Morning Jolt - London Calling . . . and Sounding Incoherent in their High Dudgeon

NRO Newsletters . . . Morning Jolt . . . with Jim Geraghty July 27, 2012 In This Issue . . . 1. London Calling . . . and Sounding Incoherent in their High Dudgeon 2. Obama Statements Still Reaching Expiration Dates 3. The RNC Ad That Really Worries Some Liberals 4. Addendum I'm scheduled to appear on Howard Kurtz's Reliable Sources on CNN this coming Sunday morning, discussing the coverage of the campaigns.    Happy Friday!   Jim 1. London Calling . . . and Sounding Incoherent in Their High Dudgeon This is one of those moments where the 2012 debate feels too stupid to cover. I mean, really, give me some danger pay, boss.   Here's the video. Pick out the insult or the outrage:   You know it's hard to know just how well it will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting. The stories about the private security firm not having enough people, the supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials -- that obviously is not something which is encouraging.   If you're wondering what Romney was talking about, it's this . . .   British lawmakers tore into the chief executive of the security contractor that will be unable to deliver enough guards for the Olympic Games, forcing Nick Buckles to agree Tuesday that the fiasco is "a humiliating shambles."   Buckles, the chief executive of G4S, said the company should not have agreed to provide 10,400 guards for the Olympics, six days after the security giant admitted it could not do so.   "We regret signing the contract," Buckles said under pressure from lawmakers.   The company's failure forced the government to call in 3,500 military personnel to help, and will also require extra police to be deployed.   G4S has a £284 million ($444 million) government contract to provide security staff for the Olympic Games, but only 4,000 guards are trained and ready.   A mere 6,400 guards short? Yeah, that might be . . . what's the word I'm looking for . . . disconcerting?   And then this:   A strike by border staff that could have potentially crippled Heathrow airport on the day of the Olympics opening ceremony has been called off.   The climbdown came hours after ministers revealed that more than enough border staff had volunteered to work to ensure Heathrow, which is expecting its busiest ever day as thousands arrive for the Games, operated as normal.   Militant union chiefs admitted their threat to the start of the Olympics had prompted 'abuse and vitriol'.   Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union, insisted he had 'no regrets' about plotting the strike, which had been planned to cause chaos on Britain's borders today.   Boy, that's . . . not something which is encouraging. 2.  Obama Statements Still Reaching Expiration Dates Obama, yesterday:   I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers, not in the hands of criminals -- (applause) -- that they belong on the battlefield of war, not on the streets of our cities.  I believe the majority of gun owners would agree that we should do everything possible to prevent criminals and fugitives from purchasing weapons; that we should check someone's criminal record before they can check out a gun seller; that a mentally unbalanced individual should not be able to get his hands on a gun so easily.  (Applause.)  These steps shouldn't be controversial.  They should be common sense.   So I'm going to continue to work with members of both parties, and with religious groups and with civic organizations, to arrive at a consensus around violence reduction -- not just of gun violence, but violence at every level, on every step, looking at everything we can do to reduce violence and keep our children safe -- from improving mental health services for troubled youth  -- (applause) -- to instituting more effective community policing strategies.  We should leave no stone unturned, and recognize that we have no greater mission as a country than keeping our young people safe.  (Applause.)   The White House, today:   Even as the issue of guns shifts to the forefront of the presidential campaign, the White House and the Senate's top Democrat made it clear Thursday that new gun legislation will not be on the political agenda this year. Instead, President Barack Obama intends to focus on other ways to combat gun violence -- a position not unlike that of his rival, Mitt Romney.   Days after the mass shootings in Colorado, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama still supports a ban on the sale of assault weapons, a restriction that expired in 2004. But he added: "There are things we can do short of legislation and short of gun laws that can reduce violence in our society. 3. The RNC Ad That Really Worries Some Liberals When you have a strong particular view, it is easy to assume a majority of the public shares that view. Maybe I do that myself. I tend to think that we've seen the unholy trinity of Obama gaffes --  "the private sector is doing fine," "you didn't build that," and "we tried our plan, and it worked" -- and that all three will resonate with the electorate at large. I tend to think that most of the criticism that's been thrown at Romney so far this year has been inane and silly and irrelevant.   So when a person with strong views thinks a criticism from the other side could sway voters, it's pretty interesting.   Jonathan Capehart of the Washington Post writes:   The offering from the Republican National Committee hits the president with a more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger attack ad. And every time I have seen it, I get an uneasy feeling. The same feeling you get when you think you hear water dripping somewhere but can't find it. To ignore it is to risk disaster, which is exactly what will happen to Democrats if they ignore the power of this ad . . . All that stuff about what the president promised he'd do and didn't isn't what bothers me. Obama did make big plans. But inheriting a free-falling economy followed by a stubborn recovery coupled with congressional Republican recalcitrance, not to mention some backtracking on various things he promised, have made achieving many of those goals impossible. So, he and his campaign have to deal with that as best they can.   That's why the "It's OK to make a change" ad is the most dangerous for Obama's reelection efforts. It give those few, yet crucial, undecided voters the pass they might be looking for to vote against Obama. So, squawk all you want about the unfairness of the "You didn't build it" knock against Obama. It's the "It's OK to make a change" message that the campaign needs to counter as aggressively as the RNC is pushing it.   William Jacobson says he was underwhelmed by the ad, but he finds Capehart's reaction fascinatingly revealing.   Think about what Capehart is saying.   What keeps some voters in line for Obama - fear of falsely being accused of racism - may not work this time, and the removal of that fear is the most dangerous threat to Obama's reelection.   That is why we are seeing an all-out attempt to portray Romney as racist, as evidenced by yesterday's "Anglo-Saxon" feeding frenzy.   Just like in 2008, race is being used as a political weapon for Obama. 4. Addendum Jazz Shaw: "Once this election boiled down to Chic-Fil-A, dogs riding on cars or being eaten and dancing horses, I knew it was the most vital one ever."   Quick Links:  The Campaign Spot   National Review Online   E-Mail Jim Geraghty Save 75% . . .  Subscribe to National Review magazine today and get 75% off the regular subscription rate. Click here for details.   Check out all of NRO's free newsletters: Morning Jolt, The Goldberg File, NRO Digest, and NROriginals. Click here for details.   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Join the Morning Jolt Mailing List - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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