A page from Newt Gingrich's GOPAC guide to smearing liberals

[Generic Other]

A reminder that Orwell was ahead of his time. 1984 was 16 years too early.

Optimistic Positive Governing Words

Use the list below to help define your campaign and your vision of public service. These words can help give extra power to your message. In addition, these words help develop the positive side of the contrast you should create with your opponent, giving your community something to vote for!
active(ly)
activist
building
candid(ly)
care(ing)
challenge
change
children
choice/choose
citizen
commitment
common sense
compete
confident
conflict
control
courage
crusade
debate
dream
duty
eliminate good-time in prison
empower(ment)
fair
family
freedom
hard work
help
humane
incentive
initiative
lead
learn
legacy
liberty
light
listen
mobilize
moral
movement
opportunity
passionate
peace
pioneer
precious
premise
preserve
principle(d)
pristine
pro- (issue): flag, children, environment, reform
prosperity
protect
proud/pride
provide
reform
rights
share
strength
success
tough
truth
unique
vision
we/us/our


Contrasting Words

Often we search hard for words to define our opponents. Sometimes we are hesitant to use contrast. Remember that creating a difference helps you. These are powerful words that can create a clear and easily understood contrast. Apply these to the opponent, their record, proposals and their party.
abuse of power
anti- (issue): flag, family, child, jobs
betray
bizarre
bosses
bureaucracy
cheat
coercion
"compassion" is not enough
collapse(ing)
consequences
corrupt
corruption
criminal rights
crisis
cynicism
decay
deeper
destroy
destructive
devour
disgrace
endanger
excuses
failure (fail)
greed
hypocrisy
ideological
impose
incompetent
insecure
insensitive
intolerant
liberal
lie
limit(s)
machine
mandate(s)
obsolete
pathetic
patronage
permissive attitude
pessimistic
punish (poor ...)
radical
red tape
self-serving
selfish
sensationalists
shallow
shame
sick
spend(ing)
stagnation
status quo
steal
taxes
they/them
threaten
traitors
unionized
urgent (cy)
waste
welfare

http://web.utk.edu/~glenn/GopacMemo.html

[charlyvi]

1. My question is:

If this is such good advice, how come Newt is no longer Speaker?

Mmmmm....interesting.

[SEpatriot]

2. I think it's great

I posted this a couple of days ago, but here it is anyway:

There are a few exceptions that we need not use - most notably "liberal" "unionized," etc. But I always believe in taking a page from the opponents playbook and turning it to your advantage.

Here are a few of my suggestions to turn some novel keywords against them:

We need to end corporate welfare as we know it.

Compassion is not enough. We need real investment in schools, health care and protecting the environment.

Our foreign policy should not be driven by greed, cynicism and lies.

The administration has punished our veterans and offered them excuses, red tape and bureaucracy.

We need an administration that does not coddle corporate corruption, tolerate abuse of power and promote selfish and destructive behavior by corrupt executives.

It's really quite easy once you get started. Throw it back at them

[Generic Other]

3. I like the way you think

Gingrich aint the only one who knows how to be a low down alligator!

[SEpatriot]

4. I'll take that as a compliment

We can't lay down for these jerks. Saw it in '88. Learned from Carville in '92. Saw dems running around like nitwits in 2002. We don't have to be jerks, but the folks like candidates who fight for something and aren't afraid to mix it up. Our language IS very important.