Haley Barbour To GOP Field: Drop The Birther Talk

WASHINGTON -- Among the more established and seasoned field of Republican operatives, there is a bit of concern that sideshow issues and partisan flamboyance could muddy a relatively generous 2012 electoral landscape. It's why Texas Gov. Rick Perry's decision to resuscitate skepticism over President Obama's birth certificate seems so out of place. At a time when the Texas Republican is trying to pitch his economic proposals, such as a flat tax, they believe he's trampling on his own message and hurting the party's image as well.

Sure enough, on Tuesday morning, one of the senior statesmen within the GOP, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, warned Perry and others to cut out the birther talk.

"Look, if this election is about Barack Obama's policies and the results of those policies, Barack Obama is going to lose," Barbour said after an appearance with the American Action Forum at the National Press Club. "Any other issue that gets injected to the campaign is not good for the Republicans. Republicans should want this election to be what American presidential elections have always been: a referendum on the incumbent's record. Barack Obama cannot win a second term running on his record. Zero chance. So anybody who talks about anything else is off-subject."

Barbour claimed he had not seen or heard Perry's comments. When informed that the Republican presidential candidate was echoing Donald Trump's questions about Obama's birthplace and his eligibility for the presidency, Barbour continued to plead ignorance.

"He says Trump says it is a fraud," said Barbour. "Well, I don't know what Trump said."

Still, the urgency Barbour was expressing for the GOP to fine-tune its message was clear. Others in the party, wary of fumbling a strong campaign hand, have made similar comments in the past. What's remarkable is that the issue simply doesn't die: indisputable evidence that the president was born in Hawaii has only dampened -- not killed -- the birther chatter.

"The stakes of this election are so high that I think every voter, precinct leader, county chairman, donor, whatever Republican you are talking about wants to be sure we nominate the candidate that has the best chance to beat Obama," Barbour said.

Comments

[panamarine]

02:25 PM on 10/26/2011

Good advise from Barbour to those running to be their candidate against Obama....the Birther talk only proves that the proponent of the nonsense is not to be taken seriously, because that person would be seen to have a flaw in their logical, common sense thinking. But, as a Liberal Democrat, I say, let them keep it up. From my vantage point it hurts them not us Democrats. See?

[christina444]

01:19 PM on 10/26/2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wK1MOMKZ8BI

[Tommy1733]

01:16 PM on 10/26/2011

Concern about "Hurting the party's image" - that's a larf. A large segment of the Republican party, including politicians, pundits, and yes, even the base of support itself - all these continually hurt the party's image. In fact, these people seem to want to found an Idiocracy, and they are in fact a national embarrassment on the world stage.

[syhersch]

12:48 PM on 10/26/2011

The last time I saw numbers on this, 20% of Americans, presumeably Republican Americans, believed Barak Obama was not born in America (and by extension is not the legal president of the United States). So from my point of view its reasonable for Republican candidates to chase that voting group. What Mr. Barbour is concerned about is that the Republican party might seem a little wacko embracing that position. But considering that the Republican Party provided us the man who started the Great Recession, being seen as wacko on the birther account seems minute.

[OldBear]

12:31 PM on 10/26/2011

Haley Barbour a "senior statesman' where did that tag come from?
Try good ol' boy deal maker, that never saw a Democrat he didn't want to tar & feather. Statesman yuk

[Blackwing]

11:13 AM on 10/26/2011

They need ideas but they have none. Just more GW Bush garbage.

[Aodhan51]

10:19 AM on 10/26/2011

Haley-Bob, they're not listening to you. Then again, why would they?

[Ohbeewun]

10:07 AM on 10/26/2011

And if the election is on Republican policies and their results (i.e. the recession, income inequality, and a bliated deficit) then they should lose. The Repubs have no policies to attract votes other than wedge issues and attacking Obama's citizenship. They are the 1%.

[OldBear]

12:38 PM on 10/26/2011

The election will be about what the Republicans broke, but can deny and that the Democrats who cannot fix our Humpty-Dumpty economy because they get out maneuvered every time by the TEApublicans who want it to stay broken.
More money in junk than new.
Vote for anyone but a sitting office holder or a TEApublican

[Eris23Skidoo]

05:36 PM on 10/26/2011

So by not voting for sitting office-holders, does that mean you plan to vote for whichever republican opposes Obama simply because s/he is an amateur?

[Skydiver63]

10:02 AM on 10/26/2011

Bravo Mr. Barbour! That caveat goes for any candidate running for public office. Stick to the facts! Focus on why you or the party you are supporting is better equipped to handle our country's difficulties.

What will be done moving forward to promote a stable and productive economy, assure employment opportunities for all and restore America's image as the world's foremost proponent of democracy and freedom .

Answer these questions truthfully and avoid contentious issues that detract from solutions and unity within the body politic.

[panamarine]

02:34 PM on 10/26/2011

Skydiver63: That's why Michelle Bachmann's position in that field Nosed Dived in to the low digits. She is always screeching: I am going to make Obama a one term President! Yeeha! I am going to repeal Obama Care--Yeeha! I'm going to abolish Federal taxes---Yeeha! I am going to invade Iran---Yeeha! I don't see a stable, sound mind at work there. Those outbursts and slogans seem way outa here.

[flsense]

09:55 AM on 10/26/2011

Haley, the GOP base of white lower income and middle class voters are stupid. They thought Palin was qualified to be a heartbeat away from being president. The nominees are just playing to the base.

[robert horwitz]

09:43 AM on 10/26/2011

Most of the Press is always up for a Soap Opera. Why not? Soap Opera's bring in big money so the media can afford to stay on the air and keep pelting us with all that great advertising that we all look forward to and engulfs almost thirty minutes of every on air hour. Donald Trump is just another Soap Opera.

[Eris23Skidoo]

05:37 PM on 10/26/2011

So long as the GOP is the villain in these soap operas I am all for it.

[danusgram]

09:28 AM on 10/26/2011

People here is a fact the greedy rich of this country have come to enjoy all this extra wealth on the backs of the poor. The republican strategy of telling them to hold onto their money until the take over the white house again is going to fail ...why?....human nature..what makes the republicans think that these people all of a sudden will want to start spending the money they have been hoarding for themselves. What the Republicans will find is that the wealthy will not release their funds....that businesses will not hire more and reduce their profits....and that they will be in the same situation they are in with the Tea Party ...they made the monster and now they don't want it . Too bad as those old rank and file republicans are now going to find that they find you the irrelevant side of the party. I can't wait for their convention it will be very contentious...mark my words....

[panamarine]

02:38 PM on 10/26/2011

danusgram:
You are on the money with: ---"I can't wait for their convention it will be very contentiou­s...mark my words.... "

That convention will be raucous. The Tea Party bullies are going to come out swinging, literally. Mark our words. {{{heh, heh, heh}}}

[Eris23Skidoo]

05:42 PM on 10/26/2011

My prediction is that businesses start hiring after the 2012 election no matter who wins. They're holding off on hiring right now because they are hoping that a lack of jobs will cause voters to abandon the president and then business can get another wave election and then they can own our political system lock stock and barrel (not to mention never having to pay taxes again on anything ever). But if the GOP fails to oust Obama and business doesn't get their sweetheart deal of never having to pay taxes ever again, they'll start hiring anyway. They're sitting on tons of inventory and they have been doing so since the FIRST Dubya recession of 2001 (pre-9/11). They've been kissing off profits for three or four years now and I'm willing to bet they are willing to start making money again even if it means they have to acknowledge that we have a black president and that he is going to have two terms.

[Janna03]

09:21 AM on 10/26/2011

If Republicans want to be sure and nominate someone who can win, it's not Perry. Is he deliberately trying to lose by bringing up the birth certificate issue, yet again? He drops in the polls almost daily. Maybe, he needs to talk less because everytime he or his wife make some comments, something that leaves people wondering what they are talking about comes out.

[panamarine]

02:41 PM on 10/26/2011

Janna03: He should look at Bachmann's low single digit %. She put herself there by being waaaaay over the top with her comments and planned actions if she wins. Nobody is buying what she is selling. Same is going for Perry, I believe. With Romney at least they are still going Hmmmmmm. ?????

[Eris23Skidoo]

05:47 PM on 10/26/2011

I think what this means is that the teabag star is falling. Bachmann and Perry both pander to the teabags and their pandering is turning off the rest of the party. Possibly the moderate star is rising? Usually, during primary season, the most extreme candidate gets the most votes. Not this time. Romney has been consistent at about 30% which tells me that about 30% of the GOP is both moderate and either not bigots or willing to ignore their religious bigotry in order to satisfy their racial bigotry because to them canning the black president is more important than preventing a Mormon one from taking office. But pandering to the teabags is clearly not working this cycle. Maybe all the teabags heard about Somalia and they all moved there to enjoy a land of zero taxes and no govt regulation?

[panamarine]

12:28 PM on 10/27/2011

Eris23Skidoo:

I think that in your comment you've made an oxymoron statement (a combination of contradictory words or observations). You said, in part:

"----------------------that about 30% of the GOP is both moderate and either not bigots or willing to ignore their religious bigotry in order to satisfy their racial bigotry because to them canning the black president is more important than preventing a Mormon one from taking office.--------"
The contradiction is this....You say they are: ."EITHER NOT BIGOTS" or willing to ignore their religious bigotry....". Okay, I say that They HAVE to be bigoted to NOT want a Mormon or a Black. Right? So, which is it? either they are or they are not. Seems to me they are. Even if they ignore a religious bigotry, they then show a racial bigotry. That makes them bigots in all sense of the word. Right? I think so. No grey areas here Eris23Skidoo. See the contradiction? Anyway, we know where most of the Republican's mind set is.

[PlutocratsSuck]

09:13 AM on 10/26/2011

Hurting the party's image? It isn't just_Perry, he's only shilling what the party base want's to hear. These are the same people that cheer_executions, letting the uninsured_die, blaming the poor for their own poverty and boo's gay_soldiers serving their country.

It isn't their image that needs help, it's their lack of empathy, decency and sense of humanity.

[panamarine]

02:42 PM on 10/26/2011

PlutocratsSuck: And the party base that cheers when Herman Cain disses the unemployed.

[gravityhunter]

09:13 AM on 10/26/2011

You know it's a bad field when even their own party is criticizing what they themselves have to offer....