G.O.P. Now Sees Obama as Liability for Ticket

[onehandle]

WASHINGTON — Senator Barack Obama is starring in a growing number of campaign commercials, but the latest batch is being underwritten by Republicans. In a sign that the racial, class and values issues simmering in the presidential campaign could spread into the larger political arena, Republican groups are turning recent bumps in Mr. Obama’s road — notably his comment that small-town Americans “cling” to guns and religion out of bitterness and a fiery speech by his former minister in which he condemned the United States — into attacks against Democrats down the ticket.

Republicans say the new focus on Mr. Obama reflects their view that he remains the more likely Democratic presidential nominee since he continues to lead Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in convention delegates. It also shows that Republicans, who have for months characterized Mrs. Clinton as the contender who would most energize Republican voters, now see vulnerabilities in Mr. Obama that could be liabilities for other Democrats on the ballot.

“There were times when Republicans reacted with just horror that he would lead the ticket,” said Stuart Rothenberg, a nonpartisan political analyst. “Now there is not the sense of him being invulnerable, the magic bullet. I think there has been a major change.”

The growing Republican emphasis on Mr. Obama could also help Mrs. Clinton plead her case that she is more electable, bolstering her argument to superdelegates that Republicans are poised to pounce on her relatively untested opponent. Her advisers have been frustrated that some top Democrats rate Mrs. Clinton a greater liability for the party’s candidates in conservative parts of the country — a view still held by some strategists — even though she has shown a capacity to withstand Republican attacks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/us/politics/26ticket.html

I don't usually cross post, but this is about a primary subject and LBN has light traffic these days.

[BlueIdaho]

1. By All Means

Lets let the republicans decide who our candidate should be.

[enough]

2. Right, this is at least the second time this has been posted this morning.

I guess we really need to pay a lot of attention to what the GOP wants us to think they think. Good way to make a decision.

Please please please, ANYWHERE but the briar patch.

[SunsetDreams]

3. no kidding its dejavu

I've seen it already, and not that long ago this morning.

I refuse to let the GOP decide who I support!

[ScarletSniper]

10. Exactly!

[rateyes]

4. Obama is beating McCain in Red States like Indiana...

Hillary isn't. The GOP is grasping at straws, hoping after hope that Hillary will be the nominee.

[izquierdista]

7. Face it, Repubs LOVE the Clintons

Like a boxer loves to go at it with a punching bag. During Bill's 2 terms, they held the Congress for 6 years, flushed the one progressive proposal (Hillary's health care), passed several of their own (NAFTA and welfare reform), and delighted in beating him with Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky. Their reasoning, if they have to give up the White House because of the Iraq war and the economy, is please, please put another Clinton in so we can go back to beating the crap out of them every news cycle.

[SunsetDreams]

5. I just have to add more here: People Wake Up!!

Ask yourselves: If the GOP really sees Obama as a Liability for the ticket, why in hell would they say that openly? Why not keep their mouths shut, let him on through, so they can trounce him and win?

PEOPLE WAKE UP!!!

They see him as a Formidable opponent. Why are they promoting Hillary? Use some logic here, they see her as the easiest one to beat. Do you really think they want to give up the White House?

Think about this, really.

[City Lights]

6. They should be concerned with the liability on their ticket.

Obama will leave McCain in the ditch on the side of the road, right beside the wheel-less Straight Talk Express.

[ErinBerin84]

8. Chuck Todd's argument is (not saying this is right, just one man's

opinion), is that this is the "change" election, and that change trumps experience in a change election. Obama has already laid claim to the change label, and McCain would have to court conservatives in order to consolidate the base and would have to run on experience. He says that because Hillary Clinton consolidates the Republican base more than anything, McCain would be able to run more as the "Change/Maverick" candidate without pissing off the conservatives. Though I will give that the Republicans are at least less scared of Obama now than they were in January. The arguements against him in January were "Look at the crowds! The enthusiasm! That's scary!"

Did anyone watch the Dan Abrams segment last night when the person from Brave New Films combined the footage of Fox with the anchors saying "His middle name is Hussein! This is HUGE!!!" It would be so laughable if it weren't, um, a real news network that people watch. I'd never watched Fox just because it is obvious that it is Republican Talking points all around (not that the other networks are all that much better), but I have to say that Outfoxed (even though it was criticized by some media critics such as Howard Kurtz for not being "fair and balanced) scared the shit out of me. I knew that Fox was ridiculous, but I did not know that they were so over the top.I loved the extra on the dvd from the Democrats saying that watching the Fox footage for the last couple of months had been torturous. One woman was like "I have family members who watch Fox, and they use to vote Democrat before they started watching Fox. These are good people. I had no idea that Fox was this bad!" Lol.

[Political Heretic]

9. Obama will wipe the floor with John McCain, as long as he has the strength to fight fire with fire

When O is attacked, he has to hit back, swift and furious. There's no room for remorse. If someone starts shit with him, he needs to be prepared to unleash the fucking fury.

[East Liberty Denizen]

11. GOP is recognizing Obama as the Democratic nominee, that's all

They are just starting their campaign early, presuming the results of the convention.

[onehandle]

15. I think you may be correct.

They're showing us a preview of what we can expect in the campaign.

[high density]

12. Earth now sees sun rising from the east

The NY Times: Master of the Obvious.

[cloudythescribbler]

13. GOPers know that WHOMEVER is at the top of the ticket will influence the whole ticket ...

and it does NOT follow logically that they would consider Obama more damaging or less helpful than HRC at the top of the ticket, ONLY more likely.

I think a poster above made more or less the same point, & I'm reiterating it

[GoldieAZ49]

14. Funny, since the GOP was behind making Obama the front runner

http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Winter08/2008Election.html

lots of info and links

[ChimpersMcSmirkers]

16. Oh ok, Let's let the Repukes pick our candidate now...great idea

[ClassWarrior]

17. Yes, because Rape-Publicans are so honest in their statements to the press...

...and would never make anything up purely for personal political gain.

:eyes:

NGU.