Interesting theory from Steve Kates at the Catallaxy Files (“Australia’s leading libertarian and centre-right blog”) that Obama does not want to run against Romney and that exciting the religious base in the Republican Party decreases Romney’s chances.
I’m not sure I agree with what amounts to a double-manipulation theory. I agree with Dan Riehl that Obama is trying to make the campaign about social issues, not economics:
This administration is many things, politically dumb isn’t one of them. Something in some poling somewhere must be telling them there’s just enough of an angle for them to exploit, along with their wanting social issues, not financial news, driving as much of the political discussion as possible.
This comment from LI reader stevewhitemd also is on point:
In any left revolution, be it progressive, bolshevik, socialist, fascist, maoist, or bolivaran, it is necessary to knock down organized religion. The Catholic Church competes for the hearts and minds of people and does so effectively, as do the evangelical Protestant churches, etc. Further, the Church is organized and so can put out a message of opposition.So at some point the revolution has to take the Church on, or lose. Socialists today understand the power the Church had in Poland in the 1970s, in Nicaragua and El Salvador in the 1980s, and in Venezuela today. The current revolution will not make the mistake of allowing the Church to survive long-term.If the revolution is strong enough to take out the Church directly, it does so. But if not, it has to take on the Church in ways that compromise the Church’s moral authority and organization. It’s rather Alinsky-like, eh?
Here is the money quote from Kates as to what is going on in this country:
There is an Alinskyite Marxist in the White House who has undoubtedly pulled punches in his first term to maximise the likelihood of winning a second term. He is possibly the worst economic manager in American history and is overseeing a series of foreign policy disasters that have left the US in an incomparably weakened position in relation to every major issue in the world today.Yet for all that Obama is still the favourite to win in November. I have been astonished at the ability of the Obama administration to manipulate the electorate almost at will.
The view from down under is quite clear.
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