Erick Erickson's Blog, page 33

The [Insert Squishy Veep Choice] Campaign Spin We Could Expect

What if Condi Rice were the pick? It won’t happen, but what if Condi Rice were the pick? Well, some of us have heard all the same old tired excuses from sell out Republican leaders for so long, we can tell you now exactly what Team Romney and the GOP would say. These may sound familiar to you as they are frequently used to justify bad candidates and policy.

Here’s what we could expect:

I know you all probably will not agree with me, but I think Condi is a strong pick. I am no fan of Mittens, but this pick might bring me over. We need to have a strong position on foreign policy and Condi may make this an acceptable pick for conservatives who care about “Peace through Strength.”

and

Condi is not awful. She was a strong supporter of the war on terror and Iraq, and a friend of Israel. I am told she is personally pro-life and believes marriage is between a man and a woman. I think this could be a strong pick. Look, the key here is winning, and if this gets us over the top so be it. I would rather have Obamacare repealed with Vice President Rice than Obamacare not repealed with Vice President Biden.

and

We’re all on the same team here and the objective is to beat Barack Obama. The President will make the calls. We all know his clear record on social issues. And Condi really is a conservative anyway. The goal is to beat Barack Obama. If Condi can make inroads with women, independents, and blacks to build a winning coalition, then we ought to have her. Our polling says she polls real well with suburban soccer moms.

and

Agreed. I have seen those polling numbers. They are devastating. If Romney picks her we win soccer moms in a landslide. Also moderate Republicans and liberal independents love Condi, and that middle electorate is the block that wins the election.

and

Bottom line is she’s black and a woman and will give us inroads into those demographics.

Now here’s the dirty little secret. Let’s say that the Condi Rice leak was a trial balloon designed to pop so another sucky pick gets it. The expectation will be that conservatives will say, “Hey, at least it wasn’t Condi. We dodged that bullet.”

Then, when reality sets in, all those statements above will be used to spin for whoever the squishy veep pick is (excluding those based on gender or race as dependent on the pick).

Condi Rice for Veep? Bull Shiitake Mushrooms

If you head over to Drudge you will find that there are rumors swirling that Condi Rice is at the top of the short list to be the Vice Presidential nominee.

I don’t know who is hitting the crack rock tonight in the rumor mill, but bull shiitake mushrooms.

Condelizza Rice is pro-abortion.

She worked for George Bush for eight years.

In those eight years at National Security and then at State, our relations with Russia deteriorated though she was an expert in that field. Central and South America went to pot as well, the ramifications of which still have not been sorted out. She was one of George Bush’s most trusted advisors and her supporters would have you believe that everything bad that happened, happened because of Cheney and Rumsfeld.

The problem is that this ignores the Americas and Russia, areas where State played a big role.

As Toby Harnden points out on Twitter

Condi Rice would be insane VP pick – pro-choice, never run for office, never debated, 8 years w Bush, no domestic policy or exec experience

Pretty much.

But hey, this is a great way to get the conversation moving past the Bain Capital nonsense the Obama camp is pushing and get the focus back on Romney for his veep pick. Well played in that regard. But really, we’re going to buy these rumors?

Few saw Sarah Palin coming. Many have speculated on Condi Rice, which I think makes it less likely. I don’t even think this is a serious leak from Team Romney. It’s just silly.

Stephanie Cutter: A Liar Or A Fool

Stephanie Cutter of the Barack Obama campaign claims that MItt Romney is either a liar or a felon.

There’s just one problem. Stephanie Cutter appears to be the liar or a fool.

This all stems from when Mitt Romney left Bain Capital.

Guy Benson lays it out over at Townhall. In short, it has been well documented that while Mitt Romney had some interest in Bain Capital, he had left the company and ceased to exercise managerial responsibility.

Moreso, the reports that Stephanie Cutter is relying on and that the Obama campaign ginned up in the Boston Globe and elsewhere rely on a former SEC Commissioner who is also a Democrat donor. The media hasn’t really reported on that.

The facts, as Stephanie Cutter lay them out, actually do prove one of two things. Either Stephanie Cutter is the liar, or she is a fool and does not understand how partnerships are structured. Given the way Barack Obama himself treats private enterprise, we should not be surprised if he has someone working for him that is as ignorant as he is on the matter.

As even FactCheck.org notes

We find the Obama campaign’s evidence to be weak or non-existent, and contrary to statements Romney has made on official disclosure forms under pain of federal prosecution.

So, Stephanie Cutter, are you a liar or just a fool?

New Poll Has Ted Cruz Up. Conservatives Need to Pony Up Fast. [UPDATED]

A brand new poll has Ted Cruz ahead of David Dewhurst. The poll was conducted by Fred Wenzel. He also got the Indiana and Nebraska primaries right.

Here’s the problem. The primary is three weeks away. Dewhurst has millions of dollars in advantage over Cruz. Conservatives need to pony up.

Club For Growth stepped up with a new ad you can see below. It is time to pony up for Ted Cruz. Let’s get him across the finish line.

UPDATE: A PPP poll is now out. PPP, a Democrat leaning polling firm, has no dog in the fight and has Ted Cruz up, but not by much. Stunningly, Ted Cruz is leading overwhelmingly among tea party activists (by over 50%) and about the same among Hispanics. For a party that claims it wants the Hispanic vote, it boggles my mind that the GOP establishment prefers David Dewhurst.

Diane Black vs. Lou Ann Zelenik in Tennessee 6

A little birdie tells me that the Republicans in Washington see Diane Black in trouble and Diane Black’s own internal polling shows the same thing up in TN-06.

This is terrific, terrific news. She’s a terrible congress critter.

Her primary opponent is Lou Ann Zelenik and would be a far, far better member of Congress.

As I’ve said before, if we cannot hold our own side accountable now, we never will. Here is a race, like the Chuck Fleischman race in Tennessee, where we can pick off a terrible Republican, replace them with a better Republican, and not lose the seat.

If you want to hold the GOP accountable and send a strong signal that the status quo is unacceptable, you might be interested in helping Lou Ann Zelenik.

Weston Wamp and Scottie Mayfield

In the battle to pick off Chuck Fleischman in Tennessee, the other day I referenced Scottie Mayfield. I had forgotten that Weston Wamp was in there as well.

Several people have made sure to oppo dump on Scottie Mayfield, but I find it irrelevant as I’m happy to spend 2014 defeating him too.

The point is that Chuck Fleischman needs to be beaten. And Republicans in his district need to rally behind either Weston Wamp or Scottie Mayfield. Whoever seems to have the momentum is the guy I’d go with.

My concern with Weston Wamp, though, is that he is former Congressman Zack Wamp’s son. Former Congressman Wamp wasn’t exactly a conservative standard bearer, but even he was better than Fleischman.

And in two years we can beat them if they have a voting record like Chuck Fleischman.

Will Conservatives Be Paper Tigers After This Primary Season?

I look at Texas and see David Dewhurst pouring in money to beat Ted Cruz. A new poll is out and the race is very tight, but Dewhurst has a huge money advantage.

Unfortunately, conservative organizations that have stood with Cruz are not pouring in the money he needs to be able to win.

I look at North Carolina and see pretty much every Republican squish in Congress pouring money into the race for Richard Hudson while so many conservative groups are on the sidelines for Scott Keadle. Only the Club For Growth seems to be fighting hard for him.

I see all the Super PACs gearing up to fight for Mitt Romney, but too few are fighting for conservatives. Jim DeMint cannot do it all by himself. Neither can the Club for Growth.

I see a conservative movement sitting on the sidelines offering nice tokens of support, but only tokens. There are races to be won and conservatives are twiddling their thumbs.

Ted Cruz and Scott Keadle are two important races. They are races that will gauge the real strength of the conservative movement. And right now I dare say both are behind and conservatives are unwilling or unable to do what it takes to get them their respective nominations.

The squishes that the conservative movement has long battled will see Mitt Romney as the nominee and conservatives unable to get their picks through House and Senate races and perceive conservatives as paper tigers

That perception will be tough to fight in reality when the tough battles come later.

Jim Jordan Will Be At The RedState Gathering. Will You?

The leader of the conservatives in the United States House of Representatives, Jim Jordan (R-OH), is coming to the RedState Gathering.

Congressman Jordan is the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, which often fights the Republican Leadership from the right. It’s a tough job and he handles it well. Future Indiana Governor Mike Pence was once the RSC Chairman, along with Congressmen Jeb Hensarling and Tom Price.

Jim Jordan fights day in and day out for smaller government and often fights the pro-life statists within the Republican Party to get the job done.

Come give him a round of applause and hear what he has to say at the RedState Gathering. Time is running out to register. Go to www.redstategathering.com right now to register.

I hope to see you there.

Morning Briefing for July 12, 2012

RedState Morning Briefing

July 11, 2012

Go to www.RedStateMB.com to get
the Morning Briefing every morning at no charge.

1. Jim Jordan Will Be At The RedState Gathering. Will You?

2. Will Conservatives Be Paper Tigers After This Primary Season?

3. Clinton-era Environmental Rules Increased Wildfire Risks in Colorado

4. WHOOPS: DCCC Lets 35 of 75 Oppo Books Slip Through “Back Door”

5. Attack Obamacare on All Fronts: Repeal, Defund, Disrupt

6. The Southern Strategy Myth and the Lost Majority

7. David Dewhurst’s Media Consultants Attack Ted Cruz and RedState *at* RedState

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1. Jim Jordan Will Be At The RedState Gathering. Will You?

The leader of the conservatives in the United States House of Representatives, Jim Jordan (R-OH), is coming to the RedState Gathering.

Congressman Jordan is the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, which often fights the Republican Leadership from the right. It’s a tough job and he handles it well. Future Indiana Governor Mike Pence was once the RSC Chairman, along with Congressmen Jeb Hensarling and Tom Price.

Jim Jordan fights day in and day out for smaller government and often fights the pro-life statists within the Republican Party to get the job done.

Come give him a round of applause and hear what he has to say at the RedState Gathering. Time is running out to register. Go to www.redstategathering.com right now to register.

I hope to see you there.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

2. Will Conservatives Be Paper Tigers After This Primary Season?

I look at Texas and see David Dewhurst pouring in money to beat Ted Cruz. A new poll is out and the race is very tight, but Dewhurst has a huge money advantage.

Unfortunately, conservative organizations that have stood with Cruz are not pouring in the money he needs to be able to win.

I look at North Carolina and see pretty much every Republican squish in Congress pouring money into the race for Richard Hudson while so many conservative groups are on the sidelines for Scott Keadle. Only the Club For Growth seems to be fighting hard for him.

I see all the Super PACs gearing up to fight for Mitt Romney, but too few are fighting for conservatives. Jim DeMint cannot do it all by himself. Neither can the Club for Growth.

I see a conservative movement sitting on the sidelines offering nice tokens of support, but only tokens. There are races to be won and conservatives are twiddling their thumbs.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

3. Clinton-era Environmental Rules Increased Wildfire Risks in Colorado

Environmental regulations restricting the construction of forest access roads have limited the ability of the Forest Service to clear combustible brush and trees, adding dangerous fuel to the wildfires that have ravaged Colorado this summer. The so-called “roadless rule,” which was first implemented in 2001 by President Clinton shortly before he left office, restricts and in many cases prohibits local and federal officials from building and maintaining roads that allow firefighters to clear out growth that could instantly become tinder for a new fire.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

4. WHOOPS: DCCC Lets 35 of 75 Oppo Books Slip Through “Back Door”

Opposition research is the grist of stark contrasts, fine tuned messages, and yes, even negative campaign tactics. And usually it is a closely guarded secret. An opponent’s record matters in a race, and a good campaign will accumulate as much information as possible about an opponent and strategically time the release of that information to maximize their position and weaken their opponent. The Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee has made opposition research an increasingly central part of its role in Democrat congressional campaigns nationwide.

Less than two months after the DCCC gave Roll Call exclusive access to some of its opposition research meetings but prohibited the paper from mentioning the names of targeted Republicans, Media Trackers obtained 35 of the projected total of 75 opposition research notebooks. The digital tomes, ranging from a few dozen to hundreds of pages in length, are a treasure trove of talking points and attacks that the public can expect Democrats and their allies to level at Republican candidates ahead of November.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

5. Attack Obamacare on All Fronts: Repeal, Defund, Disrupt

The House voted today to fully repeal Obamacare. It is important that we keep Obamacare at the forefront of the debate, but we must also act in a meaningful way to disrupt its implementation. The more smoothly this behemoth is enacted, the harder it will be to repeal. To that end, we turn to the 29 Republican governors to lead the way.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

6. The Southern Strategy Myth and the Lost Majority

I recently finished reading Sean Trende’s excellent book The Lost Majority, which is a must-read for anyone attempting to intelligently discuss its subject: how winning political coalitions are built, maintained and undone in the modern American two-party system. Trende covers a range of topics. At the level of political science theory, he dismantles the theory of periodic realigning elections. In his historical analysis, he may surprise you by arguing that the most enduring coalition of the past century was assembled not by McKinley, FDR, or Reagan but Dwight Eisenhower. Looking to the recent past and future, he convincingly demonstrates that Obama’s 2008 coalition was always more fragile than Democrats at the time believed, and that there remain obstacles to the John Judis/Ruy Teixeira theory of an Emerging Democratic Majority. Trende’s major point is that all such predictions of enduring partisan majorities (he cites many dating back over the past century and a half) ignore the fact that political coalitions inevitably draw together factions with different interests and ideologies, and frictions within those coalitions inevitably offer opportunities for the other party to regain support.

But one of the historical narratives that Trende covers in depth is of particular interest because it remains a crucial part of partisan mythology today: the enduring myth of the Southern Strategy.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

7. David Dewhurst’s Media Consultants Attack Ted Cruz and RedState *at* RedState

This is amazingly pathetic.

David Dewhurst’s campaign gets his state government website altered to cover up his lying about his amnesty position.

What happens? His media consultants invade RedState to accuse Ted Cruz of supporting Chicoms and attack RedState for supporting Cruz.

In fact, this is not the first time Dewhurst’s media consultants have done this.

Using the user name “Liberty Patriot,” Dewhurst’s consultants have dropped by four times to attack Ted Cruz at RedState.

Please click here for the rest of the post.

David Dewhurst’s Media Consultants Attack Ted Cruz and RedState *at* RedState

This is amazingly pathetic.

David Dewhurst’s campaign gets his state government website altered to cover up his lying about his amnesty position.

What happens? His media consultants invade RedState to accuse Ted Cruz of supporting Chicoms and attack RedState for supporting Cruz.

In fact, this is not the first time Dewhurst’s media consultants have done this.

Using the user name “Liberty Patriot,” Dewhurst’s consultants have dropped by four times to attack Ted Cruz at RedState.

Ironically, they’ve noted that “convictions in your beliefs are important” even while David Dewhurst was altering his official Lt. Governor’s website to cover up his amnesty position.

The consultants have accused Ted Cruz of being a paper tiger.

And, they’ve pretended to be from Florida to speculate on Ted Cruz’s lack of credentials.

Now, how do I know this is David Dewhurst’s media consulting team?

Well, here at RedState we can trace the IP and this IP connects consistently to Raconteur Media Company, located at 720 Brazos Street, Ste 400, Austin, TX 78701.

And guess who their client is.