Was the Reverend Wright "leak" to the NY Times intentional ?

[kentuck]

Almost immediately, Mitt Romney came out to denounce it.

But what was the purpose of the "leak"?

Was it intended to bring out the Rev Wright issue once again? I don't think so.

In my opinion, it was intended to send a message to the Obama campaign. We will withhold any Republican ads that mention your religious connections to the Reverend Wright and we expect your campaign to do the same in regards to any religious connections to our candidate, Mitt Romney. To do otherwise is to engage in an unacceptable negative type of campaigning.

It was not a "leak". The "46-page document" was part of a plan by the Romney campaign, in my opinion. They understand that the Mormon "issue" is the Achilles heel of their effort to win the White House. The Republican Party cannot win without its Southern base. But the states in the South are very Southern Baptist and do not look favorably upon the Mormon religion. Some have even called it a "cult". The Romney campaign understands this very well. They are doing their best to silence the issue. That is what the "leak" was all about...

.

[madokie]

1. I think you are on to something here

And its spot on or how I see it too

[geckosfeet]

2. Of course it was. It's part of a whisper campaign.

The only random thing that happens in the RMoney campaign is his gaffes. Keeping (what they perceive to be) negatives in the minds of voters creates subliminal or subconscious feelings and thoughts.

[spanone]

3. i thought so. also so mitt could 'repudiate' it and quash the mormon thingy

Last edited Sat May 19, 2012, 10:29 AM - Edit history (1)

think about it. how else would the new york times get this story?

[kentuck]

4. Yep..

They are a clever bunch.

[randome]

7. If they were clever, Romney wouldn't look like such a total doofus.

[kentuck]

8. And a total doofus would not be able to make $250 million dollars...

..by pulling the wool over peoples eyes...

[spanone]

10. they can only control so much.

[KharmaTrain]

5. Nothing In Politics Is "Accidental"...

Many times a campaign will "trial balloon" an issue through a leak or other means to see what the political temperature is. A good example, IMO, is the recent "revelation" or "evolution" of President Obama in favor of marriage equality. I don't think Biden's "faux pas" was anything but an attempt by some inside his campaign to see how well the corporate media and the political class would accept the President "coming out". When the pressure was for the President to come out in the affirmative, he had the media behind him. President Obama may not have wanted to express his "evolution" at this time...but the time was right and the move appears to be a positive one.

On the other hand, the rushpublican are spoilin' to find something/anything to stick to President Obama. There's the great unhinged who have spent the past 5 years talking themselves into a tizzy about how President Obama is a "secret mooozlim" or a "socialust" or some Manchurian candidate respresenting all evil but that this "truth" has never been "vetted". It's definitely dripping with racism...the rushpublican party thrives on that now...but also has been used as an excuse as to why President Obama won in '08.

With all the high rollers in the rushpublican party looking to throw money around, there's a sub-class of political grifters out there looking for ways to tap into it. That $10 million proposal was as much a big payday for some "consultant" that...if it works, they're heroes, if it fails, they get to hide behind the Rmoney campaign. Either way they win and laugh all the way to the bank.

Methinks someone inside the the rushpublican hierarchy dropped the dime on this plan...not the Rmoney campaign (note how long it took for them to come out with a response). The first reports were that this deal did go down but soon parties were backing off...so it looks like sabotage from inside the rushpublican tent and no better place to leak then to "Pravda"...the New York Times...

[NNN0LHI]

6. There are no coincidences in politics

[pacalo]

9. That's a good point. This strategy would take care of so many other negative issues

that are going to plague Romney's persona besides his religious beliefs.

As I mentioned before, in this economic climate, Romney has so many factors going against him that his benefactors/campaign staff probably feel the only thing they have is a deflective strategy. He's going up against an impressive man who's got more to offer than Romney in these troubled times.

Shutting down the truth -- stating Romney's record is not character assassination, as Romney claims -- would go a long way in helping Romney's cause. They've got SCOTUS's Citizens United helping them rake in the campaign funds; now they want the facts reined in because they certainly don't help them.


/clarity

[uponit7771]

11. not a threat against religion but against using Bain, the Bain adds hurth them bad. You should have

...seen Mitt RobMes face during the presser afterwards...he was looking like he just found out he was an asshole

[protect our future]

12. It'a the resurrection of the

scaryscary black man strategy, and yes of course it's all intentional. Melissa Harris perry is talking about it now on my tv as I type.

[kentuck]

13. I don't think that is the primary reason...

... the primary strategy is to deflect attention from the truth about the scary white man...

[protect our future]

20. I was thinkin' scary scary white man

before I read your post, LOL! I was thinking "oh happy day..now that scary scary black man has reappeared, let's introduce the public to scary scary white guy."

[protect our future]

14. Actually, kentuck, I am wondering why

the leaker didn't realize that focusing on Wright makes Mormonism fair game. "You attack me on religious grounds, so I'll attack you back based on your religion. You started it." Too stupid I guess, or else the leak might have come from the Obama side itself. Obama's master strategists could run rings around Rove and his Rovers, and do it effortlessly while both walking and chewing gum at the same time.

[kentuck]

17. Basically, it is about the voters in the South.

The Republicans cannot win without the South. The Bain ads are a challenge for them but they believe they can handle those with some good PR ads, showing the great businessman Mitt Romney. They are not overly concerned about those ads, in my opinion.

Their goal is to inoculate Romney from attacks on his religion. Once he has denounced these Reverend Wright ads, he looks like the candidate that wants to keep the race above personal attacks. If the Obama campaign were to then attack his religion, they would be accused of negative attacks that are beyond the scope of respectful politics.

Whether it will work or not is still to be seen. However, I think this was their rationale behind the ad that was "leaked" to the NY Times. We are now in the middle of the chess game...

[gulliver]

15. Hard not to suspect that.

Romney is known to have a slimy character. For one thing, he is a proven serial liar. Resorting to backhanded attacks disguised as taking the high road would be no problem for him.

I trust Obama and his folks to see it for what it is. Once the real campaign ads and debates kick off, I think "George W. Bush only clever" is going down in flames. Romney started off strong in the Republican primary too, but then people got to know him. In the first debate with Obama, Romney is going to find himself missing Newt Gingrich.

[coalition_unwilling]

16. Romney was a high-placed official in the Mormon church hierarchy (a "Bishop," IIRC) up

until 1978 when the Mormon church finally renounced its racist practices. Does anyone REALLY think Romney had a sudden change of heart in 1978??

He was just fine with the Mormon church's racism before 1978 and that is probably because deep down he's a racist himself. Or. at best, a racism enabler.

Obama kicking Romney's ass in the debates will do more, imo, to advance race relations in this country than Obama's mastery of the senile and febrile McCrazy in 2008. Can't wait.

[riderinthestorm]

18. Honestly, I wondered if it was an extortionary move targeted more against Rahm Emmanual

with a bonus of taking a real jab at Obama. I couldn't figure out why Rahm was so furious about it all. It makes sense though if Ricketts was trying to force Rahm's hand in coughing up the $300 million for the Wrigley renovations.

Ricketts plans to release inflammatory Rev Wright/Obama video that's thinly disguised race baiting which ain't good for Chicago (or Obama) unless he gets the cashola.

[kentuck]

19. Interesting.

That is not out of the realm of possibilities..

[protect our future]

21. Interesting!

[applegrove]

22. The CNN reporter doing the story on CNN implied the GOP had gotten a lot of free

Reverend Wright press by the leak. At least they were honest.