'Memba when Republicans mocked Gore as being stiff and Kerry as being too out of touch to be Prez?

[CTyankee]

Well, well. It seems that being likeable just doesn't matter in the election for President. Noo, it's COMPETENCE! Why, Americans don't care if you're likeable, they want a MANAGER!

Hmm. I just happen to be old enough to remember that "competence" was what Michael Dukakis ran on, and we saw how the Republicans trashed THAT idea!

Heard the competence meme on Morning Joe today and nearly spit out my coffee...

[doc03]

1. They got the best of both with Rmoney, he is stiff and out of touch! n/t

[Cosmocat]

2. the frame of EVERY presidential election is what the Rs want it to be

The clown who blew up a good thing got elected because he was a guy you would like to have a beer with ...

As noted both Gore and Kerry were marginalized because they are stiff ...

The media jumped all over the negative frame of BO 4 years ago being a "celebrity" for months until ... McCain picked Palin and they breathlessly proclained Sarah Palin a STAR, as they do with an endless string of R halfwits, from Ryan to Rubio, from the clown Governor of NJ to the clown govenor of South Carolina.

I have already seen the calcification of the what the Rs want to frame this race as - BO is likeable, but Romney is competent one.

These jagoffs whine endlessly about the "liberal media" but somehow that liberal media always chases the GOP tail.

They have a very nifty move here - just admit BO is likeable, which will actually normalize it and slightly minimize its effect, while using that as a foundation to launch an ENDLESS stream of BS on things people just simply don't pay attention to call him incompetent.

It will make this closer than some here think.

BUT, as long the economy keeps up its slow recovery and there are not terrorist attacks here in the US, it is tough angle to turn on a likeable incumbant. IF it was a free for all, like Bush/Gore or BO/McCain, they could pull it off. But, while they can cut things at the margins, there will be a BIG disconnect between how horrible they paint BO and how he really is. People won't understand the specifics, but will just see the disconnect. AND, there will be too little difference in Exesketch and BO from a policy standpoint. The right will be all exasperated, but the mushy middle won't see the need to boot a likeable and competent incumbent for an out of touch rich guy who isn't offering anything all that different from the current guy.

[CTyankee]

4. Apart from "getting rid of Planned Parenthood" I haven't heard one word about a Romney policy

position, just a lot of rhetoric about "freedom." Joe Scum et al were all over Romney's speech after the Tuesday primaries and how great he sounded, but he didn't say anything of substance. That leads me to believe that the pukes are grasping at straws and afraid of the awful truth: Romney's gonna lose big.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

3. The difference between them and Romney

is, of course, that they are Democrats. Romney is actually perfect for the GOP Tea Party since he is rather lackluster and is not somebody with a "bold vision" or "grand ideas" and is essentially willing to be whatever they want him to be. He would be that "autopen" for Grover Norquist's ideas that he wants to see in the WH.

[CTyankee]

5. AFAIC, he has NO vision, NO ideas period.