Dems & Obama "can't find a message that resonates with the voters"?

[mwb970]

I came across this piece this morning:

When Will It Be Over For George Bush by Ken Hughes
(American Chronicle, June 18, 2008)

(snip)

In a perfect world George Bush would be allowed to go around saying good by and tiding up loose ends. Those hoping to replace him as president would be explaining how they and congress would get those necessary things done that the previous administration and congress hadn't accomplished. There doesn't seem to be enough cooperation between the president and congress. Each blames the other and truth is it's probably both. The two political parties are less inclined to agree it seems. They treat each other in the legislature like it was Monday night football.

The biggest complaint against George Bush is the war in Iraq. He shouldn't have sent troops in harms way. That's the sole purpose of the military to go in harms way so harm doesn't come our way. There's no difference between FDR sending troops to Europe, Truman sending troops to Korea, JFK sending troops to Vietnam, Carter sending a failed expeditionary force to Iran, Reagan sending troops to the Caribbean, Bush One sending troops to Panama and Clinton sending troops to many places in Africa and the Balkans. I might add many of those troops placements Clinton made are still in tact and have never been rescinded as promised.

It seems Bush's opposition party can't find a message that resonates with the voters so they continue to hammer away at him. That's a good indication they don't have a message, if they do it isn't one the public is buying. Bush is bad Bush is evil isn't going to carry them through to the November elections.

(snip)

I know it won't do any good, But I couldn't resist replying to the crazy idea that Obama's message is not "resonating" with American voters. Here's the e-mail I sent to Hughes:

Hello, Sir -

Your online column, "When Will It Be Over For George Bush" (June 18), strikes me as delusional. Among other things, you say, "It seems Bush's opposition party can't find a message that resonates with the voters."

Really? Are you sure? Here are some articles I easily found online, all from 2008:

Barack Obama resonates with diverse crowd in Sunrise, even in high places (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 24)

Obama resonates with evangelicals (ReidBlog, June 6)

Barack Obama's message resonates among black voters in South Florida (Topix, January 11)

Obama's message resonates (Politico, March 18)

Obama's message resonates (Sunbury, PA, Daily Item, April 12)
(This is a different article from the Politico item above with the same headline.)

Obama message resonates at service (Delaware Online, January 28)

(Obama)’s message resonates with crowd (Johnstown, PA, Tribune-Democrat, March 29)

Obama's message resonates in Valley (Fresno Bee, March 26)

Obama's message resonates in New Orleans; He pledges safe levees, fix for FEMA (Louisiana Speaks, February 8)

Obama, Kennedys Resonate with Youth (New York Times, Politics Blog, January 28)

New Pied Piper: Obama’s message resonates with many across country (Goldsboro, NC, News-Argus, April 18)

I only stopped compiling this list because I got tired of doing it and because I think by now I've made my point. Believe me Ken, there are many, many other articles online about how Democratic policies are, yes, "resonating" with the American voter (including me!) in a big way. This is why I refer to your original statement as "delusional."

Just to be fair and balanced, I conducted a similar search for the "resonance" of the McCain-Bush policies, producing this item:

McCain Pushes Priorities That Resonate on the Right (New York Times, May 8)

So McCain's "resonance" is apparently limited to his right-wing supporters. I looked hard for more indications of Republicans and Republican ideas "resonating" with non-right-wing Americans (really, I did), and there just isn't anyone out there saying that. Sorry, but it's true; get on the Google and check for yourself! The closest thing I could find was this item, although it is about defeated, marginalized fringe candidate Ron Paul rather than any of the major standard-bearers on the right:

Why Ron Paul's message resonates (Maine Morning Sentinel, Freedom4um, December 28, 2007)

Oh, and there was this one (from Tom Tancredo's own presidential website, should that count?) about how Tancredo's message "resonated" with grassroots voters in an unofficial Iowa straw poll (later, Tancredo got a slim 0.005% of the vote in the January 2008 Republican caucuses in Iowa, having in fact dropped out of the race a month earlier, apparently despite his strong "resonance" with the grassroots):

Iowa Proves Tancredo Message Resonates with Grassroots (Official website, Tom Tancredo For President, August 12, 2007)

I did finally find this promising McCain item, but alas, it turned out to be about the 2000 campaign, back when McCain held 180-degree opposite positions to the ones he claims to hold now:

OUR VIEWS: McCain's message resonates (Kitsap, WA, Sun, February 24, 2000)

Sorry, Ken. You are really, really wrong on this one. Need proof? One word: November.

(In my e-mail, all the headlines are links to the corresponding articles.)

edit: formatting

[Doctor_J]

1. The screeds from the Flying Monkeys are going to get farther from reality

and louder over the next few months. Unfortunately for them, a solid majority of Americans consider them to be lying hypocrites and pay them no attention any more.

Nice comeback, BTW :thumbsup:

[kpominville]

2. Good Job!

That is a great response to a typically biased article.
This is exactly what we need to be doing more of.
Keep up the good work!

[zanne]

3. Beautiful!

I really enjoyed that--thanks!

[barbtries]

4. well done

though i doubt you'll get any satisfaction from the dude who equates this terrible war with every other war, even the so-called "good" war. and apparently thinks that sending our young to far away places to kill and be killed is simply the president's job.

[graywarrior]

5. .

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Rob H.]

6. K&R - Way to take 'em down a peg! nt

[cascadiance]

7. "Bush is bad Bush is evil" IS what would resonate with many of us voters...

Perhaps not in such "simplified" terms, but if the Democrats would campaign on staying true to the constitution and punishing HARD (aka I*M*P*E*A*C*H*M*E*N*T!) those that abuse our rule of law, THEN we'd have them resonate with voters more. The writer is clueless and follows the same "win at any cost" MO as a formula for success for the Dems and is wondering why many of us aren't more "football fans" for the Dems now!

Message to writer! This ISN'T a sporting events. Oddsmakers love sporting events and people bet on them too. But we want to make the best bet for what's good for our country, NOT what we can win "bets" on who will win!

[Greyskye]

8. That Sir, was a thing of beauty!

:thumbsup:

[mwb970]

9. Followup: a reply from the columnist.

Articles are the opinions of the writer, I can find an equal number who agree with me.
Thanks for your e-mail.
Ken Hughes

Well, at least he read it (I think).

[groovedaddy]

10. Republicans are bad - republicans are evil - there, is that better? n.t

[autorank]

11. 23% approval. 73% disapproval. The people are speaking. n/t k*r