How We Will Beat Romney Thread: Please Check In With Your Ideas

[RBInMaine]

Barring some catastrophic error by Mittens, he is the default candidate and will be the GOP nominee. Much of the their base doesn't like him because of all his past moderate positions and his general dullness, but the majority of their base is split up across the other goofballs running, so Mittens is the default guy with the winning plurality and the establishment and corporate backing who will get it. He has also been running for six years, has a huge warchest, and the best overall organization. Again, he is the establishment default guy, and there is just no one who has or will be able to emerge to be a viable enough alternative for them that the rest of the base all rally around. It's Mittens.
But, the good news, again, is that much of the R base, really the majority, is not enthusiastic about him. But they'll hold their noses and support him out of hate of Obama.

So they have their guy. No surprise. And Obama's team and the DNC know it as they have already been airing ads against him. Here is how we BRAND Mittens and FRAME our ATTACK message against Mittens and burn him down:

1) He is an FLIP FLOPPING PHONY. A CHARLATAN. He has flipped and flopped on a woman's right to choose, on healthcare, on global warming, and on and on and on. He is made of SILLY PUTTY and molds himself into whatever shape he needs to shape himself into to pander to whatever audience he is in front of. HE HAS NO CORE AND YOU CAN NOT TRUST HIM.

2) He is a silver-spooned corporatist JOB KILLER. His Bain Capital company killed American jobs and sent them overseas. He wanted to let the auto industry die.

3) He is a silver-spooned corporatist who says "CORPORATIONS ARE PEOPLE" and wants to continue to help the 1% instead of the 99% and wants to continue the failed trickle down policies that caused the Great Recession. His current plan helps the rich and taxes the middle class and the working class and the poor. He supports the anti-worker laws and went on record saying he supported the anti-worker law in Ohio before that was crushed at the ballot box.

These are the three main lines of ATTACK, and ATTACK HIM BRUTALLY WE WILL ! He is a FLIP FLOPPING PHONY RICH BOY CORPORATIST JOB KILLER OF BY AND FOR THE 1% INSTEAD OF THE 99%.

Every Democrat needs to start attacking Flippy Mittens like this RIGHT NOW. I look forward to your thoughts.

[Stuart G]

1. When all info comes out, to all...He will beat himself...nt.

[RBInMaine]

2. Yeah, but we gotta attack the bastard brutally outselves, and we will.

[RBInMaine]

4. Like what is in his tax records. It is his HUGE income and LOW divided tax rates.

[RBInMaine]

13. What info do you think will "come out"?

[FarLeftFist]

36. THE BEST WAY TO DEBATE A REPUBLICAN IS TO USE FACTS.

[MadHound]

3. I would suggest focusing on how Obama doesn't beat himself

Face the facts, there is no 'Pug currently in the Republican clown car that can beat Obama. If they are moderate enough to attract the big money donors, as Romney is, then a lot of the 'Pug base is going to stay at home or vote third party, probably for Ron Paul. If their candidate is wingnut crazy enough to attract the RW Teabag idiots, then the big money will go elsewhere, in effect killing the campaign before it starts.

This dichotomy means that Obama should have no problem beating whomever the 'Pugs toss up. But given that Obama has pissed off a lot of supporters, it is certainly not certain that Obama will beat himself. That's the drama of this election, whether Obama can beat himself, not whether the 'Pugs can beat Obama.

[RBInMaine]

6. The Dem/Progressive base will STRONGLY support Obama. And Mittens will be formidable. So

how about some actual thoughts on how to specifically take on Romney.

[MadHound]

43. LOL, you are obviously clueless about how real politics works,

Don't ever try to bet on a political race, you would lose badly.

[RBInMaine]

58. You hurl a ridiculous insult (after whining to admin about others) but FAIL to actually address the

issue and offer any specifics on how you would specifically go after Romney. What an utterly ridiculous charge.

Romney will be a formidable candidate in this election. There is no question of that. He will have a massive warchest, the R base's hate of Obama will motivate them, he has some indie appeal, and the economy remains a real challenge as it slowly works to dig out of the Great Recession. If you don't see all that, then I think you are the one with the blinders on. (He is VERY beatable, but he will be formidable.)

As to the Dem base, they will indeed STRONGLY support Obama as they essentially do now. We just had Iowa for example. 25000 turned out, 7500 volunteers signed up, and only 1.5% voted "other". Obama got a 98.5% endorsement. And 7500 volunteers. That is AWESOME !

[RBInMaine]

61. You are the one is clueless, clueless, clueless, and WHINER to boot.

[chelsea0011]

5. Just make him run on his record

[RBInMaine]

7. What's the "record" in your view.

[chelsea0011]

15. My former Governor created fewer jobs nationwide than most other states,

his person in charge of the Big Dig cut corners to save money and a chunk of the tunnel crashed in on a car killing someone (not to mention other problems because of poor, cost saving decisions) , he must be hit endlessly on his statements when running for offices in Massachusetts and his positions now as he runs for POTUS. Some of the republicant candidates have fun running ads about these flip flops but the Dems need to really hit it home if only to keep republicants in their homes on election day. His record at Bain is a disaster for him. He laments the out-of-work now and blames Obama for all of it, but shrugs his shoulders when people lose jobs from his corporate raiders saying that it is a necessary outcome for a better company. He is a fraud and the Dems have a lot to work with.

[RBInMaine]

18. "He is a fraud" is your best line, and much other great info. DNC has already had ads on his flip

flops and they have a website just on Mittens as a flipper.

[RBInMaine]

19. Why did he not run for re-election in 06? Because Patrick would have beaten him and he knew it?

[PuffedMica]

8. Take notes at all the Republican debates

Use their own tactics against Romney.

I intend to keep slamming home the negative facts about Romney in every political discussion I engage in.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

40. Problem is very few of them are actually attacking Romney. He got off scott-fee last night!

The Corporate Media also refuses to vet this guy thoroughly. They did the same to John McCain who has never fully been vetted.

[madrchsod]

9. make sure more people vote for obama...

i`m not sure how many tea party clowns will vote for mittens, after all, he is a mormon and romney care to his credit.

[RBInMaine]

11. How do you suggest attacking Romney? What issues to use?

[madrchsod]

33. attacking romney would be easy the hard part is

convincing the great undecided that obama is better. i`d say just stick with the facts and compare the two.

[great white snark]

10. Brand him as an unapologetic plutocrat.

Who could care less about the struggles of the 99%.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

12. A Perry supporter tells me...

Perry has private investigators taking a very close look into the matrimonial arrangements of several of Romney's relatives.

I don't think the fact Romney is into something weirder than Scientology should be off limits. Give the American people a through education in Mormon theology and ask them if you want to give an adherent release authority over nuclear weapons.

[RBInMaine]

14. But Perry it TOAST especially after announcing his desire to re-enter Iraq, and that marriage stuff

won't fly outside the ultra crazy world. It wouldn't be directly related to him, it would be seen mainly as disgusting smear tactics, and everyone already knows he is a Mormon, so the fundies are already turned off by that.

[quinnox]

16. From what many Obama supporters say, Willard will be an easy crush for Obama

[great white snark]

17. Good for them, the rest of us will work our asses off.

Taking nothing for granted.

[RBInMaine]

20. Absolutely. Take NOTHING for granted and WORK LIKE HELL to CRUSH Mittens.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

41. I'm an staunch Obama supporter and I certainly don't think this will be easy...at all!

Are you not an Obama supporter? If not, who will you support for the presidency? Mittens?

[RBInMaine]

44. Obama was handed the worst possible economy and then unending right wing obstruction. Still, he HAS

been able to accomplish a lot.

[quinnox]

48. what an odd reaction

to my post. Don't know where all that came from.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

52. Well, you called out "Obama supporters" as if it is separate from you, and the tone of your post

sounded as if "Obama supporter" is a prejorative. That's why I asked.

[barbtries]

21. how can a nation trust the judgment

of a man who would strap a helpless irish setter to the top of a car and then drive for 1200 miles?

[RBInMaine]

22. Say what? What is this all about?

[Fawke Em]

27. Seamus strapped to the top of Romney family car

http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2012/01/08/what-our-fascination-mitt-romney-dog-seamus-says-about-our-culture/T6T7ghK6qOVjDmOgpoV4LL/story.html

There you go.

[barbtries]

39. here you go

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/dogs-on-the-roof-campaign-craziness-continues-to-s-c-and-n-h/

[treestar]

46. That one will hurt Mittens

more than it probably ought to, not being a political decision. But it shows his recklessness and obliviousness.

[greymattermom]

23. the tax return

There is obviously something to hide in that document. Obama has shown both his tax return and birth certificate. Both should be required of all presidential candidates. I have to fill out conflict of interest forms every year at work at my state government job. The tax returns serve as a conflict of interest form for politicians who want government jobs.

[greymattermom]

24. what are the tax return secrets

Let's guess.
Maybe he gives more to LDS than he pays in taxes?

[99Forever]

25. Very simple.

Get that nutball Paul to run on a 3rd party ticket.


Game, set, match, Obama.

[izquierdista]

26. Pull out Teddy's "job killer" ad

And play it over and over and over.

[DCBob]

28. I think Romneys biggest weakness is he makes dumb comments when ad-libbing and under pressure.

Democratic strategists need to figure out ways to force him into those kind of situations.

[Liberal_in_LA]

29. His fake orange tan & 'gray left at the temple' fake hair dye job

[Octafish]

30. The Truth

While he can afford to buy a clue, Willard won't stand a chance.

[graywarrior]

31. Vote

for Obama

[MannyGoldstein]

32. Revert to FDR Liberalism

End the attacks on Social Security and unions, stop lending bankers infinite cash at zero interest, renounce RomneyObamacare in favor of world-class health care, and so forth.

Things have changed: Americans want FDR, not ObamaRomney.

[RBInMaine]

45. No, an unbridled lunge to the ultra left will not work. You don't understand TODAY's regional nation

as compared to the 1930's. Modern progressive-moderation yes, but this is not the 30's. Saying Mitt is a corporatist out for the 1% over the 99% is fine, and saying trickle down does not work and has never worked and that we need an investment economy is ok, but not a return to the 30's mentality. This is 2012.

[MannyGoldstein]

50. Feel that?

It's the ground shifting under your feet. The 99% have finally woken from their 30-year torpor.

Same thing happened in the 1920s and 1930s - folks thought right-wing Laissez-Faire policies were the way to go, then suddenly they realized they'd been fucked, and everyone became a Liberal in short order.

It happens quickly when it happens - Democrats (or pretenders) need to sieze the moment.

[RBInMaine]

53. Feel what? This protest movement is fizzling fast and has no electoral organization. Remember '68?

Who won? TRICKY DICK, even with all the anti-right wing protesting and all the people who were upset with the right wing and their military industrial complex. Without real
political organizing, protests movements have very little electoral effect. And those that ultimately do take YEARS to have a real impact for change in government policy even when combined with organized political lobbying. Yes, there is a sense of economic unfairness which the OWS protests have shined some light upon, but you hugely overestimate the "power" of the OWS movement.

Hopefully we can agree that they should spend their time organizing politically to defeat right wingers. All the occupying and protesting is mostly an exercise in futility. That's just the plain truth. Study history.

[MannyGoldstein]

54. Remember how the 99% were in awful shape in '68,

their living standards had dropped precipitously, the social safety net was under attack by both parties, and it took two full-time incomes for a family to get by?

Me neither.

That's why this is different and will keep going. OWS is just a beginning, someone will step up and lead. Hopefully the Democrats.

[RBInMaine]

56. No, economics were not as bad, but there are still many parallels and with other past

protest movements as well. Protesting generally has very little actual impact on policy.
Those past movements that have had eventual impact were combined with organized political lobbying and/or electoral organizing, and still it took years. (i.e. abolition, suffrage, labor, etc.) The Vietnam War protests took years to have much effect, and in fact Nixon of all people was elected in 68 and then he expanded the war into Cambodia.
So much for all the protests.

Better to Occupy The Campaigns and Occupy the Voting Booth than waste time beating bongo drums and camping in public parks, the latter of which is just pissing people off because they are getting dirty and can't be used by other members of the 99% who live in those communities.

[MannyGoldstein]

59. Two-thirds of Americans are to the left of both parties

on most issues.

This cannot stand.

[TransitJohn]

57. WTF is "progressive-moderation"???

Is that like atheist-christianity?

[DCBob]

34. Its too risky to let any Republican take the WH.

Their policies would make things much worse.

[HughBeaumont]

35. He protested in favor OF conscription.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002128336

Testimonies from two former workers at a steel mill Bain Capital ransacked and profited off of:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10174842

[DCBob]

37. Let Detroit go bankrupt... By Mitt Romney, Sunday, October 19, 2008

Let Detroit go bankrupt
By Mitt Romney
Published: Sunday, October 19, 2008

BOSTON — If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler get the bailout that their chief executives asked for on Tuesday, you can kiss the American automotive industry goodbye. It won't go overnight, but its demise will be virtually guaranteed.

Without that bailout, Detroit will need to drastically restructure itself. With it, the automakers will stay the course - the suicidal course of declining market shares, insurmountable labor and retiree burdens, technology atrophy, product inferiority and never-ending job losses. Detroit needs a turnaround, not a check.

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19iht-edromney.1.17959143.html

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

38. Unwilling to send his 5 sons to war even though he wants to reinvade Iraq!

And the more we can get people to understand that Massachusetts ranked 47th in the nation on job creation; that he wanted the car industry to go bankrupt; and that Bain Capital laid off tens of thousands of people, I think we'll be in a better position.

If the Republican candidates refuse to go after Romney, the Democrats had better go after him effectively or we're screwed.

It's not going to be easy at all. Romney has enough money to buy these elections, state by state. Hell, he has a house in damn near all of them!

[DCBob]

42. Lack of foreign policy understanding.

Too risky to have a President who does not have a sound firm understanding of foreign policy. For example he flip flopped on Iraq recently.

[marlakay]

47. Remind people he is not only rich but 250 million dollars rich

that is why he won't release tax records is because he doesn't want that fact to come out when so many are struggling to find a job or pay bills.

Obama may have money also but he looks poor compared to Romney.

[Sheepshank]

49. I knew a Freeper-type that hated hated hated Romney

but she is convinced Romeny can beat Obama. Anything to beat the n****** in the WH. She points to all the informal online polls as proof of this likely outcome.

I'm thinking we should encourge and help along all of these pro-Romeny polls. Let the complacency set it

[Douglas Carpenter]

51. Bain & Co: The 1994 Ad By Sen. Ted Kennedy Which Will Floor Mitt RomBOT in 2012

I think the theme used by Teddy's campaign in 94 is really strong theme that can bring Romney down

[knitter4democracy]

55. Make sure friends and family know about the dog.

A Republican friend posted a link to that on her FB, and now people are saying they can't vote for him. Make sure people know about how he strapped his poor dog to the top of the car for the family trip.

[Vinca]

60. Silly as it seems, the dog is the key.

[moriah]

62. Run a candidate? n/t