# What tactics will Republicans use against Obama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 21, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604 "2008-02-21T19:33:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/81 "2008-02-23T21:13:10Z")
[QUOTE=Jolly Roger] What the heck does that mean? Isn’t the president the Commander in Chief? If McCain doesn’t wanna be president, fine. If he just wants to be CiC and play with troops, buy him a RISK board or a copy of Civilization 4. [/QUOTE] Dude, it was a facetious remark about how McCain will frame himself in the campaign. While I don’t think McCain is likely to get sleazy or negative, I think it’s accurate that he will try to frame the election solely in terms of the (mostly imaginary) “War On Terror,” in which the current state of the US will be likened to London under the Blitzkrieg and McCain himself is the intrepid, courageous military hero who will save us in this, our darkest hour, while the other guy with the Muslim sounding name (who I hear won’t put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem) is going to immediately surrender unconditionally and abjectly to those who would kill and enslave us. IOW, he’s “running for CIC” in the sense that he will have to isolate that one aspect of the job as the only one that matters. ETA, in case you don’t know, **elucidator** is ideologically maybe a hair to the right of Abbie Hoffman. You should not read his comment as an endorsement of John McCain. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/82 "2008-02-23T21:45:44Z")
Back to the subject at hand, I guarantee Fox News will still be “Accidentally” calling him “Osama” right up to election day, and will eventually start referring to him as “Barack Hussein Obama” whenever possible. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2008, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/83 "2008-02-23T22:05:45Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] Dude, it was a facetious remark about how McCain will frame himself in the campaign. While I don’t think McCain is likely to get sleazy or negative, I think it’s accurate that he will try to frame the election solely in terms of the (mostly imaginary) “War On Terror,” in which the current state of the US will be likened to London under the Blitzkrieg and McCain himself is the intrepid, courageous military hero who will save us in this, our darkest hour, while the other guy with the Muslim sounding name (who I hear won’t put his hand over his heart during the National Anthem) is going to immediately surrender unconditionally and abjectly to those who would kill and enslave us. IOW, he’s “running for CIC” in the sense that he will have to isolate that one aspect of the job as the only one that matters. ETA, in case you don’t know, **elucidator** is ideologically maybe a hair to the right of Abbie Hoffman. You should not read his comment as an endorsement of John McCain. [/QUOTE] I wasn’t implying that Elucidator agreed with the statement, I mistakenly thought McCain may have actually said that. Apologies if I offended anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/84 "2008-02-24T01:41:19Z")
As for Repub tactics, I predict they will go: Obama = Osama =Obama = Osama. Then they’ll grin like they just won the f\*ckin’ Nobel Prize, & everybody in Kansas/a certain church/missing a few chromosomes will say: Yupyupyupyup. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/85 "2008-02-24T02:19:19Z")
[QUOTE=DSeid] So far they are testing out: “It’s not inspirational; it’s creepy messianic. No substance.” “No resume. McCain is experienced.” “He’s an extreme liberal with a Leftist agenda. McCain is centrist.” “His wife hates America.” I am sure they’ll trot out the Rezco horse again too. Will any work with either the middle or with exciting the base? Any other tactics that they may try? Other than, y’know, actually discussing issues and contrasts between them on things like Iraq and stuff, which of course will not be a focus. [/QUOTE] I don’t know… the clinton machine already used racism and it didn’t work… it only hurt their cause. You know the “experience” card won’t work either since Obama has come back with “look where ‘experience’ got us”. Plus, when you come right down to it, no one is experienced to be president until they become president and experience office for a while… just saying. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/86 "2008-02-24T02:21:28Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Back to the subject at hand, I guarantee Fox News will still be “Accidentally” calling him “Osama” right up to election day, and will eventually start referring to him as “Barack Hussein Obama” whenever possible. [/QUOTE] I don’t know… I watch fox news a lot and they’re always praising the guy. I kind of get the feeling that some of the reporters personally like the guy… And whenever they interview him, they’re always really nice to him, so I’m not sure where all the fox news hate is coming from… If they were assholes about it, I wouldn’t watch them… I like Obama, and I think Fox News is fair to him. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/87 "2008-02-24T02:54:23Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] As for Repub tactics, I predict they will go: Obama = Osama =Obama = Osama. Then they’ll grin like they just won the f\*ckin’ Nobel Prize, & everybody in Kansas/a certain church/missing a few chromosomes will say: Yupyupyupyup. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] I sometimes meander into blog spots where the Crème de la Crème of the nations finest redneck, wacked out, deliverance posters seem to be and they keep going back to him being a muslim sleeper cell n\*gger. My eyes pop out of my head when I read the stuff in those remarks and I have to leave. I hope they are in a stark minority when election time comes around. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/88 "2008-02-24T03:03:52Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] And whenever they interview him, they’re always really nice to him, so I’m not sure where all the fox news hate is coming from… If they were assholes about it, I wouldn’t watch them… I like Obama, and I think Fox News is fair to him. [/QUOTE] Yeah, it’s not their fault that Hussein is a cigarette-smoking Halfrican Muslim that attended a Madrasah growing up, and whose blackness is the reason anyone pays attention to him, even though he has surrounded himself with white people. But even though he’s on the move, Bush called Musharraf to ask why it is that we can’t catch this Barack Obama fellow. Did I miss anything? ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/89 "2008-02-24T03:23:00Z")
[QUOTE=DMC] Yeah, it’s not their fault that Hussein is a cigarette-smoking Halfrican Muslim that attended a Madrasah growing up, and whose blackness is the reason anyone pays attention to him, even though he has surrounded himself with white people. But even though he’s on the move, Bush called Musharraf to ask why it is that we can’t catch this Barack Obama fellow. Did I miss anything? [/QUOTE] Sadly, you missed everything. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/90 "2008-02-24T04:14:21Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] Sadly, you missed everything. [/QUOTE] Such as? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/91 "2008-02-24T05:49:53Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] Sadly, you missed everything. [/QUOTE] :dubious: I think you missed that whooshing sound. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/92 "2008-02-24T06:59:57Z")
Never fear, the GoP has a couple Swiftboatings up their sleeve for Obama, but obviously we won’t have an inkling until Oct or maybe Sept. Sure, most dudes will be :dubious: but it will be just enough to cost Obama a few votes in a few critical states, just like it did Kerry. Will it be enough to cost him the election should he win the nomination? (Right now, looks like it’ll be brokered at the Con, and that’s not good for Obama). 😕😕 Hillary is too much of a Dem to try anything \*really \*nasty, the “plagarism” is about the worst she’ll do, and that does have a shred of truth after all. (Sure, most Pols do it, and certainly Obama’s bud is OK with it, but Obama _could_ have said “…and as my friend xxxx used to say…”). Don’t get me wrong, it’s no big deal to me. I am a _tiny_ bit concerned that he can’t quit cigs. And, it won’t be McCain doing the swiftboating. He is honorable as Pols go. It will be some hard core Rove-ites doing it without McCain’s authority or knowledge. If McCain wins, and McCain will then get pissed- they’ll just get some dupe to fall on his sword and go off to some “Club Fed” for a year or something. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/93 "2008-02-24T12:12:19Z")
[QUOTE=DMC] Such as? [/QUOTE] your description of Obama - they were all irrelevant stereotypes that no one takes seriously; it was like spinning his character into something inaccurate and again irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/94 "2008-02-24T14:44:13Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] your description of Obama - they were all irrelevant stereotypes that no one takes seriously; it was like spinning his character into something inaccurate and again irrelevant. [/QUOTE] I think is you look to the thread title, everything DMC said will be put into an illuminating context. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/95 "2008-02-24T14:56:22Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Never fear, the GoP has a couple Swiftboatings up their sleeve for Obama, but obviously we won’t have an inkling until Oct or maybe Sept. Sure, most dudes will be :dubious: but it will be just enough to cost Obama a few votes in a few critical states, just like it did Kerry. Will it be enough to cost him the election should he win the nomination? (Right now, looks like it’ll be brokered at the Con, and that’s not good for Obama). 😕😕 [/QUOTE] The only way I can see swiftboating killing the general for Obama is if he somehow loses the wide support base he is currently riding. I do not see that rationally happening. Way before a brokered convention I see a concession speech by Clinton - before Pennsylvania. ---
**Author:** ![JohnnieEnigma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dfb087/32.png) [@JohnnieEnigma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnnieEnigma)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/96 "2008-02-24T15:56:12Z")
[QUOTE=cricetus] I think is you look to the thread title, everything DMC said will be put into an illuminating context. [/QUOTE] apparently it already has been… and by the democrats. I believe it was the clinton machine that was behind the muslim madrasah thing… It didn’t work though… ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/97 "2008-02-24T16:53:40Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] apparently it already has been… and by the democrats. I believe it was the clinton machine that was behind the muslim madrasah thing… It didn’t work though… [/QUOTE] Cite that Clinton was behind the madrassa thing? ---
**Author:** ![Ocean\_Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8797f3/32.png) [@Ocean\_Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ocean_Annie)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/98 "2008-02-24T17:53:52Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Back to the subject at hand, I guarantee Fox News will still be “Accidentally” calling him “Osama” right up to election day, and will eventually start referring to him as “Barack Hussein Obama” whenever possible. [/QUOTE] It will not only be the pundits on the right using Obama’s middle name. Bill Maher had Jack Kingston (R - GA) on his show. The congressman referred to Obama exclusively by his entire name with emphases on Hussein. Jack Kingston is an elected representative not Bill O’Reilly. The right is going to emphasize Obama’s lack of experience, question his patriotism, and throw in some veiled racism for good measure. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/99 "2008-02-24T18:10:13Z")
Kingston also repeated a number of false Obama smears on Maher’s show, including the stupid Pledge of Allegiance bullshit, and I was kind of disappointed that no one on the panel called him on any of it. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604/100 "2008-02-24T18:40:51Z")
[QUOTE=JohnnieEnigma] your description of Obama - they were all irrelevant stereotypes that no one takes seriously; it was like spinning his character into something inaccurate and again irrelevant. [/QUOTE] My description? No, Fox New’s description. Irrelevant stereotypes? Absolutely. No one takes seriously? **Every single one of those** came from someone on or with Fox News. > [@](#): > > it was like spinning his character into something inaccurate and again irrelevant. Indeed it was, and again, from Fox News. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-tactics-will-republicans-use-against-obama/438604.md?page=6)