How did Kerry do it? Finally turn the tables on an attack ad?

[Inland]

I don't think its ever happened before--a candidate actually succeeds in making the attack ad reflect more on the other guy than himself. How did it happen?

I think the bottom line is this: the SBVT lied about something as sacred as the sacrifice of a military volunteer, and in so many concrete particulars, that we finally had a negative ad that was both scandalous in its audacity and clearly proven as a lie.

This was a new low in smears, and a new high in catching it.

One adds to that the clear refusal of the Bush campaign and republican defenders to state that it was wrong to make the ads. The moral obtuseness of the Bushies is evident: they simply don't understand why they should stand up for truth as truth or accept the benefit of lies about a military career. (My fave was Tucker Carlson: asked why Bush did not denounce the ads, he said "because they are anti-Kerry", as if the asker was an idiot. He didn't realize the implied question of why the president would not criticize an outright lie, since that sort of integrity would not have occurred to him anymore than it occurred to Bush)

Tie this episode into what I see as the M.O. of the Bush admin on every policy: tell half truths, or let the right wing media lie for you, and then deny that the admin actually told the lie itself, or that it never precisely said what you THOUGHT it was saying. EG, 60% of Americans thought that Saddam collaborated in 9/11. Many think WMD has been found in Iraq. The errors on the effect of the tax cuts. The SOU speech that was dismissed as 16 words. The denial that THEY ever used the words "imminent threat." In each circumstance, the Bushies always have an excuse as to why it wasn't THEIR statements that gave everyone the wrong impression.

So Kerry is actually tapping into a theme: that this admin believes that the truth is its enemy and deception is its friend, and that it believes that telling half truths or omitting facts for the purpose of misleading the public is okay as long as it doesn't tell an out and out lie, and when that isn't possible, it can always call a right wing talking head to have him lie for it. And you can't trust a president who does this sort of thing.

And it is the thematic treatment that is really going to skewer Bush. Because its really, really bad, and its true, the latter being the element the SBVT lacked. That's what makes an attack really stick.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. I hope that the tables have really turned.

[PretzelWarrior]

2. TWO WORDS, my friend

Max Cleland. Yes, there was the drip, drip, drip of new facts coming to light about Bush campaign connections, lies the SWIFTIES were being caught in, etc.

But the turning point of this whole scandal is Rove freaking out when Max showed up at Dubya's lair.

[Inland]

7. Or was it John McCain, now and in 2000?

Or is it simply enough is enough==by the time you smear the THIRD vietnam vets.

[Melodybe]

3. I agree, they crossed the line attacking Vets. Glad to see it stick,

I love seeing mud all over Bush's expensive suits.

[jefferson_dem]

4. Pasting the SMEAR charge on chimpy

is a prime way to castigate him while offering a character defense against the charges. If the public ends up seeing these lies for what they really are, and Kerry is successful in pinning the blame on W, it's a double-wammy on chimpy. I'm thinking...hoping that the public is in no mood for distraction from the "big issues", especially slimey ones.

[fknobbit]

5. Some of the media

actualy got of their asses and did some investigative reporting. Will this continue or was it a fluke?

[Inland]

6. Well, it was unprecedented. That's what surprised Bush

[rullery]

8. Bush, Cheney, Rove, Ashcroft,...

All of these men found ways to avoid serving in Vietnam. They have little if any concept of real courage and honor, or of what it is like to face enemy fire. So they imagine that they can get away with smearing heroes like McCain, Cleland, and Kerry, as just playing politics. Now that their lies are coming home to roost, these men have no clue about the amount of anger and disgust that they have aroused amoung true patriots. I predict that in two more months there will be a landslide election for Kerry.

[Inland]

10. Not having any sense of sacrifice or respect, they were caught off

guard by the visceral reaction of people who do.

[GalleryGod]

9. I Think it was the "Same Old Shit;Different Year" that turned it

A Pattern with the Bushies,an evil friggin' pattern:argh:

[Inland]

11. Its the pattern: I agree. No more benefit of the doubt

for mr straight talkin, straight shootin cowboy.

[SidDithers]

12. One subtle point, too...

I've mentioned it before on other threads

Every time the Kerry campaign has mentioned the Swift Boat group, they've called them the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush, a not so subtle change from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

A very effective use of association, IMO.

Sid