TPMDC
GOP Strategist: Obama Won For Giving Nice Speeches
Christina Bellantoni | October 9, 2009, 6:07PM
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Republican strategist Chris LaCivita takes issue with my point about the GOP holding their criticism over the long weekend.
LaCivita is best known for his role in the Swift Boat ads.
He told TPMDC the Republicans are smart to (mostly) avoid direct criticism of President Obama related to the Nobel Peace Prize, arguing they should spend their time attacking Obama's domestic policy.
"Why divert an attack on the Nobel Peace Prize when there are bigger issues and bigger fish to fry back home?" LaCivita said, adding he thinks Obama won for giving "a couple nice speeches."
"I don't know what it does for us, for the country," he said. "I don't care what the French think of us and I could care less what the people in Oslo think of us."
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fpie
October 9, 2009 6:19 PM
What it really boils down to is that the Republicans think "peace" is a dirty word. Try to imagine a Republican promoting peace. When is the last time that happened?
"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?" (Nick Lowe, I think)
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Ann Arbor
October 9, 2009 7:58 PM in reply to fpie
Elvis Costello
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NotBornEveryMinute
October 9, 2009 11:04 PM in reply to Ann Arbor
correction - you're doing it wrong!
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fkaZk0sm0
October 10, 2009 9:51 AM in reply to Ann Arbor
originally written and recorded by nick lowe (and his band brinsely schwartz).
later covered (and popularized) by elvis costello (& the attractions).
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mJJ
October 10, 2009 3:03 AM in reply to fpie
Actually Republicans have the idea that this negativity is good for the party. As a life long Republican, I can tell you, this anti-Obama rhetoric is nauseating to me. It is self defeating for our party to stoop to this sort of veiled racism (and in some instances, not even very well veiled comments). I can see that the likes of Rush and Shawn et al are just insanely jealous of our President. I totally disavow the comments made by the Republican talking heads. They are hate filled racist people who are so angry because they lost their mojo and will be unable to defeat the Obama presidency. My advice is for Republicans to distance themselves from these bigots or they will be thrown out of their jobs because Americans are very tired of this back biting.
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AhTrini1
October 10, 2009 2:39 PM in reply to mJJ
mJJ,
Who will be left in your party?
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Walter Mitty
October 9, 2009 6:25 PM
So he's saying that he does care about what Oslo thinks of America?
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fpie
October 9, 2009 6:51 PM in reply to Walter Mitty
Now don't be so pickey. The guy's under a lot of strain.
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jsfox
October 9, 2009 7:41 PM
"....I don't care what the French think of us and I could care less what the people in Oslo think of us."
Got to love NeoCon Group think: Who the hell cares what rest of the world thinks of us.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
October 9, 2009 8:26 PM in reply to jsfox
The irony being that the fact that Obama walked us back from that mindset is why he won the Nobel.
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Stroszek
October 9, 2009 10:32 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
Exactly.
And our media is flabbergasted by this award because they, being neocons who profited immensely from the invasion of Iraq, don't see what's wrong with this attitude either.
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Ann Arbor
October 9, 2009 7:53 PM
No wonder they're upset about Reagan not winning. It never occurred to them that all the Reaganite talk about a "winnable nuclear war," with Europe as the main theater, might not go over well in Europe.
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AhTrini1
October 10, 2009 2:47 PM in reply to Ann Arbor
Imagine if saint reagan had won the Noble Peace Prize as he sanctioned the Iran Contra Scandal - yup, yup, you betcha.
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Dave Bowman
October 9, 2009 8:23 PM
That's the attitude that put America in the shitter during the Bush years. He and his fellow 20%ers are lucky that Obama doesn't say the same thing about Republicans.
I know that's what I'd say...which is why i'll never win the Nobel.
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Stroszek
October 9, 2009 10:31 PM
This attitude, or to be more exact, the marginalization of this attitude is precisely the reason Obama won this award.
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fiddlecraig
October 10, 2009 12:19 AM
Hmmmm. Anyone else recall the main reasons the given within the Declaration of Independence for its being written? Oh yeah: "A decent respect for the opinions of mankind" was the first on the list. Well, never mind. The Declaration was just written by the founders. Who the hell cares what they thought? Certainly not so-called "patriots" like LaCivita. And someone might also point out to him that the good opinion of the French turned out to be crucial in winning the American Revolution.
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fkaZk0sm0
October 10, 2009 10:05 AM
"I don't care what the French think of us and I could (sic) care less what the people in Oslo think of us."
and THIS is precisely why republicans aren't in any danger of winning peace prizes. and also a good estimation of why the nobel committee awarded one to obama. by rejecting the unilaterism, american exceptionalism, and jingoistic saber rattling (let alone actual war mongering)* of the american right, obama creates the space for advancing peace in the world.
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KZ
October 10, 2009 10:09 AM
That'll be the next project of the wingnuts who are rewriting the Bible. They'll rewrite the Declaration of Independence to reflect conservative values. If they can change the word of God, what's a few founders.
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mjshep
October 11, 2009 11:35 AM in reply to KZ
Isn't that an oxymoron?
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LeeJo
October 10, 2009 9:04 PM
Why does the right hate the United States? Last week they cheered an American loss when Chicago lost their Olympics bid. This week they are whining, whimpering and begging for failure in American policy. Then to top it off today they are complaining about an American win. The Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to our President and they complain. Why do they hate the United States?
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