Kerry has an opportunity to turn the media against Bush

[mfritz]

This is a golden opportunity for the Kerry campaign. We all now how the mainstream media operate - they decide on a script, then spend the entire campaign making the facts fit their storyline. They will happily lie and distort the facts to fit their script, while ignoring troublesome facts that don't fit.

We saw it in spades during the 2000 campaign with how they treated Gore and his imaginary exaggerations. But they will do it also to Republicans when they are in the mood. Remember their treatment of Dan Quayle, and their "out of touch" storyline with Bush Sr.

So far in this campaign they've been against Kerry, but not as bad as they were against Gore in 2000. One obvious story line has been how Bush is a regular guy, man of the people while Kerry is a rich elitist.

But this Swift Boat smear is the chance to get them to adopt a new storyline about Bush being a dirty campaigner. For one thing, it's true. But that won't be enough to turn the media. It's also a chance for the media to get revenge on Bush for his shoddy treatment of their darling McCain in 2000.

If Kerry can pull this off the benefits will be huge. It would guarantee that the media will be critical of every new Bush attack, and without attacks Bush has nothing. The timing could also be perfect if Kerry can get this storyline embedded before the Republican Convention.

[Bluzmann57]

1. The timing could indeed be perfect

but seeing is believing. Rove and co. have a lot of experience at this stuff and intimidation or bribery can work wonders. <Oops, I didn't really mean that last line.>

[Malva Zebrina]

6. If Bush is weakened, there will be no intimidation that can be effective

period. He will be weakened by this horrible attack on Kerry, and on all veterans, subsequently. He will lose h is power to intimidate anyone because he will be viewed as the fool he is.

The irony is delicious.

He is sending our young to die; he arrogantly appoints and declares himself a war president, and he is trashing veterans for political gain.

He is a cowardly, poor excuse for a man. It will resonate believe me. This comes from a senior citizen who was apolitical most of my life and unconcerned most of my life and I can tell you:, this is the sort of stuff that influences those who are not involved or on the internet discussing politics every day. Believe me--this is what will stick in the minds of the ordinary voter who is not informed.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. True, but WE have to force them to do so.

[eaprez]

3. Bush is turning the media against Bush

I think these ads show the desperation of the Bush team. They know they're loosing this. Its not even labor day and they are pulling this crap. There's no place for them to go but down with their ads. If the public rejects them they won't have a thing left - no issues, no agenda, no attacks, = no win. Unfortunately, the ads HAVE had an impact.

[Cronus Protagonist]

4. Money is the mother's milk of politics

And it will take millions to do what you're suggesting. I think it's a good idea, and it would work, but it will cost tons of cash, which is in short supply due to the disparity between convention dates. The pubs set this up deliberately. Bush gets a whole month of heaps of cash thrown at him while Kerry has to tighten the purse strings or shoot his wad prematurely.

It's a tough race. Personally, I think Kerry should not have accepted the nomination and continued to raise funds. We all know if the pubs were in the same position they would have no qualms about it.

However here we are, and the Kerru camps has to hold onto some money for later in the game and the entire defense of the left is to rely on 527's with no coordination allowed.

Sucks.

SHOVE IT! - Drop Bush Not Bombs! - Hero Kerry AWOL Bush
http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

[Chichiri]

5. How would Kerry go about doing that?

The media has a massive inertia, and a definite conservative bias. How do we get them to really latch onto this and change their tone toward Bush and Kerry? Are we going to have to out-Rove Rove or something?

[chelsea0011]

7. It won't happen. the press has said that the ad is probably

not something that had been authorized by Bush(how they know that is beyond me), so the media won't attack him for dirty campaign tactics. Just look at Bush 1 and Bush 2. They live to fight dirty and low. Has the media been in any Bush faces about it? No. I gave up with the media going after any Bushies when Neil took a walk over his S&L scandel. the media was asllep then and are still sleeping.

[lastknowngood]

8. Interesting theory however remember who pays the F*ckin

good puppy press, Bush's supporters. You can't turn a whore against a john whose payin all the bills.

[papau]

9. Sadly I agree n/t

n/t

[sallyseven]

10. The press is lazy

but even they can see the pattern of sleazy ads from the bush family. They have been doing it for ages. Just remember that the repuks picked on Clinton and the people didn't like it. Raised his numbers. This is going to raise Kerry's numbers.

[peacetalksforall]

11. Let them shoot themselves...

They are getting progressively worse...

Kerry's appearance and testimony post-Vitenam.
Throwing metals/ribbons.
Protesting with Jane Fonda.
Demanding release of papers.
Ruining morale of soldiers still in Vietnam.
Redeployed too early.
Not under fire.
Not under enough fire.
Implicating officers who wrote up the recommendations.
Inflicting wounds on himself.

They've tried everything.

Who does Kerry have behind him? He enlisted. He volunteered. His written records. His boat-mates and those he led.

Who do the Regenery bunch have behind them? Flip-floppers. Thirty-year old grudges. Inexhaustible money and the ability to launder it. Men who don't mind being made a fools of. A publishing house whose original founders go back to Nazi business deals and proponents of slave conditions. The strongest, most outlandish, most filthy policitcal war machine the world has ever known.

He should just hang in there and let them ride over their approaching cliff. Because they are probably going to get dirtier from here and by the time they want to stop, their media hacks won't get the message in time.