Why isn't the campaign making a bigger deal about TARP?

[rpwi]

Using debates and ads to talk about this will pay dividends IMO.

In Wisconsin, we had a Senate election in 2010 in which a 18 year vet Russ Feingold was taken out by Ron Johnson...one of the key issues Ron Johnson stumped on? Feingold's partial support for the bailouts (he supported the concept but did oppose minor details). To me this was quite illustrative of the distaste the public had for the bailouts and how powerful of an issue this can be politically.

It's not just TARP of course...but also the Fannie/Freddie bailouts, AIG, Maiden Lane and the whole host bailouts we had from the 2008 and on period... Even the most recent multiple trillion dollars bailouts the Fed has done would make great talking points:

http://thenewamerican.com/economy/s...federal-reserve-bailout-77-trillion-this-time

Talking about about that ^ in detail will make MORE people enemies of the Fed than just talking about inflation.

For ammunition, you have a lot of good Romney/Newt material to tap.

Here is a video of Newt expressing support for TARP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJb2NfqwghY

Here is video of Mitt supporting TARP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtFOeh2nE3o

Mitt's been getting a huge amount of donations from banks: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120115/NEWS02/701159927

And of course a number of banks were partners in crime with Mitt and Bain when they committed conveyance fraud with how they setup their leveraged buyouts (but the campaign probably doesn't want to bring that specifically up...too complicated for Joe the voter).

This can work...

 

[low preference guy]

I agree. There is one thing RP should say in every debate: I'm the only candidate here who consistently opposed the bailout, mandates, and doubling the size of the department of education. And an ad campaign should back up that theme so that voters know it.

 

[rpwi]

Plus he's got to get into details of how these programs worked and who benefited. Would like him to use loaded terms like 'bailout', 'corporate welfare', and 'TARP'. These words are very powerful and should trigger emotional cues in the voter listening to this.

 

[guysenjem]

Good point. He has underused this argument considering his opponents approval of TARP.

 

[SwooshOU]

Totally agree.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Yep. It's another thing we should be saying in every debate, because it works on average GOP voters. They know they got screwed with TARP. This is something Rand mentioned at virtually every campaign event and debate.

 

[Feeding the Abscess]

Mention that Santorum bailed the airline industry; how can we trust we would have voted against TARP when he fell in line with leadership for that bailout, plus the largest expansion of the welfare state since the Great Society?

 

[amonasro]

Agree... but also remember the average voter has the attention span of a cat. Distract him/her and they will be on to something else. TARP? What?

 

[nomark]

yes, where is revolutionpac.com on this? great idea. Ron Paul has 30 years of "no on TARP"

 

[luctor-et-emergo]

Maybe a little bit unrelated, but it's related to the strategy.

Sun Tzu said; (2400 years ago)
(parts from ch1, Laying plans)
18. All warfare is based on deception
19. Hence, when able to attack we must seem unable, when using our forces, we must seem inactive, when we are near we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
21. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

(parts from ch3, Attack by Stratagem)
18. Hence the saying: if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself, but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.

Now this book was written originally to shed blood more effectively. But it applies very well to every day situations that describe struggles, fights etc.

Lots of things that can be applied to campaign strategy, grassroots, or just about any part of life. The basic principles of motivation and perseverance are discussed very well. For those of you that have not heard about Sun Tzu's - 'The art of war'. There's multiple places on the internet where you can read it, and copies sell for around 10$. For me it has been a good resource.

 

[MJU1983]

I'll have to update this...did Gingrich support TARP?

 

[TheDriver]

Why aren't they making a bigger deal out of ObamaCare? Ron is a doctor.

 

[dirtdigger]

Plus he's got to get into details of how these programs worked and who benefited. Would like him to use loaded terms like 'bailout', 'corporate welfare', and 'TARP'. These words are very powerful and should trigger emotional cues in the voter listening to this.

Agree totally with you except on the details part. Details of how the program worked will lose the audience. He should just focus on who benefited and say Wall Street and Goldman Sachs benefited.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Why aren't they making a bigger deal out of ObamaCare? Ron is a doctor.

Yeah, really...

 

[georgiaboy]

Debt Ceiling, too.

 

[rpwi]

I'll have to update this...did Gingrich support TARP?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJb2NfqwghY Basically he something like in the end he would reluctantly end up voting yes. So yeah...he's one of them.