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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow The Romney Campaign Decided To Take The Gloves Off
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Indeed, facing what the candidate and his aides believe to be a series of surprisingly ruthless, unfounded, and unfair attacks from the Obama campaign on Romney's finances and business record, the Republican's campaign is now prepared to go eye for an eye in an intense, no-holds-barred act of political reprisal, said two Romney advisers who spoke on condition of anonymity. In the next chapter of Boston's pushback which began last week when they began labeling Obama a "liar" very little will be off-limits, from the president's youthful drug habit, to his ties to disgraced Chicago politicians.
"I mean, this is a guy who admitted to cocaine use, had a sweetheart deal with his house in Chicago, and was associated and worked with Rod Blagojevich to get Valerie Jarrett appointed to the Senate," the adviser said. "The bottom line is there'll be counterattacks."
The reference to Obama's past drug use seems to suggest that former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu wasn't going off-script after all when he dinged the president for spending "his early years in Hawaii smoking something" during a Tuesday morning Fox News appearance.
Returning fire with personal attacks on Obama offers both emotional satisfaction to Romney and many Republicans, and an answer of sorts to relentless Democratic attacks on Romney's time as an executive. It has so far failed, however, to quiet the growing, bipartisan chorus of voices demanding Romney release more of his personal tax returns. Obama campaign officials privately admit that the Republican has, at times, been effective in beating down attacks on his business record but they've yet to see a way out on the tax issue.
more: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/how-the-romney-campaign-decided-to-take-the-gloves
ryan_cats
(2,061 posts)Am I supposed to believe that rmoney was going to take the high road?
Sure, now Obama forced him to go negative. Who is going to believe this?
Yeah right, he was Mr Nice guy during the primaries, who is he kidding? I guess he expects to give his supporters red meat but still won't release his tax returns. To bad the tax issue isn't going to go away.
TomClash
(11,344 posts)Typical bullies. When you hit them back, they whine and complain.
dkf
(37,305 posts)This is supposed to be a time to examine and debate policy so that we can understand the implications and what it means to our lives.
Instead we focus on the past and on smearing each candidate.
This system is incapable of properly educating the populace on the real choices and consequences of the decisions we are making. Sad.
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)dkf
(37,305 posts)Next time give me Hillary Clinton and I'll be a happy camper...except if she goes all hawkish. That is the one concern I have about her.
TomClash
(11,344 posts)If you don't like his foreign policy then you don't like hers.
I have reservations about Obama on some specific issues, but I would much, much rather have him than Romney.
Kingofalldems
(38,361 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)Maybe if President Obama would focus solely on his accomplishments ... that folks, even here at DU respond with "Yeah, he did do that, BUT ... (I still don't have my unicorn)", romney will continue laying out his detailed and specific plans for all that's wrong with America and the system can properly educate the populace on the real choices and consequences of the decisions we are making ...
Oh wait ...
coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)Romney touted his tenure as a businessman while at Bain as one of the credentials that qualifies him for President. As such, Romney chose to open his tenure at Bain to scrutiny. Romney could as easily have touted his experience as Governor of Massachusetts as his primary credential but chose not to do so, because of his tactical decision to run away from his record on RomneyCare (antecedent to ACA) and other relatively moderate stances that would not play well with the Republican electorate.
In other words, scrutinizing Romney's tenure at Bain is hardly a 'smear,' since Romney himself invited said scrutiny.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)On all three of your points ... the second of which accurately and correctly explains why the third is correct.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)was intended to "properly educate the populace on the real choices and consequences of the decisions we are making?
Yep ... Real sad.
Arkana
(24,347 posts)The clean-cut first black President who has the picture-perfect family and personal favorability ratings in the stratosphere?
Yeah, unless Obama gets caught doing lines off the Resolute desk I don't think Romney's going to have much luck with this line of attack. Obama has already admitted to trying cocaine when he was younger, in addition to smoking pot. He wrote about it in his books. It's not a fucking secret.
Romney's getting desperate.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)The only people that would have President Obama as a druggie already have him as an "uppity dictatorial crypto-christo-islamist kenyan with a nazi-marxist, socialistic agenda to destroy the economy so that he can take our guns, by detaining true patriots in fema camps, so he can ban christianity and bring Sharia Law to America."
So I'm guessing, it won't hurt too much.
TomClash
(11,344 posts)By the way, they will turn Obama into a "druggie" or "commie" or "hippie" or whatever, no matter what we do. They already have tried this and will do worse.
Did taking the high road work for John Kerry in 2004? Al Gore in 2000? When was the last time that worked? Never.
Bill Clinton survived impeachment by fighting back. He was right.
Whether you like it or not, politics is a rough, dirty game. It is not about educating the masses on policy. It's about obtaining or maintaining power to implement as much of your agenda as you can. This is a tall order for the left and it makes it even more difficult when you play by a set of rules your opponent ignores.
handmade34
(22,755 posts)Obama has opened up his past, wrote about it and we know what he did... what is Romney hiding? What has Romney done? they can attack but until they resolve unanswered questions...
dkf
(37,305 posts)cyberswede
(26,117 posts)I mean, Obama has run for president before. Didn't the opposition bring up all this stuff (to no avail) last time?
I think it makes Romney look desperate.
maddezmom
(135,060 posts)and we all know how that turned out.
Marr
(20,317 posts)lol
dkf
(37,305 posts)Marr
(20,317 posts)magical thyme
(14,881 posts)I doubt there is anything they can raise that Obama is not aware of and ready for, or unable to respond to on a dime.
backscatter712
(26,355 posts)Did you really think that it was going to pull its punches?
bemildred
(90,061 posts)Too funny for words.
warrior1
(12,325 posts)GusFring
(756 posts)C_U_L8R
(44,897 posts)and proves himself to be such a shallow hateful person
that the majority of this country throws up a little
at the mere sound of his twitchy gameshowhost voice
WI_DEM
(33,497 posts)new then you are running a sorrowful campaign. I imagine you'll bring up Rev Wright, too?
BTW, what the campaign is bringing up about Romney's business deals, taxes, etc isn't below the belt but a legitimate campaign issue.
flamingdem
(39,304 posts)Renew Deal
(81,802 posts)And negative personal attacks will tarnish Romney more than Obama. Americans already say they don't like Romney's campaign.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)won't work for Romney. If yesterday's faux 'insult to small business' is them taking the gloves off then taking the gloves off means 'more of the same' eg. lies.
Romney's biggest problem is that he comes off like an asshole AND a liar. "Taking the glove off" ought to make that even more clear.
Tom Rinaldo
(22,911 posts)The difference is that he hasn't been totally routed on that front as compared to on his taxes. The attacks on Romney's business record are to a large extent why the focus on his refusal to release his taxes has had such potency. Romney started this campaign season believing that his record as a successful businessman was the perfect foil to Obama who they like to say has no understanding of what makes business work. Obama has shattered Romney's message. If anything the debate is now on how Romney made HIS business work and whether that model is good for America, with Romney getting the short end of that stick to boot.
justabob
(3,069 posts)Smoking pot years ago isn't exactly the same level as the ugly knot of skeletons that Romney has in his closet (and his are the result of choices made as an adult, in the very recent past!). Beyond that, I think the number of people who have smoked pot at some point in their lives is more than enough to blunt this kind of attack. Smoking pot is a lot more acceptable to a lot more people these days. I am sure some of the righteous drug warriors will fuss for a minute, but they won't get much mileage out of it.
They've got nothing.
Ganja Ninja
(15,953 posts)Translation: Lies, Distortions & Name Calling.
coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)bemildred
(90,061 posts)Renew Deal
(81,802 posts)They didn't seem to have issues with that. And if I remember correctly Obama had nothing to do with Blago's decisions. In fact, I think Obama's team reported Blago. The Chicago house stuff is old nonsense and always has been.
They can go at Obama with personal attacks if they choose. It doesn't change the fact that people just don't like Romney and like him even less when they get to know him. That's why the primaries took forever.
And I don't think the Bain attacks are unfounded or unfair. They are based on documents Romney signed.