U.S. Presidential race - Republican Discussion

[ptwonline]

Agreed. I honestly didn't even think about it as a shot at her motherhood until people started arguing about it.

It's being turned into a shot against stay-at-home mothers. Really, it's not. It's a shot at a really wealthy woman who didn't have to go to work and got to choose to stay home and raise her kids being presented as some sort of expert on the economic struggles of women.

But it wasn't a smart thing to say because it could be so weasily taken out-of-context and milked for all it is worth.

[Catta]

What would give you that impression?

Just the fact that he is feverishly trying to connect with the "average american" and fails miserably

[Jaxi]

Just the fact that he is feverishly trying to connect with the "average american" and fails miserably

So your observation as an average citizen of Denmark is that Romney is failing to connect with the "average American" because he is rich?

Interesting.

[ptwonline]

Just the fact that he is feverishly trying to connect with the "average american" and fails miserably

As long as he continues to support policies that seem to favor the wealthy at the expense of everyone else, he's going to struggle to make that connection.

---------- Post added 2012-04-12 at 11:11 PM ----------

So your observation as an average citizen of Denmark is that Romney is failing to connect with the "average American" because he is rich?

Interesting.

When you're different in some way, people are naturally going to want a bit more reassurance that you aren't that different after all, or not understanding them, or a threat of some kind. In Obama's case he had to work hard to cultivate the image of the most non-threatening black man in America aside from Bill Cosby or Urkel. In Romney's case he will have to show that he does indeed understand the poor and the middle class and the unemployed and the people underwater in their mortagages and those saddled with student loan debt...

[Callace]

So your observation as an average citizen of Denmark is that Romney is failing to connect with the "average American" because he is rich?

Interesting.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...A65S_blog.html

His image of "being disconnected" is currently his biggest hurdle. He consistently says some pretty awkward things in an attempt to reach out to his audiences. I don't think all of that can be attributed to wealth though, maybe it's more inherent to his personality.

[Xeones]

So your observation as an average citizen of Denmark is that Romney is failing to connect with the "average American" because he is rich?

Interesting.

As an average Amercian I say he is drastically failing to appear to have any clue what it is like to be a normal citizen of this country.

[ptwonline]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...A65S_blog.html

His image of "being disconnected" is currently his biggest problem. He consistently says some pretty awkward things in an attempt to reach out to his audiences.

I think him actually being disconnected is his biggest problem. I can see no other way he supports mainstream Republican economic policies otherwise, unless he's actually in touch but simply doesn't care.

[Callace]

I think him actually being disconnected is his biggest problem. I can see no other way he supports mainstream Republican economic policies otherwise, unless he's actually in touch but simply doesn't care.

Whether it's the symptom or the diagnosis, overcoming it may be his greatest long term challenge.

[Jaxi]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...A65S_blog.html

His image of "being disconnected" is currently his biggest hurdle. He consistently says some pretty awkward things in an attempt to reach out to his audiences. I don't think all of that can be attributed to wealth though, maybe it's more inherent to his personality.

You link an opinion piece based off an SNL skit and use that to show he is disconnected? I would have to agree with you. I was not, however, arguing that he was not disconnected. I was trying to show the absurdity of claiming he fails miserably at connecting with the average American. If that was true, then his ratings against Obama would be much worse. Currently he is at his lowest point against Obama (according to Gallup), and while I agree it is because of his partial disconnect, I would not say it is failing miserably.



If he was failing miserably, it would not be even this close, and this is the worst he has done against Obama in quite awhile.

[Callace]

You link an opinion piece based off an SNL skit and use that to show he is disconnected? I would have to agree with you. I was not, however, arguing that he was not disconnected. I was trying to show the absurdity of claiming he fails miserably at connecting with the average American. If that was true, then his ratings against Obama would be much worse. Currently he is at his lowest point against Obama (according to Gallup), and while I agree it is because of his partial disconnect, I would not say it is failing miserably.



If he was failing miserably, it would not be even this close, and this is the worst he has done against Obama in quite awhile.

Sure, he has plenty of supporters, but something tells me that those figures are more anti-Obama than pro-Romney. A large chunk of the Republican base is very skeptical about even backing him. I think his ability to connect remains to be seen. I think it will be one of the factors working against him in the election.

[Xeones]

Sure, he has plenty of supporters, but something tells me that those figures are more anti-Obama than pro-Romney. A large chunk of the Republican base is very skeptical about even backing him. I think his ability to connect remains to be seen. I think it will be one of the factors working against him in the election.

The biggest factor working against Romney is himself. I can't help but imagine Obama talking circles around him while Romney makes "I like to fire people"-esque comments.

[Callace]

The biggest factor working against Romney is himself. I can't help but imagine Obama talking circles around him while Romney makes "I like to fire people"-esque comments.

I don't think he'll make it nearly so easy on Obama, but I can't wait to see the real debates none the less.

[Dacien]

Why? She's a middling democratic party strategist no one has ever heard of and no one in the Obama Campaign agrees with what she said. On top of that she apologized.

If you think this will in any way mitigate the GOP's march backwards on women's issues idk what to say man.

If you look again at my post, you'll see I didn't make any argument that it would, only that I hope it does.

If you've never once in your life had to worry about money how can you possibly understand what its like?

Difference between empathy and sympathy.

Democrats need to stick to the high road. Republicans can often get away with taking the low road, but not Democrats.

It's often said that in moral issues, Republicans are held to a higher standard due to their positions on social issues.

[ptwonline]

It's often said that in moral issues, Republicans are held to a higher standard due to their positions on social issues.

Not sure about held to a higher standard, but they are called out more for their apparent hypocrisy. That hypocrisy often has little or no effect on their supporters though.

[Xeones]

Not sure about held to a higher standard, but they are called out more for their apparent hypocrisy. That hypocrisy often has little or no effect on their supporters though.

It rarely gets called anymore when they realized no one cares.

[Wells]

Let's be clear, Rosen does not work for the DNC, The White House, or the Obama Campaign.

So some lady said something kinda mean on the TV.

It just ties into Romney's strategy of accusing Obama of everything he himself is weak on.

[bergmann620]

It just ties into Romney's strategy of accusing Obama of everything he himself is weak on.

Like I said before, it's White Obama vs Eggshell Obama. They're both going to be scraping the barrel when it comes to attacking each other.

[ptwonline]

Like I said before, it's White Obama vs Eggshell Obama. They're both going to be scraping the barrel when it comes to attacking each other.

I don't think so. Since Romney had to run so far to the right and agree with pretty much every conservative thing that Republicans said and did, Obama will have a ton of ammo to launch at Romney for pretty much everything that Republicans--including at the State level--have been doing.

Obama has also crafted his economic message taking a much more populist stance that may work especially well against someone like Romney.

However, I fully expect Romney to keep his ridiculous "I know you are but what am I?" strategy going, which probably is somewhat effective at blunting attacks against himself for low-information voters.

[Callace]

It just ties into Romney's strategy of accusing Obama of everything he himself is weak on.

I'm almost surprised this hasn't been reported as news yet. I think the entire dialogue start-to-finish is kind of self-deflating.

[Wells]

However, I fully expect Romney to keep his ridiculous "I know you are but what am I?" strategy going, which probably is somewhat effective at blunting attacks against himself for low-information voters.

More or less. The idea behind the strategy is to make the issue turn from a serious criticism (GOP policy towards women's issues) and makes it look like just another petty thing to squabble over. He's not trying to convince people Obama is bad for women, he's just trying to get people to stop caring about the issue.