Enabling the Swift Boaters

[kerrygoddess]

Enabling the Swift Boaters
January 17th, 2006

A few days ago the mud slinging started against John Murtha, a la swift boat style. E.J. Dionne wrote in his column today, “I underestimated the viciousness of the right wing.” A few others have expressed the same surprise, for an attack that in my opinion was waiting to happen. These mud slinging swift boat liars have no scruples, they lie in wait for the opportune moment and strike — combat style.

The whole premise behind the swift boat attacks is to change the conversation. We all know this by now, so the bigger question, is why are we enabling it? Instead of hand wringing about what to do, over and over again, it seems to me that the common sense approach to this is to not let them change the conversation. Democrats need to learn to stay on message. Republicans will use anything they can including vicious, unfounded lies to turn the focus off the message of those who speak out against them and on to discrediting whoever has the temerity to speak the truth to power.

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1676

[Vincardog]

1. K & R

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. We don't retreat-we keep attacking

We stay on point. Murtha is for the military-he is speaking out about the shaft the military is getting. This is the news story, and this is what needs to be brought up again and again and again.

[kerrygoddess]

4. Staying on message

Is not retreating. We need to just keep firing away and ignoring the lies.

[McCamy Taylor]

3. Dont enable them. Mock them. They are r-i-d-i-c-u--l-o-u-s.

Make it so that everytime some Freeper goofball stands up and questions some administration critic's purple heart, everyone in America groans "There they go again."


http://www.grandtheftelectionohio.com/Flash/SwiftBoat/SwiftBoats.html

[cally]

5. This is what Kerry tried to do

He tried to stay on message and ignore the slanderous lies. It didn't work because the media will stay on the Repub message. Dems have to fight back and go on the attack. Respond and go on the attack. Make it clear Dems won't just take the slander but we'll give it back to them.

[yellowdogmi]

6. in a similiar vein

This also ties into George Lakoff's rules for framing the debate. There was a post here today about not using their language when stopping their spin with facts. Pick your own language. Don't use their soundbites because it reinforces them. Thanks for the post.