Republican smear tactics work

[The empressof all]

Because of this disgusting behavior they are able to appeal to the publics "base" side. It's tabloid politics at it's best- and they know that the dirty ugly stuff sells.

The fact that they are able to get away with this says just as much about our culture as it does the folks who are getting elected.

Remember, one of Bush's big selling points was his focus on Values. This gave folks the OK to buy into the illusion that he was a good guy. Deep down inside though what they were attracted to was the kind of guy that told dirty jokes down in the church basement. That's why they pushed the "Who would you rather have a beer with" line.

Make no mistake, they have the manipulation of the vast American heartland down to an art form.

[Parche]

1. dirty tricks

They have been doing these kind of things for years

[markus]

2. The only surprising this is that the Dems are lead and staffed

by people who don't seem to have figured this out since, oh, the mid-80s, when Lee Atwater was the guru of the gutter.

The only bright thing (and I'm not sure the DNC remembers this) is that--at least on the Senatorial and Congressional level--campaigns are run like the Soviet Infantry: everything by the book, overseen by the commissars. Once they tip their hand in Race A on an action, you know it's going to spread to every other race in the country.

[Johnjronald]

3. its the only way they can win...

GOP smear tactics, elegantly dubbed "rat-fucking" back in
Nixon's day, are the only way the Republicans know how to
win.

Unfortunately, the Democrats need to learn how to duke it
out with Republicans blow for blow. The public may complain
about how they don't like it when campains "go negative",
but in our television media environment, but the ugly truth
is, it works.

Luckily, Democrats don't have to resort to blatant lies and dishonesty to win. We would all do well to remember Harry S. Truman's remark in response to being given the moniker "Give'em Hell Harry"...

"...I just told the truth about the Republicans and they thought it was hell."

We Dems do have a thing to learn about "framing" of the terms of debate, which is something else the Republicans have polished to a fine art...we've got to win the key "Frame" battles if we ever hope to win the overall campaign "war"...as a number of good articles have pointed out lately, the battle-ground is often on the contested turf of meaning of the very language of English (and increasingly, Spanish) itself.



John J. Ronald, graduate student
MLS general study program
School of Library & Information Sciences
University of North Texas
UNT School of Library and Information Sciences
http://www.unt.edu/slis

Eaglemail: [e-mail]
Personal: [e-mail]

[Vincardog]

4. The DLC is infiltrated and controlled by the same NeoCons running the GOP

That fight is for after this election.

[The empressof all]

5. We need more effective surrogates

We just don't have the wealth of strong spokespeople on the tube that the other guys have. Our best right now is Lockhart but he's not put out there enough. Tad Devine is getting better but he's still too damn polite.

God what I would give to see one of our "guys" stand up and call a stupid question a stupid question. Why aren't they questioning interviewers tone (even if just to make fun of it). As much as I love Carville he just comes off too cartoonish to the general public and he's just a caricature at this point.

Come on Democrats-- We gotta do better in this department.

[DeepModem Mom]

6. Smears would not work nearly so well, if media didn't lap them up...

and regurgitate them 24/7.