Obama Aides Weigh Bid to Tie the G.O.P. to the Tea Party

[onehandle]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama’s political advisers, looking for ways to help Democrats and alter the course of the midterm elections in the final weeks, are considering a range of ideas, including national advertisements, to cast the Republican Party as all but taken over by Tea Party extremists, people involved in the discussion said.

White House and Congressional Democratic strategists are trying to energize dispirited Democratic voters over the coming six weeks, in hopes of limiting the party’s losses and keeping control of the House and Senate. The strategists see openings to exploit after a string of Tea Party successes split Republicans in a number of states, culminating last week with developments that scrambled Senate races in Delaware and Alaska.

“We need to get out the message that it’s now really dangerous to re-empower the Republican Party,” said one Democratic strategist who has spoken with White House advisers but requested anonymity to discuss private strategy talks.

Democrats are divided. The party’s House and Senate campaign committees are resistant, not wanting to do anything that smacks of nationalizing the midterm elections when high unemployment and the drop in Mr. Obama’s popularity have made the climate so hostile to Democrats. Endangered Congressional candidates want any available money to go to their localized campaigns.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/20/us/politics/20dems.html

---

Yes, White House. Keep working on a plan. Maybe you'll be ready by December.

Meanwhile the Republican strategy has been clear to the rest of us for well over a year.

[dkf]

1. Here's a strategy...sign good legislation.

[City Lights]

3. !

:thumbsup:

[Fumesucker]

6. That wouldn't be bipartisan..

No can do..

[nod factor]

13. Just write good laws,

is right.

However, this is what *most* DU members just cannot seem to digest.

Cop outs like people have gone crazy or they're racists or the media is keeping everyone in an angry daze really do us no good.

We need to realize that Bush left office with an approval rating of 20% whereas Obama was inaugurated with an approval of 80%; and the GOP is still less popular than our party.

You will always have those circa 20% of either party who cheer-lead no matter how bad things get.

It will always be about the substance of legislation and more importantly how you can articulate it to the people.

Whenever Obama has spoken of 9/11 I think he says it perfectly.

The reason why the Texas team's legislation (afghan/iraq war, patriot act, homeland security, quantanamo, E.I.T, warrant-less wiretapping) had popular support is because after the security crisis of 9/11 Americans were traumatized and willing to allow just about anything for the visage of security. Hell, we still are, drone wars and all.

Americans are either not as traumatized from the aftershock of the financial crisis and/or many just simply believe the expansion of government is antithetical to the solution, much different to the aftershock of the security crisis of 9/11 where most had no problem with a Homeland Security per example.

[pattmarty]

20. Yep. I believe that's how FDR got elected FOUR FUCKING TIMES!

[pnorman]

25. United States presidential election, 1932

That was the Electoral vote, but the popular vote was almost as overwhelming. And the Progressive wing of the republican Party voted for most of his legislation. His "Blue Dogs", the Southern Democrats, remained "loyal" until 1937~1938.

Any further questions?

[tccarlson]

37. Republican? Extremist? You don't say?

No Shit, huh?  Seriously, I can't believe there is a debate
about this.

[Capitalocracy]

31. I've said it before and I'll say it again

Independent voters love strong leadership, even if they don't always agree with the policy. And strong leadership energizes the base and brings in the disenchanted. Bold, progressive leadership is a formula for victory. That's why Obama has such an overwhelming mandate, because people thought this is how he would lead.

[madmax]

2. Heard this a.m. that WH

denies this - just caught a verbal blurb. I believe it was Mark Halprin who said it.

[earthside]

21. 100 Percent Wrong

I found this through a link at Talking Points Memo:

White House: New York Times report '100 percent wrong' - Politico.com

Is it any wonder that that Democrats are demoralized about this election?

Even if there wasn't specifically such a 'plan' ... why would the White House deny that they are "looking for ways to help Democrats and alter the course of the midterm elections in the final weeks ..."?

Just when you might start thinking that Pres. Obama was finally, at last, pushing back, the White House let's itself get caught-up in this kind of story.

And, why wouldn't there be a national message pointing out the extremism of the teabaggers and how they have taken over the Repuglican Party?

Frankly, I just don't understand the Obama political strategy -- it's almost like they want to lose the Congress so that they can "triangulate" like Clinton did seventeen years ago.

[madmax]

44. I don't know what to believe anymore.

However, I recall that I heard this on Morning Joe this a.m. and now at the link you posted from Politco. Both sources are questionable.

x(

[happygoluckytoyou]

4. WHAT EXTRA TYING IS NECESSARY.... IT IS FACT.... HOW ABOUT THAT FOR A CAMPAIGN? THE FACTS

[KoKo]

5. Why is this being blabbed about. "Considering" ...just DO IT and don't clue the NYT and Repugs into

what your strategy is! Sheesh..!

Let's get back some of our :kick: here!

[The Stranger]

23. Notice how the Media Whores never commented on the GOP "tying" anyone with a brain to "terrorism."

And it went on for eight years.

[No Elephants]

7. "alter the course of the midterm elections " Really? The NYT already knows Republicans will win?

More "liberal" media bs.

[certainot]

8. dems, left need to picket GOP /teabag HQ- the local limbaugh stations

that's where the groundwork of attacks on national and local dem candidates is done.

[Lost4words]

11. this election wouldnt even be close except for BHO Fail! nt

[certainot]

46. fail? was this your first vote- new to politics maybe? really sorry you

believed the limbaugh hannity hype about the 'anointed one'.

no one who has paid attention to politics the last year could really believe a half black dem pres could do whatever he wanted to do- especially when the left has no fucking clue what the GOPs most important weapon- radio- is doing and continue to ignore it. don't expect shit from obama until the collective left addresses radio- and quit whining.

or are you just another motherfucking republican troll.

[Demeter]

9. Politician, Heal Thself!

[MannyGoldstein]

10. Pull Dr. Dean from under the bus and put him in charge

He'll know what to do - he wins elections.

I can't fathom that the keychain and logo people will be able to figure this out.

DLC = Democrats Lose Congress. It's been true all six times the DLC has run the party.

[Lost4words]

12. first rule of management, never admit a mistake, EVER! nt

[ClarkUSA]

26. Why? So Dean can talk like a bigot about how he's against the Ground Zero mosque?

Dean has as little to do with "winning" the 2006 midterms as Kaine has with "losing" this year's midterms. And he had zero to do with winning 2008. Democrats can thank Team Obama's organization for that.

Any DNC Chairman would have preceded over a win in 2006, given the anti-Bush environment. Rahm Emanuel and Nancy Pelosi had much more to do with winning back the House in 2006 than Dean because they recruited lots of winners, fundraised for them (with the help of top DNC fundraising draw Senator Obama), groomed them for candidacy, and strategized their races with pollsters, ad men, and coordinated with the DNC.

[MannyGoldstein]

29. Dean had a better batting average than Rahm in 2006

Look it up for yourself.

Rahm loses elections. He's phenomenal at it. His strategy of grooming and supporting a few hand-picked candidates for each election simply fails every time - of course, evidence is not Rahm's strong suit or else he wouldn't be so far right.

As for the mosque - my understanding is that Dean believes they have a right to do it, but it's not the most brilliant idea ever.

[ClarkUSA]

32. Prove it. Dean was no more responsible for 2006 wins than Kaine is for the upcoming midterm losses.

<< Rahm loses elections. He's phenomenal at it. >>

That's false rhetoric. He and Nancy Pelosi were mainly responsible for Democrats' gains in 2006 on the House side. Chuck Schumer did a great job on the Senate side.

<< As for the mosque - my understanding is that Dean believes they have a right to do it, but it's not the most brilliant idea ever. >>

Nice try at glossing over Dean's truly bigoted perspective. That's not what he said, of course:
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=dean+ground+zero+mosque&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

A religious bigot will never ever be the face of the DNC.

[MannyGoldstein]

33. You made the original assertion; you prove it

Do you disagree that every single time the DLC has run the Party (six time now), we've either lost control of Congress or been unable to regain a majority in either house?

And we'll have to agree to disagree on your analysis of Dean's comments on the mosque - seems pretty obvious to me.

[ClarkUSA]

34. No, you "made the original assertion": "He'll know what to do - he wins elections." Link -->

MannyGoldstein (1000+ posts) Mon Sep-20-10 09:28 AM

10. Pull Dr. Dean from under the bus and put him in charge

He'll know what to do - he wins elections.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4546369&mesg_id=4546401

Prove it. You obviously can't, which is why you're trying - and failing - to spin this back onto me.

[MannyGoldstein]

35. Prove that he wins elections? 2006 results are simple fact.

The DLC has lost every time it's been in charge of the Party. Dean's won every time he's been in charge of the Party.

Simple question: is this true or not?

[ClarkUSA]

36. That's it? Wrong. Besides fundraising, party chairmans have little to do with winning elections.

<< Dean's won every time he's been in charge of the Party. >>

This is another specious comment. Dean was never "in charge of the Party" anymore than Michael Steele is in charge of the Republican Party. That's what the the heads of the DSCC and DCCC are for.

Dean was no more responsible for 2006 wins than Kaine is for the upcoming midterm losses. Rahm Emanuel and Nancy Pelosi were mainly responsible for Democrats' gains in 2006 on the House side. Chuck Schumer did a great job on the Senate side.

[MannyGoldstein]

38. One of us it trucking in revisionist history nt

[ClarkUSA]

40. No, I am refuting your false memes and presenting facts. nt

[NBachers]

14. Sounds like a no-brainer to me

Wait, the no-brain population has already been co-opted

[Historic NY]

15. Dick Asshat Armeny & the Freedumb Foundation...need we say more.

[SoapBox]

39. Ditto!!!!!

[Better Believe It]

16. Here's another plan. Adopt a bold jobs plan to put millions of people back to work

[jtuck004]

17. + + + +

"President Obama’s political advisers, looking for ways to help Democrats..."

The answer is in the 30 million faces of the unemployed and underemployed, folks.

[disndat]

18. Bringing in Eliz. Warren

should bring a lot of independents back.

[pattmarty]

19. For me it's pretty simple, label them truthfully what they are; crazy............

..........and nuts which most of them are. Also, just as importantly, label them liars instead of saying "mispoke". For those of you who are old enough to remember back in the 50's & 60's there was a fucking nutjob organization called the John Birch society that were as crazy as loons (they called a Republican President, war hero Eisenhower a Communist). We need to start labeling these fucktards as CRAZY and as liars so at least some of the MSM starts to call them the same. I swear, this is getting like Alice in Wonderland with all these fucking creeps slithering out of the woodwork. God, what does the rest of the world think of us?

[thereismore]

22. What? Teabaggers are part of the GOP. They vote GOP, don't they? nt

[Capt. America]

24. 3-D chess player where are you?

[and-justice-for-all]

27. The GOPbaggers stategy is fear, lying and deception...

as with the 2008 election, it seemed to me that the pukes gave it all they had up to a point and the we came back and unloaded on them.

[ClarkUSA]

28. How funny. So many anonymous bloggers always think they know how to campaign better than Team Obama.

:eyes:

[Capitalocracy]

30. Easiest argument ever.

If they can't convince us that the Republicans and the Tea Party are one and the same, either they are ridiculously inept at getting a message out, the media is completely broken, or we're a nation of morans.

[AlinPA]

42. yes.

[AlinPA]

41. They don't have to work too hard at it. It's obvious that the republican party is now the teabagger

party. I do not understand the distinction. The primaries tell the story: republicans voted for people who are teabaggers.

[speppin]

43. Give the money to the local candidates. anyone can

turn on the tube and get the smut of personality issues.

[Blandocyte]

45. I'll see that bid and raise you a "let's call them the Tea-liban"

or the Party of Christian Extremists.

[tilsammans]

47. Oh, fer fuck's sake, already!

Just do it. :rant: