Saturday, April 14, 2012

It’s Time For The Right To Move Past The Hillary Rosen Gaffe

The Hillary Rosen gaffe is a gift to Obama.

Why?

Because it buys Obama a few days of not having to talk about high unemployment, soaring gas prices, and a crushing national debt. Obama would like nothing more than to keep the debate over the “war on women” going until November. Furthermore, very few people care what some third string CNN contributor says anyway. Sure, she’s visited the White House 35 times over the past 3 years. Outside of political junkies, how many people are actually aware of that fact?

Mitt Romney is not going to win the election by getting in the mud with the left on gender issues. It’s time for Mitt and his surrogates to switch the focus back to the issues that matter.

Cross posted at Redstate

27 comments:

hamaca said...

I don't know that Hilary Rosen's comments and subsequent debate are the focus of the GOP platform. If they were, I'd agree with your point.

I think there is value in keeping this on the list of issues that demonstrate Obama and team are simply out of touch with fly-over America. It counters their attempts to argue the contrary.

And if it can be demonstrated that they are not representative of so many citizens on this particular issue, I believe the narrative can feed into the other issues you've mentioned that should be the focus, i.e. that Obama's administration does not have our best interests at heart and, in fact, does not even understand them.

BOSMAN said...

I think we're all smart enough to be able to spit an chew gum at the same time. Besides, l like being able to pour salt on an open wound'

Slick-Willy said...

No one that matters is fixated on this story. This incident is simply one additional power card to stow away. It should be brought out from time to time to remind people of the left's anti-mother view.

And anyone w/any capacity to analyze can see that this story has clearly helped Mitt and hurt Obama. Obama is not glad it happened. We've had about a 5% swing in Mitt's favor since Rosen's gaffe.

Anonymous said...

You underestimate women's memories and our resolve at your own peril.

We don't see ourselves as divided between the "working" and the "non-working," or between the "employed" and the "stay-at-home." Most women, regardless of our current employment status (or whether or not we have children or are married), see ourselves as WORKING. A whole lot. If you don't know why that's so, you are clearly "out-of-touch" with real women.

The Rosen episode will become a textbook case of what a public-relations operative should NOT do to try to help a political candidate defeat his opponent. Long after the annals of the 2012 presidential campaign have been written, students of political science and communications will be quoting Hilary Rosen and analyzing why her snarky comment about Ann Romney--"she's never worked a day in her life"--resounded with virtually all women. We ALL felt accused, criticized for our life's choices, and demeaned for not having enough experience (or the right kind of experience) to speak up about our nation's economy.

This goes deep. Make no mistake about it. Of course, there are many, many grave issues to debate on the road to Romney's victory in November. But, despite the machinations of the Obama Team and its MSM supporters to squelch this incident and move on (as you, RW, are advising), Rosen's words will continue to resonate with many women voters all the way to the ballot box.

Anonymous said...

Ann handled this with great class. She did not blame the "Lame stream media", she did not feign insult and she put the left in their place about the decisions she alone was responsible for.

I dare say Ann would even be able to get through a Katie Couric interview without a huge flub too.

Right Wingnut said...

Blah, blah, blah. If you all think Mitt and the right should get in the mud with left over women's issues, you're nuts! It's a long term loser. Obama will win the majority of these battles in the future by employing scare tactics, and promising free stuff. With all that is going on in our country, and the world, is this what you want the election to be about? Hilary Rosen?

Right Wingnut said...

By the way....

My wife is a stay-at-home mom. She works very hard! I'm just having a hard time caring what Hillary Rosen says about it. If Obama said it, you might have something with staying power, but he already threw her under the bus.

GetReal said...

His million dollar donation man, Bill Maher, doubled down on the attack. Will Obama throw him under the bus as well?

Romney's numbers with women were abysmal just a week ago. This has actually helped. Now, I'd cool off after another day or two but its been good so far, especially that, rather than "getting in the mud" he and Ann remind people of the issue, then tie it to the economy.

Anonymous said...

I disagree with your post in several major ways.

First, Hilary Rosen’s comment was not a “gaffe.” A gaffe is an unintentional blunder (social, political, diplomatic, etc.). A gaffe is a mistake that’s almost immediately noticeable to the individual who makes it, as well as to those around him/her.

Rosen didn’t think her comment was a mistake at all. She intended to plant this particular political IED along Mitt Romney’s road to the election. The fact that the bomb exploded in her own face makes this incident a PR disaster, not a gaffe. It took Rosen nearly a day to back down (sort of) and issue a pseudo-apology for her comment. It was the Twitterverse, driven by conservatives and the Romney campaign, that immediately reacted to the deliberate attack on Ann Romney—and forced Rosen to back off. (It took the Obama campaign to finally force her to shut up and cancel her scheduled appearance on Meet the Press this Sunday.)

Second, anyone who argues that Rosen’s remarks were a gift to Obama is delusional or disingenuous. Rosen sent the Obama team reeling this week. Spun them off their Axelrod. It’s not Romney or the GOP that lost valuable media time. It’s Obama. (After the Secret Service brouhaha today, it seems like Obama just can’t catch a break.)

Third, “gender issues,” as you quaintly call them, ARE “issues that matter.” The same day that Hilary Rosen chose to rip Ann Romney on CNN, Mitt Romney met with women business owners in Hartford, CT. As leaders of businesses (who are also grandmothers, mothers, and single women), these women received his economic message enthusiastically. Is this a gender issue? Or an issue “that matters”?

Terrye said...

I did not get the impression that Mitt Romney was fixated on this issue.

Right Wingnut said...

Anon @ x:41, Hillary Rosen said it...not Obama...not Axelrod. Nobody other than CNN viewers even knows who this clown is. It's a dead end street to nowhere when gas is four bucks a gallon, and North Korea is firing long range missiles.

The economy is the most difficult issue for Obama to answer for. Any day (or in this case, several days) in which the economy tales second fiddle to the opinion of a third string left contributor on CNN, is a lost opportunity.

Ohio JOE said...

Great post RW!

Anonymous said...

Anon at 8:41 is correct. The comment was planned. The Dems were floating an plan of attack and it double barrel backfired in their collective faces. I agree with RW that the Republicans should not dwell on the episode, but none the less, I am happy it happened. It cut off the Dem "War on Women" game plan at the knees. The Obama campaign is going to have to find another game plan now, because the Buffet Rule game plan ain't gonna fly.

corep said...

RW- your naivete is embarassing. This is a deflect for sure from obama but its also a rallying point for the GOP and indies who feel it is an affront to the family and moms.

Nothing wrong with taking this as a starting point and using the $4 gas and economic malaise as additional proof that Obama is out of touch and has no vision for the country on the economic as well as the family front.

you never look a gift horse in the mouth and this is a gift horse that rallies folks against obama.

Just because no one knew rosen before this doesnt mean it cant be taken advantage of. No one knew the name trayvon martin or george zimmerman until a month ago and they are being used by Obama to stoke the fires against the right. But in your universe the right isnt allowed to use the same tactics against the left. That is the attitude of a loser in the street fight that is going on right now for the presidency.

again your naivete or rather your hatred for romney rears its ugly head again.

Anonymous said...

Read Michelle Malkin (no RINO she):

REAL MOMS OF THE GOP BATTLE WHITE HOUSE SOP (4/13/12): "This was no accidental rhetorical drive-by."

http://michellemalkin.com/2012/04/13/real-moms-of-the-gop-battle-white-house-sop/

Anonymous said...

Hilary Rosen's supposed "gaffe" reminded me of George Stephanopolous bringing up the contraceptive issue at the GOP debates. There was no contraceptive issue until he brought it up. The dems planted the contra issue and it worked. It sent some (*cough* Rick *cough*)off on a tangent. I think they were hoping Hilary's comment would do the same thing. I think if she had reworded her response, she might have succeeded. This is politics. Should we make this the main talking point? No. But for those women sitting on the fence, this was a gift for the GOP. I hear a lot of buzz about this, but most of it is not from the Romney camp. It is from outraged women. - Moi

Anonymous said...

I haven't read anywhere that Romney commented on the issue. He allowed Ann and his campaign to do it for him, which was appropriate. Even Obama has commented about this, proving that the Obama campaign doesn't like this, not one little bit. Having Obama dragged into the kerfuffle--and Michelle--while Mitt stands by looking Presidential is not bad optics.

That being said, I'm sure that the campaign will handle this well. They have new bumper stickers that say, "Women Drive the Economy." These will be smart reminders of the O campaign problems. Mostly, they will continue to talk about the economy and how it hurts women voters. And men, and children....

I read somewhere that Ann Romney was more popular on twitter after this episode for a period of time than Justin Beiber. I think this will leave a residual effect on the Dems that they really won't like.

AZ

Machtyn said...

I can't find it because the articles are hidden in the flood of Rosen articles. However, Obama DID attack the Romney's for being out of touch with working mothers the day before the Rosen thing came out. According to Joe Pags on The Weekend, Hilary Rosen just messed up the attack.

And, as someone mentioned above, the Romneys, Ann specifically, gave their response and I don't think they are going after it anymore. However, Fox is REALLY going on it hard. Also, Republican operatives, RNC advisors, etc, are going on this battle.

You have a point that it is a distraction from the real issues, but it may be one of those things that helps women see that the Left is trying to pull the wool over their eyes.

Anonymous said...

RightWingnut as I said before and I say it again is a LeftWingnut. He's helping Barack Obama win this November.

Anonymous said...

He's TRYING to help Obama win the election. But like a poor marksman he keeps missing the target.

Anonymous said...

Not sure I agree RWN. Even my wife (who tends to be pretty politically indifferent, and uninterested) weighed in on this one - and she wasn't happy about it. This debate extended way beyond the realm of political junkies, and the end result was that the Dems got clobbered on this one.

I do agree it would be good to move on and not bring this issue up constantly (although I fear Hannity will be playing that clip as much as he played the Dean scream the last 8 years). And that always grates on my nerves when people beat the proverbial dead horse. With that said, I think this ended up a net gain for the GOP, though they could easily over play the card and have it turn into a liability.

-Phil

Right Wingnut said...

Phil gets it.

Anonymous said...

Phil's WIFE gets it:

"Even my wife (who tends to be pretty politically indifferent, and uninterested) weighed in on this one - and she wasn't happy about it."

Doug NYC GOP said...

Quick points and recap:

This was not a gaffe but reflects the true disdain the Left has for the traditional family structure. Rosen exposed this and Team Obama had no choice but distance themselves from it.

Rosen haas effectively ended any hopes of turning women against Romney because any fu true atack will pivot back to this misstep.

This issue gave most of the nation their first introduction to Ann Romney and she blasted it out of the park with three men on base:
Classy
Respectful
Empathetic
And very articulate

Team Obama has a very narrow window in which to paint Romney as unacceptable and that window is closing rapidly. There are very bad signs ahead for the economy and the manufactured positive polls we saw this week for Obama show he has a very weak foundation on this and other issues. They were trying to do this among women but they just blew it and this will be Mitt's low water mark with the group. As Obama is losing terribly with men, any ground Roney gains back with women is a severe blow to the incumbent.

Anonymous said...

I somewhat agree with RW on this....if pundits like Hannity overplay this gaffe....it loses it impact to the independent voters. I don't think it should be quickly swept under the rug but I think the Republicans need to focus like a laser on their economic message and freedom of religion.

I personally think the GOP should run a series of commercials communicating how large 15 plus trillion is and how Obama's Buffet rule is an absolute joke when it comes to reducing the 15 trillion debt!.

College students and people in general really do not realize the magnitude of this debt and how this debt will impact their future. Obama is doing absolutely nothing to reduce the size of this debt....on the contrary he has significantly grown the debt more than any other president in history.

To me this 15 plus trillion debt is the biggest national security issue that faces this country.

cimbri said...

Leigh, any overplaying will be done by the social cons (Hannity, Palin, et al), Romney's people have already moved on.

Anonymous said...

cimbri-you are right.