Obama strategy: Marginalize most powerful critics

[Are_grits_groceries]

President Obama is working systematically to marginalize the most powerful forces behind the Republican Party, setting loose top White House officials to undermine conservatives in the media, business and lobbying worlds.

With a series of private meetings and public taunts, the White House has targeted the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the biggest-spending pro-business lobbying group in the country; Rush Limbaugh, the country’s most-listened-to conservative commentator; and now, with a new volley of combative rhetoric in recent days, the insurance industry, Wall Street executives and Fox News.

Obama aides are using their powerful White House platform, combined with techniques honed in the 2008 campaign, to cast some of the most powerful adversaries as out of the mainstream and their criticism as unworthy of serious discussion.
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All of the techniques are harnessed to a larger purpose: to marginalize not only the individual person or organization but also some of the most important policy and publicity allies of the national Republican Party.
<snip>
Privately, officials have talked with relish for months of the potential to isolate the GOP as a narrow party of white, Southern conservatives with little appeal to independent-minded voters.

This won’t happen overnight, but a combination of demographics — especially the explosion of a Hispanic population that has been voting for Democrats — the near-extinction of Republicans in the Northeast and the steady rightward drift of the GOP’s grass-roots activists at least makes it a plausible goal.
<snip>
Dunn said the president’s image is not suffering from the new aggressiveness. “The president is who he’s always been,” she said. “He has continued to reach out to people who disagree with him, to look for common ground. He has adopted Republican ideas, even if our programs don’t get Republican votes. People give him credit because he has tried. And people want to see him defend himself.”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28532.html

This is why he may still be reaching out to Rethugs. Extends the hand he knows they won't take so they can't say he hasn't been open when he smacks them.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......Who else are they trying to marginalize???

[Beetwasher]

1. Yup, He Sure Is

It's a bit of a bold strategy with some risk, but I'm confident they can pull it off given his political capital. And if/when he gets a good h/c reform bill passed, all bets are off.

[HopeOverFear]

2. That's the game of chess he's been playing all along

some of ya'll thought those of us who were saying that were bullshitting

*does the I told You so dance*

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. I wouldn't do the

'I told You so Dance' just yet. It ain't over 'til it's over.

I hope it works, but I wouldn't dare the Fates.

[JuniperLea]

5. A lot of people have been judging his checker game...

While he's been playing chess.

You can see where there can be confusion.

:)

[arcadian]

6. I thought he was playing 3D Vulcan chess.

[JuniperLea]

3. Faux Gnus have no choice but to whine about it...

If they actually debated the issue, they'd lose.

This step, coupled with Obama's statement several weeks ago about calling out the lies, would be an awesome show of fact and force. I hope we see some fireworks... but I'm betting we'll just hear whining. That's all they have that won't come back and bite them in the ass.

[Johonny]

7. The fact they are openly complaining about it

basically tells you they are on the right track. Currently the right is trying to make this out as a Nixonian secret enemies list. Although there is nothing secret about it. The Obama administration appears to simply being calling them out into the public to defend their opinion, actions and processes. When they're digging up Lamar Alexander to try to shame Obama you know they are really disliking the direction. Which frankly is a rather nice sign.

[bluestateguy]

8. I think it's a good idea going after Fox

It will drive Fox News even farther to the Right in their coverage of the news, and then the Administration can say "See, we told you so! They are just GOP-TV."

[pinto]

9. The political strategy sure has made news.

I'm liking it.