The terrible 'bridge to nowhere" and "Blackberry" temptation

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

"Palin was before the bridge to nowhere before she was against it."

What voters hear: Sarah Palin sucks almost as bad as John Kerry.

"John McCain claims to have invented the Blackberry."

What voters hear: John McCain sucks almost as bad as Al Gore.

To partisans it is fun to throw the ghosts of Christmas past back in the opponent's face.

But to undecided (largely less-partisan) voters it's just 1) re-racking the "Dems suck" highlight reel so many of them have internalized, and 2) the quintessence of 'politics as usual'... they don't remember every detail of past controversies, but they know they don't like hearing about who was for what before being against it, or who invented what because those are echos of crummy campaigns past.

And, worst of all, these mirror-image blasts from the past reinforce the MSM "everybody does it" stance.

As always, this post is an observation about the national TV spin wars, not telling anyone what to post on DU. We are free to knock ourselves out with this stuff. I would prefer the campaign itself, however, recognize the limited utility of turn-about when the message is supposed to be that only THEY are the liars, not 'everybody does it.'

Also, I am not accusing the campaign of doing one thing or another. I immagine the campaign understands this just fine, but it is good advice either way.

[anonymous171]

1. The "out-of-touch" frame isn't working very well.

They should be attacking McCain's credibility with a "McCain is a liar" frame.

[Teaser]

4. Dunno about your contention that "out of touch" isn't working

We moved to a nice lead in two tracking polls and closed in the other two. Something is working.

[O.M.B.inOhio]

2. I agree. Maybe we should leave their phrases out and reply in a coherent campaign...

... like,
Palin lied to the American people. She kept the money.
McCain lied.
They can't hoodwink us again.

Also:
Bush claimed to be a Washington outsider, said he'd shake up Washington, reach across the aisle. McSame is part of the same corrupt Republican machine. Those lobbyists aren't working night and day for the Republicans to put themselves out of business.

Palin seems like someone you might know. Bush presented himself the same way, right? "Who'd you rather have a beer with?" But they're part of the same corrupt Republican machine. Did Bush make life better for you, or for his Washington friends?

McCain/Palin talk about getting things done. That was Bush's line, remember? They're part of the same corrupt Republican machine. The super-rich get more houses than they can count and regular folks struggle to pay the mortgage.

"Thanks but no thanks?" She said, "Thanks, I'm keeping the money." Reformer? Where I come from they call that a crook.

[endarkenment]

3. Add these to the long list of things we should never use against them.

It is such a long list. So fraught with peril those items are that we should never use them against our opponents.

Instead we should stay with the safe list. Here are the items and issues we should use:


The Safe List:

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Based on your argument, the danger with the "Liar" meme will be the John Edwards mirror-image.

So unfortunately, the "Liar" argument fails as well.

The average "undecided" probably doesn't even know what was attributed to Kerry other than "Swiftboat". If anything, these things go into the popular culture as a "saying" and who it was attributed to is lost except at the moment.

However this stuff does underscore the "hypocrite" Republican Party and actually neutralizes their "non-issues" campaign by flashing a mirror at them. At the same time, the "issues" discussion can float above it all untouched because they have no "issues" of their own to use as a counter in their campaign.

This is called "multi-tasking". ;)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

7. I'm all for the liar meme, but I wouldn't want it phrased as

I'm all for the liar meme, but I wouldn't want it phrased as

"John McCain says it depends on what the meaning of 'is' is."

Attack the hell out of these people. Just not using literal inversions of previous attacks on Dems.

[niyad]

6. wrinkles invented the blackberry? since when, since he keeps claiming to be so techie-illiterate?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

8. He didn't say he can USE it, just invented it.