Fair and Balanced Gaffes

   Definition of "gaffe" - when a politician tells the truth.

   Actually, there are several kinds of gaffes:

    1. Joe Biden gaffes. Joe is a buffoon; everybody knows that Joe is a buffoon; he gets a pass.

    2. Intentional gaffes - or at least ones where the gaffer knowingly applies over the top spin with the expectation that the media will give him / her a pass. Example: the assaults on US embassies and consulates from Morocco to Jakarta, with mobs burning American flags, chanting "Death to America", and hanging President Obama in effigy do not reflect an anti-American attitude or criticism of Obama's policies. After all, he gave a great speech and has a big advantage over Romney on foreign policy.

    3. Gaffes when speaking among friends (or assumed friends) which reflect a politically incorrect point of view.

        -  Mitt Romney's comment that voters who pay no federal income taxes or are dependent on the government for free stuff are unlikely to vote for him. The error was probably in using a 47% figure since it is more complex than that. Mitt's "bad" - and a damaging one.  

        -  President Obama's comment on Univision that he can't change Washington from the inside - as an excuse for why he hasn't even tried to live up to his promises on immigration reform.  What? He is the president isn't he? And he had both houses of Congress for two years didn't he?  

        -  Obama's earlier comment that small business owners didn't build their businesses. It is a fair point that government helps create the enabling environment, but does he really have so little respect for the efforts and contributions of individuals?

    There are some obvious lessons here:

    1. In the age of iPhones and Twitter there is no "friendly audience". All is public.

    2. The mainstream media is not going to treat Democratic and Republican comments equally.  This Sunday's talk shows were full of Romney's 47% comment with nary a comment on Obama's Benghazi mess or his criticism in the Univision interview which included a surprising Hispanic sensitivity to the Fast and Furious scandal as well as his failure on immigration reform.

    3. Gaffes hurt most when they reinforce a negative image that has been established by opposition advertising - Romney the heartless plutocrat; Obama the anti-business socialist.

    4. It is essential that the Romney campaign be about the issues, and not let the Democrats make the discussion be all about Romney's failings or the horse race.  Other Republicans have been complicit in their public criticism of the campaign - if they have complaints, an in-house phone call would do a lot more good for the campaign, if not for the commentator's public profile. For those who think that supporters should support during the peak of the battle, remember Peggy Noonan et al.

    The upcoming debates will provide a great opportunity for Romney to speak directly to 50 million people without the filter of the media. There will be some room for nuance in what he says. There is some fear that the moderators - Jim Lehrer of PBS; Candy Crowley of CNN; and Bob Scheiffer of CBS - will tilt the stage, but Mitt will have the microphone.  For those of us who believe that his policies and demonstrated capabilities are more in line with what the American people want (and if you doubt it, read this Politico polling), this will be the moment.

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   This week's video is Mitt Romney's stunningly good presentation at this week's Clinton Global Initiative Conference. It is a bit long (22 minutes), but shows a great depth of thought about foreign policy and the opportunity for the government and private companies to jointly foster middle class prosperity in emerging countries.  Send it to your "undecided" friends.

bill bowen - 9/28/12  

Comments

[Bill McCormick]

ROMNEY showed what happens when an amateur meets a prepared professional. Despite his best attempt to guide the President the moderator quickly became irrelevant as Romney took over the evening. The opening question was "What will you do to create jobs? " In the 20 minutes the President and Romney spent on that question the President did not use the word "jobs" a single time. Perhaps in the next debate the President can use a teleprompter. Clearly the President is never challenged in his biannual cabinet meetings or by his golf caddy. On the other hand his foreign policy is clearly as he said "on hold"--until after the election when he'll have more flexability. In the end it was a special night to remember as we finally got a look at the performance of a man ready to be President. The man, Mitt Romney, who Jack Welch says is the most qualified man to be President we have ever had the opportunity to elect in our lifetime. And, at a man protected by the media for 5 years who went down faster than Sonny Liston in the rematch with Cassius Clay when exposed to defend himself. If America blows this one we have no one to blame but ourselves. I watched the commentators on MSNBC last night after the performance and they were in total shock and dismay. I suppose by this morning they are recovering and in damage control mode hoping to hell that no one watched last night.

[DickG]

PEE WEE HERMAN MET ROCKY MARCIANO ON MAIN STREET; It's what happens when previously unchallenged media protected 'Dictators'meet REALITY.

[DickG]

ROMNEY'S APPARENT APPROACH; I haven't seen the 'Broad Based Taxation'scheme in print (5 point version and it is in the 59 point version I believe) but I hear him emphesize it in speeches. This would be necessary to 'sensitize' as many as possible to waste and redundant government spending. It would probably be much easier to implement necessary 'Spending Reforms'and receive the Country's cooperation from rich and poor.
Energy (domestically produced)will be right up-front and is #1 on the 5 point 'hit list'. Makes sense as this will both influence deflationary PRODUCT pressures and add 25,000 jobs int he first year.
In the 'mist' of all of this; Romney should make clear that there in lies a difference between 'Progressive Taxation' and Obama's iresponsible "INCOME REDISTRIBUTION".

[Bill McCormick]

WHY THERE ARE NO JOBS--here is what an American small business owner and/or Baby Boomer faces when contemplating retirement:

Hidden in the OBMAMACARE LAW beginning in January 2013 are these gems:

1. If you sell your small business you must pay 3.8% medicare tax on the capital gains from the sale plus 20% Federal plus (5% in Virginia)state tax. So an owner who has worked all their life creating and maintaining jobs for others must now give 28.5% of the gains to Uncle Sam even if you have paid the employees medical benefits all those years.

2. There is a similar Medicare tax on capital gains on your house as well if you earn more than $250k.

So, the option to retire after spending your years building a business is vanishing rapidly with the hidden costs of healthcare. And, the job creators of America are holding off on their capital investments and hiring as they ponder the Liberal "Huns" on the horizon. This has the feeling of the communist revolution with 47% of America trying to rape and pilage the other 53%. If it is not already hidden somewhere you will likely see soon taxes on all inheritance to disallow the transfer of family wealth from generation to generation. Instead forcing the transfer of wealth to the Federal coffers for reallocation. Joe the Plumber forced the truth from Obama in one of his Gaffes but America was too blinded to understand the reallocation of wealth he promised. It is now painfully clear and the outlook for those 23 million Americans getting off unemployment doubtful. Instead we will be generating another 23 million permanent unemployed who become dependent on their government for subsistence.

[lsbowen@roadrunner.com]

Dick G: Yes, spending reform (and tax reform) are needed ASAP. What is Romney's plan?

[DickG]

'OBAMA CASH',THE NEW COUNTERFEIT; finally someone (Sep 15 WSJ B&F Sect p.1,"FED MOVE ECHOES WORLD WIDE")has chronicled effects of all of this 'Federal Bond printing'. US corporations now selling bonds into Europe ,making higher risk investments, and 'salting' away money into 'emerging market' currencies. A trend that can accellerate.
So on Wed, Romney has to remind everyone receiving aid, assistance or simply a PAYCHECK; that your money is rapidly becomming 'counterfeit'. There is no substitute for Spending Reform.

[DickG]

TRY THE WORDS "REFUGEES" & "RE-PATRIATION"; when referring to Mexicans and the Border problem. Romney has to be able to discuss it. Rediculous to 'write off' a 1/4 of the VOTE. 'Refugees' imply a temporary war-torn situation which could eventually be assaulted and solved. Following which, many can and should be 're-patriated' not DEPORTED. I'm sure this could open the 'problem' to a whole new set of legal and International assistance'tools';ACLU notwithstanding.

[DickG]

WATCHING THE VIDEO; Romney at the Clinton G.I. will restore the faith. Like most people he was at his best discussing and promoting an 'idea' wrather than self. It was a quick reminder that there are people out there that can still apply individual private sector solutions which are self-sustaining. His PAC Mission Program is something he has had personal experience delivering to foreign natioanls. The beauty is it gives potential closure to the unending 'foreign aid programs' of the past.
GUESS WHAT FANS; NO PROMPTER AND EVERYONE WAS STANDING AT THE END.
{I hadn't seen this video on any news cast. Not even FOX.}

[DickG]

FULL DISCLOSURE/AN ECONOMIC TUTORIAL/FACT CHECKERS;These Romney must bring to the table at each DEBATE. The electorate was defrauded in 2008 on the competance and motives of the Democratic candidate. Must not be allowed to reoccur. Fact checkers, on sight, must be brought in. IF NOT,the Public should be made aware. Obama's people will limit the optional answers. The unvarnished truths must flow.