Politics

Does the President Want to Lose?

May. 14, 2012 7:43pm

Don Rasmussen is a writer and a political consultant providing campaign technology and strategic analysis to Constitutional Republican candidates. He earned his BA in Political Economy and Latin America Studies from the University of Washington before moving on to a Masters in Political Management from George Washington University. He has staffed or advised on two presidential campaigns and over a dozen congressional races as well as organizing The Rally for the Republic, the conservative counter-convention to the 2008 Republican National Convention, which helped launch the TEA Party movement. Today he lives in Austin where he is working on his first book, Diaspora: Why We Leave, a study of the economic and political motivations of Americans living abroad.

For months now, American’s views of the Obama economy have been steadily eroding. In light of this immutable fact, the president’s team has tested a series of narratives that seek to reframe the economy in more populist terms in the hopes of making the issue about emotions rather than crummy statistics. At the same time, they have also tested all sorts of non-economic messages in the hopes of keeping the national conversation away from the increasingly shaky economic picture.

Given the conditions, it is the best strategy. The tactics and specifics messages that they have chosen, however, are complete losers. Moreover, they were testable, knowable losers before Team Obama ever paraded them out.

For example, the class warfare argument might be appropriate to France in 1789, but Gallop actually tracks the attitudes of modern, post-Bastille Americans towards the rich and discovered that we like them, need them, and really want to be them.

In May of 1990, Gallup found that 62% of Americans believe we all benefit from the rich.  After a full year of Obama’s demonization of the wealthy, industrious, and successful people of society, Gallup found that support has clicked up to 63%.

Likewise, Gallup asked if folks would like to among the evil wealthy. Yup, the survey found 63% of us also want to be rich. That’s up from 59% in 1990 when a lot of us were just relieved we’d made it through the Eighties.

So while all of the class warfare, tax the rich, “fair share” nonsense has certainly helped eat up the clock and has probably prodded a few self-hating leftists to write big checks, it has not contributed significantly to re-electing Obama and has likely done a good deal more harm.

Likewise, the gay marriage announcement may have been pushed by Uncle Joe, but the White House claims that they intended to make this announcement in a few weeks anyway.  So taking them at their word, they planned all along to run on Obama’s personal support for gay marriage. They seem to believe that this is a huge political winner and the fawning media is playing right along. It’s a lovely narrative aside from being completely untethered from reality.

The reality is this:  gay marriage is 0-32 at the ballot box. Moreover, it looses just as badly now as it did five years ago. Another recent Gallup survey, taken after the President’s announcement, found that the decision will negatively affect the independent vote by a two-to-one margin. In one fell swoop, the President lost North Carolina, Indiana, and Virginia.

So while the media loves to brag that “half of Americans” now support gay marriage, the reality is that far more than half of voters don’t. This may be driving the pull-back. After the media storm, Obama quietly announced that he does not support federal action on gay marriage, nor does he want gay marriage to be part of the Democrat Party platform. So when the smoke cleared, Obama’s actual position was the same as Dick Cheney’s except Dick Cheney didn’t antagonize voters in the process.

Another prime example is the attack on religious liberty regarding Obamacare mandates to church organizations. Just like the gay marriage issue, the birth control mandate warmed the organic hummus of the liberal talking head set and overly earnest women’s studies grads, but it is a huge electoral loser. Worse, it’s an electoral losers riding on the back of a law that most people hate and may never take effect. All of which leaves me to ask, at what price the adoration of a few welfare soaks and their cheerleaders?

That segues nicely to Julia. Julia is the deeply creepy, Orwellian vision of Obama’s world without accomplishment, merit, honor, or dignity; an America where we all trade our critical thinking and our rational interests for a cost of living siphon from our betters.  Can you imagine anything more disassociated from our American story?

All of which leads me back to the original question, does the President want to lose?  Or do all of these decisions, seemingly at odds with the objective of retaining the White House, actually reflect a deep-seeded ideological commitment to progressive philosophy coupled with a naïve belief that somehow he will ultimately convince the electorate?

The only other explanation would seem to be that Team Obama thinks they can run a Karl Rove-style base strategy by exciting liberals with red meat. If that’s the case, I would refer them to the Gallup survey that shows that there are twice as many self-identifying conservatives as there are liberals.

Whether it comes down to arrogance, self-delusion, ideological rigidity, or tactical incompetence doesn’t really matter in the end. The dye may already be cast. It is becoming increasingly difficult to see how Obama can cobble his remaining base — rich liberals, non-religious minorities, and public employees — into a winning coalition.

Comments (25)

  • cdowis
    May. 22, 2012 at 9:13pm

    I think Obama will start a war with Iran just prior to the election to guarantee his re-election in the middle of a war.

    Report this comment

    cdowis  
  • RamonPreston
    May. 22, 2012 at 7:08pm

    Loose the election? What a joke. On Oct 26th at just about the end of the business day call the judge presiding over the George Zimmerman trial and have the case dismissed. Before the weekend will be over the nation will be on fire. Declare martial law, cancel the election, and declare himself dictator. He can’t loose.

    Report this comment

    RamonPreston  
  • blackyb
    May. 17, 2012 at 4:23am

    It will take all of the 4 years for the incoming President, if not Obama to get a good grip on straigtening out the mess this administration has caused. Romney will have a very hard time unless he gets really good people around him who are going to be a great asset. If this does not go well, and Obama stays in, there will be little or no hope to even start a healing process. It will take at least 10 years to get back on track, but when things are bad, Presidents are not likely to get re-elected. That Justice Department, DHEW, GSA, State Dept., Communications Commission, and everything is so enundated with rot that it is like a seive. Those people have come to view those Agencies as a place to plop and make a buck, and not serve the country. They will keep the courts tied up with lawsuits until the courts will have to have committees to screen which cases have merit. They are not through even if Romney is in. They will attempt to sabotage any effort to get the country back on track. These people have put this country in peril from wounds so many that counting them and fixing them would be better solved with new personnel from any and all Agencies possible. This sounds impossible in and of itself. The rot spreads from the top to the bottom, but yet they say they are wanting the bottom people on the top and the top on the bottom, except for them of course.

    Report this comment

    blackyb  
    • okredstate
      May. 17, 2012 at 1:26pm

      I am beginning to believe that obama knows he is going to lose, so he is intentionally making things worse so the new president will fail just like he did. Then he will pull a Putin and try to come back for another term. Why else would he continue to make every wrong move on every issue. It is certainly not to win.

      Report this comment

      okredstate  
  • SlyFox123
    May. 16, 2012 at 9:28pm

    I, don’t know if Obama wants to lose the election, and I really don’t care what he wants. With that said, now please allow me to make my statement…..I WANT HIM TO LOSE THE ELECTION!

    Report this comment

    SlyFox123  
    • blackyb
      May. 17, 2012 at 4:12am

      He would be wise to get out of Dodge before he and the rest of the thugs are cornered. I do not believe he wants to be where he is. He wants to play. He did his part to help destroy this country, but those pushing him are still wanting more. I do not believe his heart is in it.

      Report this comment

      blackyb  
  • The Third Archon
    May. 16, 2012 at 4:04pm

    ” an America where we all trade our critical thinking and our rational interests for a cost of living siphon from our betters.”
    “our BETTERS,” lol I wasn’t aware we had an aristocracy here in America.
    “Can you imagine anything more disassociated from our American story?”
    Than your elitist snobbery? Yeah, it seems very anti-American given our history and contributions political philosophy .

    Report this comment

    The Third Archon  
  • The Third Archon
    May. 16, 2012 at 4:00pm

    “Worse, it’s an electoral losers riding on the back of a law that most people hate and may never take effect. All of which leaves me to ask, at what price the adoration of a few welfare soaks”
    1) “Law that most people hate”–and you base this bold assertion on what exactly?
    2) If by “welfare soaks” you mean programs which give government assistance to the POOR, then that number is a pittance compared to the “pork barrel” spending alone. IF, on the other hand, you are disingenuously grouping ALL entitlement spending (i.e. social security and medicare, in addition to medicaid and SNAP, et al.) as “welfare” then, yeah, the number is a lot larger…the BULK of the increase going not to POOR people (although some of them probably are independently) for being poor, but to OLD people. Now I don’t have a PROBLEM with this, but it is VERY DECEITFUL of Republicans to pretend that the entitlements spending “problem” is SOLELY a Democrat problem, when it serves MORE likely Republican voters than Democrat voters, and as a result for all their lip-service Republicans will NEVER cut the vast majority of entitlement spending because IT WOULD BE POLITICAL SUICIDE, cutting benefits from THEIR OWN CONSTITUENTS (a very politically active constituency I might add).

    Report this comment

    The Third Archon  
  • The Third Archon
    May. 16, 2012 at 3:52pm

    “So while the media loves to brag that “half of Americans” now support gay marriage, the reality is that far more than half of voters don’t.”
    Way more than half of America saw no moral problem whatsoever with owning other human beings as property at one point in our history. Their moral beliefs are, like mine, just that–beliefs. There IS no a priori objective moral authority to whom we can appeal for clarity and reconciliation (or else the whole matter wouldn’t be in controversy IN THE FIRST PLACE). Therefore, we have ONLY our reason, knowledge, and judgment to reconcile our competing conceptions of morality to find theory and practice morality that reaches its utmost excellence within our power to achieve at any given time. For those who are not morally lazy, who put in the hard work of practicing and cultivating morality, no compelling reason can be found to endorse a categorical moral discrimination against individuals on the basis of sexual preference.

    Report this comment

    The Third Archon  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    May. 16, 2012 at 2:15pm

    Obamas arrogance is centered around two basics – one is his narcissistic, sociopathic insanity that convinces him he can do no wrong and people honestly love him. The other is what I feel will become a massive, bold, final seizure of power and control – there will be an arranged emergency to declare martial law and establish his dictatorship.

    Otherwise I can see him shoving through everything he can to make sure the soverignty of the US is given to the UN and our nation crippled to such a degree by debt, economic loss and so forth that we may never recover.

    Report this comment

    Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Max jones
    May. 16, 2012 at 10:54am

    i knew that obama was clever. I know that he is not thinking about the American people. He is a globalist attempting to dismantle our country. But, why? The U.S. has two things that no other nation has….Guns, and the will to stand up to oppression. Being, at last count, the last of the western nations to actually have a viable economy, we and our guns must be flattened, to allow the U.N. to declare America “on the boat”. The globalist hatred of the U.S., goes directly to the Constitution. It would be difficult, if not impossible to reign in all of us, we would be a real danger to any who would try to take us on. We have a spirit of freedom and defiance. ……from my dead cold hand…….

    Report this comment

    Max jones  
  • Vickie Dhaene
    May. 16, 2012 at 10:01am

    They make their pact with Lucifer. They WILL pay the ultimate price. Forever is a very long time for their suffering.

    Report this comment

    Vickie Dhaene  
  • osmrwangs
    May. 16, 2012 at 3:13am

    Russian Troops are training in Colorado. Top Chinese generals are touring US Military bases. The Election doesn’t look like its going to happen and if you think that “the troops will never turn on the American people”, just know that 25% of Marines surveyed said that they would shoot Americans involved in “insurrection”, and even if the rest won’t engage, there will be foreign troops who will, with hundreds of millions of rounds of ammo purchased for them by DHS. Obama isn’t planning for an election. He’s planning for the “fundamental transformation” of America. That’s why the NDAA. That’s why the Executive Order to take everything (including water and power). That’s why the legal justification to assassinate citizens deemed to be “terrorists”. He’s got more to think about than just an “election”.

    Report this comment

    osmrwangs  
  • haaggus
    May. 16, 2012 at 1:08am

    I can’t help it. It’s “THE DIE HAS BEEN CAST,” not “THE DYE,” you idiot. Julius Caesar’s most famous statement ever is not about dyeing clothing, it’s about rolling the dice! The Die Has Been CAST!

    Report this comment

    haaggus  
  • kcinco
    May. 15, 2012 at 11:29pm

    I pray that he loses.

    Report this comment

    kcinco  
  • LukeAppling
    May. 15, 2012 at 11:26am

    I pray that he loses and if it is his wish why not leave now before any more damage ios done to America?

    Report this comment

    LukeAppling  
  • Penn
    May. 15, 2012 at 10:14am

    If the ultimate goal is the fundamental change of America, losing an election may be part of the plan. The chaos created by a deeply divided electorate, the balkanization of Americans may be just what the end game is. Besides, if you knew the ship were going down, would you change places with Captain Smith after you hit the iceberg?

    Report this comment

    Penn  
  • Penn
    May. 15, 2012 at 10:07am

    Is Obama’s re-election just a battle in a larger war? Maybe the ultimate goal isn’t an Obama presidency but the potential chaos that occurs when a deeply divided electorate realizes that no politician will not be able to save this ship of state. Would you want to change places with Captain Smith on the Titantic after you’d struck the iceberg?

    Report this comment

    Penn  
  • Psychosis
    May. 14, 2012 at 10:48pm

    he knows he wont win, he doesnt care

    why?????????

    because he is planning to cancel the elections…………..well at least thats his wet dream

    too bad for him, there are way too many patriots that actually have a backbone, and more and more people are waking up to the potential nightmare he is willing to inflict for power

    Report this comment

    Psychosis  
  • RayOne
    May. 14, 2012 at 10:36pm

    He wants an excuse to activate the OCCUPATION.

    Report this comment

    RayOne  
  • TruthSpeaker
    May. 14, 2012 at 8:44pm

    there is a story out there about soros, bho & hilary. Soros asked each one if they would be willing to help destroy the US economy. Hilary said no, bho said yes. He sold his already heavily mortgaged soul to the the devil. He is in too deep to try to weasel out now.

    Report this comment

    TruthSpeaker  

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