How many Dems on today's shows used "excuse pResident"?

[BillZBubb]

I didn't watch any and I am curious. The Repugs get something like "flip-flopper" and every one of them uses it over and over to drive home the point. And it works.

The Democrats NEVER do that. Kerry has a great theme here, but I'll bet it's forgotten because other Dems won't carry the ball. They need to use "excuse pResident", "another Bush* excuse", "sorry excuse", "excuses won't cut it" etc at every opportunity. Work it into the conversation.

[laruemtt]

1. sounds good to me. and how about

"the dog ate my homework" pResident!

[deckerd]

4. Methinks you're missing the point

"Memes" don't work unless you convert them into talking points.
Dems don't seem to understand that.

This whole "Meme of the Day" thing, here on DU, proves that many DUers may not understand the mechanics of the situation, either.

"Today's Meme" is an oxymoron. A talking point must be hammered into peoples heads by being injected into regular conversation on a daily basis by opinion leaders, talking heads, campaign enthusiasts, etc. For a period of weeks. Before it will become anything approaching a "meme".

It's like slang. Dems sometimes remind me of the class cut-ups who thought they were cool because they were constantly making up "slang" that never caught on, for wont of repetition by the popular kids in the class.

Ideally you should have a whole SERIES of talking points lined up ready to be parroted by those "in the know", anticipating the opponents' likely response.

I am not saying this means of debate is more "intellectual" or highfalutin means of reaching the American public than your average 6th grade class election... but if your intent is to run a TV based (or internet based) campaign (as opposed to a face to face campaign) then that is your only option because that's the way avid media consumers like to think. It's not much different from 6th grade, actually. Why (besides a reluctance to engage in "class warfare") do you think both parties dumb down their rhetoric on the stump to a universally agreed upon 6th grade reading level?

[blondeatlast]

8. Which side are you on?

Interesting use of nouns and pronouns: Dems, "you," etc.

And who's the snob in this thread?

[deckerd]

5. To be precise,

saying "Kerry's meme was cool. What about..." is a creative way to brainstorm, especially if you think the candidate's off track, but not a very effective means of putting people's nose to the grindstone when it comes to creating talking points.

I volunteer part time at a co-op. It's like saying -- as frequently happens -- at one of our volunteer meetings, "I know we came up with alot of great ideas yesterday about how to accomplish X, and the person in charge decided to go with ONE approach, which is a cool approach that seems to be working well, AND I think we should try this OTHER approach for a few days just to see if it works!" I think there's a phrase for it -- "popcorn tossing" -- and Dems do it ALL THE TIME.

When it comes to developing talking points that are juicy enough to be turned into a "meme", we are stuck with the candidates' statements and the occasional juicy phrase by an INFLUENTIAL third party.

If Dems can't turn those statements into talking points and repeat them over and over for a period of days or weeks, on the net and amongst friendly journalists, the candidates' actual statements on the campaign trail will be quickly forgotten.

The secret, if you're gonna commit to a candidate in the first place, is to work with what you've got, limit your options, be decisive, and "dance with them what brung ya".

That is why it's pointless to talk about "what Kerry said yesterday is DEVASTATING to President Bush" unless (A) the media intends to repeat the broadcast over and over again until the election (not likely) or (B) Dem talking heads AND campaign enthusiasts repeat key phrases uttered by KERRY over and over again until the election.

To keep it fresh in voters' minds (most of whom have no idea where these ever-changing "catchphrases of the day" that Dems keep promulgating actually COME FROM or REFER TO... like "that's W!" -- and they're disinclined to find out, unless they hear about it from SO many sources that they feel left out of the discussion.)

[senseandsensibility]

2. The questions's been asked many times?

WHY WON"T DEMS GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND USE THE SAME TALKING POINTS?? It's the most important election of our lifetime, and they just refuse to do this. Either that, or they are completely clueless, which is even more scary.

[AuntPatsy]

3. Sure they do, you just don't hear that from the media...

Bushs flip flops are becoming legendary and will more than likely be a historic perspective on the inability for free thinking people to be able to be so swayed when the truth stares them right in the face.

No one on this one board that I go to every now and then even call Kerry a flip flopper anymore since they have been inundated with factual data they are forced to read which shows Bush to be much more the bearer of such a name, so they quit...

They are now using poor Dan Rather's memo thingy to urge people to vote Bush, crazy, than wont last either, who cares where the message came from since it has been proven to be factual..the swiftboat thingy having played it's course...

Desperation is all that I have seen and such that their arguments make little sense and I know it must gall them, some I am sure are very intelligent people, it must be driving them nutty trying to find things to praise Bush with...

[BillZBubb]

7. No! You miss the point entirely.

Democrats get on the media all the time. They answer questions on talk shows all the time. THEY NEVER STICK TO A UNIFIED POINT!

What I am saying is that every Democrat on a talk show ought to insert comments about Bush*s lame excuses every time they answer a question.

The Repugs do it all the time and it works. The Democrats move from item to item with no essential repetition.

[A_Possum]

6. I agree

Neither here on DU or in the media are the troops doing their part to push Kerry's label for Bush into the media.

We had a great thread a few days ago called "What's His Excuse" where we listed Bush's excuses. But only a few of us participated.

[gulliver]

9. Agreed, it is powerful.

W is for wrong, and he always has an excuse.

[Fozzledick]

10. How about "A poor excuse for a president"

I mean, it's not like he was actually elected or anything.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. kick