By Barry Rubin
I wrote this article before Mitt Romney made what might be called his first speech directed at the general election (see the end of this article for the link). And I was pleasantly surprised that he seemed to be following the strategy I've outlined below. It is a superb speech full of sharp and clear points and I urge you to read it. But please do so after finishing my article that sets a framework for it! :)
What are the weaknesses of Obamaism that my “Marxist-style” analysis highlighted and how do they suggest the way in which the presidential and congressional electoral campaigns should be conducted?
--The current policies don’t work for a basic structural reason. You cannot apply highly statist, left-wing socialist policies to the American system and have them work. It is like slashing your automobile with a buggy whip to get it going faster or, alternatively, buying a Leaf.
There is no way that Obama’s policies can work to revive the economy and improve life in America precisely because they are based on an ideology that doesn't fit the system it is supposed to govern . And if he’s reelected, things will become far worse. Mitt Romney and others must highlight this total mismatch.
Obama ignores the facts and doubles down on applying failed strategies, as in his refusal to increase drilling in the face of high prices or continued investment in “green energy” when the green in it is the mold growing on bankrupt facilities.
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--The philosophy and policies of the Obama Administration run counter to all previous American thought and practice. Obama can grasp to find precedents but they are very unpersuasive. When he does come up with something, it is either taken out of context or arguing as if the America of today hasn't change in a century, with cigar-smoking, top-hatted capitalists oppressing workers who have no unions.
Romney should highlight Obama's departure from the Constitution and consensus. He is the mainstream candidate; Obama is the extremist.
--Obamaism puts the American system out of balance. There is nothing wrong with having a state capable of balancing big business and the banks from having unbridled power but that is nowhere close to reality. Instead, the federal government has grown to ridiculous proportions, to the point where it is dictating to society and the individual. Romney should be the candidate of reasonable balance, explaining why the government, taxes, and regulation must be reduced back to reasonable proportions.
-- The Obama approach is not some social justice system protecting the masses but rather the instrument of a privileged class trying to enrich itself and accumulate power, a bid for power by wealthy and upper middle class people who benefit from their relationship to the state to enrich themselves rather than by producing jobs, products, and wealth.
They pretend to serve most Americans but actually steal the property of the people to benefit parasitical crony capitalists and non-productive upper middle class sectors. Romney must show how government programs that pretend to be altruistic are actually forms of greed that hurt the voters.
--Romney needs to wage an old-fashioned anti-Washington campaign against big government, high taxes, and excessive regulation, against a swollen government full of waste, fraud, and abuse.
When they call him rich, he responds by calling them arrogant, power-hungry, and liberty-stealing. He must provide case after case of massive government waste and fraud to trash the lie that money to the federal government merely keeps the water and air clean, clothes the poor, and does assorted other good deeds. He and the congressional candidates need to show the waste and corruption involve in funding crony capitalism or the turning of government into a foundation that uses tax money to make left-wing groups rich.
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