The Repuke Smear machine makes it so easy.

[johnaries]

Repukes seem to have forgotten how to campaign on "issues" and now rely so much on "smear" that the 2008 Election should be like shooting fish in a barrel.

During the Repuke primary there will be so much shit stirred up that it "should" be easy to use it against any of them in the General Election.

Of course, "Dem's don't do that" so no matter what shit is stirred up against the Repuke candidate they will stir up more against the Dem candidate. Since our guy's don't play that game, they won't be prepared and will get Swift-boated left and right.

So, no matter what skeleton's the Repuke has in his closet, he (and I say "he" because there is no doubt their candidate will be a white guy) will create enough lies that they probably can't all be refuted before the election.

That's the way they work.

What can we do to neutralize their strategy of lies?

[rwenos]

1. Answer: Pay Attention to Our Own Message

Forgive the analogy, but I really do feel it fits.

Anyone who has watched the University of Southern California Trojan football team over the decades knows what they will do on offense. They will run "student body right" -- a sweep where the whole line blocks and the halfback sweeps around end -- 40 times a game. They will run it, and run it, and run it, and run it. Around the 30th time, they'll break a long run for a touchdown. (Mostly because the poor defensive end and outside linebacker are on the bench, all beat up.)

This is how the Republican spin machine/echo chamber works. On the principle of repetition. Maximum force brought with maximum frequency at the point of attack. They pay no attention to what YOU do. They only pay attention to what THEY NEED TO DO.

The only way to beat USC is to run right at them yourselves, and beat them with their own tactics. Run, run, run. Block, block block. Pound, pound, pound. Make their defense play most of the game. Keep the star halfback on the bench, preening for the television cameras, for more than half the game.

Applied to the instant issue: We pound, pound, pound away at our issues. Not their issues. This is the only thing that ever works.

I've watched Pac-10 football and Democratic politics for 40 years.

[buff2]

2. What can we do to neutralize their strategy of lies?

One thing we can do is quit voting for DINO's.There are far too many "Dems" who worry too much about what the "republicans" think,so they keep their mouths shut while getting trashed 24/7.

I never could understand why Bill and Hillary never said a word when they were called all those vile names.....Bill being a murderer,a drug runner and a rapist.

Hillary being called a lesbian and having an affair with Vince Foster and causing his death. The lies that were told about them was worse than anything I have ever seen before in my life.And it went on for YEARS. And the lies are STILL being told.God,it gets so frustrating when you hear the crap being told on these "talk shows" like it's the gospel truth.... and NO ONE REBUTS IT!

They never addressed any of that garbage,they just ignored it so it made people feel it must have been true. Geesus....Dems need to stand up to those lying asswipes and DEFEND themselves. You have to fight back when you come up against BULLIES,not lay down and let them beat the shit out of you.

If the Dems would have fought back there would be a bigger majority in the house and senate and we would have a DEMOCRAT in the WH... not a freakin Forrest Gump.

[rwenos]

3. That's Defense, Not Offense

I take your point, but don't agree with you. Big Bill (God love him!) knew he had to do two things: (1) take a punch; and (2) keep the focus on OUR issues. That doesn't mean let the Pubs walk all over you. Senator Kerry made that mistake last time.

I think you're right about letting no insult go unanswered. I'd just answer with oppo research and talking points of our own -- "maximum force applied with maximum frequency at the point of attack".

And I still think the thing to do is focus on offense, not defense. Attack THEM. Make THEM defensive. Make THEM answer hard questions. Make THEM shuffle their feet in front of the press.

[vickitulsa]

4. Among other things, when the 'Pukes do their swiftboating thing,

it boils down to, "To respond or not respond? And if so, how?" for the Democrats who are their targets.

If Dems didn't learn it before then, the swiftboat liars episode (with Kerry's response that was NOT carried by the media) pretty much proves Dems must respond quickly and clearly to lying smear tactics.

To me, the key is in exactly how the response is made. I think our candidates need to study this and come up with something truly effective -- then share the response techniques with other Dems.

Whatever they decide to do, I think it has to include a way to make sure the response is publicized immediately and as widely as the attack was.

As you point out, we know the Democratic candidates (and not just the Presidential one) are all going to need to learn to refute lies and smears of all kinds, so they'd best get ahead of the game right from the outset, imo.

I fully agree with your premise in the OP that the Repukes have relied on smears-as-substitutes for campaigning on the issues to the degree that they have pretty much forgotten how to do anything else ... and that this fact should make it easier to take advantage of their lack of skill in honest campaigning.

They're like the individuals we've all met who are pathological liars, who have completely lost the ability to connect with other human beings in a genuine and forthright way.

At some point, if Dems can just figure out a way to "laugh them out of court," a la a Kafka novel, we might just be able to totally defang them!

The public has long since become very sick and tired of nasty campaigning -- even if it does still work on them. I think if Dems could just develop an overall positive strategy, one that becomes apparent as such even to those folks who don't like to pay close attention to politics, we could win a lot of trust from the voting public that would pay off in a big way.

Trust engendered patiently could lead to loyalty, and that would be a great thing for Democrats.