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The Political Season and the Baseball Season

imreallyperplexed

Council Member
I like to compare the political season to the baseball season. There are some major differences of course. The baseball season has a definite opening day as well as the World Series when the champion is crowned. The political season does not have a clear opening day and lasts longer. But there are some similarities in my mind. In particular, over the course of a season, a championship is won day by day and game by game, series by series and week by week. If things go less than well one day, you pick yourself up and play the next game. Things go up and things go down.

With this metaphor in mind, there are two points worth mentioning. IMHO, though the Republican primary fight has been entertaining, we are only now really approaching Spring training. The Republicans have been battling to find a positive message (to accompany ABO) and to choose a messenger. It looks more like Romney will be the nominee at this point (though the fat lady has not yet sung) and his victory speech last night seemed like a dry run on his stump campaign speech. That said, the President - despite a few feints - has really just been scouting the competition and been focused primarily - as he should be - on governing. I expect the President to get more fully into joint campaigning/governing mode when the Congress opens next week and he delivers the State of the Union on January 24. The State of the Union speech will represent the opening of Spring training. The end of Spring training comes when the Republicans finally settle on a nominee (and it looks like it will be Romney.) At that point, the season begins.

PJers are political junkies so we have been paying close attention even before Spring training. Most Americans have not been paying that much attention. As Spring training starts, more attention will be paid. Once the regular season starts, more people will pay attention. As the season progresses, more and more "fans" will be drawn in.

It will be interesting to watch the games being played game by game and series by series and see how the season emerges.
 

GordonGecko

President
It's a good point to always keep in mind...Left, Right, or Center. MOST Americans don't care what's happening in politics. You hear it over and over...not until Labor Day do people really start to tune in and start thinking about who to vote for first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

It's something else Romney is counting on. He can "move Center" for the General Election...and most people haven't seen him do his pandering to the Hard Right over the past year and through the first primaries.
 

imreallyperplexed

Council Member
Well, I think that a lot of people are "aware" of what is going on. They are just not focused on it.

Just out of curioisty, how do you think that Romney will "move Center"? What positions will he adjust? How has he pandered to the right in your opinion? What positions did he shift on? Can you be specific? (I am not saying that Romney hasn't pandered to the Right and won't try to move Center. But I find it more helpful to know the specific positions.) But I think that Romney will always be vulnerable to the flip-flop charge.

Personally, I don't think that he will deviate from his support for the Ryan Plan and I honestly think that the Ryan Plan is - on balance - a loser. Of course, I think that the Ryan Plan is a loser and a disaster in the making - so I take my opinion on this with a grain of salt. (I do not think that the Ryan Plan is "moderate.")

It's a good point to always keep in mind...Left, Right, or Center. MOST Americans don't care what's happening in politics. You hear it over and over...not until Labor Day do people really start to tune in and start thinking about who to vote for first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

It's something else Romney is counting on. He can "move Center" for the General Election...and most people haven't seen him do his pandering to the Hard Right over the past year and through the first primaries.
 

GordonGecko

President
I think he'll back away from specific support for Paul Ryan's "reforms" to a more generic call for "reforming entitlements without hurting our seniors"...especially given Ryan's last attempt to "voucherize" Medicare had a 60% opposition.

I also think he may play down cutting taxes for the wealthy and love of Wall Street and actually start to sound more like Newt is sounding now against HIM...to distance himself from his image as a multi-millionaire corporate raider.

Likely he'll drop most talk about abortion and opposition to gay marriage, unless asked.

And finally, he'll start to back away from the Neo-cons and stop hinting that he'll "attack Iran Day One, Hour One as President".
 

imreallyperplexed

Council Member
Could be. It will be interesting to watch.

I think he'll back away from specific support for Paul Ryan's "reforms" to a more generic call for "reforming entitlements without hurting our seniors"...especially given Ryan's last attempt to "voucherize" Medicare had a 60% opposition.

I also think he may play down cutting taxes for the wealthy and love of Wall Street and actually start to sound more like Newt is sounding now against HIM...to distance himself from his image as a multi-millionaire corporate raider.

Likely he'll drop most talk about abortion and opposition to gay marriage, unless asked.

And finally, he'll start to back away from the Neo-cons and stop hinting that he'll "attack Iran Day One, Hour One as President".
 
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