Would "W Stands For Wussy" Have Been More Effective?

[DrFunkenstein]

Could you imagine the political firestorm? Let Kerry hammer Bush for war on the cheap - shortchanging our soldiers in Afghanistan(especially Tora Bora), refusing to pay money upfront in Iraq (which has cost us big time in the long run).

"W stands for Wrong" can be thrown on the ever-growing pile of lousy, poll-tested slogans which have zero evocative power.

We're the Democrats, gosh darn it! We've got the humanities on our side! I'm sorry, but for all the hoopla around Bob Shrum and Co., I haven't heard one phrase that has cut to the bone, not one speech that was a certifiable home run. And I'm a big, big Kerry fan!

I know that the campaign is not going to start calling Bush a wussy (although it would be awesome if they did), but I am slowly losing my patience here. I know that Kerry is a brilliant thinker, a true pragmatist, and a thoughtful, but ultimately decisive leader, but he is being ill-served by his writing staff (hey, I know that Kerry is very "hands-on" with his speeches, but there's got to be a limit to that, guys).



"Stronger" - I bet that word tested well, too!

[JI7]

1. i like "weak" better

because it sounds more like legitimate criticism than an attack. and it goes after bush where one of his biggest assets are which is that people see him as tough or strong.

[Lefta Dissenter]

2. "W" stands for

Girley-Man!!! :D

(what the hell, it's not like he can spell, anyway...)

[yardwork]

3. I wish they had used "wimp"

The press had a field day with Poppy calling him "wimp." I remember a memorable Newsweek cover with a photo of Poppy and the words: "Bush. The Wimp Factor."

I read that it sent Poppy into orbit. W is supposed to be equally sensitive about any aspersions on his supposed machismo.

"Wimp" has resonance, it's a flat-out insult, and it will remind people of Poppy the other loser.

Maybe Kerry can't say "W stands for wimp" but I sure as hell can!

[calimary]

6. YES. WIMP! Repeat! Plus, it'll resonate with that nagging

"like father, like son, one term and he's done" stuff that haunts little george to this very moment. He's spent a lifetime, including this last four-year hell, trying to prove that his is bigger than his dad's.

WIMP is a GREAT one to resurrect. I mentioned it to a woman at the Dem HQ opening in Santa Monica today. I think we should spread that one around. Sure worked the last time!

[seabeyond]

4. my boys and i had this conversation in the car today

saw a w04 sign., and i sid kerry says w for wrong. wrong in iraq, wrong in economy. 9 year old said w should be for wrath. hm.........i thought that is interesting, i can see that, the wrath of god. ok. i say w for wimp. i like that a bit. have to explain wimp to 6 year old. weak chicken cowardly. ah he says, w for wimp, that is the best.

anyway wrath empowers bush, wimp, well hey.........powerless

[TheWebHead]

5. how about Wingnut?

Warmonger? Weasel?

I do kind of worry about this tactic when the debates come up, I can see Rove programming * to respond if Kerry tries this with some sort of "I'm not going to play a Sesame Street name game here" comeback only to listen to shills like Tweety wet their pants over it for weeks.

[calimary]

7. Somebody had a thread here about what "w" stands for, and a LOT

of people pitched in. I don't remember all of them, but they were great. Here are some off the top of my head...

Wimp
Whopper(s - of Mass Distraction)
Weasel
Weak
Waffle
Wobble
Wuss/Wussy
Weak/Weakling
Wanker
Woozy
Warmonger
Whistle Ass
Whoops!
Wingnut
Wretch/Wretched
Wreck

And of course, WRONG.

And don't forget - it doesn't have to start with "w" either. 'Cause you can't spell AWOL without "w." Or COWARD, either. And I also like - "w" stands for women? More like "w" stands ON women.

[zulchzulu]

8. Not "wussy"...perhaps "worthless"

W stands for a wrecked economy

W stands for a weakened trust with our allies

W stands for wavering flip-flops about all the major issues

W stands for wobbly records concerning Bush's military service

W stands for witless statements about how we are safer

W stands for wacky antics like getting beat up by a pretzel

W stands for wishy-washy solutions for a better economy

W stands for wrong-headed views of going to war

W stands for worn out ideas like tickle-down economics

W stands for wiped out deficits and fiscal irresponsibility

W stands for wimpy excuses for being AWOL

W stands for wicked alliances with PNAC

W stands for a warped view of constitutional rights and freedom

W stands for wretched foreign policies

W stands for waste and corruption by Halliburton

W stands for wounded soldiers with benefits cut by Bush

W stands for worsened events in Bush's Iraq War

W stands for wily moves to avoid talking about real issues

W stands for a washed-up Bush-Cheney campaign

Wow!

[goodhue]

9. W-R-O-N-G

That is what W stands for--wrong choices.