Republican Politics of Projection

How often have we seen this tactic used by the Right-wingers??? You know why they use it? Not because it convinces anyone on the Left to join the Right but because the people on the Right are low information voters that fall for something this obtuse and obvious. In other words, it works on dumb people.


Republican Politics of Projection
As a younger voter in 1988, I remember when then-Vice President and presidential candidate George H.W. Bush stood in front of Boston Harbor and slammed his opponent, Massachusetts Governor Mike Dukakis, for the pollution in Boston Harbor. I was shocked because the U.S. had just gone through eight years of a Reagan-Bush administration that had attacked and dismantled every environmental protection that it possibly could, including fighting the cleanup of Boston Harbor. This was perhaps the beginning of the modern Republican Politics of Projection — accusing your opponent of doing the very thing that you have been doing — as practiced by Bush’s campaign manager, Lee Atwater.

Atwater had a young protégé, Karl Rove, who perfected the Republican Politics of Projection during George W. Bush’s presidency. Thus, for example, we had Bush administration officials approving and abetting the kidnapping and torture of suspects and the illegal warrantless wiretapping of Americans, then turning around and accusing those who criticized such actions of “hypocrisy” and being “out of bounds”.

Today, the Republican Politics of Projection continues in full force. Republicans in Congress vote for Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget that would end Medicare as we know it, then raise phony objections about Democrats “cutting Medicare” when the Affordable Care Act cut funds from a private program called Medicare Advantage that is not part of the actual Medicare benefit. Likewise, Republicans raise the spurious charge of “voter fraud” in order to commit the true voter fraud of vote suppression via unreasonable and unfair voter i.d. laws. Or how about when Republicans carp about Democratic-appointed or “activist” judges who “legislate from the bench”, when it is the Republican-appointed, so-called “conservative” judges who do this, such as in the infamous Bush v. Gore and Citizens United cases, with Republican approval. If New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were running for president today, Republicans would probably call President Obama fat.

The Republican Politics of Projection can be stated with the Republicans’ own simple term: hypocrisy. It is a very popular and effective tactic in the Republican playbook, and Democrats and progressives need to identify it and speak out whenever they see it, in order to lessen its power.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/16/1083830/-Republican-Politics-of-Projection

 

Mitten's team is already using the same tactics now that he's the presumptive wanna-be...how pathetic... and they wonder why their party is crumbling around them! LOL

 

Why am I reminded of BO calling Bush unpatriotic for running up $4 trillion in debt & using the Chinese as a credit card??

 

I hate obama.

 

Four more years!

 

How Christian of you. I mean that. Hate is what Christians seem to excel at.

 

But David says:

Unless the President is a Democrat, of course. So much for "faith".

 

...and unlike his views on Reagan resources (make sure you have tissue handy):

LOL...here David... have a tissue... LOL

 

They are a hateful lot. Just look at the report from the billionaire that owns Ameritrade and the Cubs. It states very specifically that his intent in bringing up Rev. Wright was to make independent voters "hate Obama". Hate has worked well for the Right for a long time. Christians hate gays, women, minorities, and immigrants, in other words, anyone that isn't like them. The politics of hatred.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/05/17/us/politics/17donate-document.html?ref=politics

 

I don't think that this is going to work any better than it did the first time. Or than the Ayers thing did for that matter. Despite all the fuming and outrage both posed and real from the Bagger right it doesn't seem to have resonated with voters other than those who believe that Obama is a Socialist/Radical Christian/Muslim/Terrorist Muslim/TerroristAmerican/Fascist/Communist/Stalinist/Hitlerian/Maoist/America-Hating/Foreign-Born uppity n*gg*er and would never support him anyway. I hope Mr Ameritrade flushes a bundle down the toilet on this.

 

Apparently now you can add metrosexual black Abe Lincoln to the list. Yikes! I have never been a Cubs fan but I work with a few. They don't seem to mind a 100 years plus between championships. I guess they are playing the long game. Rickett just blew his chances of getting tax payer money for a new stadium.

 

I do not think there is anything wrong with being honest.
It would be inappropriate to call me a Christian even if I wish I could believe and be filled with love, I don't believe but at least have the love of my family that keeps me human.

 

Why would any sane person want this. I could understand not wanting Mitt but to actually root for Obama. I could see why that guy in Singapore gave up on this nation

 

Remember all those clips where people were saying BO was going to make their house payment, put gas in their car, etc? Think along those lines & consider the source.

 

Maybe you should learn the difference between hating people and hating their behaviors, actions, policies, etc. I didn't hate Bush but I sure hated what his policies did to this country. I don't think that you are being honest as much as you are being just obtuse. Like I always say Andy, you're probably a nice guy with a 6th grade education under your belt. Unfortunately, that makes you subject to simple-minded ideals which you constantly regurgitate here. I wish that I could say that I was sorry for these characterizations of your personality but I don't believe that I am wrong about them. Apologizing would just be a lie.

I guess there is nothing wrong with being honest.

 

Hey don't sweat it. You remind me of some of the homeless of NYC who stand in urine drenched pants cursing out anyone who walked by and preached whatever was in their head at the moment. I held no bad feelings for I realized where it was coming from and sometimes gave them a ten spot.

 

Hey I was in NYC last week and I think I saw that guy you are talking about. He said to say Hi! and thanks for the drug money. Mr. Pee Pants was waiting outside the theater showing The Book of Mormon and he went up and down the line asking for money or "a beer". You'd think Depends were more of a necessity given his situation. Anyway, if you get the chance, do see The Book of Mormon. On Broadway if possible. It’ll give you insight into Mr. Romney.

 

No offense meant here Andy, but if you have to ask such a question, and it's sincere, I myself have serious reservations about your reasoning... lol ...Oh, c'mon! Fair's fair! lol

Now, it's true, partisanship is part of the game, and bias can certainly lead someone to be unreasonable, despite the validity of the evidence proving their mistake, I can honestly say... with partisanship and bias pushed aside... I want Obama in the White House for four more years.

That isn't to say he hasn't done things I'm against, but show me one person in the World you totally agree with (aside from your children, or other family, let's keep it civil) and I'll guarantee you're mistaken.

What most people wrongly assume is that the President has the power to make dramatic change. Obama made the mistake of campaigning on the premise that he could affect that change. For that, he was a fool if he actually believed he could...but in politics it was acceptable to say, and it's expected to say such things.

IMO, Obama severely overestimated his ability to make significant changes in our basic government. I believe he may have thought his popularity ensured there was enough popular support to affect those changes...and it might be, just not in the way he expected.

He may have been too sure of that popularity, and may have expected Congress to remain under Democratic control, and for the Senate to gain more seats as well. Under that scenario he does indeed have a bit more ability to make Democratic changes, but never would he have enough power to make Congressional and Judicial changes, the changes that we desperately need.

Those changes are nearly impossible to make, and certainly cannot be made by one man, no matter his popularity. The only way such changes are likely ever going to be made is by popular revolt, as with the Occupy movement... but on steroids. That would have immediate and disasterous effects in the short term though, and I'm not recommending it.

But barring that, there is no other realistic way to convince the Congress to give up the powers they've bestowed upon themselves. And you can't blame Obama for that. His intent is good, but realisticly he has as much power as any other President before him. The difference is his motives are good, despite the corruption that Presidential Power brings.

Is he perfect? Hell no, but I would rather have someone with good intent as President. Thank god Cheney never got there!

...and don't get me started on Reagan...we are polar opposites when it comes to him as well.

 

You noticed!
...and thanks by the way!

But to continue on why I support Obama:

As I've already mentioned, it begins with character. I firmly believe Obama's character is superior to any recent candidate. It's important, but not defining, so I'll continue:

All the character in the World means little without the ability to duke it out in the arena that is politics. Carter was unable to, IMO, and was lost amid the politics of it all. Obama though, has more than enough ability to navigate the twisted halls on Captal Hill and manage a victory of two.

That's a shame, really, to have to get dirty to get anything done on the Hill... but it's a reality...and Obama isn't squeaky-clean after those fights. The nature of politics, particularily in passing legislation, means you have to compromise with people ...any good person with an ounce of integrity could not stomach to, but you have to... you have to deal with those less desirables to get the job done.

So what I'm saying is, Obama has the integrity to do the right thing, the intelligence to fight the fights he can win, and the stamina to navigate through the politics involved. It isn't pretty, but that's politics, and I don't see anyone more capable for the job.

 

Isn't it odd that these type of theaters all closed down when Republican Mayors took over NYC. You must have had a hard time finding a show to go to that meets your standards. Oh that's right you showed your cultural awareness by stating a play that is an attack on a religion that was written by the creators of South Park. Chekhov, Simon,O'Neil, nope South Park is all you can understand with Cliff Notes.