You wonder why we Dems lost so many elections? These guys are part of the reason. Thank your lucky stars they are currently working for the same outcome we are, because they are really much better at it than we ever manage to be.

As for the tightly focused ads -- they don't waste money trying to cover the whole country. One of their ads was aimed directly at Trump and was aired on his favorite FOX show. I think he flipped out. In other words, they are not trying to persuade Democrats to vote for Biden because that would be a waste of their time -- they are trying to persuade any Republican available to get in touch with their inner revulsion against Trump, and vote against the orange madman.

ProudProgressiveNow

(6,129 posts)

10. KR NT

Reply to mucifer (Original post)

Tue May 26, 2020, 10:57 PM

May 2020

backscatter712

(26,355 posts)

11. It is fun seeing some of the GOP's ol' Lee Atwater evil genius mojo being used as a force for good.

Reply to mucifer (Original post)

Tue May 26, 2020, 11:03 PM

May 2020

Remember, this is Steve Schmidt and Rick Wilson we're talking about - really personable people, but they are Republicans - Never-Trumpers who are allying with us for this election cycle. What you're watching is Willie Horton/Swiftboat style campaigning, except turned against a deserving target. And given current events, the attack ads write themselves.

Democratic campaigners and strategists, you should be taking notes!

smirkymonkey

(63,221 posts)

15. +1000

Reply to backscatter712 (Reply #11)

Tue May 26, 2020, 11:26 PM

May 2020

You have to hand it to them. They are effective and powerful. Why can't we come up with stuff like this?

It just frustrates me sometimes because there is SO MUCH to attack them with, and we aren't using it. What is the problem? Why are they so bad at going on the attack?

Warpy

(111,141 posts)

16. It'll all be aimed right back at us when the Dump is out

Reply to backscatter712 (Reply #11)

Tue May 26, 2020, 11:38 PM

May 2020

I just hope a lot of people are paying close attention to what they're doing, they're showing us what works the best on low information voters, heavy on the symbolism.

Oh, I don't think we need to stoop to Atwater's 9th circle of hell level, but we do need to reclaim the symbols shallow thinkers rely on to tell them who the good guys are.

Oh, and the Willie Horton thing worked because Democrats dropped the ball. The furlough program that turned Horton loose to kill another woman was started by Dukakis's Republican predecessor, something few people either in or outside Mass. really knew. I'm sick of Democrats dropping the ball and they've done it so well over the last 50 years.

crickets

(25,952 posts)

19. +1 on that detail about Dukakis.

Reply to Warpy (Reply #16)

Wed May 27, 2020, 12:11 AM

May 2020

It was a low blow he didn't deserve - throw in the usual relentless media hit pieces on his image and his campaign never recovered.

Warpy

(111,141 posts)

23. I was furious that his handlers refused to answer it

Reply to crickets (Reply #19)

Wed May 27, 2020, 01:09 AM

May 2020

Democratic campaign handlers have long reminded me of the rotten advice I got from my parents when I was being bulled heavily in Dixie because they didn't know if I was a Jew or a Catholic but their Klanner daddies told them to hate them both, "oh, just ignore it, they'll go away."

It doesn't work that way. You do need to give a bully a bloody nose, at least metaphorically, so he'll know he can be hurt, too. It's the only way to get it to stop.

Dukakis needed to put the blame where it belonged. Gore needed to stop sighing and call Dubya on his lying. Kerry needed to blow the Swift Boaters clean out of the water. None were allowed to do it.