Embarrassed, Conservatives Stop Using "Cut and Run"

[JABBS]

Read the whole story by clicking here.

<snip>

And suddenly, the widespread calls of Democrats wanting to "retreat," "cut and run" and a host of other insulting catch-phrases came pretty much to an end. Do a Google search, and you'll find very few examples of conservative politicians using these tired partisan cliches, unable to keep pretending that the Democrats are out-of-step with a majority of Americans, or what Bush's top general thinks makes sense.

[Cocoa]

1. post the whole thing here

why dontcha

[bryant69]

6. Well

your not supposed to post more than four paragraphs of somebodies own work

And if it's his own work, presumably he wants the traffic at the blog, which I don't blame him for.

Is it really htat hard to click on a link?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[monarch]

8. Good post and nice blog.

I had already bookmarked JABBS and now I've added yours. Keep up the good work.

[JABBS]

9. i had been asked not to post lengthy blog entries

... so I post the highlights instead.

[Hubert Flottz]

2. They cut and ran from cut and run.

Playground bullyism ain't gonna' get it this time!

[Gabi Hayes]

3. they've planted the seed, now they don't have to keep repeating it.

the media are carrying the ball for them now, as they ask dem after dem if they aren't being badly hurt by the "cut and run" meme being painted on them by the pugs

the same thing worked for flipflopper, swiftboating, Gore the Liar, etc.

they know what they're doing, and they do it exceedingly well

they are the consummate marketers, except they're marketing Fascism instead of Big Macs

[kentuck]

5. Bingo!

They planted the seed. The media will carry the ball from here.

[JABBS]

10. yes, but

... the media has stopped using the term as well. If you look at the Google search, what you see are mostly the opposite -- newspaper editorials with people pissed at the Republicans for using the term in the first place.

[endarkenment]

11. Nobody reads the newspapers.

*Obviously that is hyperbole*

The point is that you have to think of these things as ad campaigns, not debates on important issues. They just blast the shit out there and move on. We are always off balance defending against the last blow, not ready for the next attack.

[JABBS]

13. true

[kestrel91316]

15. KKKarl sent out a memo suggesting the MSM stop using the phrase.

[endarkenment]

7. Exactly right.

This is the pattern. They blow a big ad campaign, get the meme out there and then just as quickly move on. Meanwhile the opposition party, crippled by the moles and naifs in its leadership, is forever in reaction mode, never on the offensive, and never seems to quite understand what is being done to it. We will be carefully catapulting the cut'n'run meme for them by astutely noting how we are not cut'n'running in huge detail. They have long since moved on to the next target. We are always off balance.


To get back on balance the Democratic Party would have to step back, take a strong stand against the entire theofascist framing and become what it always has had the power to be: the party of working men and women, the party of the common people.

[alfredo]

17. People's minds have long been made up on Iraq, Cut and

run had little effect on public opinion. Murtha did a good job on this issue.

The Dems have countered attacked in a different direction. They are pushing stem cell research over the objections of the reich wing.

[rodeodance]

12. you are right (the damage to the Dems is done already)!

[gatorboy]

4. I'd say Bush's "Nothing to see here" reaction to North Korea

has also put a damper on the Republican tough guy routine.

When North Korea called their bluff, the right wing decided to cut and run to...d-diplomacy??? *faints*

[Marr]

14. Then it's time for *us* to start using those phrases.

They should be asked repeatedly if they still feel like most Americans are just cowards for wanting to leave Iraq. Ask them if they feel guilty for calling most Americans "cut and runners", or if they've decided to flip-flop on that particular issue so they can hold onto their power.

[JABBS]

20. the problem is

That when a John Kerry says, "lie or die," a) it doesn't stick, b) it sounds unauthentic, c) it's subject to ridicule from the conservative noise machine.

The best strategy is to have a coordinated message, and to say on the Sunday talk shows that the GOP is more interested in insulting, fact-challenged catch-phrases than advancing policy.

Imagine if a respected Democrat were to go onto Meet the Press and say something like:

"You know, Tim, it's real easy to make some snide catch-phrase like 'cut and run.' But it's just words. We believe in actions. Look, Tim, we aren't setting the agenda right now because we don't have the White House or either house of Congress. But we know that the American people want to see our troops come home at some point. We respect that President Bush wants us to stand down as the Iraqi step up, and we respect the fact that Gen. Casey, our top commander in Iraq, has a plan to gradually bring our troops home. We're on board with that. The reality of the situation is that we're in sync with the American people and with Gen. Casey. But for some reason, the congressional Republicans are more eager to play word games than to be constructive."

"Why do you think that is, Sen. XXXX?"

"Maybe they're scared, Tim. Maybe they see that the American people aren't happy with the policy agenda that they've set forth. They see the mounting numbers of dead, they see that Osama Bin Laden is still on the loose. Here at home, they're paying $3 a gallon for gas while the Republicans provide corporate welfare for the big oil companies. That can't make people happy. So when you're on the losing side of the argument -- as the Congressional Republicans, led by Bill Frist and Denny Hastert are -- then what choice do you have but to lash out with a lot of partisan name calling? There's a reason you don't see the Democrats going down to that level, Tim ... we don't have to."

"Thank you, Sen. XXXX"

[kentuck]

16. It's time to declare victory and get our troops out of there...

Each troop that is killed from this day forward is the responsibility of those that refuse to see the reality of the situation.

[leeroysphitz]

18. They should be embarrassed.

And besides, nobody is calling for an EARLY withdrawal. We want the TIMELY withdrawal of our troops.
There is a huge difference and congress needs to wake up.

[Uncle Joe]

19. How about freedom fries, freedom kiss, freedom drain, freedom doors

freedom cut, or freedom poodles? How are those doing?;-)

[genie_weenie]

21. Unfortunately, we are entering the

realm of Confirmation Bias. For the majority of Americans our Occupation in Iraq is NOT debatable. They will look for news stories which reinforce their views on it. It's as simple as this: discount and ignore evidence against your position and trumpet and enhance evidence which supports your position.

http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=000CE155-1061-1493-906183414B7F0162

[JABBS]

22. true, but

that can change over time, if the Democratic Party leadership is able to continue to a) push a Democratic agenda and b) trumpet when the GOP resorts to name-calling as policy.

The Democratic party does not lack for engaging, motivated speakers. There are certainly enough places to be seen, heard or read. There just has to be an effort.

Too often, it seems the Democratic leader (such as Kerry in 2004) has allowed something (like the Swifties) have their say unopposed, assuming the American people are smart enough to know the difference between truth and fiction.

The problem, especially in the era of talk radio and cable talking heads -- many of whom lean way right -- is that the fiction can be repeated thousands of times, or speculated on, debated, etc., and that's more than enough time for question marks to sink in. So we get Gore the exaggerator and Kerry the turncoat and so on.

Clinton had a rapid-response team for such things. The Dems as a party need a similar team.

[genie_weenie]

23. It's a double edged sword.

Do you ignore the slanders or respond to them?

It's sad name calling tactics are considered good politics and certain people are allowed to slime those who've sacrificed much, Max Cleland, McCain, Kerry and Murtha all come to mind.

But, I think you're right it's too important not to deal with these "threats". :hi: