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Re-electing Obama – The Axelrod Roadmap

By: politicalwoman (Diary)  |  August 9th, 2011 at 02:01 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

On July 9, I posted, Reality Check – Obama Can Win Re-election at my other non-Redstate blog.  In this post, I mentioned a number of key strengths Obama had that could propel him to victory, the first being, the Chicago machine.

Strength #1:  Chicago Machine-style politics — gloves-off, “they bring a knife, we bring a gun” that will prove brutal for any of the Republican candidates.

Despite the latest inane remark by David Plouffe (and I hope he makes more of them), I go back to the Kevin Costner/Sean Connery church  scene in The Untouchables, where Costner’s character, Elliott Ness, is trying to recruit the old, street smart, ready to retire cop, in his fight against Al Capone.  Sean Connery asks, “what are you prepared to do?”  The 2012 campaign is going to be all out war, and the candidate who accepts that fact and responds accordingly will be in the best position to defeat Obama.

In this morning’s Politico appears this article, Obama Plan:  Destroy Romney, where Messrs. Axelrod and Giangreco, Obama’s chief campaign strategist and a Democratic consultant, respectively, confirm that Chicago-style machine politics is alive and well.  Since Obama will not be able to run on his record barring a miracle, then the only other option is opponent destruction, as in create enough doubt through character assassination, mix in some Tea Party “extremism”, and people will choose the devil that they do know, rather than the devil that they don’t.

When Axelrod and company really get rolling, personally, I have my doubts whether Romney, if he is the nominee, will withstand the onslaught.  For every person who says this election is about the economy and jobs, don’t be naive.

We, who read, comment, and post in RedState among other blogs and websites, are actively involved in seeing Obama defeated in 2012 because we understand what his re-election means for the future of  America.  The debt ceiling crisis and the S&P downgrade woke up another percentage of the American electorate who are starting to pay attention, but  there is still a significant number of voters who are easily scared and/or swayed.  Axelrod understands this only too well, hence, the targeting of this group and the Tea Party “extremist” rhetoric being ratcheted up, as we have already witnessed with the blame game on last Sunday’s morning talk shows.  If this label is allowed to stick, then Obama’s half-way to re-election.

 

 

 

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  • lukematthews

    These are the emotions percolating through the Democratic Party. The progressive/socialist wing, which now controls it, are scared to death they are going to be irrelevent after the next election and they are in rumbling revolt right now. The mainstream, as evidenced by Steve Wynn and Dem business leaders, are furious with the abject failure of their brethern. Both blame Obama but still believe Pres. Nero has some trick up his sleeve. When the trick becomes another downturn, watch the chickens scatter. Consumer disconfidence and Europe are going to pull us down underwater again. This is gonna get real ugly real quick.

  • izoneguy
    • snowshooze

      After all, he is the one who infomed us that is wuz Obama who fixed Texas…
      Oh, and I was barred from Reuters comments for using that term recently… ” Pot calling the kettle black”
      I guess they thought it was racist or something.
      Possibly it may be to a degree… but I never even thought about it.
      A very old saying in my family.
      Ah well, no more crossing swords over there.

  • Scope

    has never been about anything other than destroy your opponent, if it’s a Democrat in the primaries, or a Republican in the General. Didn’t he win the IL Senate seat by destroying his Democrat opponent via Alinsky type reputation destruction tactics? Obama had no viable or credible record that would have propelled him as the best candidate in the IL Senate race. The game was to clear the field so that he was the only one left standing. He did it with H. Clinton in his presidential race. Obama has nothing to run on other than him being portrayed as the only one standing, that has not been marred by scandal. His records have mostly never been released, from his college records, to his medical records, to any writings he may have released as the head of the Harvard law review. He was elected even though he has been the most elusive president in American history. McCain screwed himself, and the nation, when he said that there was nothing to fear from an Obama presidency.

    I think it is interesting that the O Team is going after Romney. Not many that I know favor Romney, even though he does lead in polling, for now. Right now, Obama doesn’t have no record to win on with hope and change, he now has a record that is abominable. I’m not sure how long the Chicago thuggery tactics are going to protect Obama, as Chicago is not the whole of the US. As bad as Chicago thuggery has given that state a bad name, Obama took it to the limits. Chicago alone does not elect the president of the US. Now the re-born ACORN project is another matter.

  • Xasteius

    If he does get defeated, he just might declare/engineer a ‘Reichstag moment’.

  • carolina

    I find that the more I follow politics, the harder it is to understand how the barely informed voters will vote.
    I hope “its the economy stupid” is still true. If so, BO is doomed!
    I do think a LOT of voters are angry and want to “throw all the bums out”. This was true in 2008 and 2010. I think we will see more of this in 2012. The GOP needs to walk a fine line re fiscal responsibility vs too much austerity. Candidates will need a strong positive economic (jobs!) growth story.

  • http://redmerrimack.blogspot.com/ charliebravoNH

    with mixed results. Reid was successful but many other Democrats lost because they weren’t running on their own record. I don’t understand why the assumption is that Romney will fall victim to this. Theses tactics and the ability to respond have more to do with the management of a campaign than ideology.

    I will tell you this, the Massachusetts Democrat Party uses the same Chicago thug tactics as the Obama Campaign. Romney has seen this stuff first hand.

    I say watch the Republican Presidential candidates and their responses to attacks during the primary to gauge how they would face against the Chicago thug machine.

  • http://www.usdebateboard.com usdebateboard

    who would have had a serious primary challenge on deck for any other Democrat incumbent so damaged. Instead, they seem content to watch the whole damned ship go down with Obama.

    Even Carter’s obliteration didn’t take both houses of Congress down with him.

  • joey72664

    Obama is shaping up to be the worst president in our history, but when you compare him to Romney you have to admit that even Obama is more conservative than Romney. Obamneycare, gay marriage, abortion,taxes, they all have the same agenda.

  • Ann_W

    If he ends up to be the nominee, he wouldn’t be my first choice, but he would be a h*** of a lot better than Obama. This kind of exaggerating will just make it harder to defeat Obama. Romney doesn’t support gay marriage, abortion or taxes btw.

  • renny

    from the beginning of the Romeny campaign, and having campaigned for pres. twice, is prob. not some pushover that will roll at any savaging from chi-town style muggery.

    And if o and crew spend their time on Romeny, when Perry enters the race (soon I hope), Axelrod and Pfluff (whatever his name) will have less energy and ammunition to attack Perry.

    Look at WI. The Reps. have likely won or kept 5 of 6 seats in the US’ most progressive state where unions spent $30 million in the recall. Bodes well for Reps. nationally.

  • joey72664

    Eventually the conservatives have to face reality. Romney will say whatever he has to in order to get your vote. Do you really think he had a genuine change of heart on those issues? Romney would do to the base, what Obama has done to his base. It is not exaggeration it is an honest analysis of the situation.

  • snowshooze

    I have no idea. But I think Mr. Nice guy couldn’t say dirt if he had a mouth full of it…could well have made things worse in the overall, even with Sarah yelling at him day in and day out.
    Romney and his poor dog give me a lot to be concerned about.
    And absolutely nothing to grab onto.