Duped! But now what?

Charlie Cook of the National Journal (relatively dead center), is one of those people like Nate Silver who, interpreting EVERYTHING as political and politically motivated never the less find truth in numbers, if not in motivation.

Here’s your key quotes…

THE COOK REPORT

No Wonder Republican Criticism of Obama Isn’t Working

They’re attacking the president where he’s least vulnerable at a time when they have minimal credibility.

Henny Youngman, the late borscht belt comedian, told hundreds of politically incorrect jokes. One of them was his response when asked, “How’s your wife?” “Compared to what?” he’d say.

What’s most telling is where Obama scores well with voters and where he does not. When asked whether they thought each of seven phrases did or did not apply to Obama, he rated best with “is likable,” at 79 percent.

On “honest and trustworthy” and “is a decisive leader,” respondents scored the president at 58 percent. “Is not a typical politician” came in next, at 54 percent

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His bottom three ratings were “can manage the government effectively” (52 percent said it applied, 47 percent said it did not); “generally agrees with you on issues you care about” (51 percent to 47 percent); and “generally agrees with your views on the size and power of government” (48 percent to 50 percent).

Basically, Republicans are attacking Obama where he is least vulnerable and at a time when they have minimal credibility. It isn’t working. By trying to turn everything into a scandal rather than saying Obama’s policies are wrongheaded—and rather than fixing their own image problems with minority, female, younger, and moderate voters—Republicans are focusing on attacking a guy whose name will never again appear on a ballot.

This article appears in the May 25, 2013, edition of National Journal as A Glass House.

Read it all

Sunnstein, Axelrod, and Carney all unintentionally made the case the republicans  it seems should be making.

Who among the republicans today can be likable enough to explain why a large govt, the ENTIRE underpinning of today’s progressive dem party, will always lead to where we are?

We have to remember that in the ~1850’s the republicans were regarded as disgusting radicals, and the extremist moral police whose election to power came about as a result of a three way national split.

The issue then?

Only slavery.

Today the SEEMINGLY modest repressions of a huge out of control monster whose lightest footstep crushes opposition and becomes self sustaining despite party are SEEMINGLY less dangerous than the issues then because we can just go out to dinner  grab a joint, or have a G&T, and watch cable or satellite while we think about the BBQ this Memorial Day.

The repubs have to find a way to break thru to the lowinfos