When Prohibition was enshrined into the Constitution, it was popular. In fact, the “social conservatives” of the time we the driving force behind it. In the beginning, any attempt to repeal it would have failed and any politician speaking against Prohibition would have been branded as anti-God and anti-family for wanting to destroy families with the Demon Rum.

The American people had to learn about the negatives consequences of Prohibition first-hand. After time passed and crime rose and the American public wanted Prohibition in the trash heap of History, no ”plan” was necessary other than, “Okay, now that we have the votes, let’s repeal this thing”.

Goodbye Prohibition.

When Ted Cruz had a “plan” to get rid of ObamaCare, right as the ObamaCare exchange was about to go live, the majority of Americans did not have a very strong opinion about ObamaCare one way or the other. After all, it would not affect them. “If you like your plan, you can keep it. Period.” If you didn’t like your plan, shopping on the ObamaCare would be “as easy as shopping at Amazon”. ObamaCare was also “Affordable” and premiums would go down. Overall, ObamaCare was a Win-Win-Win at best and would not affect anybody that liked their plan, at worst.

Ted Cruz had a “plan” alright. He knew what was best for America before America knew what was best for America. Either America agreed with Cruz that he knew what was best or there was going to be a Government shutdown. Since America hated a Shutdown far more than they feared the yet unknown ObamaCare, the Democrat Senate majority just needed to lock arms and watch Ted Cruz’s poll numbers implode .

Result: For a few weeks, there was ZERO attention paid to ObamaCare, Ted Cruz was “Cruzified” by the media that always has Obama’s back and Ted Cruz’s Favorabilty ratings went from Positive 6 to Negative 10. The GOP brand was also trashed in public opinion. The “plan” was an absolute disaster. Ironically, if the Cruz “plan” had worked, it would have saved ObamaCare from itself.

There is an old military adage that “Amateurs talk tactics and professional talk logistics”.

In war and in politics , that means that (unless you want utter defeat) you do not rush into a disastrous Dieppe Raid scenario just to brag that you have a “plan” right here and right now. In politics, you have to have the logistics done ahead of time to have the numbers in manpower and equipment behind you. You have to spend time “shaping the battlefield” to your advantage. THEN you go in for the kill.

After Cruz was slaughtered by American public opinion, America started paying attention to the REALITY of ObamaCare. Policies got cancelled. Premiums and deductibles skyrocketed. The website was a total disaster.

Result: Today’s CBS poll put Obama’s Job Approval rating at 37%. NOW the logistics of gaining the numerical superiority are taking effect with 61% of Americans currently against ObamaCare. Overwhelmed by public opinion superior numbers and the “shaping of the battlefield”, the Democrat ranks are cracking and there is talk of running for cover.

The current GOP plan is very Napoleonic:

“Never interfere with an enemy while he's in the process of destroying himself.”

The November 30 deadline to “fix” the website will come and go without a “fix” (all computer nerds agreed the ObamaCare website is FUBAR) and, as Spring comes and 70% of America wants ObamaCare killed …… ObamaCare will go the way of Prohibition because the American people will DEMAND it and not because Levin or Cruz tried to cram opposition to ObamaCare down America’s throat before the logistical numbers were there to support such a position.

It must be remembered that Levin makes the Big Bucks by getting his target audience up in arms ….. even if he leads them into Dieppe disasters. Levin’s success is measured in ratings, not political outcome. If we had perfect Government and everybody was content, Levin would be out of a job. Like Jesse Jackson, if there were no political crisis, Levin would have to create one to keep his money rolling in.

Quote: Polybius wrote in post #3

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In war and in politics , that means that (unless you want utter defeat) you do not rush into a disastrous Dieppe Raid scenario just to brag that you have a “plan” right here and right now. In politics, you have to have the logistics done ahead of time to have the numbers in manpower and equipment behind you. You have to spend time “shaping the battlefield” to your advantage. THEN you go in for the kill.

After Cruz was slaughtered by American public opinion, America started paying attention to the REALITY of ObamaCare. Policies got cancelled. Premiums and deductibles skyrocketed. The website was a total disaster.

Result: Today’s CBS poll put Obama’s Job Approval rating at 37%. NOW the logistics of gaining the numerical superiority are taking effect with 61% of Americans currently against ObamaCare. Overwhelmed by public opinion superior numbers and the “shaping of the battlefield”, the Democrat ranks are cracking and there is talk of running for cover.

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Zitat

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http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/...hanged-repealed

CBS Poll: 84% of Democrats Want ObamaCare Changed or Repealed

A fascinating number in Wednesday's CBS poll is that only 7% of the American public want ObamaCare "kept in place." A full 93% either believe that changes are needed to the law (48%) or want a full repeal (43%). This pits President Obama and Democrat lawmakers -- who thus far have refused to make any meaningful changes -- against 93% of the American people and 72% of Democrats.

Moreover, only 12% of Democrats want ObamaCare "kept as is." Another 12% want it repealed.

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Now, instead of trying to keep up with Ted Cruz's pluging poll numbers, we are trying to keep up with Obama's and ObamaCare's plunging poll numbers that are now lower than whale s#*t at the bottom of the ocean. Depending on how you define "against", the negative ObamaCare numbers, in one week, have gone from the 60's into the 90's. The NINETIES.


Nancy Pelosi wants to stay the course and proudly campaign on ObamaCare? Fantastic, Nancy! Welcome to the Kill Zone of the "shaped battlefield".

Not sure this battlefield was "shaped". If it were not for the incompetence of the web site the battle would not be raging at the present time. You'd have to believe that the establishment Republicans knew this was going to happen in order to give them credit for the outcome. Otherwise they simply are the beneficiaries of dumb luck, hardly a shaped outcome.

As for Ted Cruz being a hindrance to the outcome we are now realizing...
"Now, instead of trying to keep up with Ted Cruz's pluging poll numbers, we are trying to keep up with Obama's and ObamaCare's plunging poll numbers that are now lower than whale s#*t at the bottom of the ocean"

This is a matter of perspective. The establishment part of the R party wants to denigrate the Cruz's efforts as wasted and irrelevant, instead of seeing his resistance as part of a warning call. Cruz will not be judged as you seem to think, as a man of folly, judging by his fool's errand that was doomed to fail and his falling poll numbers at the time. No, I feel he will be judged as one who saw a train wreck coming, called out the ACA disaster for what it was, before there was any company and his heralding of the dire consequences of ACA will be seen as one calling while nobody listened.

It's all a matter of perspective. Let's see what history writes before we judge Cruz as a crackpot. I personally think he is a man of deep principles who was abandoned by his party, cheap shots were sent his way by his fellow R's, and he will be remembered by the people for his solitary stand against the status quo. He's an elected representative and his perspective is what people wanted to see and hear brought forward. He did just that.

I'm proud of what Cruz did and I don't see his actions as reason for the senior members of the R party to try to kick him out of the boat as a heretic. That speaks more to their lack of sensibility. You seem to think 'going along to get along' is the new and genius way for Republicans to shape the political battlefield.

I don't see the shaping at all. What's their goal? Are they planning to repeal this dumb law? It wasn't a law put in place by the will of the people as McCain so generously stated. It was foisted on us by parliamentary maneuvers quite against the will of the people. As a Massachusetts resident I can assure you that the way ACA was passed was very unpopular. We elected Scott Brown to Ted Kennedy's seat to send the message to Washington that ACA should not stand. The Dems ignored the people's will. Little is made of their underhanded maneuverings and suddenly ACA became defined as "settled law" when it was passed by one vote before the deciding vote against it could be seated.

Who is allowed to voice that anger and frustration over being ignored? Ted Cruz is the man!

Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #6

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Not sure this battlefield was "shaped". If it were not for the incompetence of the web site the battle would not be raging at the present time. You'd have to believe that the establishment Republicans knew this was going to happen in order to give them credit for the outcome. Otherwise they simply are the beneficiaries of dumb luck, hardly a shaped outcome.

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Zitat

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http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/politics/g...re-told-you-so/

GOP on insurance cancellations: 'We told you so'
By Dana Bash, CNN chief congressional correspondent

In March 2010, then-Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, came to the House floor as Democrats were poised to pass Obamacare and issued a warning.
"Look at this bill," Boehner said. "Ask yourself: Do you really believe that if you like the health plan that you have, that you can keep it? No, you can't."

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So, all this was known by the GOP but the battlefield was not shaped to turn that knowledge into a victory. Just because the GOP KNEW does not mean that the rest of America BELIEVED. That battlefield was not shaped and the logistics of voter numbers simply were not there yet.

Just like everybody in 1942 America knew, France was going to be attacked. The question was when. The Dieppe Raid was a premature attempt to capture a French port and it was a absolute disaster. The Normandy invasion spent years in preparation tilting the outcome in favor of the Allies.

Cruz launched his invasion BEFORE America learned of the horrible product at the end of that website. BEFORE America learned that the premiums were unaffordable. BEFORE America learned that the deductibles are unaffordable. BEFORE America learned for itself that Obma was lying. BEFORE Cruz had his logistic ducks all lined up.

Cruz launched a disastrous premature Dieppe Raid. Like Dieppe, it was a catastrophic failure that has destroyed his future political career outside of Texas. Ted Cruz became a late-night joke punchline .... Another Dan Quayle in the eyes of the large majority of America voters. In any national debate, Ted Cruz is now toxic.

Right now, the battlefield is being shaped for the future successful Normandy assault on ObamaCare. With every passing day, more and more anti-ObamaCare voters are being stockpiled. More and more voter anger against the Democrats is being stockpiled. Once there is overwhelming numerical superiority, THEN you attack and kill not only ObamaCare but the entire Democrat agenda for a long time to come.

Quote: Polybius wrote in post #8

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Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #6

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Not sure this battlefield was "shaped". If it were not for the incompetence of the web site the battle would not be raging at the present time. You'd have to believe that the establishment Republicans knew this was going to happen in order to give them credit for the outcome. Otherwise they simply are the beneficiaries of dumb luck, hardly a shaped outcome.

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The excuse that the only thing wrong with ObamaCare is the website is the excuse that Obama himself is embracing.

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Quote: Polybius wrote in post #8

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The website site failure is inconsequential to the matter. As a matter of fact, BOTH the website failure and the shutdown had helped Obama and ObamaCare by shifting attention away from the horrible product.

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Quote: Polybius wrote in post #8

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Product quality and product cost are what drives the free market. Everything else is just noise.

If the ObamaCare Fairy had magically made it possible for everybody that signs up ObamaCare to get a brand new car or truck of your choice, website problems or no website problems, all America would be eagerly waiting for the ObamaCare website to be fixed and ObamaCare would still be wildly popular.
What is now destroying ObamaCare is that it is a horrible product at an unaffordable price. Less coverage than you NEED. (Huge deductibles) More coverage than you want (Maternity for men and older women). Huge premium increases. False advertising promises.

What is now destroying Obama’s credibility is the “Bait & Switch” of “You can keep your health plan. Period”.

Did the GOP know? They sure did and, now, even CNN admits that the GOP warned about insurance cancellations back in 2010.

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Quote: Polybius wrote in post #8

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http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/politics/g...re-told-you-so/

GOP on insurance cancellations: 'We told you so'
By Dana Bash, CNN chief congressional correspondent

In March 2010, then-Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, came to the House floor as Democrats were poised to pass Obamacare and issued a warning.
"Look at this bill," Boehner said. "Ask yourself: Do you really believe that if you like the health plan that you have, that you can keep it? No, you can't."

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Quote: Polybius wrote in post #8

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So, all this was known by the GOP but the battlefield was not shaped to turn that knowledge into a victory. Just because the GOP KNEW does not mean that the rest of America BELIEVED. That battlefield was not shaped and the logistics of voter numbers simply were not there yet.

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Quote: Polybius wrote in post #8

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Cruz launched his invasion BEFORE America learned of the horrible product at the end of that website. BEFORE America learned that the premiums were unaffordable. BEFORE America learned that the deductibles are unaffordable. BEFORE America learned for itself that Obma was lying. BEFORE Cruz had his logistic ducks all lined up.

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Quote: Polybius wrote in post #8

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Cruz launched a disastrous premature Dieppe Raid. Like Dieppe, it was a catastrophic failure that has destroyed his future political career outside of Texas. Ted Cruz became a late-night joke punchline .... Another Dan Quayle in the eyes of the large majority of America voters. In any national debate, Ted Cruz is now toxic.

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Quote: Polybius wrote in post #8

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Right now, the battlefield is being shaped for the future successful Normandy assault on ObamaCare. With every passing day, more and more anti-ObamaCare voters are being stockpiled. More and more voter anger against the Democrats is being stockpiled. Once there is overwhelming numerical superiority, THEN you attack and kill not only ObamaCare but the entire Democrat agenda for a long time to come.

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Quote: Cedric wrote in post #10

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Quote: ThirstyMan wrote in post #9

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Save your powder for our enemy and leave this guy alone.

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Like you do with Boehner and McConnell?

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Quote: Justme wrote in post #7

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[quote=ThirstyMan|p64614]Not sure this battlefield was "shaped". If it were not for the incompetence of the web site the battle would not be raging at the present time. You'd have to believe that the establishment Republicans knew this was going to happen in order to give them credit for the outcome. Otherwise they simply are the beneficiaries of dumb luck, hardly a shaped outcome.

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Quote: Justme wrote in post #14

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TM, Ryan said it in May. You're going to deny reports of the facts supporting the GOP stance because they're reporters on a Mark Levin thread?

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