Obama Campaign Calls Iowa Caucus Victory For ‘The Extremist Tea Party Agenda’

[bigtree]

E-mail from Obama campaign manager Jim Messina:

This is not a joke

Friend –These Republican candidates spent in some cases more than a year — in Mitt Romney’s case seven years — campaigning in Iowa to be the next president.But tonight, GOP voters there couldn’t decisively get behind anyone.

Who exactly leads the Republican race going forward isn’t clear, but we do know two things:

1) The extremist Tea Party agenda won a clear victory. No matter who the Republicans nominate, we’ll be running against someone who has embraced that agenda in order to win — vowing to let Wall Street write its own rules, end Medicare as we know it, roll back gay rights, leave the troops in Iraq indefinitely, restrict a woman’s right to choose, and gut Social Security to pay for more tax cuts for millionaires and corporations.

2) We’ll be facing an onslaught of unprecedented spending from outside groups funded by corporations and anonymous donors. In Iowa alone, so-called “super PACs” spent $12.9 million on almost exclusively negative ads. These groups will turn their fire even more directly on us in the weeks ahead to prove that their candidate is the most anti-Obama.

This race is officially on — and if we want to win, the only way is to out-organize them on the ground . . .

Many observers still think Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee. If he is, we will be prepared. But it’s curious that no one can really explain how, when or why the 70-plus percent of Republicans saying in polls and in Iowa that Mitt Romney’s not their candidate will suddenly come around.

So the path ahead for Romney — or whichever of the Republican candidates is going to emerge from this process — is sadly and starkly very clear: to run even further to the extreme right, and make even more dangerous promises that threaten not only the progress we’ve made but the fundamental fabric of American society.

We also know that candidates who take these extreme positions can, in the right circumstances, win not only a primary but also a general election in just about any state.

Just ask the Tea Party senators from Pennsylvania and Kentucky, and the Tea Party governors in Florida and Wisconsin.

Watching the circus on TV, it’s tempting to think it’s almost funny — but this is not a joke.

We’ve got to be ready.

What you decide to do next will determine which kind of politics wins this election:

http://my.barackobama.com/After-Iowa

More soon.

Messina

Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

[vi5]

1. This is perfect for Obama and his team...

Compared to the ridiculous extreme's of the tea party, it's much easier for him to sell his slightly right of center politics/policies as reasonable and (by comparison) even liberal.

[joshcryer]

4. More reason to hold his feet to the coals, imo.

If we all the narrative to move more right we will lose a lot. I am glad the campaign is calling out these right wingers but I want a Dean style 50 state strategy. I know it won't happen, but we can dream.

[vi5]

5. We don't have the ability to move narratives....

He does. I don't have a bully pulpit. I don't get to give speeches. I don't get to give interviews. I can do everything I can to elect people or not but I can't (and presumably you can't) change a large scale media narrative.

Obama can. He's chosen not to. He's chosen to not aknowledge how far right the discourse has shifted and in fact has taken full advantage of that to move things right himself.

[Erose999]

2. He calls out the Teahadists in an e-mail to supporters to raise money, but he won't call them out

any other time.

Let me just get my checkbook...

[joshcryer]

3. Technically that was his campaign.

Campaigns do and say a lot of stuff that a candidate will waffle on.

[bigtree]

6. I doubt you bother to follow what the President actually says

[Erose999]

8. He stuttered and said "you're right, thank you".

[bigtree]

9. he said it

like I'm saying it to you . . . you're right as in, 'see ya"

[ProSense]

7. Actually, he does many times. Don't believe me?

Would you believe Cenk?

[Erose999]

10. Thats probably the one and only time I've heard him address the subject of the TP to the media.

[bigtree]

11. so, you were wrong

Erose999:

"He calls out the Teahadists in an e-mail to supporters to raise money, but he won't call them out any other time."

[Erose999]

12. He called them out for 2 seconds in a soundbite. Big whoop.

[bigtree]

14. that's what I'm talking about Erose999

The President has called out the extremes in the republican party numerous times. Don't expect anyone here to do the work for you and bring you up to speed. It's all an informed DUer can do to keep from just calling bullshit on statements like yours and moving on. Now Pro Sense provided you one example. Just admit you made a false statement and move on. Don't try and set the bar again. Just go and find out just what this President has been saying. It's not that hard.

[Erose999]

16. "Republican extremes" is not exactly "Tea Party". In my opinion, the president has failed to call

out the Tea Party using its proper name. Maybe theres some kind of strategy behind it like if he refuses to acknowledge the T-baggers existence they will just go away. But if he really wants to win, he needs to pin the teabag on the elephant. Make the GOP own those clowns, you know?

[bigtree]

17. what he's done is much better. He's dividing the extremists from the followers

from his Kansas speech:

"Ever since the 2008 financial crisis there has been a raging debate over the best way to restore growth and prosperity; balance and fairness. Throughout the country, it has sparked protests and political movements -- from the Tea Party to the people who have been occupying the streets of New York and other cities. It's left Washington in a near-constant state of gridlock. And it's been the topic of heated and sometimes colorful discussion among the men and women who are running for president."

Instead of needless inflaming the passions of voters who might just think he's speaking of them instead of the engineers and operators of the tea party campaign, President Obama is defining just what he believes is false and offensive about the regime and inviting voters to support his philosophy and initiatives. That's what this campaign is about; defining our issues and gaining support.

[randome]

13. No, no, no!

Stop calling it the 'Tea Party Agenda'. Call it for what it is.

The TEA PARTY won in Iowa. Not the Republicans.

It's time we directly conflated the TP with the Republicans. The best way to do that is to say the TP won!

Words matter.

[bigtree]

15. It's never going to be exactly what you want

This is a pretty direct and confrontational statement. It should be an aggressive campaign if this is any indication of Jim Messina's messaging.

[Scurrilous]

18. K & R