How Kerry can undermine Bush's credibility.

[gulliver]

Kerry has to call Bush a "salesman." That's all Kerry has to do.

Everyone here knows that Bush is a sleazoid snake-oil salesman who shouts out half-truths and outright lies with the brazenness of a carnival barker. If Kerry calls Bush a salesman, everyone will see the truth of it every time Junior opens his mouth.

Kerry can even make a virtue of the fact that he (Kerry) is not a salesman. "I'm not a slick salesman like George W. Bush, but I love this country, and I think I show it every day..." This makes a virtue of the perception of Kerry as unexciting and a vice of Bush's "salespeak" over-confidence.

[Vincardog]

1. or he could call him a lying sack of shit

[Heath.Hunnicutt]

2. This is a good idea.

The Dem talking heads like Carville are saying such high-faluting things lately!

The say Bush "games the system."

Who talks like that except political science thinkers?

Calling Bush a "salesman" is saying something that people can understand.

Good thinking, gulliver.

[rndmprsn]

3. i like it

[gmoney]

4. Good idea... reminds me of a great quote

From the film "Broadcast News" -- prophetic in hindsight:

Aaron (Albert Brooks): ...don't get me wrong when I tell you that Tom (William Hurt or George Bush), while being a very nice guy, is the devil.

<snip>

Jane (Holly Hunter): You're serious...

Aaron: No, he'll be attractive, he'll be nice and helpful. He'll get a job where we'll influence a great and god-fearing nation. He'll never do an evil thing. He'll never deliberately hurt a living thing. He'll just, bit by little bit, lower our standards where they're important. Just a tiny little bit. Just coast along flash over substance. Just a tiny little bit. He'll talk about all of us really being salesmen...

-----
Were truer words ever spoken?

[Doohickie]

6. I could get one of those FW stickers

and people wouldn't get it. After all, I live in Fort Worth. I bet the people in Fort Wayne would have the same problem....

[BillZBubb]

5. Great idea, but it has to be handled carefully.

I'm sure a lot of Democrats are salesmen. Maybe preface it with "high pressure" ("snake oil" is a bit dated to me) or "deceptive" or something to narrow the meaning.

It is definitely on the mark though.

[shockingelk]

8. Some salesmen are honest

I don't mind, but encourage people to look into what Kerry is saying. Same thing with Jr.

Kerry is selling sober facts and hope.

Jr is selling snake oil.

[LonghornJack]

7. Can't Wait to Hear What Kerry Calls * in the Debates....

....whether it's "slick salesman", "snake-oil salesman", "pathological liar", or any other apropos descriptive.

Whatever Kerry calls him, it just better be effective, or better yet, memorable. It needs to be, like gulliver said, something that people think of whenever * says anything in the campaign afterwards.

I sure hope the Kerry people have something cooked up.

LHJ

[A_Possum]

9. That's a good idea!

Since the media has "decided" Kerry is so "stiff" (bah), that's a nice twist to make it a strength.

[Tangledog]

10. Not a great idea

How many salesmen are there in the country? And, almost by the nature of their jobs, they talk to a lot of people. I'd never want to alienate a large profession like that! Never mind I think it's an insult to any everyday unscrupulous smooth-talking salesman, or almost anybody else, to be compared to George W. B*. I really think people should be nice :) .

By the by, Kerry never seems comfortable throwing around the personal insults. I believe that he's more a "you sold us a barrel of snake oil" type rather than "you're a snake-oil salesman". (Actually, it's hard to picture John Kerry talking about snake oil. But that's another post.)

I'm sure this relative lack of venom isn't helping his campaign, but it will make him a good and potentially great president.

[e-mail]

[gulliver]

11. Bush is the kind of salesman who gives salespeople a bad name.

I tend to agree with amBushed that Kerry would need to qualify himself by calling Bush a "deceptive" salesman rather to avoid alienating salespeople in general.

I'm not trying to attack salespeople in general either, I hope you know.

Note that good salespeople hate deceptive salespeople (in my experience) more than consumers hate them.

[JohnnyCougar]

14. How about...

calling him a "Used car salesman trying to push a lemon on the American people."

[Mr_Spock]

12. Maybe challenge Lt. Dumbya Chimp to a dual!

Then he won't have to undermine his credibility, just his underbelly!

[stldemocrat]

13. Bush...

has credibility? I didn't know that. I guess you learn something every day. :shrug: