Posted on 08/15/2012 7:32:17 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
President Obama and the Democrats have been ambushed. They blindly walked into the political trap Republicans set for them on Medicare.
Democratic strategists were certain that, with Paul Ryan on the Republican ticket, Medicare had become a better issue than ever for them. How do we know this? Democrats said so.
Ryan is the author of a Medicare reform plan that Democrats insist would “end Medicare as we know it.” That’s their mantra. Mitt Romney, who picked Ryan as his vice presidential running mate last week, has a similar plan of his own.
It didn’t occur to Democrats that Republicans might have devised, tested, and were ready to deliver a response that would put Democrats on the defensive. It’s a double whammy in which Obama and Democrats are held responsible for cutting Medicare spending and using the money to pay for the president’s unpopular health care plan, Obamacare.
Moving quickly, the Romney campaign packaged that two-step response into a crisp, 30-second TV ad that began being aired yesterday. The campaign plans a large buy with the ad, particularly in swing states.
“You paid into Medicare for years,” the voiceover says. (A picture of an elderly man is on the screen.) “Every paycheck. Now when you need it, Obama has cut $716 billion from Medicare. Why? To pay for Obamacare. So now the money you paid for your guaranteed health care is going to a massive new government program that’s not for you.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm of House Republicans, developed this response to Medicare attacks. It consists of this: defend and attack. First, defend the Republican plan to reform and save Medicare, then immediately go on the attack, citing the Medicare funds used to pay for Obamacare.
The Republican strategy was tested in a special House election in Nevada in 2011. First, it had to be clear that Democratic candidate Kate Marshall, the state treasurer, would not vote to repeal Obamacare. She said she wouldn’t. Instead, in a TV spot, she zinged Republican Mark Amodei for proposing “to end Medicare as we know it.”
Amodei answered with an ad accusing Marshall of wanting to cut $500 billion from Medicare. His mother appeared in the ad, asking her son to block the cut. “You’d better, son, I’m counting on you,” she says.
Marshall came back with a second ad, this one simply saying Amodei would “end Medicare.” His mother showed up again in his response, and Amodei was cast as “the one candidate working to protect Medicare.”
The ads transformed the public’s perception of Amodei from a critic of Medicare to a supporter. This occurred among all age groups.
The strategy was designed merely to achieve a draw on the Medicare issue. But it did far better than that. Amodei won with 63 percent of the vote. The seat is now regarded as solidly Republican.
Now the NRCC has produced a 10-minute video that spells out how the strategy played out in Nevada. The video has distributed to Republican candidates. It urges them to “fully engage and lean into this fight” over Medicare.
Ryan, in an interview yesterday with Brit Hume of Fox News, said Medicare can be a winning issue for Republicans. “Absolutely, because we’re the ones who are offering a plan to save Medicare, to protect Medicare, to strengthen Medicare,” Ryan said. “We’re the ones who are not raiding Medicare to pay for Obamacare.”
Obama, he said, “is actually damaging Medicare for current seniors. It’s irrefutable and that’s why I think this is a debate we want to have and that’s the debate we’re going to win.”
Romney has promised to repeal Obamacare. By doing so, the money taken from Medicare would be returned. His reform of Medicare would give seniors a set amount each to buy health insurance from among competing options. Seniors could even choose to buy traditional Medicare if they wished.
I saw this ad this morning (hooray for swing state madness). I thought it was very well done.
Saw this ad last night - Lehigh Valley (eastern PA).
It would be interesting to know if other Freepers have seen the ad and where it’s playing.
Northern Virginia. Romney’s been all over our market, and I’m glad. If he can stay close here (he doesn’t even have to lead), Obama’s toast in Virginia.
It’s playing in the West Michigan Markets...
4 years ago McCain was noactive.
If the Republican party were sane, today McCain would be radioactive. I cannot believe they're giving him a speaking role at the Republican convention.
romney will always be best known for his hell fire attacks against fellow Republicans ... especially conservatives ... in his miserable defeat at the hands of Barrack Hussein Obama in 2012 ...
I understand your distaste for the eventual nominee, but seriously, in this thread? Why?
To be fair to the 'rats, history is on their side on this one.
It’s been playing in Florida ALOT.
Of course not. They have been the 'dumb' party that always had to react to attacks they didn't anticipate. Now, someone is actually thinking and can not only react quickly to attacks but can even come up with their own ideas, push them, and defend them.
I am impressed so far.
I love that they're taking the fight TO the Democrats rather than sitting back and being on the defensive.
Ending Medicare as we know it... yeah, well,
“as we know it” means that it will be bankrupt in just a few years,
“as it will be” means that it will still be functional in a few years.
So, how do you want it? “as you know it” or “as it will be”?
Looks like Obama and his gang have walked into another Wiley E. Coyote moment. They forgot that due to Obamacare they had maxed out the Mediscare Card. Just like they maxed out the Race Card through overuse.
To quote Datatechguy:
“Ride right through them, they’re demoralized as hell”!
Seriously, by this time, I hope we all can realize that these people are not worth responding to. I used to get pissed, but now I’m just laughing out loud!
I mean really, it’s bad enough being stupid, but bitter and stubborn too?
Guys like this are a freak show. Nothing more.
He created a new entitlement and didn't fix a really broken one, In fact he took money from it...
Now if Romney / Ryan can re-finance it, close down Obamacare and "fix" Medicare, they can prove that Republicans can "fix" entitlements without too much pain.
That IMHO is what the Dem's fear. They know they are broke, but they don't have the Cohones' to go back to their traditional constituencies and tell them the truth.
Once one is fixed and Trust is built Medicaid , SSI and dare I say the VA medical system may get a do-over as well.
The Dem's are now in a position of not being trusted on entitlements, and no one see's it, it is a sea change..
Again once one is fixed and they can prove they can do it in a gentlemen and gentlewomen like fashion, the door is open to fix them all...
My goodness, I never thought of that.
Can this be like the 1932 election, but with the parties reversed? The media and democrats (I know, redundant) have used Hoover as a foil all these many years. Maybe we can have 75 years of “Obama” as our Hoover.
Very astute!
GWB tried to fix SSI, and they all poo-pooed it, but he was right. It took the arrogance of BHO, to do what he did as a community organizer and played a shell game with it. This guy is a 5 card monte hustler, and now they know it...
Democrat or Republican, 4 yrs of friends and family loosing houses, investment values etc, have probably done more to make people dollar savvy and that you need to balance your books and not live on a credit card.
Obama took a credit card to Medicare and that is what is really pissin' people off...
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