We often arrive at our decisions about political policies and leaders based on rhetoric provided by politicians and the media because we are too busy to do the required homework. Later as the truth unfolds we regret our decisions. While the 2012 conservative republican’s strategies are still evolving, the liberal democrat’s and Obama’s win-win-win strategies have been clear for many months. We must be aware of three liberal democrat “win” strategies when we make our decisions.
- The want to hear strategy: tell citizens what they want to hear. We always like hearing what we want to happen. President Obama started this process in his state-of-the-union speech when he proposed new initiatives for innovation, education, infrastructure, and anything that would add jobs. This is what we all want to happen if we could afford it. This “win” relies upon the belief that citizen’s “wants list” will trump citizen’s “concerns list” about costs and future impacts.
- The divide-conquer strategy: use divisive tricks to separate our nation into financial, race, age, etc. biased groups. The chant “tax the rich” is one of many examples where the facts divulge the deceit. These taxes would add income of about $70 billion per year. This is only 0.47 % of the 2011 debt and only 4.7 % of the deficit — not a significant amount. In fact, if all spending reductions and tax increases proposals suggested by both political parties were implemented, they do not close the debt or deficit gaps! This divisive “win” strategy pits citizen against citizen at a time when our nation needs to be united.
- The sideline–snipe strategy: set on the sideline and snipe at any and all (painful) proposals that might help fix the problems making those offering the proposals the “bad guys.” Examples of this strategy abound:
- The liberal (democrat) Senate has not offered a budget proposal in two years.
- Raising taxes now and (possibly) cutting spending later is a ruse — not a solution — to be able to blame the conservatives for protecting “fat cats”.
- President Obama
- Ignored proposals of his Debt Reduction Committee.
- Spent no time working with the joint deficit “Super Committee.”
- Spent little time working with Congressional leaders on critical problems.
- Used every one of his almost daily free public engagements to blame republicans’, or anyone or any thing else for our problems.
These three strategies are very powerful. Voters not having time to research facts or decipher political rhetoric will tend to focus on current short-term concerns and their pocketbooks. The liberal strategies depend upon false or deceptive, scare, and seduction tactics to achieve short-term self-serving election objectives. If we citizens simply “by into” these strategies without considering the long-term consequences we will likely again fall into the trap that results in future regret. Conservatives may win solely on the basis of our poor economy but if they want to assure success they will need to start counteracting these strategies.
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