Politics: How Obama Got Into the Republican Party?s Head

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Politics How Obama Got Into the Republican Party's Head The president likes to make Republicans look like "kooks." And they usually take the bait. By David Weigel Posted Wednesday, Feb 06, 2013, at 12:14 AM ET "Attn skeet birthers," tweeted David Plouffe. "Make our day—let the photoshop conspiracies begin!" It was Feb. 3, a week and change since Plouffe had left the White House and joined Twitter, and he was already on top of a meme. The New Republic had asked President Obama whether he'd ever shot a gun. "Up at Camp David," he'd said, "we do skeet shooting all the time." A small number of conservatives asked—totally reasonably—whether there was any proof. The White House released a photo of the president firing a shotgun. But it did so by having deputy communications director Dan Pfeiffer call the critics "skeeters," and then came Plouffe, egging it on. "Day made," he tweeted, hours later. "The skeet birthers are out in full force in response to POTUS pic. Makes for most excellent, delusional reading. #whereistrump" Why, in 2013, is the White House still talking about Donald Trump? Has any of its domestic enemies been vanquished as completely as the host of The Apprentice? No, none of them have. The point of this exercise didn't become clear until Tuesday, when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor wrapped up a sophisticated two-day exercise in Republican rebranding. Day 1 meant a visit to a D.C. charter school with media in tow. ("Eric Cantor grabs a plastic dinosaur from the pile of toys in front of one-year-old Mekhi Scott, taps the beast on the table and growls, RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!") Day two meant an hourlong speech at the ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate How Obama Got Into the Republican Party's Head Dell's Gigantic Tax Dodge Time Is Money	Advertisement
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