Craig Crawford: The Strawman Cometh

[Catchawave]

Here's a DU Legal snip:

Any president inevitably wins a “me or nothing” debate. That is why Bush frames the war in this way. No one in his right mind is going to say that we should give up and let the terrorists do whatever they like. If voters buy the president’s view that without him the terrorists win, then they will surely take his side.

This puts the pressure on Democrats to reframe the debate every time they bring it up in congressional campaigns. Voters need to hear — over and over again — that those who criticize Bush are not saying it is wrong to fight the terrorists. It might seem like an obvious point to the president’s foes, but without belaboring it they are at risk of falling prey to the administration’s vigorous efforts to portray their criticism as a call for retreat.

Listening to conservative talk radio in the heartland while on vacation last month, I noticed what seems to be a new variation in the attack on Democratic war opponents as “cut-and-run” wimps. Citing no more than a couple of articles by liberal writers — none of whom is even associated with the Democratic Party — this new argument holds that Bush’s political opponents do not even believe that the terrorists pose a threat.

Having claimed to establish this thinly supported premise about opposing views, the conservative radio hosts and their listeners then go on a rampage against “naive” Democrats who think terrorists do not exist. According to this line of thinking, Democrats are not only wimps — they are also stupid.

Please read the entire column at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/cq/20060901/pl_cq_politics/craigcrawfordthestrawmancometh

[Vickers]

1. He doesn't know *how* to fight because he AVOIDED fighting.

I tell that to every chickenhawk disphit I meet.

[Catchawave]

4. How the HELL did we lose 2004 ?

Not only the White House but the *other* houses too? My fear is that history will repeat in Nov '06 and why I posted Craig's commentary. Dems just need to grow cajones so we can grab BushCo's and make them scream "Mommy" ! :hi:

[Stinky The Clown]

2. This is all a very skillful and coordinated campaign

It is NO coincidence that the radio assholes are doing ths at the same time Rummy, Cheney, and Il Dunce himself are comparing us to 'Hitler appeasers'. Same message, exactly ... different analogies.

[Catchawave]

5. Where's the outrage to the Hitler analogy this time?

Goodness knows the rw pundits slam us for the itty-bitty hints at it. Most recent when KO "heiled" Leno's audience in tribute to O'Reilly's rants. Methinks Keith didn't forget it either :loveya:

[sandnsea]

3. not associated with the Dem Party

That's why we need the left to go be the left and be it very very strongly, within the Green Party. The point of view is very important, but at the same time, Democrats have to be able to point to the far left and say that's not us. Republicans are already breaking in two, we have a chance to have the two main political parties being Democrats and Greens, if the left would build the Green Party instead of trying to destroy Democrats.

[Catchawave]

6. If the Greens would only try and build year round

instead of two months before General Elections, we might have a viable Third Party by now.

I've been a Green supporter since the 60's, but when it comes down to electing Presidents, it always turns out to be a vote for Republicans anyhow :cry:

2008 should start yesterday, I tell ya :hi:

[sandnsea]

7. Been saying this since 2004

After Schiavo, it was pretty clear the Republican party was ripe for a split. Label Pubs with the nutty right and marginalize them, have strong Greens representing the left, and let Democrats swoop up the mainsream middle. Move the entire country decisively left in one fell swoop. With a little luck it could go there anyway, but I'm much more concerned that the moderate Repubs will win the middle and the Dems/Greens will end up the marginalized left.

[Catchawave]

8. After Schiavo ? LoL, how 'bout after Katrina ?

Where was the outrage? Oy, I'm still hearing about those school busses underwater to this day, the King of Strawmen for the GOP :banghead:

If ever a strong third party were to emerge, it would have happened since '01. The only good thing that rose from those ashes, was DU. :patriot:

[sandnsea]

9. The crazies came out with Schiavo

That's the part I'm talking about, making Republicans the party of the right wing crazies - the anti-stem cell, anti-evolution, gay hating, Schiavo crazies. Make Republicans own them or leave the party.

Katrina? That entails so much that I don't know if there will ever be a consensus as to why it happened and is still happening. There are people on DU, from NOLA, who refuse to accept that keeping blacks out is part of the plan. I think Katrina horrified a lot of people as to the incompetence of this administration, but I don't think there has been anywhere near enough focus on the real failure - plain old fashioned Republican economics. Katrina is what you can expect when you elect a party that doesn't believe in government. Well, Iraq too because the bulk of the failures there come from the same kind of thinking - corporate power is superior to people power, and boy is Iraq proving that wrong on all levels.

[Catchawave]

10. I agree with you about RW crazies....

Schiavo,Katrina et al...BUT, the Dems failed to drive that message home. We 'get it' but the other 99.0002% of the world internets population don't subscribe to DU.

Why I thought Craig drove that point home !? The ball is in our court, so to speak...



:grouphug:

[sandnsea]

12. I think they are

Maybe I hear with Dem ears and not Green ears, don't know. I hear Dems making huge points on Katrina and fundie wingnuts, that's why Repubs are running away from their party. What I don't hear is enough straight assault on Repubicanism as a political philosophy, which is different than specific issues. What I also don't hear are those on the far left differentiated themselves so that Dems don't constantly have to reframe their positions as not being far left. I have heard the far left suggest al qaeda isn't even real, Dems shouldn't have to deal with those kinds of statements when running for office. They wouldn't, if the far left would make it clear that they have a different political ideology and agenda. They don't, they should.

[LUHiWY]

11. Who's smart?

People who AREN'T Repugs are probably smart enough to know that an endless war on terror is a fools war.

It's a war that is mostly a cover for what they really want.

Yes...terrorists are a threat...but they are a managable threat.

But to propose an endless war is to CREATE that endless war...and then blame it on the terrorists?

Must be some SERIOUS profits and power in it?

Paid for by borrowing the $$$$ from your children's future and stealing your civil rights?

[Catchawave]

13. Thank you LUHiWY !

For your serious questions that need to be answered. Terrorists are a Law Enforcement problem, not a U.S. political strategy..cough..cough...hint, hint...DNC :hi: