The Hill - "Romney's pivots raise the character issue"

[TomCADem]

What is amazing is how the media bends over backwards to avoid calling Romney a liar. With Kerry, the media went wild with the he was for it, before he was against it line of attack. However, with Romney, his rapid fire flip flops are praised by the media as "political savy." Since when has lying been a desirable trait in a President?

http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/presidential-campaign/262653-romneys-pivots-raise-the-character-issue

With his performance in the second presidential debate, Barack Obama allowed his supporters to exhale. Not only did the president show up; from the opening question he executed his debate strategy against Governor Romney almost flawlessly. Each two-minute response was framed in all the necessary ways I laid out after the first debate: Obama succinctly took credit for his accomplishments, made clear contrasts between his policies and positions and Romney’s, and defended himself when Romney went on the attack. The only apparent hiccup on the part of the president was his meandering response to a question about gun violence and the lapsed weapons assault ban legislation. But Obama recovered quickly by paraphrasing (of all people) George W. Bush, when he accused the former Massachusetts governor of being “for the assault weapons ban before he was against it.”

That moment crystallizes the retooled strategy of the Obama campaign that will in all likelihood take us through Election Day. It’s not necessarily the economy, stupid – it’s character. If Massachusetts Mitt is going to show up for the rest of the campaign, then expect him to be painted, in the words of Jon Huntsman, as a “perfectly lubricated weathervane.”

While position-shifting is certainly a question of policy, the weathervane strategy really hinges on a more basic question that presidential elections turn on: whom do you trust more to tell you what they will do and keep to their word?

On several occasions, Obama took Romney to task for changing his positions on critical issues. On some, he attacked for not leveling with the public. And still others, Obama insinuated Romney couldn’t arrive at a position at all. On coal: Obama derided Romney for embracing the coal industry after accusing coal plants of killing people while he was Massachusetts governor. On immigration: Romney seemed to embrace a version of the DREAM Act, after promising for months of campaigning that he’d veto it. On tax loopholes: Obama called Romney’s tax plan “sketchy” because it does not disclose which tax loopholes he’ll close. On women in the workforce: Obama ridiculed the Romney campaign for telling the press “we’ll get back to you” on a position on the Lilly Ledbetter bill.

[Cha]

1. And, from The Hill!

[Beartracks]

2. Well, it happened during the administration BEFORE Obama's. Um...

... I can't remember the guy's name. You hardly hear about him anymore. But it was a whole bunch of his cabinet and advisers.

=====================

[abumbyanyothername]

3. I think we need to tread a bit lightly on this

Flip flopping.

And I hate to be more explicit for fear of mapping their strategy more clearly for them.

You can pm me if you like.

[The Wielding Truth]

4. Gee. Ya think? Right wing propaganda can not always blind everyone. 'Bout time they wiped their eyes

[yellowcanine]

5. Of course Obama's "meandering response" on the question about gun violence was nothing compared to

what Romney did in somehow connecting gun violence to single moms.