Do the Republicans want us to go negative?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Poll question: Do the Republicans want us to go negative?

Perhaps it is just me, but it sure seemed like the Republican controlled media couldn't do enough to try to get the Democrats to go negative at the convention, and was very frustrated by the Kerry campaign's refusal to allow the Republicans to frame the debate.

What do you think? Do the Republicans want Kerry to continue with his positive, upbeat message and vision for America, or do they want Kerry to roll out the negative attacks?

[Liberal Veteran]

1. Oh, God yes! That way they can play their little meme of angry dems.

Fuck them and their hypocritical bashings.

[MrBenchley]

7. Not to mention the FACT

that as long as Kerry stays positive they have absolutely nothing to say for themselves....not a single accomplishment they can point to....

Chimpy wobbling around the country telling voters "you aren't as bad off as you think you are" isn't going to play well at all.....

If Kerry goes negative the story immeidately becomes "how mean Kerry is" and "Is Kerry lying when he says," and "Why is Kerry a pessimist" etc...

[sangh0]

2. You should have seen the look on David Brooks face

immediately after Edwards or Kerry gave their speeches. He had that "How can I bash such a great speech?" look Repukes get when they realize their whining won't work

[kentuck]

3. Yes...because...

Bush has spent so much on negative ads and they now see it as a potential weakness if Democrats attack them properly on the issue. They would like for Kerry to go negative so it would validate their bad decision about spending so much on negative ads, in my opinion.

[DaveFL99]

4. I doubt they wanted us to go negative

but they were hoping we'd showcase a gay wedding performed by a transexual wearing a Free Saddam T-Shirt.

[drdtroit]

5. It's the only hope for Bush who has

NO record to run on
NO global vision
NO wisdom
NO creativity
NO curiosity
NO results

:dem:

[Walt Starr]

6. ANGRY BUSH BASHING DEMOCRATS!!!

That was the meme all during the convention, and the Democrats were positive and upbeat. They offered visions for the future rather than attacking artfacts of the past (aka the Bush Administration).

The Republicans would LOVE IT if the Dems went on the attack.

[chookie]

8. They only want criticism of Kerry going out over the airwaves

"Kerry BAD!" Bush GOOD!" It will only be the relentless repetition of this bit of brainwash that they can persuade stooges to vote for His CHimperial Highness.

They want to have an appearance of unaminity in support of Bush. Something that will aid this immeasurably is for Democrats to be respectful of the President and "stay positive".

Gee -- Bush is the worst President in US history!! This is the FACT of the matter!! And we're not supposed to make the fact of his FAILED presidency a campaign issue because we want to look "nice"? If so, why do sheeple (as opposed to people) think that Bush is the "nice guy"?

Are you guys still CLUELESS about how the Reich uses "Liberal Guilt" against us to get us to back down EVERY SINGLE TIME?

Let's see -- back in the 30s you'd recommend that people who saw Hitler as a threat should propose positive alternative policies, and keep mum about what a dangerous thug he was? Would THAT have given them the advantage back then?

I think most people have figured out in their own minds that Bush is a disaster. We need to congratulate them for thinking for themslves, and seeing through all the propaganda, and NOT give the Rovian forces the chance to persuade them that they are actually mistaken about Bush being anything but a great leader who is absolutely critical for the survival of America -- because *that* is what *their* side is going to broadcast non-stop from now until November -- and beyond.

[John Q. Citizen]

9. chookie, I will try to explain the

strategy to you. We can attack Bush, senators and congress people can attack Bush, M. Moore and Bill Maher can attack Bush. Heck even Nadar and Nancy Reagan can attack Bush. And we all do. OK. Bush is slime. There. Will you vote for Kerry now?

The nation is divided and most people have already made up their minds one way or the other, and aren't going to change barring some major event.

There is a tiny yet critical group of likely voters who, polling has shown, already don't like Bush but haven't yet committed to vote for Kerry. They need a reason. Telling them what they already know isn't enough. They need to hear a positive message of what Kerry wants to accomplish to get off their asses and commit.

Kerry needs to continue to give these critical voters a positive reason to vote for him, while at the same time, criticizing the record and policies of the Bush administration without making gratuitous personal attacks on the Pres. himself.

Take a look at the polls. We are winning! This strategy is working and the formerly undecideds are trending Democrat.

We would rather win the election than have Kerry call Bush a shit head.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

10. Negative? Is telling the truth negative?

There are many, many, things that Kerry can point out, politely if you want, that is going very wrong in this country under BushCorp.

An alleged "war on terror" that coincides with "terror alerts."
An illegal and immoral invasion of a sovereign country that posed no threat to anything other than the "Vital Interests" of Exxon and Mobil.

A much glorified military that can't control a 3rd world country devastated by war.

An Intelligence Community that has the distinction of getting everything wrong.

That, under the Chickenhawks, our military is committing war crimes and torture.

etc, etc.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

11. If you don't know what 'negative campaigning' means,

then this poll isn't for you.

This poll is meant for those who understand the simple meaning of words, and are willing to accept the words of those they are engaged in a discussion with, without feeling a need to redefine everything that everyone else says to suit their agenda.

If you fit into that group, vote, if you don't, don't.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Oh, thank you so much for your explanation. May I touch your robes?

Much of what is called "negative campaigning" is merely an attempt to label truth telling as "negative". Or, Oh Great One, did you miss that?

And, what pray, is your agenda?

BTW, if you are so terrified of the truth, perhaps you should check your credentials before voting.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. If you want to insult me, you will have to be more blunt about it.

All I said was that the poll was intended for those people who understand what 'negative campaigning' means.


I truly don't know what your intention is in accusing me of 'being terrified of the truth', nor do I care.

[tom_paine]

17. Well said, bandera, but Fighters seem to be in the minority here

Even the simplest of truth-telling has been re-framed into BUSH HATING, never mind the history of the previous decade and a half.

I suppose you could say the Orwellian Disparity in the Media feeds this whole thing, and that may be so.

But one of the reasons we keep getting beat is the fear to HIT BACK!

I see little has changed since 1988 and 2000.

The Democratic Strategy seems to be "Please Don;t Hurt Us, Republicans."

AFAIN, we largely dance to there tune inside a LYING FANTASY BUBBLE that THEY constructed.

But that's what it is. Watch. The August Bushevik Mud Slide will show results and AGAIN we won't respond.

I hope I am wrong but fear I will see it all unfold again.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

19. So how did you answer the poll question?

Do you think the Republicans want us to stay positive, or do you think the Republicans want us to go negative?

[tom_paine]

22. They want us to "stay positive" though I am sure they don't think of it

like that.

They want us to cower and not hit back. They want us to be afraid to stand tall for our own positions.

They want us to be afraid to say things that will "make them mad". In the dwindling absence of a Free Press, so much abjectly worse and more Orwellian than it was even 4 years ago, it is even MORE imperative to SHOW peole what Corproate TV Pravda has denied them

You think that means spittle-spraying invenctive? It's not, but we have all been conditioned by Goebbels v2.0 electric shocks to think as they do, which is ANY standing up for ourselevs is Bush Bashing.

Not only does it make me nauseous considering that the Busheviks say and do entirely the opposite with as little fear in pissing us or the Undecideds off taht you think they had a Totalitarian Sub-Media Infrastructure and Lie Laundry at their disposal.

Keep on "staying positive". Keep on letting the Bushevik Sub-Media define what we say and are afraid to say.

Sorry, but that's how I see it.

Why are we AFRAID to hit back and they are totally unafraid.

Maybe we ARE a bunch of (w)ussies who deserve to have our freedoms taken away by the first Cabal to have the balls to do it in plain sight.

Does this mean I will stop working and donating to Kerry? HELL NO!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

23. Although I disagree with your characterizations and conclusion,

I appreciate you taking the time to share them with us, as well as your committment to the cause. Thank you.

[tom_paine]

27. And thank you, sir, for the same...

I would much rather be wrong about all this, you know.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

12. Yes. Bush wants (needs) to look virtuous

It's so fucking obvious they need to drag Kerry down into the mud.

[LiberalPersona]

14. Kerry

He is playing nicely with a great and successful mellow campaign as well as in the DNC, and it's pissing off the republicans to no end. They simply can't handle a mature campaign like this and they are frothing at the mouth because they don't have anything negative to point out about it.

[Junkdrawer]

15. Even if Kerry doesn't go negative, the RW media will SAY he went...

negative. And the rest of the media will report that claim as a valid appraisal.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

18. And the majority of Americans who don't believe the RW media spin

will grow even bigger.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

20. of course! why in the hell do you think they picked NYC for their conventi

on??? ...they know that it is a democratic strong hold and that we will protest their every moment and they want pictures and film of these angry dems to use in their campaign ads.

[Swamp Rat]

21. Yes they want him to go negative, but Kerry should take the 'high road'

just like he is doing right now.

On the other hand, I plan to get VERY nasty... not against unsuspecting citizens who drank the kool-aid but against O'Reilly, Hannity, Limpballs, etc. I want to keep them busy defending their positions while acting like they normally do - negative. Time to attack the pundits personally! I'm beginning a personal, 90 day free-for-all against Rove and the media.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

24. "Never mud wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, the pig likes it."

The GOP would love for us to get down in the mud with Rove.

[Doosh]

25. We're never going negative, but they're going to say we did anyway

ie all those "hatefests" "hate bush" talking points.

[Protected]

26. Isn't Bush going the "high road" now?

I guess that means that if he can't spout a bunch of lies about John Kerry, he'll have to start telling even more lies about himself.