Posted by
Patrick Henry on Friday, June 05, 2009 11:43:47 AM
While an astonishingly loyal cult of personality has grown up around President
Barack Obama, there is a growing disconnect between Obama's personal popularity
and the festering dissatisfaction in mainstream America with many of his policies.
This would suggest that a winning Republican electoral strategy should target the
unpopular policies first, rather than attacking the man directly.
Politically, the syllogism is a simple one: (a) here is the objectionable policy;
(b) here's where (and who) it came from, and (c) here's how to change it. Resisting
the temptation to attack a wide swath of policies with a broadsword, Republicans
should select the half-dozen or so most unpopular policies and puncture them
with a well-aimed rapier, forcing Obama and his party to defend and thereby "wear"
them. Such a strategy will inevitably have electoral consequences for Obama and
the Democrats, however otherwise likable America may find him.
The present fact is that while Obama's personal popularity hovers near the 60th
percentile, a number of his policies and administrative decisions are approved by
less than half of the electorate. Obama has pollsters too, and thus one may only
conclude that while he knows Americans desire one course of action, he chooses
to substitute his judgment for theirs and take an opposite course. Presidents who
habitually do that eventually see plummeting job approval ratings and ultimately
don't get re-elected.
One area of vulnerability may be the knotty energy issue. During the election
cycle 70% of Americans supported "drill, baby, drill," desiring to see America
maximize its own resources. Since his election Obama, who seemed open to
limited offshore exploration as a candidate, has done everything in his power
to block such development as president. He should be held accountable for that.
Prior to his trip to the Middle East. a huge preponderance of representatives
and senators signed a cautionary letter to Obama asking him to tone down his
criticism of the current Israeli government's policy. They did this because of the
strategic importance of the Israeli alliance, the powerful pro-Israeli lobby and
the number of increasingly vocal Jews in their constituencies who see Obama
tilting into the pro-Palestinian posture many feared he would take prior to
voting for him. There are many Jews, and even more who favor pro-Isreali
policies for historic and strategic reasons. They are now very much in play, and
should be regularly faced with Obama's repeated attempts to dictate to Israel
while appeasing the Muslim world.
Bloggers, talk show hosts and pollsters report a deep and widespread growing
resentment of the government takeovers of the private sector under Obama. The
government now controls two of America's three remaining automakers, its
largest insurance company (AIG), about 500 banks and the two biggest mortgage
holders. Obama is presuming to set salaries, dismiss executives and dictate policy
to whole industries. He has announced plans to expand his domain to include control
over healthcare and energy production. American sentiment is rapidly evolving from
deep unease to outright anger. Since all of these sectors are now being essentially
run by politicians who know nothing about business, some will undoubtedly do
much worse, even, than before the takeovers. It is imperative to help mainstream
Ameriacana ro realize that it is not just government policy they resent. It is OBAMA's
policy.
New polls reveal that a majority of Americans disapprove of abortion (which
Obama's policies seek to facilitate), oppose the closing of Guanatamo Bay (which
Obama continues to promise to do) and overwhelmingly oppose bringing Gitmo
detainees to American soil (which both Obama and his puppet attorney general
favor). In other words, the only time Obama gives a flying flip about what Americans
want is when he needs their votes.
As voters' electric bills skyrocket, private health insurance is lost and taxes rise to
support irresponsible and unsustainable government spending and debt, voters must
understand that it is this icon to whom they have sold their souls who has led them
down a primrose path to an America that is a mere shadow of its' former self. Abe
Lincoln's old maxim that "you can't fool all the people all the time" is all too true,
and it can be brought front and center by intelligent, well-considered arguments of
cause and effect. The GOP must. however, resist the inclination to go after the
policies THEY don't like, and focus exclusively on those the VOTERS don't like.
That is the best way to bring this egotistical president with his phony Greek temples,
international apology tours and umbilically attached teleprompter crashing back to
earth. It's time to start that process now!