2012 Tuesday: Obama officially ditches Hope for Fear
New York Magazine has a revealing and worthwhile look at the Obama campaign’s approach to this year’s election and GOP opponent Mitt Romney. Here is the crux of it:
Though the Obamans certainly hit John McCain hard four years ago — running more negative ads than any campaign in history — what they intend to do to Romney is more savage. They will pummel him for being a vulture-vampire capitalist at Bain Capital. They will pound him for being a miserable failure as the governor of Massachusetts. They will mash him for being a water-carrier for Paul Ryan’s Social Darwinist fiscal program. They will maul him for being a combination of Jerry Falwell, Joe Arpaio, and John Galt on a range of issues that strike deep chords with the Obama coalition. “We’re gonna say, ‘Let’s be clear what he would do as president,’ ” [senior White House adviser David] Plouffe explains. “Potentially abortion will be criminalized. Women will be denied contraceptive services. He’s far right on immigration. He supports efforts to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage. …
Thus, to a very real degree, 2008’s candidate of hope stands poised to become 2012’s candidate of fear. For many Democrats, this is just fine and dandy, for they believe that in the Romney-Republican agenda there is plenty to be scared of. For others in the party in both politics and business, however, the new Obama posture is cause for concern. From the gay-marriage decision to the onslaught on Bain, they see the president and his team as coming across as too divisive, too conventional, and too nakedly political, putting at risk Obama’s greatest asset — his likability — with the voters in the middle of the electorate who will ultimately decide his fate.
Now, this portrait of the strategy — which carries the title “”Hope: The Sequel; For Obama & Co., this time around it’s all about fear” — is not revealing because it’s surprising. Americans routinely tell opinion pollsters they’re underwhelmed by President Obama’s record in the White House and unnerved about the country’ direction, so there’s only so much “Morning in America” the campaign can promote. Fear of the other guy represents most of what they have to sell.
It is revealing, however, to see how open Plouffe and other Democrats are about this strategy. And it is revealing to see how quickly they have to resort to falsehoods to explain it.
To begin, let’s take each of the examples Plouffe gives in his own words:
- “Potentially abortion will be criminalized.”: Not even the reddest of red states have “criminalized abortion” in the 39 years since Roe v. Wade; they have only tried, with mixed results, to place limits on it. The idea that Romney, in just four or eight years, would spend his political capital trying to push a nationwide ban on abortion through Congress — and that the Supreme Court would overturn precedent to uphold said law — is beyond far-fetched. At most, a President Romney might get to replace a liberal justice with a conservative one more inclined to entertain limits on abortion. That is, of course, a possibility in every single administration. And the reverse — that Obama in a second term might get to replace a conservative justice with a liberal one — is just as motivating to conservatives.
- “Women will be denied contraceptive services.” This issue came out of left field when the Obama administration this year tried to force religious entities to violate their consciences to expand subsidies — not legal access — to contraception, and only to a tiny sliver of women. When that maneuver prompted an outcry, the administration doubled down by suggesting Republicans would try to chip away at the status quo.
- “He’s far right on immigration.” During the primaries, Romney described his policies toward illegal immigrants already living in the U.S. as one which would encourage “self-deportation” by making it harder for them to make a living from the shadows. The Obama administration, however, constantly touts the large number of illegal immigrants whom it has deported over the past three years. Does that put Obama on the far-far right on immigration?
- “He supports efforts to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage.” This is actually true. But, as a senior White House adviser, Plouffe surely knows presidents aren’t involved in the amendment process.
These are just the ones for which Plouffe was quoted. There is plenty of intrigue about the ones the magazine paraphrased. For instance, how’s that attack on “vulture capitalism” working out? (Not well.) How is Obama going to portray Romney as a failed governor, given that a) his advisers claim to have used Romneycare in Massachusetts as a blueprint for Obamacare, and b) his record as president on unemployment and economic growth makes for a poor comparison to Romney’s record on those issues as governor?
I have no doubt that fear will the watchword for the Obama 2012 campaign — and, to be fair, that Romney will engage in much the same kind of discussion about what a second-term Obama, facing no more need to win over voters, might do as president. But Obama’s supporters better hope this isn’t the best the campaign has to offer.
– By Kyle Wingfield
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
220 comments Add your comment
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
2:13 pm
“I m saying that yu can campaign on Hope and good will until the opposition spits in your face at every opportunity. Then you have to stand up and fight back.”
And what is so different than 2008 in that regard, jefflz?
Answer: Nothing.
So this President is just one big phony when it comes to principles he espouses.
iggy
May 29th, 2012
2:13 pm
The Stock that Biden thought was an excellent BUY BUY BUY at $42 per share has now dropped to $28.84. Joe “facebook” Biden.
Joe The Plumber Too
May 29th, 2012
2:14 pm
Yeah, jefflz…….explain hope and change to Agent Terry’s family, barry has done nothing but cover up his boy eric holders lies and deceptions. Please explain spitting in the face to that family.
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
2:14 pm
I guess people who are used to the strategerizing of their leaders shouldn’t really be expected to understand leaders strategizing…
This is exactly what Conservatives can’t fathom/comprehend/let sink in – sometimes you have to change your focus.
You take a new job and 4 years later you are applying again – do you use the resume you used 4 years ago?
It’s called change – you change your strategy, you change your tactics. Really kinda fundamental stuff, you know? Obama is now embracing the “change” side of his 2008 message but the Cons can’t deal.
“Sumbody moving the goalposts, whaaaaaa. I needs me a tax break! Gimme a tax break, whaaaaaaaa.”
Road Scholar
May 29th, 2012
2:16 pm
You mean Romney took and did not change a position? Really? He has “modified” his positions, bending to the conservative ‘wind” when it blows. How can you, with a straight face say he wouldn’t bend to his party’s platform?
MarkV
May 29th, 2012
2:19 pm
Kyle Wingfield @1:18 pm “The point is that this is the guy who ran on pure “Hope” last time. He hasn’t turned out to be post-partisan, post-racial, or post-anything else he proclaimed to be. Now he’s not even sticking with Hope. “
Even a guy who runs on Hope and wants to be post-partisan and post-racial gets the idea when he runs into “the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president” crowd.
Kyle Wingfield
May 29th, 2012
2:20 pm
Tib: Thanks for answering my rhetorical question with one of your own
Harry Doyle
May 29th, 2012
2:21 pm
Is it more accurate to say that Bob Uecker is the “Barack 0bama of Power-Hitting Catchers,” or should one say that Barack 0bama is the “Bob Uecker of Constitutionalist, Cerebral, Ethical, Competent Presidents?”
Kyle Wingfield
May 29th, 2012
2:22 pm
jefflz: The “hope for fear” trade is in my headline, but that’s mostly the focus of the NY Mag piece. My piece focuses more on how pitifully false most of Obama’s fear-mongering is.
Which is another way of saying: Did you even read the piece?
iggy
May 29th, 2012
2:23 pm
“Obama is now embracing the “change” side of his 2008 message but the Cons can’t deal.”
Thats precious.
Harry Doyle
May 29th, 2012
2:23 pm
Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussst a Bit Outside!
jefflz
May 29th, 2012
2:24 pm
Th biggest mistake Obama made was to try to compromise with the GOP during his first two years in office. They made a mockery of him and he paid heavily by failing to please his base and by failing to achieve any compromise whatosever because of a lock-step policy of Republican stonewalling. If Obama doesn’t get on his hind legs and fight back with every ounce of strength he has in him than he deserves to lose.
jefflz
May 29th, 2012
2:30 pm
Mr Wingfield, The Republican right has been peddling the fear of a black, muslim, non-american, communist, socialist President in the White House that must be thrown out at any cost to honesty and fairness .. I did read your article it turns out but you and your admirers think that Obama should not fight fire with fire….just roll over and blow away with the wind of hateful propaganda coming from the GOP… if you don’t think that is the case what is your point in fact?
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
Romney is going to play to the Con base. I think Obama needs to play to that same base.
Joe The Plumber Too
May 29th, 2012
2:31 pm
jefflz: “They made a mockery of him” ? The only mockery this country has seen for the last three years is the mockery barry made of the Office of President.
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
2:33 pm
Cons pulled the jeremiah Wright stuff because it really is too early to use it. Need to wait till after the convention to pull that non-issue out of you pockets.
iggy
May 29th, 2012
2:36 pm
We dont need the Wright debacle. Obama, now, stands on his own record.
iggy
May 29th, 2012
2:38 pm
I guess one could say Wright wasnt right, for Obama. AH HAHAHAHA!!
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
Five years after they wrecked most of the major economies of the world and you folks want to put a Wall Street guy in charge of the whole show?
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
2:41 pm
“Th biggest mistake Obama made was to never try to compromise with the GOP during his first two years in office.”
Fixed your typo, jefflz.
No thanks needed.
iggy
May 29th, 2012
2:42 pm
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
2:40 pm
LMAO. I cant stop laughin!!! Keep em comin!
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
2:42 pm
“Five years after they wrecked most of the major economies of the world and you folks want to put a Wall Street guy in charge of the whole show?”
Well, considering that simplistic view on your part isn’t reality, Finn . . . .
Yeah, some of us do.
jefflz
May 29th, 2012
2:43 pm
Mr. Wingfield, with clever fans like iggy and Joe the Plumber and Tib, it is clear who your audience really is. Congratulations.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
2:44 pm
“If Obama doesn’t get on his hind legs and fight back with every ounce of strength he has in him than he deserves to lose.”
This sounds like a pretty racist comment to me, jefflz. Are you comparing the current President of the United States to a dog?
Becky
May 29th, 2012
2:45 pm
Well-what do you know? Kyle finally wrote a somewhat original blog. Of course he had to pull his material and thought from New York magazine. After reading all I can say is The Sky is Falling, The Sky is Falling!!!! Run chicken littles. The black guy will be re-elected and women will put him back in office!!! We remember and we vote.
Jefferson
May 29th, 2012
2:45 pm
Remeber how President Bush and his party messed up things so bad, well Romney is the same with the same ideas, that still won’t work. Keep doing the same thing GOP, it still don’t work.
JDW
May 29th, 2012
2:47 pm
Frankly, I think fear of what would happen in a Romney/Republican Administration is quite appropriate.
I for one am afraid they would….
-Give more tax breaks to the wealthy and return to the path Duhbya put us on.
-Continue to ignore real issues like health care, immigration and the erosion of the Middle Class
-Turn back the clock on social issues…how can one be against government intrusion and for regulating sex?
-Increased support for Paul Ryan’s Social Darwinist fiscal program.
-Increased military spending…come on we already spend more than the next 15 countries COMBINED.
-Push a dangerously right wing Supreme Court over the edge…Corporations are people….really?
As for the Hope and Change part….
-Instead of losing 700K jobs a month we now create 150K or so each month.
-Instead of a shrinking GDP its slowly beginning to grow again.
-Assuming a non activist court, progress on Health Care reform
-A Global Financial Meltdown was averted
-Sanity in the budget debate…you mean it takes spending cuts and additional revenue…who would have thunk it
Imagine what could have been accomplished if both parties had embraced a bit of Hope and Change. However the Republicans prefer FUD so when in Rome one must do as the Romans do…at least until enough of them are voted out of office to return to the path of Hope and Change.
iggy
May 29th, 2012
2:49 pm
JDW. Nice talking points. You should send those to the Obama campaign and they could print up tee-shirts for the homeless.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
2:58 pm
Funny how decreasing spending a few percentage points a year for 20 years is now considered by the uninformed to “Social Darwinism”.
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
3:09 pm
how can one be against government intrusion and for regulating sex?
Yeah, that one gets me too. One of the most private of matters and they want a hand in controlling it.
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
3:10 pm
Hey, maybe instead of waging just two wars WHILE giving out tax breaks, the Romney administration will give out tax breaks WHILE waging 4 wars!
Mitt Romeny 2012
Double Down, beeyatches!
SBinF
May 29th, 2012
3:11 pm
Sounds about right, the right wing agenda should be feared.
MarkV
May 29th, 2012
3:15 pm
Kyle,
Why don’t you consider your blog, the posts of Obama’s detractors, as a microcosm of what Obama is facing in the election. Read the lies, all the hateful, insulting, obscene posts (some of which even you have to reject), and then tell us that Obama’s campaign should be positive.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
3:15 pm
“how can one be against government intrusion and for regulating sex?”
Libs confuse “regulating sex” with “government paying for contraceptives”.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
3:16 pm
“Read the lies”
How about this, MaryV?
POST the lies you think are here, and prove that they are lies.
Or you can simply whine all day long as you usually do.
Kyle Wingfield
May 29th, 2012
3:17 pm
JDW: Which “regulation of sex” did you have in mind?
Jefferson
May 29th, 2012
3:21 pm
The GOP will never cut spending, they didn’t before, they won’t now or ever.
Becky
May 29th, 2012
3:21 pm
Tibs and Kyle-are you being deliberately obtuse? Look up the definition if needed. There there dearie.
hahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha losers
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
May 29th, 2012
3:23 pm
how can one be against government intrusion and for regulating sex?
———-
Straw man alert.
The only thing missing from your statement is any basis in reality. Your tinfoil hat needs an adjustment, methinks.
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
3:26 pm
On the specific topic of for-profit schools of higher education — notorious both for saddling students with high levels of debt and for their abysmal graduation rates — Romney promised to repeal Obama’s “ill-advised” regulations targeting the sector. The for-profit school industry gives Mitt Romney a lot of money. One of Mitt Romney’s top education advisors is William D. Hansen, who has lobbied extensively for for-profit schools.
salon.com
Even you Cons know this is not a good thing. Get a degree from a for-profit college and wait patiently by your phone – it won’t ring from anyone you’d really want to work for. We in IT look at these degrees as a joke – a cruel joke bordering on fraud.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
May 29th, 2012
3:26 pm
The GOP will never cut spending, they didn’t before, they won’t now or ever.
——-
Apparently you missed the whole debt ceiling debate last year.
There is one political party trying to cut spending. And if the Democrat Senate and Obozo weren’t obstructing, the Republicans would have cut spending and reformed Medicare already.
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
3:28 pm
“The GOP will never cut spending, they didn’t before, they won’t now or ever.”
So since Obama has never cut spending either, Jefferson, (and shows no sign of ever doing so) you’re saying that our deficit and debt is hopeless and we should just give up?
iggy
May 29th, 2012
3:29 pm
“notorious both for saddling students with high levels of debt and for their abysmal graduation rates”
Sounds like a lot of bellyaching from a group of immature high school students who couldnt face the workforce so they opted out for 4 more years of partying, then the bill/hangover arrived.
Awwww….
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
3:29 pm
Becky, are you being deliberately irrelevant?
Look up the word, dearie.
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
3:31 pm
Just the thought of another conservative judge on the SC should put fear in the heart of the independents.
Bad craziness. Corporations are people?
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
May 29th, 2012
3:32 pm
Allow me to translate and simplify JDW’s talking points above:
“From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs”.
Lil' Barry Bailout (Revised Downward)
May 29th, 2012
3:33 pm
Are unions people?
stands for decibels
May 29th, 2012
3:36 pm
The idea that Romney, in just four or eight years, would spend his political capital trying to push a nationwide ban on abortion through Congress — and that the Supreme Court would overturn precedent to uphold said law — is beyond far-fetched.
hmm. How many years has the GOP platform included something like this, from 1996:
We believe the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life that cannot be infringed. We therefore reaffirm our support for a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make it clear that the 14th Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.
or this, from 2008:
We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.
How is that “legislation” going to be enforced, if not through the criminal code?
Your side is pro-criminalization. Own it.
And good for Team Obama for correctly pointing this out, it’s about time they did.
Finn McCool
May 29th, 2012
3:38 pm
Apparently you missed the whole debt ceiling debate last year. There is one political party trying to cut spending. And if the Democrat Senate and Obozo weren’t obstructing, the Republicans would have cut spending and reformed Medicare already.
Yeah, seems i recall obama offering 3-1 cuts to tax increases? That’s called “compromise” and who was having none of it?
Tiberius - Banned from Bookman's and proud of it!
May 29th, 2012
3:44 pm
Finn, Obama’s “cuts” weren’t actual cuts, but simply reductions in spending increases. The GOP was holding out for actual cuts. And of course were opposed to tax increases as well.
Nice try. But fail, again.