Pettiness and Mud

[Rion]

Taking advantage of the public's lack of knowledge is something that Barack Obama already does very effectively in his political propaganda. But is that something the Republicans want to imitate?

It has worked during the primary season, when the media are perfectly happy to see Republicans destroying each other. But it will not work in the general election campaign, when even truthful criticisms of the president will have a hard time getting out through the media, which hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil when it comes to Obama.

The pettiness and mud-slinging during the Republican primary campaigns is especially irresponsible during a time when there are very serious problems, at home and abroad, that need to be addressed in a serious way.

RealClearPolitics - Pettiness and Mud

 

[David Jerome]

One of the things I've really admired about Obama, is how much he's not petty.

During his presidential debates before he was elected, he often said things to his opponents like, "You're right in this issue," or "I agree with you here," or "You have a good point." He did this so much, that even liberals like Stephen Colbert and John Stewart made fun of him doing so that, reminding him that it's a "debate". But I didn't see that as a flaw; I thought it was the perfect kind of humble character we need for a president.

 

[craigerNY]

We love this stuff.

Politics has become a spectator sport where folks unconditionally cheer on their team, make excuses for everything that their team does and denigrates the other team for not being their team. It really is entertainment more than it is business, the people demand it and punish politicians that do not deliver their demands. The media understands this and takes on the role of repeatedly delivering what we want to see, the more the better. We even demand that our media outlets pick a side and join the game and they meet that demand as well.

We are part of the problem.

 

[kermit]

Obama only has to run on one thing, the economy. The GOP has been trying to distract from the economic recovery with social issues, but that won't work in a general election. Basically, the only thing the GOP nominee can try is to say that the economy is recovering but that Obama is slowing the recovery. Trying to negate facts with specualation rarely works. Basically, the GOP has to say "You see that horse that has carried you most of the way across this river? Well he's not getting you there as fast as my horse would have, but I have no proof of that. I want you to switch horses mid-river".

Obama's going to ask the same question to America that Reagan did in 84 and their answer will be the same. Are you better off now than 4 years ago?

 

[NightHawkeye]

RealClearPolitics - Pettiness and Mud

Nostalgia from 2008: "There is no greater voice against Republican candidates than this Republican candidate ... "

Democrats For Romney - Andy Cobb - YouTube

 

[JoyJuice]

One of the things I've really admired about Obama, is how much he's not petty.

During his presidential debates before he was elected, he often said things to his opponents like, "You're right in this issue," or "I agree with you here," or "You have a good point." He did this so much, that even liberals like Stephen Colbert and John Stewart made fun of him doing so that, reminding him that it's a "debate". But I didn't see that as a flaw; I thought it was the perfect kind of humble character we need for a president.

+1

 

[whatbogsends]

RealClearPolitics - Pettiness and Mud

Very ironic thread title.

 

[Rion]

Obama only has to run on one thing, the economy. The GOP has been trying to distract from the economic recovery with social issues, but that won't work in a general election. Basically, the only thing the GOP nominee can try is to say that the economy is recovering but that Obama is slowing the recovery. Trying to negate facts with specualation rarely works. Basically, the GOP has to say "You see that horse that has carried you most of the way across this river? Well he's not getting you there as fast as my horse would have, but I have no proof of that. I want you to switch horses mid-river".

Obama's going to ask the same question to America that Reagan did in 84 and their answer will be the same. Are you better off now than 4 years ago?

You do realize that the media, not the GoP is driving the social issues, right? As for the economy, no I am not nor do I know one person who is.

 

[JoyJuice]

You do realize that the media, not the GoP is driving the social issues, right? As for the economy, no I am not nor do I know one person who is.

Err...no, it's the GOP making issue of it.

 

[variant]

Always fun to see a thread decrying pettiness and mud be a good example of it.

 

[Rion]

Always fun to see a thread decrying pettiness and mud be a good example of it.

Oh, hey, look... You making an attack on me again. I'm sure you find that fun.

 

[variant]

Oh, hey, look... You making an attack on me again. I'm sure you find that fun.

I was attacking your source. Don't you find it's entire discussion petty mud slinging?

 

[SharonL]

What will re-elect Obama is lack of knowledge about our government - the average public does not have a clue of what is going on or how their future is being molded into a Socialist government right before their eyes and they don't see it.

 

[NightHawkeye]

I was attacking your source. Don't you find it's entire discussion petty mud slinging?

Hey, thanks for pointing to the source, Variant.

It's an intelligently written and insightful article. Here's an excerpt:

Groups supporting Mitt Romney have turned character assassination almost into a science. You take something that most people, outside of politics, do not understand and twist it to sound terrible to those who are unaware of the facts.

Blanketing Florida with misleading ads attacking Newt Gingrich won that state for Romney, after Gingrich scored an upset victory in South Carolina. The ads made a big deal out of charges that the former Speaker broke tax laws -- charges that the Internal Revenue Service exonerated him of, after a long investigation.

When Rick Santorum suddenly surged after his upset victories in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado, the Romney character assassination machine attacked him for having voted in the Senate for various things that conservatives don't like.

But, when it comes to voting in Congress, seldom do you get a pure bill that you can agree with in all its parts. If you never voted for bills containing anything you didn't like, you might get very little voting done.

But, if it is a bill to provide American soldiers with the equipment they need to fight a war, and somebody has put into it an earmark for a federal boondoggle in his district, are you going to vote against that bill and let American soldiers go into battle without all the equipment and supplies they need?

Taking advantage of the public's lack of knowledge is something that Barack Obama already does very effectively in his political propaganda. But is that something the Republicans want to imitate?

It has worked during the primary season, when the media are perfectly happy to see Republicans destroying each other. But it will not work in the general election campaign, when even truthful criticisms of the president will have a hard time getting out through the media, which hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil when it comes to Obama.

​

Thanks again, Variant.

 

[Cromulent]

What will re-elect Obama is lack of knowledge about our government - the average public does not have a clue of what is going on or how their future is being molded into a Socialist government right before their eyes and they don't see it.

If you think America is becoming socialist (or indeed that socialism is the root of all evil), you probably shouldn't look at this side of the Atlantic. There are things going on here that would give you a coronary!

 

[variant]

It's an intelligently written and insightful article.

I disagree. It's a pretty hackish piece if you ask me. You probably like it because it attacks all the people you don't like and acts like Republicans are above (or have ever been above) such things.

Pretty hilarious actually if you've been alive and caught any of the past 30 or 40 years of politics or are paying any attention to how the field of Republicans has actually comported themselves in this election.

Perhaps we should throw more corporate money into politics eh? Perhapse the way the Republicans have sliced at each other is really the fault of the liberal media.

 

[SharonL]

If you think America is becoming socialist (or indeed that socialism is the root of all evil), you probably shouldn't look at this side of the Atlantic. There are things going on here that would give you a coronary!

We are right behind you.

 

[JoyJuice]

We are right behind you.

Feel free to explain.

 

[NightHawkeye]

I disagree. It's a pretty hackish piece if you ask me. You probably like it because it attacks all the people you don't like and acts like Republicans are above (or have ever been above) such things.

LOL ... do point out any inaccuracies you might find in the article, Variant.

.

 

[variant]

LOL ... do point out any inaccuracies you might find in the article, Variant.

.

I was commenting on tone my friend.

To be honest any politician that hasn’t turned character assassination into a science is probably behind the times.