CNN Debate Full Of 'Negative Distortions,' Says Robert Gibbs

WASHINGTON -- A political adviser to President Barack Obama says Republicans are damaging their chances of defeating him by engaging in "nasty, negative, carpet-bombing" debates.

Robert Gibbs says independent and undecided voters have been "turned off" by the Republican face-offs, saying the give-and-take among candidates is entirely too negative.

Gibbs tells CBS's "This Morning" Thursday that the GOP continues to dwell on social conservative subjects when "the emerging issue of this campaign is going to be strengthening this economy and putting people back to work."

The former White House press secretary, now an adviser to Obama's re-election campaign, says the Republican hopefuls are "offering very little in the way of a positive vision" for the country. He says Wednesday night's Arizona debate was full of "negative distortions" about policy positions and candidates.

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Comments

[Game On]

05:18 PM on 02/23/2012

The sad part is that's all the GOP has is lies and distortions. The need to lie in order to sway some one to you position tells me that EVEN YOU don't believe in your own message. Regardless to how many facts are thrown their way, the GOP will lie and deny to the bitter end.

[Nancy Q]

04:00 PM on 02/23/2012

And what is Obama "offering" to help bring our country back???

[wanagiakicita]

04:12 PM on 02/23/2012

I guess if you read or stopped watching Faux News you'd already have the answer, but just to give you a little hint. Unemployment is down, homes sales are up, stocks are up, war in Iraq is over, GM and Chrysler are in the black and our money has been paid back, offering tax incentives for manufacturers to bring our jobs back from overseas and the economy is recovering, so I guess he's already doing what it takes and will continue along those lines when he is re-elected. Doesn't really take a rocket scientist.

[Nancy Q]

04:18 PM on 02/23/2012

Not true!!! Stocks are not "up." Homes are not selling and unemployment is still continuing to "plummet." And who told you the war in Iraq is over??? This would be BIG NEWS if that were true!!! Where are you getting your information??? From Obama???

[Nancy Q]

05:30 AM on 02/24/2012

I don't know where you get your information, but the job market is not "healthy." I know this from my friends who own their own business. The "market" is in a down trend.

[Game On]

05:20 PM on 02/23/2012

Sweetie, turn off FOX and instantly pick up a few I.Q. points.

[Nancy Q]

05:28 PM on 02/23/2012

Maybe you should "turn off" CNN. the Communist News Network!!!

[Yikes11]

02:58 PM on 02/23/2012

I see the trollz are running rampant:-)

[drdneuro]

01:52 PM on 02/23/2012

The number of lies told about Obama in these Republican debates always astounds me, as does the inability of the media to call them on it. Take the "war on religion" type comments, possibly the most egregious of the current crop of nonsense said about him. Obama by all accounts is a deeply religious man who also strongly believes in the separation of church and state; the claim that requiring insurance plans to cover contraceptive care is an attack on religion is absurd on the face of it.

[Nancy Q]

04:03 PM on 02/23/2012

"Contraception" is a "private" thing, and it should not be a government issue. We are BIG BOYS AND GIRLS NOW, and we should take care of our OWN lives without government intervention. The "government" should not be a replacement for "Mommy" and "Daddy".

[gilbskg]

04:41 PM on 02/23/2012

You wanna talk the hypocrisy of "big government?" How 'bout a camera shoved up my wahoo?

[Bobby4242]

07:19 PM on 02/23/2012

When you pay for or have Health insurance from your employer why is so hard to understand that I want them to pay for health care. When I buy insurance for my car and I have an accident they pay for it. That is what I paid for. I would hate to learn that my car was totaled but because it was hit by a blue car they would not pay for it. We are not asking them to pick our method or make sure we take the pill today we are just asking them to pay for it. It really is simple I pay for insurance. They cover cost of medical expenses.

[Josie728]

01:42 PM on 02/23/2012

VOTE OBAMA OUT OF OFFICE 2012

[Nancy Q]

04:04 PM on 02/23/2012

THAT WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM FOR ME!!! CAN'T WAIT TO GO TO THE POLLS, AND GET IT DONE!!!

[Game On]

05:22 PM on 02/23/2012

Troll Please. It will be the scuttlebutt t-bags that are shown the door come November.

[June25]

12:55 PM on 02/23/2012

If you wish to read about a real nasty campaign check what happened to Barck Obama's Democratic oppoents in his first State Senate race.

[Josie728]

01:41 PM on 02/23/2012

Hey, ... I thought of something nice I could say about Obama.... He has nice teeth. And a whole mouth full of them, too.

[ninjacb]

12:13 PM on 02/23/2012

robert says nothing we don't already know. as do the majority of the voters out there. i bet this coming election will be the lowest turn out on record for the repugnant party. any member of the party clearly knows there is no chance in lleh for any of these masters of insanity against obama. loving every single minute of their rabid tearing apart of each other. every single minute. FOUR.MORE.YEARS.

[gaydood]

12:07 PM on 02/23/2012

im glad the debates are over!!!!

OBAMA 2012 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Josie728]

01:42 PM on 02/23/2012

Not a chance. :)

[Josie728]

11:42 AM on 02/23/2012

Ok please play some violin music.

[Wandaz]

12:30 PM on 02/23/2012

We will...in November...so you can have music with your tears. You have not been paying attention. Romney's numbers plummeted after Florida carpet bombing...and he wasn't even bombing someone on the other side. Ha-ha...so funny!

[Josie728]

12:50 PM on 02/23/2012

You just keep telling yourselves that. :)

[reallm12]

11:17 AM on 02/23/2012

The repub's have been stemming from fear and negative campaigning since they started these debates from repub's in congress and senate and in the candidates directions. All that money from these superpacs are all negative too! I have not seen any positive reinforcements or help to our coiuntry in almost 12 yrs. they want to impose this outlook and blame Obama for it. I give Mr Obama alot of credit for putting this stuff aside and doing,(Isaid DOING) things that have helped regardless if repub's in congress hasn't done anything, until now with this last tax cut bill. They see that people are catching on to their game. Sanatorium said it best when he said he took one for the team. I guess not all of us in america are on the same team. Thats divisive and driving repub's to impose the failed policies that Bush started, and Obama opooses because it is hurting us. Those that don't give Obama credit belong to Sanatoriums team, I guess? If your president you would not just support one side but the right ways. How can you trust that kinda talk?

[Josie728]

12:53 PM on 02/23/2012

I believe you believe that.

[William Howell]

10:55 AM on 02/23/2012

Side Note: Did you know that GM does not have to pay corporate taxes for 10 years! Deal cut by Obama in the bailout! How sweet!

[gaydood]

12:07 PM on 02/23/2012

proof?

[William Howell]

02:48 PM on 02/23/2012

Look it up! You folks are so damn smart. Or do you just look up the info to support your own beliefs. I don't trust either party! I do not think either has our interests at heart!

[Wandaz]

12:33 PM on 02/23/2012

Oh, you mean they are getting a favorable taxx break...like the oil corps? HORRORS! A 2008 study by Congress's Government Accountability Office found that in 2005 about 1 in 4 large corporations paid no corporate income tax.

Goose...meet gander!

[William Howell]

02:44 PM on 02/23/2012

So what's your point! We keep practicing the same principle! I thought it was supposed to be different under Obama?

[obamathegreat235]

10:42 AM on 02/23/2012

Current GOP for the most part or completely are such horrible people so it seems.

[William Howell]

10:44 AM on 02/23/2012

If you would get your nose out the "greats" rear, you might be able to think!

[obamathegreat235]

10:48 AM on 02/23/2012

If you would get your nose out the "greats" rear, you might be able to think!"---Whatever child.

[MDean]

10:36 AM on 02/23/2012

Once the Republicans get through their selection process, we can expect to see some version of the "southern strategy" being employed by them. We've certainly been exposed to their use of religion as a fear based tactic already, as well as the essentially non-stop socialism fear that harkens back to McCarthyism. The intent will be to create very sharp divisions amongst the voters, and the use of negative ads against your opponent have proven more effective in influencing voters, so I expect we've yet to see the real nasty stuff come out...

[Bobby4242]

07:53 PM on 02/23/2012

There hope is to win the votes of the moderates that dont pay attention. They will use the FOX strategy of saying the same thing over and over as loud as they can. That will magicaly turn it into the truth. Dont underestimate how effective this can be. If it did not work FOX would have died long ago. We must all try and spread the facts esp to those who dont pay attention.

WIth people like Franklin Grahm getting involved I'm sure we will be hearing that if we vote Dem we will go to Hell

[hrc04]

10:35 AM on 02/23/2012

I would remind the GOP candidates of Reagan's 11th commandment, but the bulk of Republican politicians have proven to be RINOs (Reaganites in name only) for some time now.

[golions]

10:42 AM on 02/23/2012

Clever! Fanned.

[Game On]

05:24 PM on 02/23/2012

I thought you were hinting at the 11 times Reagan raised taxes.

[hrc04]

03:22 AM on 02/24/2012

There's a number of things Reagan did that would make him a liberal in the Tea Party's eyes.

[Winkandanod]

10:35 AM on 02/23/2012

Regressivism as an ideology is in its death throes. They got 6 years of complete control of the mechanisms of state. They implemented almost all of their agenda and policy prescriptions, and put their best people in postiton to have the most impact in the shortest amount of time.

The result.

Two disastrously mismanaged and costly wars.

The systematic destruction of important institutions.

A long list of inept, incompetent, petty, corrupt,and criminal acts by their christian hand-picked agents.

A widening educational and economic gap.

Embarassing administrative failures.

Historic economic meltdown

Any authentically conservative idea these guys put forward immediately brings to the minds of most voters how the same idea; as proposed by corporate lobbyists; executed by the Bush administration; rubber stamped by a conservative congress, and validated by a conservative Supreme Court, failed miserably.

All they have left are solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short attacks on each other, the POTUS, and any group or class of people they feel they can scapegoat and bait.