It isn't a good recipe for winning either. It is much easier to have name recognition as a conservative and then move moderate than the other way. McCain was already disliked. If you have a proven conservative/liberal record the core voters won't care what moderate things you say in the campaign IMO.
Will agree on this. I'd like it if Romney told the populist nutjobs to screw themselves, but it won't happen. I've supported him and will vote for him, but I don't think he'll win. Yeah, our party's done so great with laughingstocks and extremists like Santorum and Palin running their mouths. They think that because they're the ones on the podium blathering their mouth that they're running things, and that's the problem. Get them back in line.
Would it make any difference? The Executive branch only makes law when the party has an overwhelming majority in the legislative branch (or mandate like post 9/11). The same corporations and lobbyist will still write the laws. The system is designed to change in small increments and compromise all initiatives. That's how the Affordable Health Care mandate got change into the the crappy Corporate Profits Heath Care law. Sweeping reform just won't ever happen.
regarding this and anyone predicting a double digit win Obama (or either side.) In 2008 the entire Republican brand was complete dog***t. Anybody running as a dem could have won. Democrat enthusiasm for Obama was completely off the charts, and Obama won by seven points 53% to 47%. This year the economy is far from certain, Dem base enthusiasm is down and Repub base enthusiasm is up (though Romney dampens that a bit.) Even with a strong economy there is no way that Obama wins by seven points. Doubtful even by five. If we have a double-dip recession, Obama likely loses. If the slow economic recovery continues, Obama is favored to win- but it will be close right up to election night, and he'll win by less than five points.
Judging by history, it will definitely happen, but it will be a question of semantics. If it doesn't happen in a gentle fashion, people won't be calling it "reform." It will have a worse name, but major change always arrives sooner or later. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way, H.I. Which is it going to be?"
Fox Poll: Romney By Two A new poll from Fox News shows former Massachusetts Gov. and presumptive Republican nominee leading President Obama in a nationally [sic] matchup. Romney gets 46 percent of registered voters as Obama sees 44, the Presdient’s approval rating dropping in Fox’s polling to 42 percent against 51 percent disapproval. Last month a Fox poll showed Obama’s job approval at a positive 47 - 45 split. Independent voters break for Romney in the poll by six, as do men by fourteen, and Obama retains an eight point advantage with women. President Obama has had a lead in nearly every nationally poll over the last few weeks, and one reason the Fox poll produces a different result may be the partisan breakdown – independent voters, typically the biggest group in the electorate, make up less than twenty percent of the poll’s sample. Democrats and Republicans are sampled evenly, even though Democrats have historically held an advantage on partisan ID.
You seriously believe that this House, with a Senate ruled by this Senate Minority Leader, who would obviously move up to Majority Leader, resembles even remotely the GOP House and Senate that Clinton had to deal with? The current group makes that bunch look like a truck load of moderates. Open your freakin' eyes, man. They don't resemble each other, except for the R next to their names. Obama would get even less done that he's been able to do up until now, with unprecedented obstructionism by Congressional Republicans. It would be a disaster for the country.
Not that complicated, he's following the Chris Christie model, relentlessly attack your opponent's record, focus less on your own specific plans. The election is a referendum on the incumbent, so this makes sense. I think people underestimate how powerful SuperPAC ads will be. Obama has no record to run on and no agenda for a 2nd term other than tax hikes. He will need to come up with distractions like the Buffet Rule and War on Women stuff, manufactured outrage of the week. They clearly see Ann Romney as a threat to their share of women voters. This attempt early on to paint her as an out of touch stepford wife backfired big time, and it has Axelrod's prints all over it. My guess is if the economy doesn't improve and Romney starts leading in the polls, you will start to see Mormonism brought up, with the more unseemly memes and trial balloons planted at places like Gawker and Buzzfeed.
This is the second time someone has mentioned this with no examples to back it up. Just because you freaks keep saying it doesn't make it so.
Axelrod? Really? How so? I didn't see his prints anywhere on it, unless he caused the uproar so that his candidate Obama could come out and speak against Rosen's comments.
Didn't you know, Rosen is not only Obama's closest advisor but also they are dating... Certainly she speaks for him.
Just because you keep saying that in reply to that doesn't make it not true.... Wait I'm confused. Ron Paul!
So the DNC called me and surveyed me about who I would want speaking at the convention yesterday. If they listen to me, your headliners will be Joe Biden, James Carville, and James Taylor. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton won't be allowed in Charlotte. I also voted for every piece of swag that could be given to convention goers. If you go, you're welcome.
cml750's train of thought: "Hmm.... the Non Christian candidate that has no substance and looks like he should be doing LaCoste ads with John Kerry.... or the solidly Christian incumbent that is black.... why can't we have our own black nominee, that would show those communist liberals.... Rapture is coming.... what the hell, give me the mormon....."
This discussion is about the Romney and Obama presidential election. Not a fringe/crazy candidate that no one takes seriously and will fade into history. Please don't derail the thread.
