When a politician decides to compete to be his party's candidate for president, obviously he wants to win. He'll do everything to achieve that goal.
Yet, should "everything" really be everything?
Charles Krauthammer says "no" - and I agree with him.
The struggling Democratic class-war narrative is suddenly given life and legitimacy by . . . Republicans! Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry make the case that private equity as practiced by Romney’s Bain Capital is nothing more than vulture capitalism looting companies and sucking them dry while casually destroying the lives of workers.
Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO nods approvingly. Michael Moore wonders aloud whether Gingrich has stolen his staff. The assault on Bain/Romney instantly turns Obama’s class-war campaign from partisan attack into universal complaint.
Suddenly Romney’s wealth, practices and taxes take center stage. And why not? If leading Republicans are denouncing rapacious capitalism that enriches the 1 percent while impoverishing everyone else, should this not be the paramount issue in a campaign occurring at a time of economic distress?
Now, economic inequality is an important issue, but the idea that it is the cause of America’s current economic troubles is absurd. Yet, in a stroke, the Republicans have succeeded in turning a Democratic talking point — a last-ditch attempt to salvage reelection by distracting from their record — into a central focus of the nation’s political discourse.
The president is a very smart man. But if he wins in November, that won’t be the reason. It will be luck. He could not have chosen more self-destructive adversaries.
Winning a battle is no good if the war is lost. And yes; every person running to be the candidate of their party should never forget the greater war. That is for your party to win the White House and be able to implement the principles for which your party stands.
Republicans arguing that capitalism is bad is no different than standing up and saying "I am a moron and a whore; just saying anything so I can knock someone else out."
Voters should take note. So should every candidate.
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