ropes forever.
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 11:37AM
We'd vote for a ham sandwich saying those things over this POTUS who's a radical domestic terrorist not qualified to hold the highest political office in the world. He never should have been elected in 2008 and was only so due to the the American people voting '''''''STUPIDLY'''''. 20% unemployment and the economy in the toilet, while he's playing golf every day and hasn't met with his economic advisors in six months, and you have the audacity to question the need for a presidential change??????????
Purp| 7.23.12 @ 2:02PM
No surprise, you don't care what Romney is - he's an "R" - but is he really?
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 4:21PM
He's not Obama.
That's good enough for me.
Conservative Bob| 7.23.12 @ 7:07PM
Amen to that TLP.... The useful idiots elected an inexperienced empty suit marxist.... and are surprised how that turned out.
I think polls showing the race to be close are 'push' polls. I don't mind that at all, frankly I want the polls to appear close right up to the minute we vote.
I want everyone motivated to vote like their lives depend on it... cause it does. If O gets 4 more we are toast.
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 9:38PM
What he is is an business educated and private sector person of tremendous accompolishments in life. What he is NOT is a socialist, a domestic terrorist, a inept community organizizing lawyer for the corrupt Acorn whose sole purpose was to fraudently manipulate the voting process to the benefit of the Democratic Party!!!!!
spike59| 7.23.12 @ 1:02PM
not being ObaMao SHOULD,in a sane world, be enough to cinch the election; but we understand that there are those in the Obamarrhoid Zombie Army that are so intoxicated by the 'hopeychangey'-flavored Kool-Aid...so it's going to take some work, reminding people of REALITY
JD| 7.23.12 @ 1:44PM
Obama won by being "not Bush."
Purp| 7.23.12 @ 2:02PM
You mean not McCain with Palin dragging him down... don't you?
JP| 7.23.12 @ 2:17PM
Nope. Obama ran against Bush. It was brilliant strategy.
spike59| 7.24.12 @ 6:27AM
that's usually the way with dems...run against the guy who's not running
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 9:43PM
No McCain or JHC could not have won in 2008, simply because the American people are STUPID! Bush had many faults, but to turn this country over to a domestic terrorist was asinine and insane, and the stupidity that Americans exibited on 11/4/08 has now come back to bite them in their collected butts ten fold now. YOU REEK WHAT YOU SEW!!!!!!
irish19| 7.23.12 @ 2:31PM
And the Won's campaign was "I'm not Bush." Come to think of it, that's still his campaign.
CJW| 7.23.12 @ 5:40PM
Obamaboy Purpie
You would be an improvement over Obama.
Who Knows?| 7.23.12 @ 10:53AM
Beware the ides of sport’s analogies to politics.
Ali is the same age as moi. Would I rather be him?
NO WAY!
Boxers are losers, basically equivalent to the literally poor slobs of yore, who “volunteered” to fight for king and country, putatively, but actually because they got fed, housed and clothed, at least for a while. Only someone desperate would choose to trade blows to the head and body for money!
As for Romney now playing rope-a-dope---it’s not like he’s NOT swinging back at Obama. BHO is a rich target, with his guard very down---“They didn’t build it”, for example.
CW is that Obama is a known quantity, and Romney is not. The latter may be true, so a vital part of the ad wars will be painting Mitt’s “portrait”. The GOP will have enough $$$ to present their champion, I think.
And, perhaps for quite a few voters, Obama is STILL not really known, in that Romney can do what McCain failed to do---spread the wealth of TRUTH about BHO.
Romney must not allow Obama to so pummel him that he ends up like Ali---brain so “shook up” that he’s sick way before his time. Alternative universe time---what if Cassius Clay had NOT boxed, studied hard and been normal, married, worked etc. Think he’d be the physical wreck he long ago chose to be?
Anthony| 7.23.12 @ 10:59AM
Ah yes, the Rumble in the Jungle. Anybody remember that Ali, similar to the style of his fellow Muslim, Obozo, praised Zaire prior to the fight, and upon arrival proclaimed that Zaire had 'the sweet smell of freedom". The dictator at the time was in full agreement with Ali's assessment.
Of course, the phony Ali had made sure the purse money was being held in America. I think Ali ran out of Zaire so fast, he left his prayer rug behind.
Obozo learned from Ali, along with his other leftist mentors, how to rope-a dope Americans for fun and profit.
Occam's Tool| 7.25.12 @ 7:10PM
Yes, I despise Ali. However, his grandson was recently bar-mitzvahed, so G-d does have his jests.
Houdini| 7.23.12 @ 11:31AM
The media obsessed public will not be paying attention to the race for a few more weeks (too busy watching reality TV). Hammering Obozo with everything too early will inoculate him and be old news come early November. The Romney campaign needs to respond to attacks and be patient before really unloading in September and October, IMHO
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 11:42AM
There's an old saying that IF YOU GIVE SOMEONE DOING STUPID THINGS ENOUGH ROPE, THAT THEY'LL EVENTUALLY HANG THEMSELVES WITH IT. Well, everyday this POTUS utters some insane piece of incomprehensible garbage of a socialistic nature and the MSM covers it up for him; so let him continue his idiotic pronouncements while hopefully will sink into the spongy brains of the American public and cause them to elect Romney!!!!!!
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 4:26PM
Think - Cornered Wounded Animal.
That's what's going on.
He's flailing around, lying through his teeth, because he KNOWS what his Internal Polls are telling him.
He's Dead Man Walking.
And, he knows it.
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 9:48PM
I can only hope and pray that you're correct, but I won't believe it until 11/7/12. I can only do my part and be the first through my polling station's doors on 11/6/12, run to obtain the paper ballot and mark my ballot FOR THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN TICKET, deposit same into the vote counting machine and then pray that enough Americans show the common sense to do likewise. There is no one on earth that could possibly give me a sane reason for 11/4/08, and I'll go to my grave wondering WHY!!!!!
Pete| 7.23.12 @ 12:03PM
You're not kidding about the web ads. Someone could make a mint by selling software that blocks them. I'd pay handsomely not to see the Liar in Chief or his lazy eyed wookie queen every 90 seconds on my computer screen.
BackToBasics| 7.23.12 @ 12:04PM
from the article - "What you don't want is for the perception to settle in that Obama is on the downslide and Romney is actually going to win the race. Then there will be a sympathetic backlash."
Sounds like a handwringing strategy. The polls are closer than they should be considering how poorly Obam has done. But the conventions have not been aired and a lot of fence-sitters wait for the debates to make up their minds.
Romney may not be a great debater but I think he will more than hold his own against Obam who will be without his teleprompter.
My concern has been that I think there will be fraudulent votes by democrats in every swing state. The amount of fraud and number of challenges mounted by Obam could be so overwhelming that we will not know the winner for weeks; just like Florida 2000.
spike59| 7.23.12 @ 1:04PM
i'm wondering about the polls...the same pollsters that showed the WI recall being 'neck and neck' and the 2010 mid--terms as 'close'...
BackToBasics| 7.23.12 @ 1:34PM
I think thew are skewed to favor Obam by 3-5 points. But I think they are still close enough that the vote fraud by democrats could make a difference since it will not be done much nationwide so that most people remain clueless but will be significant in the swing states.
BackToBasics| 7.23.12 @ 1:35PM
sp they, not thew
Kwan| 7.23.12 @ 2:41PM
That's right Democrats are great proponents of the benefits of dwelling in the world of fantasy. Rather it's an LSD fantasy trip, a DMT mind-bender, or believing that Obama is a qualified President that deserves reelection. Reality is something that causes the Democrats extreme anxiety and agitation. To defend themselves and their agenda they use the "Big Lie" made famous by Hitler's Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels.
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 4:28PM
According the THE POLLS, Reagan and Carter was TOO CLOSE TO CALL.
Nuff said.
Purp| 7.23.12 @ 8:21PM
lol Romney is NO Reagan...
Oldefarte| 7.23.12 @ 9:52PM
I knew Jimmy Carter...... Jimmy Carter was a firend of mine..... and believe me, ya boy is no Jimmy Carter [since at least Carter was not a radical]!!!!!!!!!!
BackToBasics| 7.23.12 @ 10:10PM
I totally agree about the general state of democrat voters living in a fantasy world where they believe there are no adverse repercussions for most anything including who they vote for. They will be totally stunned when the money runs out and when our enemies begin to take over! Even at the point of destruction I think a lot of them will still blame Republicans and white males for their troubles.
In addition, when it comes to vote fraud by democrats, too many Republicans either do not believe it makes much difference or are just too lazy to fight it and this is true especially among the RINO's and Republican elites. Bush II fought it but so many senate and congressional and governor's races have been lost by Republicans because they would not challenge the results. I can remember fraud and multiple recounts costing Republicans the victory in House, Senate and governorships in New Mexico, North Dakota, Missouri, New York State, Washington state, New Jersey and I know there were other states where fraud was not challenged by Republicans like it should have been.
Cool Hand Luke| 7.23.12 @ 12:22PM
Hope you're right Mr Tucker. When I look at
the electoral landscape, Obama has a lock on
a substantial part of the pie before the bell
is ever rung. California was once a state
Republicans could compete for but today they don't even try.
It's a different country and the race will come down to
a handful of swing states and not be a Reagan victory if Mitt wins.
With the poor economy this race
should not even be close. It should be in the
bag for Romney right now. It ain't...
JP| 7.23.12 @ 2:18PM
" California was once a state
Republicans could compete for but today they don't even try."
Ditto for New York and Illinois, and come to think of it Pennsylvania is becoming another state the GOP consistently loses.
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 4:35PM
Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michiagan, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire, and even New Jersey, will go to Romney.
Mark my Words.
There are Hundreds of Thousands of Union Rank and File who want to WORK.
And they know that, that ain't gonna happen, as long as President NO JOBS, is in the White House.
spike59| 7.24.12 @ 6:30AM
all states consistently mis-managed by Democrats
Occam's Tool| 7.23.12 @ 4:53PM
You know, a lot of this conversation is starting to resemble "My Cousin Vinnie"---the scene where Vinnie is discussing with the boys who they want to have screwing them over.
OK, I get this. I get it even more because I have a friend who's an HLS grad who worked with the Romneys in Michigan, and is not enamored of them. This friend is farther to the right than I am---he was Prez of our TCU YAF chapter, I was just the VEEP.
Ok, OK, I get it---Romney is not the strongest we could have mustered. That would probably have been Paul Ryan, or Jim DeMint.
But, guys, Obama is a traitor. Right? Can we count the many ways of treason here? Mitt, for all his stupidities and arrogance, is not. That should be enough if these are our two choices. It is for me, because, while I seek perfection, I am satisfied with not being anally raped, and the bastard in the White House has been seeking to penetrate my Hairy Hebraic Hinder for almost 4 years. I've kept my rectal cherry so far, but another 4 years would be hard to do, what with his minions reaching to hold my arms down.
I appreciate TLPs' help in keeping my virginity in this fashion, and would appreciate help from some of the rest of you.
Occam's Tool| 7.23.12 @ 4:56PM
Obama did not win by an overwhelming landslide in 2008, against a senile worthless bastard who ran a dickless campaign. This was when he was filling outdoor stadiums.
Now, the guy is lucky to attract attention in front of some dillweed's garage. I think he's beat, boys. All we need to do is pile on him.
TLP| 7.23.12 @ 6:34PM
Romney's Parents weren't Atheist Communists, and Muslim Marxists.
His Grandparents weren't Communists.
His Mentors weren't Communists or Marxists or Unrepentent Domestic Terrorists, who Killed Cops, Blew Up Recruiting Stations, and BOMBED the Pentagon.
He didn't sit in a White Hating, Jew Hating, America Hating "Church" forn20 Years, and let the White Hating, Jew Hating, America Hating "Pastor" perform his Wedding, and Baptize his Kids.
He's not FRIENDS with Louis Farrakhan.
He didn't go to Rasheed Khalidi's going away party.
He didn't search out The Marxist Professors when he got to College, and he didn't EAT HIS DOG. He just put him on the roof of his car.
Are you people really this Fckng Stupid?
Apparently.
Bill84728| 7.23.12 @ 5:21PM
The problem with Mohammed Ali fighting George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle the way he did was Ali didn't take into account that George Foreman might be clever enough to deliver a knockout punch while Ali was up against the ropes. Luckily for Ali, Foreman was not clever enough to do that.
Obama is a pretty smart guy, and Mitt Romney doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who can respond cleverly and quickly to a perceptive strike.
So Romney better be careful.
spike59| 7.24.12 @ 6:33AM
Luckily for Ali, Foreman was not clever enough to do that.
========================
Foreman wasn't fast enough for that; he needed to draw back to deliver the thunder; Ali would have been able to put two jabs between Foreman's eyes in that amount of time. and Ali's jabs were the kind that could make you start speaking in tongues
Jim Stead| 7.23.12 @ 7:11PM
Capitalism means "we own it". Socialism means "the King owns it (or the President-for-Life, or the Sultan, or the Maharajah, or the Aristocracy, or the bureaucrats, ...). Socialism is a license to steal.