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DISCLAIMER:
I am not now or ever have been a Republican. I’m a progressive Democrat disenchanted with Obama. I lay out this roadmap for a Republican win in 2010 with one aim in mind: Obama and his party have to change their ways otherwise they will face defeat on a massive scale.
A GOP Strategy to Sweep the Board in 2010:
1. "It’s the economy, stupid".
It worked for the Democrats in 1992 (and for that matter, in most bad economic times). Keep it simple and dwell on the unemployment rate, the bailouts and Obama’s ineffective measures to deal with the economy. This issue will peel Democrats from their own party since most Americans have an attention span of 15 seconds and have forgotten W already.
2. "Jobs, Jobs & More Jobs"
The unemployment rate as of October stood at 10.2%. Figures today from the US Department of Labor show 29 states and the District of Columbia INCREASED their unemployment rates over the prior month, so it’s pretty obvious that Obama’s under funded stimulus has been ineffective. Unemployment stands at 15.1% in Michigan, 12.5% in California, 13% in Nevada (hear that, Harry Reid!), 12.9% in Delaware, 11.2% in Florida and so on. Many top economists see the national rate hitting 12 or even 13% next year. This is the second theme based on "It’s the economy, stupid!".
3. "Focus on Timothy Geithner and Larry Summers"
The Wall St. bailouts and Obama’s poor economic policies have a face: make these inept dildoes your poster boys for the Obama team. No one likes them, especially lots of progressive Democrats. There are signs that the Republicans already have started their anti-Geithner campaign. "For the sake of our jobs," Republican Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas asked Geithner recently, "will you step down from your post?" This is the 3rd variant on the "It’s the economy, Stupid!" theme.
4. Make Harry Reid a Poster Boy for Congress.
Public approval of the Congress is at an all time low, something like 12%. Make the vacillating, wimp Harry Reid your poster boy for all that ails that very sick institution. Again, Reid is not all that popular with Democrats so this is another issue that peels Democrats from their own party.
5. Make the Democrats pay for Obama’s indecisiveness.
He’s wishy washy on lots of things: health care reform, tackling the unemployment situation, dealing with Afghanistan. Make him out to be the Prince of Denmark which ain’t all that difficult to do.
6. Change.
Turn this effective Obama theme (on which he has completely failed) on him. The Democrats after all have complete control over the Presidency, the Senate and the House and have been INEFFECTIVE. Use the change mantra on them.
7. Forget wedge issues.
No need to use issues like the gays (and Obama is unpopular with gays anyway; attacking them will only drive them to support the Democrats) and abortion when you have the economy, jobs, the Democrats control everything and change as your key themes. Wedge issues will only make you out as the crazies you really are.
To Counter the above, Democrats/Obama must:
1. Fire the ineffective and unpopular economic team of Timothy Geithner and Larry Summers and replace them with people who favor using the government to help Main Street, i.e. real Democratic economists. Someone like Robert Reich. Otherwise, Geithner and Summers will be used as poster boys for your ineffective economic measures. Some Democrats get this already. At least one Democrat, Peter DeFazio of Oregon has called for Geithner to step down becaue of his ineffectiveness on handling AIG’s meltdown. Obama has already shaken up his legal team; now it’s time to shake up his equally ineffective economic team. Kudos to the Congressional Black Caucus for holding up a bill in Barney Frank’s committee to highlight the administration’s weak measures on unemployment, especially for minorities. Democratic Congresspeople, who will be the most endangered species in the coming elections, had better step up to the plate NOW. Progressives should make the upcoming December jobs summit a showdown with Geithner and Summers.
2. Immediately begin huge public work projects that will stimulate employment. Also, give more money to the states so that they do not lay off workers. Listen to the core base of the party: people like AFL-CIO President Trumka who actually understand the situation.
3. Pass a health care reform bill that really reforms healthcare, not one that is pro-insurance. This was and remains one of the chief needs of the American people yet Obama has been wishy-washy on it to the extreme.
4. Replace Harry Reid with another Senator as majority leader. He is ineffective and disliked and will likely lose his seat in 2010 just like Tom Daschle did a few elections back. The senior senator from Illinois, Dick Durbin, would make a very good senate majority leader.
5. Get your shit together on Afghanistan, declare you have won a victory (like you are claiming any bill passed on health care is a "victory") and WITHDRAW. The majority of the American people OPPOSE escalation of the war in Afghanistan and the majority believe we made a mistake in getting involved. Show that you actually deserved the Peace Prize and had the balls to stand up to the military-industrial complex, Obama.
6. Start pursuing the agenda that got you elected rather than dissing it. Why so much delay on appointing moderate and liberal jurists to the federal bench? Why not go after the Bush administrations criminal excesses rather than "looking forward rather than backward"? Why not close GITMO as promised? Why not implement the "I won’t hire lobbyists in my administration" under any circumstances? Obama needs to review his promises to the American people in 2008 and start fighting for them, rather than dodging and flip-flopping on them.
7. Show some fight. You cannot score points in the paint without using your elbows and some drive, Mr. President. Start using some muscle and show fight in politics. Forget relying on the Republicans; they are and should be the opposition. Your party is in control. Whip it into shape, baby!
Unless Obama and the Democratic party start making major changes, start acting like Democrats from the Democratic side of their party, the 2010 elections will sweep many members of their party away in a tsunami of voter disgust. That will further hamstring Obama and ensure that he is a one term president.
The choice is up to you and your party, Mr. President. Change or be run out of office.
29 Comments
The democrats are the party of foot shooters. They always shoot themselves in the foot. The Republicans won’t win, they will have it given to them by the Democrats and Obama.
Even I thought Obama was a smart man, but He has turned out to be one dumb F#*k.
Even Bush Had more intelligent people around Him and working for Him than This guy.
Obama keeps telling us How great a job He’s doing. Self praise stinks.
So far from the bail-outs, the recovery act, and healthcare He been a dud and let the Congress run the show, then tried to take credit for their mistakes.
He and only He can make Himself a one term wonder, and He’s doing a fine job at that already.
Only the Dems can give the Government back to the Republicans, and the Rerpublicans know that. Why do You think they are so happy.
Agree completely with you, iremember54, that Obama’s intelligence, especially his political skills, are vastly overrated. He’s blown the best chance for real change in 50 years and his party looks like it will be shown the door in 2010. Expect the Dems to lose the House and 6-7 Senate seats (including Harry Reid’s and Chris Dodd’s). Anti-incumbancy will be the real theme of the 2010 elections along with the economy and the war in Afghanistan. None of those situations favors the Democrats.
Obama’s ineffective measures to deal with the economy
Obama’s under funded stimulus has been ineffective
these inept dildoes (Geithner and Summers)
the vacillating, wimp Harry Reid
the Prince of Denmark
Presidency, the Senate and the House and have been INEFFECTIVE
Obama is unpopular with gays anyway
And the best part is…. It’s all true.
Your “counter” is nicely detailed, but may I suggest a short version? Do your frackin’ jobs well enough to deserve keeping them!
I think an increasing number of voters are going to support the candidate they see as the most competent regardless of party. Here’s an example that might shock you: I’d have voted for Hillary if they’d been smart enough to give her the nomination. Not that I like Hillary, mind you, but I’d have voted Hillary over McClain for the same reason I voted McCain over Obama: a lesser disaster.
It’s a sin, but I have been trying to at least get a message to them and they don’t listen. Like most of us have found on healthcare all our advocacy has done little toward the results. So even us trying to help save them seem useless if they are unwilling to save themselves.
If You voted for McCain you must hate this Country something bad. That useless old asshole could f up a wet dream let alone a country.
Even 911 lips or huckeberry would have been than McCain.
P. S. The old fart would have probably died making Sara Bitch President.
“The old fart would have probably died making Sara Bitch President.”
That was one of the many reservations I had about him, and don’t blame me that both sides nominated losers.
“you must hate this Country something bad.”
That’s what Reps say when I tell them I’d have voted for Hillary. Not that I have much respect for the type of poster who thinks crap and insult is part of a constructive conversation.
Oh: before he picked Palin I saw his age as a plus, thinking it would make him a one-term President and we could try again in four years.
Hey I might have voted For Hill.
My bitch isn’t with You persay, but with McCain, this old fart has milked this country from the time he was a kid, He crashed three of our planes, caved to the North Veitnamese, been treated like a hero and pretended to be a public servant filling his bags while He did it. He is milking us good even now by holding that Senate seat, collecting disability from the Military, social security on top of that, getting free healthcare, and as much in every benefit He can.
Yep, just another old fart hypocrite and thief; a fairly typical representative of the professional political class. You see why I considered him less dangerous than Obama? “Hello, American Voter! Would you like more from this pot of old gruel (this batch even more stale then usual) or would you care to try these nice, poison berries?”
Yes, Grumps. Personally I think McCain would have been better on the economy than Obama since he likely would have hired smarter people (that’s not hard). But we may have been at war in Iran too. The tragedy of the last campaign is that the “candidate of hope” is ending up killing hope.
His poll numbers are 49% approval in the latest Gallup Poll and 48% approval in Quin Pac poll. That’s BEFORE the upcoming Afghanistan election and before the dismal health “insurance reform” bill likely to be passed by the democrats. Most people, except the Obamabots, have seen through the man.
Last post should read: upcoming Afghan escalation.
“may have been at war in Iran too.”
Not a chance: that was fear-mongering from the Left. Worked, too, didn’t it?
I don’t disagree with anything you say, fflambeau, but I think the larger point is that Dems and Repubs are like the Yankees and the Dodgers. Different teams, but same basic methods and goals.
Think of them as crocodiles and alligators: different species, but not really all that different to the man being eaten.
Now, McCain would have been handicapped (no jokes, plz!) in office, faced with a Dem Congress, a Dem Senate, and a GOP in disgrace. This would have limited the amount of damage he could have done.
fflambeau,
I didn’t have to read your advice to Democrats. After reading the Republican strategy section it makes me want to vote for them right now and I have been a Democratic liberal for 41 years, up until about April of this year, when I went over the cliff toward independent-green. It turns out Nader was right. I fear that Gore would have been just like Obama, but who will ever know. Just kidding about voting for a Republican, but I don’t see me headed to the polls in 2010.
Can’t agree more with your second paragraph.
From a progressive’s standpoint, Obama is traveling too far to the right.
Not a few people feel that he had to make a late summer deal with the Clinton camp in order to secure the nomination. Don’t tell me ya’ll have forgotten the weeks leading up to the convention? That is where the Clinton’s would have been positioned to force their hand. Obama needs to shed all that baggage for all our sakes. STAT.
McCain? Puhlease. His economic advisor, Phil Graham, was the turkey who tanked the campaign when he said that the economy was going gangbusters. As a Senator, Graham was responsible for the derivative market’s degregulation which is key to this entire global economic freakshow.
Is voting for Republicans going to fix up what ails the US of A?
Your posts are courageous and insightful. What happened to your last post 11/18 with 32 replies and with very energetic responses-titled “Dems See Their Current Problems as one of Messaging and Rhetoric NOT Lack of Fight for Policies?” It was invigorating and edgy.
Seems the Democrats problem is choice. The leadership has a choice. They can choose their stand and policies. They can represent the left OR they can represent the corporations funding them. This is their trade off. They campaign to represent the populist platform and then sell out the folks agenda and effect policies through subterfuge that represent the lobbyists that bribe them officially or no. It seems to be that simple. Hence the discussion last diary entry as above about a new party from the disaffected- unions, women, seniors, environmental- literally all- because they have been sold out and “traded or bargained ” when current leadership feels like it. Again- impeachment off the table, single-payer off the table, war evermore… not our best interests. Geitner just stated on a Cspan G20 discussion to senators that they did not think it was proper to restrict the amount of compensation of corporate bonuses. These are the same folks who refuse to cap obscene profits of insurance corporations for the benefit of good public health care-to lower overall costs. They don’t mind restricting services, benefits or making laws that tax what was already contracted and bargained for by people. Real hypocrisy as if we didn’t already realize it. Same Bush people and policies for a reason. Same clients. Time to move on.
“Is voting for Republicans going to fix up what ails the US of A?”
Voting for Dems doesn’t seem to be working, does it? All I can suggest is keep up a policy of “throw the bums out” until they start getting the point that job security depends on job performance.
“Hey, Congress/Senate/Mr. President: you’re not tenured, you’re not in a union, and you’re not going to keep your jobs if you don’t make the voters happy.”
“Same Bush people and policies for a reason. Same clients. Time to move on.”
Hear, hear! But how to move on? and to what?
I was flamed yesterday for daring to diss Bill Clinton, and some would argue that we should just give BHO “more time.” Initially I was willing to give BHO “more time,” but as a friend of mine said to me: the longer BHO drags his feet on some of his campaign promises, and the longer the jobs remain bad, then it does become his fault. He can’t keep blaming it on Republics forever. I think we’ve crossed the Rubicon at this point.
I am equally disgusted that BHO has been incredibly slow in nominating judges, as well as cleaning out the Justice Dept. The Justice Dept was decimated under Bush and lost lots of very good long, time attorneys due to the Bush-push of Reagent Law School know-nothings, plus firing good AG’s because they were Dems. There are still some really, really bad AGs out there who haven’t been let go, and that’s shameful.
I could go on, but will stop now.
fflambeau: your blog is very good and hits the main points. It was very fine for BHO to attempt the conciliatory, bipartisan stuff earlier this year, but Republics have made it blindingly obvious that they are in no way prepared to be bipartisan ever under any circumstances. Now the Dems just look like a bunch of pussy mugs running around in circles, and yes, shooting themselves in the foot.
At this stage, I still think we are *marginally* better off with BHO in office than any Republic, but only by an ever smaller, slimmer margin.
I WISH I could see the much fabled “Chicago style” polictics in operation here, but if THIS is an example of it, then I don’t know what all the shoutings about.
Good luck to us all in 2010; I fear it will not be a pretty picture.
Lots of great stuff here. I might disagree on the Reid points, though. If he pulls through a health care bill with a public option, he might not be the bogeyman Republicans want.
I think (just an opinion) that one reason the Left is so disenchanted is that they see a golden opportunity being wasted. They have the House AND the Senate AND the Presidency AND the opposition party is in tatters and practically spat upon on the streets: how often does that occur in one lifetime?
I suspect the rank-and-file are thinking (quite rightly), “If those clowns we sent to Washington can’t enact the core issues of their agenda in these near-perfect circumstances, how likely is it that they will ever manage anything at all?”
Good post. A quick glance tells me that a) the course of action you outline for the Repubs is fairly easy and b) the course for the Dems is damn near impossible given their chronic pattern of dysfunctionality. Prediction for 2010? Pain.
This is indeed The Great Tragedy. Michael Moore was on Charlie Rose a few weeks ago and expressed fear and sadness that if Obama lets down all the young people who worked so hard for him and invested so much hope then it would be hard to say when or if the nation could ever fulfill its promise.
The problems loom so large. The answers are so clear. The stars have have never lined up so well. And yet they still fail, fail, fail.
What a wonderful, common sense, wise wrap of it all! Bravo and thanks.
Yes all this bitching about Obama and the Dems may be somewhat justified, but those with short memories go ahead and vote for the Republicans.
There will no talk of Healthcare reform, no deliberation on continuing the wars, and the Banks will be set free to do what ever they want.
There will be less jobs created, credit card companies set free, and corporations will run the Government. No climate change worry, and more tax cuts for the top two percent.
The corruption, scandles, and overspending and earmarks will go wild.
Mr. NO. The Boner will be the speaker and eaglebeak McConnell the leader.
Guys like Joe Wilson, Dement, Grasley, and the rest will be running Your Government.
QH! YA! Lets vote those Repblican Obstructionists back into power so they can save us.
Thanks fflambeau, an excellent post. I really enjoyed reading it. I hope the White House does.
And will the difference between that and what we’ve got now be visible to the naked eye, or should I get a magnifying glass?
When I said “throw the bums out” I meant it in a bi-partisan way ;)
At least half the problem is people who will vote the Party candidate regardless of what a scum-sucking, low-life, corrupt bastard he is.