Using the "dishonorable" tag is the beginning of a classic Rovian strategy...

[scheming daemons]

...attack an opponent's "strength".


McCain spent an entire week building up the idea that he is an "honorable" man. That's his strong point.


Attacking that is a GOOD strategy.


Is it Rovian?

Yes.


Is it effective?

Yes.



Here are McCain's "perceived" strengths:

1. Straight Talk
2. Maverick
3. Honorable
4. War Hero


The Obama campaign has begun attacking #1 by using the word "lie" in an ad.

They've begun attacking #2 in the same ad.

Today's "dishonorable" language is an attack on #3.



I don't know if, or when, they will start on #4... but I can't wait to see the line of attack they come up with.


I'm liking the opening salvos on the first three so far.




Addendum:

And here's Palin's perceived "strengths":

1. Washington Outsider
2. Maverick
3. Reformer
4. Family Values
5. Not a typical "politician"

So... here's the attack line:

For #1, show her woeful inexperience in foreign policy... mock her ("Yeah, I know that Russia is next to Alaska too. I saw it on a map.")

For #2, they've begun that with the ad

For #3, They've begun to harp on the 300+ days of collecting travel per diem when she was home... and the accepting earmarks from Washington...

For #4, they've begun on the stem cells... and they will on the fundamentalism as well, in subtle ways.

For #5, Five words... "Bridge to nowhere flip flop"

[flamingdem]

1. True in basic psychology as well. Attack a persons perceived area of strength and be

sure to set off a reaction, usually somewhere between annoyance and rage!

[GrizzlyMan]

2. The more I see of you, the more I like the way you think

We had a little tussle last night, but I'm finding myself enjoying your posts today. Well done.

[scheming daemons]

3. We did? I "tussle" with so many people I don't even remember...

;-)

[GrizzlyMan]

7. Yeah, I was saying Obama needed to be more agressive

And attack McCain, and you were saying that he was doing fine. That he was setting up a narrative where he would appear cool and calm and that would be a strark contrast when McCain finally became unhinged. I gotta tell you, it really got me thinking.

[scheming daemons]

10. And the McCain camp *IS* becoming unhinged... though not him personally yet...

Because he's avoiding the media... along with Palin.


But it may come.

[Hawkowl]

4. I feel much better today

I agree with you completely. It is beginning to appear that Obama's campaign has a practical grasp of psychology and is not afraid to draw blood.

[Agent William]

5. A previous poster just said it...

You got a head on your shoulders, and your not afraid to use it!

:toast: :hi:

[AzNick]

6. Leave him the war hero thing... but exploit it. Here's how:

Even if he was shot down while running a bombing run on Hanoi.

Did you know he was a POW?

Seriously, I would not even touch this one with a 10-foot poll, but here is how to exploit it:

Run an ad showing how McCain voted against Veteran's benefits. Along with good grades for Obama and bad for him.

Then say "Senator McCain... this voting record by itself is dishonorable. But with your war hero status... it's scandalous".

Turn it around. If he is a war hero (which I think he is, as I would probably crack under torture and go home when offered to), then why does he has an anti-veteran voting record?

[cliffordu]

8. "Dishonorable" touches on #4, also as a dishonorable discharge is the worst thing

you can get as a professional soldier.....





Nice work by the Obama campaign if that's the way they played it......

[backscatter712]

9. Nice!

It always takes a little bit of time - Obama's campaign has little pauses where the righttards get in a few hits, but in the end, it turns out Obama's playing rope-a-dope until McCain's and Palin's poo-flinging exposes an opening, then he lands a few hard right hooks.

We definitely need to be playing the "dishonorable" card - attack McCain's alleged military honor. Watch him wig out and dishonor himself even further!

[smoochpooch]

11. Also, let the 527s hit McCain on cheating on his wife, Keating 5 etc.

Obama can take the high road, and the 527s can take the sleaze/scandal (like Bush did in 2004 with the swiftboat fuckers).

[SeattleGirl]

12. I'm glad to see this too.

I'm so tired of us "fighting" with both hands tied behind our backs and wearing a blindfold over our eyes.

[scheming daemons]

13. Kick