Obama: compete; GOP: be afraid.

[NNN0LHI]

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/2011/01/obama_compete_gop_be_afraid.html

Posted at 7:20 AM ET, 01/26/2011
Obama: compete; GOP: be afraid.
By Joel Achenbach

If I'm a GOP strategist, I'm worried this morning. The official Republican response (by Paul Ryan) to the SOTU was followed by the official Tea Party response (by Michele Bachmann). Huh? I thought ideological factionalism was a Democratic specialty. Is Paul Ryan too liberal for the Tea Party? Didn't he faithfully invoke the sacredness of the Constitution, as mandated by Tea Party ideological requirements? True, only CNN carried the Bachmann response (um, remind me why), but it highlighted the internecine (someday I'll learn to pronounce it) battles of the GOP.

The bigger problem for the hypothetical GOP strategist is that Obama is running on Reaganesque optimism (tempered by stern talk about turning off the TV and starting to freakin' compete, people!), while Ryan basically told people to be afraid. I've mentioned this before: The rhetoric of some people on the right these days strongly implies that we live in the Soviet Union circa 1936, or China circa 1966, or North Korea circa 2011 -- a totalitarian state that crushes the spirit of the individual. (Or is that overstated on my part? Sorry, it's like a twitch.)

Ryan didn't go quite that far, but he did paint a picture of a country on the brink of a fiscal calamity that could forever diminish our aspirations and make our grandkids hate us and whatnot. Also, people will choose to live the easy life on a government welfare check rather than get a job:

[emulatorloo]

1. Sums it up pretty well. Ryan's speech was despicable and wouldn't survive a fact check

All based on Republican "conventional wisdom" which as we know are Luntz-tested lies.

[JuniperLea]

2. I'll see your despicable and raise you an unconscionable...

And an irresponsible.

It truly is immoral and irresponsible to spew outright lies like that.

I can't wait for the fact checks... I'll predict a 97.75% lying through his ass rate.

[daa]

3. Do you know what compete means?

It means work for $5 a day like the guys where they are sending your job, you know, like Jeff Immelt.

[katnapped]

4. Yup!

Surprising that more people here aren't getting the message. You can go out and get "educated" all you want, but unless you're willing to accept China wages companies aren't interested.

[NNN0LHI]

7. Are you asking me if I know what compete means?

I was laid off from an auto plant several times during the 80's while my neighbors were buying cars that Honda was using prison labor to manufacture in Ohio.

So yes, I know what it is like to compete. Have you ever competed against prison labor in your profession? Or bought a Honda?

Don

[SpiralHawk]

5. Fear is the default republicon stance toward life

That is why almost ALL Republicon 'leaders' are bona fide chickenhawks.

[s-cubed]

6. In American presidential races, optimism wins. Sorry I don't

have a link, but I remember a study about this. I'm getting sick and tired of fear, myself. Maybe others are as well. It doesn't sit very well with our national character to be constantly afraid.