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The Spectacle Blog
Ramesh Ponnuru, writing in Bloomberg View, points out that President Obama’s fabled political talents, contrary to popular impression, are meager:
But take a closer look at Obama’s rise and a hole in his resume quickly becomes apparent: Obama never had to fight for and win the votes of people who don’t agree with him. Both his biggest political setback and his biggest political accomplishment — his defeat by Bobby Rush in a 2000 U.S. House primary and his victory over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 — came during struggles within a liberal universe.
He didn’t have to fight for moderate and conservative voters in the Senate election in Illinoisin November 2004 because his first Republican opponent self-immolated in scandal and his second was Alan Keyes, a fringe figure who came from out of state to run.
Nor was Obama tested in the general election of 2008. To be sure, he showed impressive message discipline during that campaign. Even when he briefly fell behind Senator John McCain in the late summer and many Democrats started to get nervous, he kept to his strategic plan. But he also had the most favorable set of circumstances for any out-party candidate for the presidency since 1932.
One of the most overrated aspects of the Obama campaign was its use of social media. In fact, just yesterday the Obama team once again demonstrated that it really doesn’t understand new media.
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More Blog Posts by Joseph Lawler
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/10/25/obamas-political-skill-vastly
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Dai Alanye | 10.25.11 @ 4:55PM
"...he kept to his strategic plan."
Isn't it more accurate to say he held to Michelle's strategic plan? She was the one who constantly urged an emotional rather than reasoned approach to the voters. And we know she rules the roost at 1600 Pennsylvania.
davod| 10.25.11 @ 5:15PM
"Obama's Political Skill Vastly Overrated" Maybe so. However, the examples provided reveal something.
As I recall, his team managed to get the longtime Democratic incumbent, a Black female civil rights icon, removed from the ballot.
In 2004 the first Republican candidate didn't just self-immolate. The Obama team (I forget exactly who arranged this, it might have been a liberal newspaper) managed to get a divorce court judge to open the court records on a public interest argument. The records showed that the candidate wanted his wife to go with him to a sex club when they were in Europe. Not that they went. Just that he wanted to go. That was enough for the Republican party.
The win over Hillary also had a number of questions surrounding it. Questions which might have earned more attention if the Democrats had not agreed to surround Obama with solidarity.
- Black Democratic activists manipulating the membership lists, bullying and intimidating primary voters. I have seen a number of video taped statements including one from a Black civil rights worker.
Now this could just be sour grapes from Hillary supporters. However, there must have been something to the allegations, considering many Hillary Democratic party members campaigned and voted for McCain.
Political skill overrated, maybe. How about vicious cunning?
His use of social media during the 2008 election was far ahead of anyone else.
PS. I am a conservative.
PattyMor| 10.25.11 @ 6:05PM
He's ruthless; that's how he wins. He throws opponents off the ballots (Alice Palmer). Leaks sealed divorce records. Brings in outsiders to vote in caucuses. Then there is that little ole' group called ACORN (and its spinoffs) signing up virtually anyone to vote (Mickey Mouse).
In 2008, look at Obama's competition. You could not get any worse than McLame. Old, washed out, and stiff (I know its from war wounds, but we're talking about perceptions). And, he REFUSED to attack Obama, nor mention his radicalism.
So people went for Mr. Hope N Change. They really didn't know much about him and the media refused to vet him. And Obama hid all his records. Just who would want to do that and why?
Those conditions will not be duplicated again. Now Mr.Obama has a record which he has to defend. Oh, he'll try his darned to change the subject and put the onus on the Republican. So its up to nominee to put the spotlight on the distruction that Obama has wrought.
Clint| 10.25.11 @ 6:19PM
Obama Hopey -Changey Sure As Hell Was Overrated.
winston | 10.26.11 @ 1:30AM
Obama is weird... He was crowned by the media. He is an empty suit.
Alice Moore| 10.26.11 @ 7:52AM
I would say David Axelrod, Bill Ayers, the Plouffe guy, and Valerie Jarrett are the brains of Obama, Inc.
1ConservativeUSA| 10.26.11 @ 11:11AM
Which explains our nation's current malaise.
1ConservativeUSA| 10.26.11 @ 11:11AM
In addition to Obama's political skill being overrated, so is his likability.
The media continues this false narrative that, depsite his flawed policies, the people "like" Obama and that they think he's a nice guy.
From my view, Obama is an arrogant, egotistical, narcissistic, lying bully. What's to like about that?