Republicans Plan Publicity Effort At Democratic Convention

[bloomington-lib]

Source: Huffington Post

WOLFEBORO, N.H., Sept 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Republicans are preparing to unleash an aggressive publicity effort at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, North Carolina this week.

While Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney rests in New Hampshire on Monday, his running mate Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan and other Republican officials will invade the Democratic gathering where President Barack Obama will kick off the home stretch of the race for the White House.

The Romney campaign indicated in a press release that the Republicans would "bracket" the convention with a new emphasis on the question: "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

In the release, a Romney campaign official kicked off the week's counter-messaging with a blistering attack, saying that at the Democratic convention, Obama "is going to give us a series of excuses, alibis and scapegoats."


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/03/republicans-dnc_n_1851181.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

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Will this get ugly or will their protest fizzle out with a low turnout?

[jmowreader]

1. I know I am better off than I was four years ago

There used to be an unwritten rule: do not campaign during the other guy's convention.

For the most part, the Democrats still honor it--Obama, as far as I remember, didn't do anything major last week.

The Republicans? All they are going to do with this attack is make themselves look petty.

[subterranean]

2. As I recall, things weren't that great four years ago.

Four years ago this month, the financial crisis got into full swing with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, followed by a plunging stock market and massive job losses. I think everyone remembers who was President then. Asking that question could backfire on the Republicans.

[wordpix]

19. 4 years ago we were in TWO wars, now there's just one & we're getting out

No one except Rs forgets Bush in Texas on his ranch instead of heeding Richard Clarke's warnings about al Qaeda before 911.

No one except Republics forgets 8 yrs. of BushCo's running the car into the ditch while giving us trillion$ in debt after Clinton's surplus.

No one except Rs forgets 2 wars going on at the same time, one to allegedly get WMDs before they got us.

No one except Rs forgets Gitmo, Abu Ghraib and torture.

No one except Rs forgets BushCo's non response to Katrina.

No one except Rs forgets the unregulated banks, mortgage cos. and investment groups causing housing and credit bubbles that burst, leaving people owing more on their homes than they were worth.

etc

[SoapBox]

3. "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

Damned straight I am!

YES! And no thanks to the Stonewalling of the Bully and Baggers in Congress.

Fuck you GOPathetics.

[JaneQPublic]

4. They wouldn't need to do this if they used time more wisely at their own convention.

Romney could have made all these points himself -- and on prime time national TV -- if they hadn't squandered their convention time letting an old man stand around talking to the furniture.

[AZ Progressive]

5. Are you better off than you were 4 years ago... when RW ideologies plunged America into dark days?

I can't believe that noone is calling them on the fact that Right Wing ideologies largely through the Bush Administration got America into such horrible shape in the first place.

[gtar100]

6. I'm guessing it'll fizzle out after they hear everyone say 'yes' to their question.

Four years ago at end of the reign of error of appointed president George Bush really sucked.

[speedoo]

7. They are getting desperate.

They know their convention flopped and got them no bounce. Only problem is, their candidates and ideas suck, and voters are understanding that better every day.

[highplainsdem]

8. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment in August 2008:

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2008/sept/wk2/art01.htm

The number of unemployed persons rose by 592,000 to 9.4 million in August, and the unemployment rate increased by 0.4 percentage point to 6.1 percent. Over the past 12 months, the number of unemployed persons has increased by 2.2 million and the unemployment rate has risen by 1.4 percentage points, with most of the increase occurring over the past 4 months.

Just remind people of where we were 4 years ago, how fast the economy was losing jobs, and compare that to today.

[subterranean]

10. I agree, it could be a good opportunity for the Dems

to turn the question to their advantage by reminding people of the mess that Obama inherited when he came into office, and then ask if we want to go to back to the same policies that got us into that mess.

[fasttense]

9. Well, I'm worse off than 4 years ago, no thanks to W.

We had jobs in 2008. We lost our jobs and couldn't find other ones in 2009. But it was W who crashed the economy. It was W who orchestrated the bailout for the banksters. It was W who gave the uber rich and corporations huge tax give aways. It was W who wrecked the economy and left it for Obama to clean up.

Mitt plans to do the exact same things that W did, complete with embarrassing and stupid comments when conducting foreign affairs.

I remember how stupid W was and Mitt will behave the exact same way, only he will be able to enunciate.

[caveat_imperator]

11. "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

Yes.

I'd be much better off if it wasn't for the rethuglican stonewalling in Congress, though.

[Zoeisright]

12. "Rests"? From what?

Parties? A speech? Jesus, he isn't qualified for the job if he has to rest after a convention.

[davidpdx]

13. Someone needs to borrow a firetruck

and hose these assholes down.

[adigal]

14. What a dumbass question? the whole economy is better off!

We are slowly recovering from the Bush debacle. Maybe, is Romney is not elected, we will continue to recover.

[The Wizard]

15. Note to GOP

Only Reagan could sell that, and he's dead.

[2pooped2pop]

16. and they were complaining because Biden planned to be in the same

city. He wasn't interrupting their convention. Ryan better be careful what he sets here as standard. It is very low class for them to try to interrupt the actual convention. Protesters ok, Congress, VP candidates not.

Not at the convention.

Elsewhere in the same city? who cares.

nm Ryan will be 230 miles away. I misspoke. lol

[bloomington-lib]

17. I bet Romney and Ryan are richer than they were four years ago

[cstanleytech]

18. Depends OP on if the GOP is willing to pay to bus people in like they have in the past.

If they cant or wont pay to bus people in from out of the area then I believe it will fizzle.

[nobodyspecial]

20. Yes, it would have been better had we left the GOP in charge

We would be in a full-blown depression by now. Just think -- they could have done away with SS and Medicare by now. We could have had work camps drilling and mining in national parks. Most homes could have been repossessed and we would already be in Iran. And minimum wage could be abolished. Desperate people could go to the lowest bidder. I can see how mad they are that they missed their chance to exploit the collapse and return to the glory days of the 1800s when robber barons ruled the country and women and minorities knew their place.

[tomm2thumbs]

21. they should save it for post-debate triage expenses

they are going to need a lot of brooms to wipe Romney up from the floor