Is Obama Running the Rope-a-Dope Strategy Against Cheney?

[Phx_Dem]

Andrew Sullivan thinks so.

So Obama plays defense on torture, urging that we move forward, while releasing crucial information and letting others use up the vacuum. Cheney blunders in ... and even Lieberman has to take up arms against him. This is how this president operates. After Clinton and McCain, Cheney is the latest victim. And by demanding more and more transparency, the former vice-president slowly exposes ... himself.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/05/the-ropeadope-again.html

Rope-a-dope strategy is described at the link below, for those who may not be familiar.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deannie-mills/obamas-rope-a-dope_b_120163.html

[MadMaddie]

1. Yes...I do believe he is!!

Cheney is convicting himself everytime he comes out and admits he signed off on the torture. He just implicated * this past weekend!! It's all evidence....

[Puzzler]

14. Yes, and Cheney went on record directly implicating Bush too.

.

[Drunken Irishman]

2. Let Cheney hang himself.

The thing is, Cheney has approval ratings in the teens, right? So if this becomes Obama versus Cheney, who do you think will win in the court of public opinion? This is no different than the Limbaugh/Obama spat that Obama won.

The Republicans are fucking delusional.

[Flabbergasted]

3. I was thinking that too. nt

[tblue37]

13. That dog looks like Steve Carrell. nt

[polichick]

4. Obama knows a dope when he sees one!

[johnnydrama]

5. strategy

I'm not sure how brilliant your strategy has to be when Cheney begs you to release documents that prove he's lying.

[Cha]

6. That's the Pres's

MO.

[Solomon]

7. Except that Cheney wins if another, er hum, "terrorist attack"

hits us. At times it almost seems like he's banking on it.

[Phx_Dem]

9. How does Cheney "win" if there's another attack?

He seems to conveniently forget that we were attacked on his watch, after he received a very specific warning that Bin Laden was determined to attack the U.S. Just because we weren't attacked again, doesn't mean they prevented an attack. The last two administrations have each had one terrorist attack on U.S. soil during their 8-year reign. So now if we're attacked a third time in a row (based on administrations), this time it would Obama's fault and Cheney 'wins?' No, I don't think so.

Let's not forget we were also attacked on Clinton's watch (World Trade Center) so one could argue that our mainland was attacked by terrorists before Cheney took office and he did absolutely nothing to stop another attack, even after receiving a warning. The result, Sept. 11.

Cheney's a dick, and he probably prays to God every day that we are attacked.

[Recursion]

8. It's funny how, over and over, pols from both parties...

...walk into Obama's suckerpunch.

[vaberella]

10. He's doing it on the health industry as well. Dean said as much last night. n/t

[Gregorian]

11. Perhap the order in which the evidence is discovered plays a role?

Maybe he's advising against allowing some evidence at this time until more damning evidence surfaces first.

I haven't given up hope.

I have to say, even though I voted for himn in the primary, Kucinich would have gone off already. I think Obama knows how to play the game. It sucks to wait. But that's life, 'm

[ms liberty]

12. I said this to mr liberty yesterday...

I'm beginning to think Obama plays the deepest game I've ever seen. It seems to be just enough to goad Crashcart into saying a bit more each time. It's really fascinating to watch.

K&R

[Hekate]

15. Kickin'. Remember back in the campaign? Sullivan has been tracking this almost 3 years...

Ever since I read this I have quoted it here again and again because Sullivan turned out to be absolutely right about Obama's strategy. Key phrases, aside from "rope-a-dope," are "quietly but ruthlessly," "sticks to a game plan and seldom deviates", and "Obama rarely directly attacks. He subtly baits." And finally, "And that’s exactly how Obama has handled McCain. Instead of attacking him frontally, he got in his head and provoked him into error."

Does this sound like what President Obama is doing with Cheney or not?

Awesome.

And how about that health plan?

Hekate




If you haven't read it yet, I recommend Sullivan's article from October 12, 2008:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/andrew_sullivan/article4925049.ece

Beep, beep: Road Runner lets McCain blow up
Barack Obama’s strategy of calm is provoking his rival into fatal errors