Culture War Six

[DemocratSinceBirth]

You have to give credit where credit is due and when you have a winning formula, style, methodology, whatever you do not change it until your opponent proves it is no longer effective and makes you change it...For you that watch basketball it's akin to a team scoring at will against their opponent because their opponent can't stop the pick and roll... That's why Team USA won Gold in 08 but was denied in 04 and 00...They couldn't stop the pick and roll but learned to stop it in 08...It's like a football team that can't stop the run...Their opponent runs the ball the entire game, controls the clock, and wins...


Since 1988 , the GOP(Gawd, I really dislike those smug bastards) have declared a war on our candidates, our values, and us, declaring us out of the mainstream; Dukakis was the hirsute guy who opposed the Pledge Of Allegiance and lacked the stuff to kill the guy who raped and murdered his wife, Clinton was the tomcat with the feminist wife who wanted to emancipate our children and let them sue their parents, Al Gore was the guy who grew up in a Washington DC hotel and invented the internet, discovered Love Canal, and was with his wife the subjects of Love Story, John Kerry was the French guy with the haughty wife who didn't know the appropriate toppings with his cheesesteak...

I had the temerity to turn on the GOP convention last night, and they were at it again, trying to turn Barack Obama into something alien and unrecognizable...

Did I tell you I dislike those bastards?

It seems the only time they were unsuccessful was with Bubba...My conclusion is that folks who consider themselves "cosmopolitan" and "urbane" will vote for someone they think is "rural" but folks who think of themselves as "rural" have a lot harder time voting for someone they think is "cosmpolitan" or "urbane"...It seems you can convince a plurality or majority of Americans that Candidate X is an elitist who thinks he's better than you and nothing turns off a voter more than that...

God help us if it works again...

[Marsala]

1. The utter hypocrisy of Giuliani hitting Obama for being 'cosmopolitan'.

Yeah, Obama is very cosmopolitan, unlike Giuliani, the uh, former MAYOR of NEW YORK CITY?! Ugh.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. They Have Been Using The Same Playbook Since At Least 1988

The playbook was written by Lee Atwater who ran a race against a Jewish guy running for office in South Carolina by portraying his client "as one of us" even though the Jewish guy had just as strong roots in the state...

I am trying not to say I "hate" them because I am trying to wrest that emotion out of my life but I don't like losing and I don't like to see my values which I believe are the right ones mocked and mocked successfully...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. You Nailed It

~

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. The problem is that the usual modes of common touch are not open to a black man

Barrack cannot look like an undisciplined slob, a creature of appetites, a lovable fuck-up or a proud ignoramus... all the modes white politicians use to show folks outside of cities they're "one of us."

Obama has to be smarter, more controlled, more ethical, and ultimately more boring.

It's like Jackie Robinson. In his rookie year some white opponents thought him a coward because he didn't fight back, but he couldn't fight back. Robinson knew that the first time he hit a white player back the stands might empty onto the field.

Accepted behavior for white players would have been seen entirely differently for Jackie. Jackie was seen as aloof and superior, but if he had been a "regular guy" he would have been seen as animalistic, scary, etc.

Bill Clinton was the crafty southern politician who outsmarts the big-city snobs... the foxy bootlegger always one step ahead of the law.

There is no universally admired black rural archetype for Barack to play into... not on the presidential level.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. So What Do We Do?

As you know I was ambivalent about Obama but I have never been ambivalent about my dislike for Republicants...

They have used the same play book since 1988 and it has worked against three of four candidates...I'd call that a winning formula...

Is it battle over issues or narratives and if it becomes a battle of narratives who has the narrative that appeals to a plurality or majority of the American electorate...

After watching that speech with all her one line put downs I can say Sarah Palin reminds me of Don Rickles in a dress...

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

6. Count on the mega-trends

Obama only needs to not fail. If he changes nothing I think he will win.

The Republicans have thrown up flak, creating a chaotic situation that offers him opportunities to make mistakes.

The Clintons thrive on such dramatic, bizarre political environments--so much so that they create them if nessecary.

Obama is the opposite. He is a big-picture "game plan" guy. The game plan is sound, so stick with it. Don't feel a need to react for the sake of reaction when you're ahead.

Assuming no BIG mis-steps the demograpics and organization will carry the day.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. Every Metric Favors The Democrats But I'm Concerned

Political scientists build these models that work (until) they don't...

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

8. I have had tons of advice for the Obama campaign, but

over time I've come to feel that the worst thing is for Obama to do things he's bad at.

His three days of "tough guy" Obama before the Dem convention convinced me that he can only hurt himself by being tough... from him it doesn't sound right at all. Just not his style.

Let the surrogates do what they do. Keep Obama above the fray. Assume decent debate performances.

I don't see McCain leading at any point... I just don't. I think they are playing to limit down-ticket losses and to have something to build on during the out years, not playing to win the presidency.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. I Hope You're Right

McCane is f-ing scary...