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Analysis: Obama debating Cheney is a plus for GOP
AP via SFGate ^ | 5/22/9 | WALTER R. MEARS, AP Special Correspondent

Posted on 05/22/2009 1:20:22 PM PDT by SmithL

Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP) --

In political debate, the side that keeps its arguments simple and repeats them again and again is likely to gain the advantage. It is an easier sale, especially when the topic is as scary as terrorism.

That's how Republicans got the edge in the dispute over President Barack Obama's planned closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison. And it put former Vice President Dick Cheney on a separate but almost equal platform with the president of the United States, which is a plus any time the party out of power can manage it.

Their back-to-back speeches on Thursday gave Cheney "a lot of credibility" and put Obama on the defensive, said Republican pollster David Winston.

"From a political standpoint, I think Cheney wins on points," said GOP strategist Rich Galen. Long-term, the former vice president's premier role may have a downside for the Republicans, given his 25 percent approval rating and his status as the most unpopular top figure in an unpopular administration. But Galen said that at this point, "It's either Cheney or who else. There's no who else, so you take Cheney."

In the Guantanamo argument,Obama's critics didn't worry about legalities, court decisions or complexities. They invented an argument about letting terrorists move next door to Americans.

Although no one had ever suggested such a thing, it worked, and the Democratic Senate voted overwhelmingly to deny Obama an $80 million appropriation to close the prison camp by eight months from now, as he had promised.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 0bama; asspressbias; bho44; cheney; gop; issues; nationalsecurity
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The AssPress can't stand it.
1 posted on 05/22/2009 1:20:22 PM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Teenager vs. Grownup = no contest.


2 posted on 05/22/2009 1:27:14 PM PDT by J40000
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To: SmithL

People don’t like to be told when they have been foolish and made poor choices. have you ever tried to tell an alcoholic that he needs to get help? Did you get a positive reaction?

People are going to resent the GOP in the short run because the truth hurts.


3 posted on 05/22/2009 1:29:35 PM PDT by gridlock (Barack Obama is Kristy Yamaguchi and Dick Cheney is the Zamboni.)
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To: J40000
"Teenager..."?

2-yr old.

4 posted on 05/22/2009 1:30:04 PM PDT by Paladin2 (Big Ears + Big Spending --> BigEarMarx, the man behind TOTUS)
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To: SmithL
If a sitting President feels it is necessary to debate an ex-VP with a 18% favorable polling is it any wonder 18% is now 41%. Captain Zero is beginning to wilt.
5 posted on 05/22/2009 1:30:07 PM PDT by hflynn ( The One is really The Number Two)
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To: SmithL

I know, you can almost hear them grinding their teeth as they write something positive about Cheney. I wonder which token moderate they’ll trot out telling us how wrong Cheney is and how embarrassing it is to the ‘party’?


6 posted on 05/22/2009 1:33:55 PM PDT by ABQHispConservative (A Blue Dog Democrat is an oxyMoron!)
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To: SmithL

Word. al-MSM’s panties are all bunched up. Had BO ignored Cheney, the story would essentially be over save for radio and blogs. He just bought the next terror attack, if any there be.


7 posted on 05/22/2009 1:34:35 PM PDT by eureka! (Elections have consequences, boy howdy. *sigh*)
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To: SmithL

It sure is - it shows there is some adult supervision.

Also leads one to think - how does Cheney compare with Biden as VP???


8 posted on 05/22/2009 1:35:01 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: SmithL

“In the Guantanamo argument,Obama’s critics didn’t worry about legalities, court decisions or complexities. They invented an argument about letting terrorists move next door to Americans.”

Ah, the old NUANCE argument. Democrats are the toughtful ones. Except when they’re the common folk. But nevermind that for now.

Obama is ever so subtle. Cheney beat him with populist simplicity. Because Republicans are always simpler than Democrats. Adlai Stevenson was an egghead; Clinton was a Rhodes scholar; Gore and Kerry, well, they ran against Bush. Meanwhile, Ike was your uncle, Reagan was senile, Bush I was a C student, and Bush II was Bush II.


9 posted on 05/22/2009 1:38:39 PM PDT by Tublecane
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To: gridlock
People are going to resent the GOP in the short run because the truth hurts.

Only the Bushaters. Cheney is taking ground in the battle for public opinion. That's why we're starting to see bitter pieces like this. And not long ago these POS's were saying the Republicans are doomed if they don't abandon Cheney's principles.

I'm starting to enjoy this.

10 posted on 05/22/2009 1:38:51 PM PDT by colorado tanker ("Lastly, I'd like to apologize for America's disproportionate response to Pearl Harbor . . . ")
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To: PGR88

Biden couldn’t even step into Cheney’s shoes let alone walk in them. I may not have agreed totally with Cheney, but I believe he’s a good man.


11 posted on 05/22/2009 1:42:10 PM PDT by RC2
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To: SmithL

Analysis: Obama debating Cheney is a plus for GOP


Another example of Obama’s distaste for being criticized.
He really seems to have a need to be correct or to defend his decisions at all costs and to demonize those who disagree with his view.


12 posted on 05/22/2009 1:42:14 PM PDT by Joan Kerrey
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To: SmithL

obozo & his TOTUS against Cheney. Cheney would eat him alive.


13 posted on 05/22/2009 1:42:41 PM PDT by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: SmithL

The Republican Dems fear most is NOT Sarah Palin, but Dick Cheney. Has been the case for years.


14 posted on 05/22/2009 1:44:14 PM PDT by Clemenza (Remember our Korean War Veterans)
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To: SmithL

How could the community organizer have any advantage against a well seasoned politician like Cheney? Cheney will slice and dice Urkel!....


15 posted on 05/22/2009 1:45:55 PM PDT by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: PGR88

” how does Cheney compare with Biden as VP???”

There really IS no comparison. I can imagine BHO laying awake nights wishing he had a Cheney instead of another doofus.

I have always believed Biden was a payoff to the Kennedys for their pivotal support in the early primary stages.


16 posted on 05/22/2009 1:47:02 PM PDT by EDINVA (A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul -- G. B. Shaw)
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To: SmithL

AP is saying Cheney wins? Unbelievable.


17 posted on 05/22/2009 1:54:34 PM PDT by WashingtonSource
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To: SmithL

The reason the public hated Bush-Cheney was because of the media’s relentless attacks on them: they painted them the color they wanted and Bush and Cheney did little to defend themselves. Now the public has started to understand what a fraud the media has been in its protrayal of Obama AND Bush -Cheney. That makes them willing to listen for themselves to hear what Cheney said and, lo and behold, Mr. Cheney turns out NOT to be the evil monster he was made out to be. No, he is actually reserved, measured, thoughtful, intelligent, competent and straightforward (all the things Obama is not).

All Cheney has done is reclaim the credibility he should have had all along. The public is slowly discovering that our emperor is wearing no clothes.


18 posted on 05/22/2009 1:54:39 PM PDT by RatRipper (I HATE tax & spend politicians)
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To: Clemenza
The dems and the media have just made the entire GOP into this evil forboding empire of death, torture, and war!!! It was great politics but, nothing more. The leaders of the GOP made some difficult decisions to the best of their ability. Now that the ems have the power, they are finding that most of those decisions were reasonable. This is not a shock to me.

I've been telling a friend of mine that Obama will have a very difficult choice to make as president....and maybe that time is already here. He will dismantle all the work that Bush and the GOP did (Iraq, Guantanamo, etc)to score a short term political victory and ‘I told you so’ moment or he will do what is best for the country and continue pushing forward on the work that was begun in the previous administration.

Either way, Obama loses something. He's put himself in a very difficult box over the last year or so. My guess is he won't sacrifice the safety of the country and continue on with the Bush/Chenney work...if for no other reason, his reputation is on the line. However, eating crow is never easy, and Barack strikes me as a particularly disdainful fellow.

In any case, Barack’s incessant need to keep going back to the ‘failings’ of the past administration tell me only one thing. He has no plan. The fact is, he's never had to have a plan for anything in his life. There is no more ladder to climb and now he's clueless.

19 posted on 05/22/2009 1:58:34 PM PDT by Mustangman (The GOP)
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To: SmithL
"Republicans oppose releasing these terrorists or importing them into our local communities," said Rep. John Boehner, the House Republican leader.

Obviously, but nobody has proposed either.

Really? And what exactly IS the proposal?

20 posted on 05/22/2009 1:58:55 PM PDT by what's up
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