Saturday, December 18, 2010

Will it be Populists Versus Managers in 2012?



The National Journal had an interesting article yesterday titled, Populists Versus Managers. In the article, they categorize some of the potential 2012'ers into two groups. They feel that the 2012 elections will come down to Populists vs. Managers.

Here is how they see some of our favorites:


  
The two groups disagree on some issues (trade, aid to banks), but the most important differences between them are cultural and stylistic, not ideological.
























The article goes on to talk about a CLASS INVERSION. How there has been a switch in recent years in the Party make-up. ’Beer track’ vs. ‘Wine track’ . How the Democratic party has shifted up scale making blue caller voters more important in the Republican Party. The article goes on to point out that a  NEW CLASS DIVIDE could play a major roll in the 2012 primaries and general election.
At this early stage, the buttoned-down, boardroom-savvy Romney and the rifle-toting, consonant-dropping Palin represent the purest embodiments of the manager and the populist camps, and they generate the sharpest class divide in responses from GOP voters.
Read the full article with accompanying graphs HERE.

15 comments:

TexasConservative said...

Good post Bosman. What I think is rather humorous is how NRO mocked Huckabee for being a populist back in 2007/2008. Yet they seem to be building Palin up with the populist meme. Guess Huckabee was populist/cool before populist/cool was cool.

Bill589 said...

I think Americans see it more as anti-establishment vs. establishment.
Anti-GOP elite vs. GOP elite.
Revolutionary vs. same old, same old.
Sarah Palin vs. the Old Boys' Club.

Right Wingnut said...

Bill,

...or Leaders vs. managers.

Right Wingnut said...

By the way, I'm a bit surprised that Chris Christie isn't getting some "populist" cred in the article. The You Tube rantings are his claim to fame.

Anonymous said...

I'll take a good 'BIG PICTURE' Manager over a touchy feely Populist any day.

zeke

Doug NYC GOP said...

Populism only gets you so far. Look at our populist President Obama - no management skills and failing. Do we want to take a chance on that again?

A good mamanger can win people over easier than a populist can become a good manager. The nation doesn't have to suffer through on-the-job training.

Also really good managers don't leave in the middle of a crisis. They stay and finish the job, escpecially if they are sooooo tough, brave and forceful.

Noelle said...

The way I see it, being a populist, raging against the elites and thundering rhetoric is all fine and good when your party is not in power. When your party is in power, however, it is better to have someone who can succeed in getting the job done, and done well.

Palin is the cover-girl for the populists, but if she were to become president, she is too invested in fighting those in power. I think she would be something like a conservative version of Obama. Good at speaking, good at motivating, not good at leading.

Romney is the cover-boy for the managers. If (when) he becomes president, he has the credentials, the intelligence, the class and the record of success that I want. He has it all!

Romney 2012

kelly said...

Well said Noelle!

We need someone who can see the big picture, analyze the problems, and mount a results oriented strategy to get things done.

Mitt Romney is that person.

Pablo said...

Good post and may the managers win!

hamaca said...

Interesting, though, on that list of ten of some of the favorites, all but two (I believe) have managed something significant in the public sector, e.g. a state.

Anonymous said...

"Look at our populist President Obama - no management skills and failing." Bad analogy; Mr. Obama is more of an elitist than a Populists. Furthermore, back in Alaska, Mrs. Palin has proven to be a better manager than most members of the elite establishment. The elite and establishment were good managers back when our Grandparents were alive, but nowadays they are for the most part good only at managing non-sense.

OHIO JOE

Right Wingnut said...

Actually, Obama has been remarkably successful at implementing much of his agenda. The problem is that an overwhelming majority of American people don't want it.

Revolution 2012 said...

I agree with Pablo and zeke.

I'll take a manager.

phil said...

I'm one for the BEST Manager.

Mitt Romney!

Ann said...

Mitt the Manager!

That's for me.