Reply #2: Bush voters should feel cheated [View All]

[Alcibiades]

Some interesting points, though I don't think ads win campaigns by themselves.

One of the most powerful psychological impulses is the urge to punish cheating. We are social, cooperative creatures, and so the urge to punish those who cheat ("defect" in game theoretic terms) is deep-seated. One of the messages whoever the nominee is should push is to ask where and when it was that the Republican nominee took his stand against Bush's cheating of the American people. This should be part of a simple push that would drive to the heart of the discontent of the people. No matter what voters wanted, even Bush voters, they certainly did not want what we have today. Evangelicals, it strikes me, have been particularly used, as have moderate "economic" conservatives. Bush has delivered for no one but the oil industry, the weapons industry, and the super-rich.

I know this guy's selling macho, but our last nominee really was macho, and he lost/had the election stolen from him. I think people really want honesty and competence in the next president.