Posted on 04/27/2012 6:49:01 PM PDT by Steelfish
Obama May Use Wedge Issues As A Weapon Obama and Democrats appear to be using immigration and contraception to try to pry away voters from the other camp, similar to wedge issues that past Republican presidential candidates have employed.
Mark Z. Barabak April 27 Is President Obama trying to wedge his way to a second term?
The economy will doubtless be the overriding issue in November's presidential contest, and Obama is hardly ignoring it. But a successful candidate appeals to all sorts of voters harboring all sorts of concerns, and the president and backers appear to be using a pair of wedge issues to target two groups, Latinos and women, with messages grounded more in emotionalism than economics.
The issues — immigration and contraception — are hardly top-of-the-mind for most people, but each fits the mold of those typically used to pry voters away from a party or a candidate they might otherwise be inclined to support.
For Richard Nixon, the wedge issue was busing, as he tapped the racial resentment of working-class whites, particularly Southern Democrats, to help him win the presidency in 1968.
For Ronald Reagan it was abortion, used in 1980 as a way to attract social conservatives, who have been an important part of the Republican base ever since.
Illegal immigration, affirmative action, gun control and same-sex marriage have all been used by Republicans as wedge issues at the state and national levels, with varied degrees of success. Now it's Democrats and Obama — sympathizing with women paying more for dry cleaning, playing consoler in chief to a woman impugned by radio's Rush Limbaugh — who are pushing people's buttons.
Speaking Friday at a women's conference organized by his campaign, the president said the recent Republican debate over contraception was "like being in a time machine."
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I can understand the Kenyan punk using these “wedge issue”. The scumbag sure doesn’t want to have to talk about the debt, the economy and jobs. Milt needs to keep pounding the economy and ignore the Kenyan every time he opens his big mouth.
He may try to use wedge issues as a distraction.
Distraction becomes a weapon only if the Republican candidate allows it to become one.
A weapon? He uses them as a matter of policy!
Fifty-year old manure spreader. Not sure of brand. Said to have been produced in Kenya . Used for a few years in Indonesia before being smuggled into the US via Hawaii . Of questionable pedigree. Does not appear to have ever been worked very hard. Apparently it was pampered by various owners over the years. It doesn’t work very often, but when it does it can really spread the manure and sling it for amazing distances. I am hoping to retire this manure spreader next November. But I really don’t want it hanging around getting in the way. I would prefer a foreign buyer that is willing to relocate this manure spreader out of the country. I would be willing to trade this manure spreader for a nicely framed copy of the United States Constitution :)
From here — http://reading.craigslist.org/grd/2953886143.html
Race Religion Wealth
You posted exactly what was going to post. What the heck to they mean “may”??!! The Pope “may” be Catholic. A bear “may” $$$$ in the woods. Elton John “may” be gay! Barney Frank “may” have a loose bung hole!
Bears may relieve themselves in the woods.
Well said!!!
Hey Mr. Obama Osama Bin Laden Killer,what are you doing about Iran Building Missle Sites In Venezuela and Cuba to Launch Missles at Us? John Kennedy had a Plan,what are you doing about it? Im Waiting
Obama, and the liberal media, are simply too stupid to realize that “Free Contraception and Free Borders” is not a winning campaign slogan.
A pure leftist fabrication.
Exactly. Wedge issues only should be effective when an election is in a time when things are running pretty smooth and economic issues are not too big of a concern. If Romney really wants to win he needs to focus completely on the economy.
Who writes this stuff? Yes, forced busing was a wedge issue in 1968, but it was George Wallace, third party candidate that used it. He carried the southern states, splitting the DEMOCRAT vote so Nixon could win.
Good one, swiped for the archives!
“May”?
I don’t think I’ve ever read an article so approving of and positive about using wedge issues.
At least when the GOP uses so-called wedge issue, they are generally truthful. The Democrats DO favor granting blacks and latinos racial preferences over whites. The Democrats DO favor having the courts impose gay marriage. The Democrats DO favor abortion on demand at tax payer’s expense if need be. The Democrats DO favor amnesty for illegal aliens. And the Democrats DO NOT support individual Second Amendment rights.
Whereas with the wedge issue this article points to Obama using...well there is no war on women. The question about contraception is who should be forced to pay for it, not whether it should be available at all.
As for illegal immigration, it’s laughable that Romney has been harsh. Like pretty much all Republicans these days, he prefaces and follows even slightly tough talk about illegal immigration with pathetic pc talk about diversity and how much he loves legal immigration. The fact is that anything to the right of the Democrats position on immigration will be deemed to be harsh, and anti-Hispanic by the professional ethnic grievance groups. As for the ‘high’ support W got from Hispanics; well let’s remember that at most he got 40%, not the debunked 44% some still parrot. While 40% is good for a Republican, we shouldn’t forget that it was the best we could do with a shameless panderer in Bush running against a weak opponent in Kerry. He still lost latinos by almost 20 points!
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