Karl Rove once stated what he did was go after his opponent's strengths.

[Winterblues]

I once heard him talking about strategy against Al Gore. Al Gore was considered the most honest upright man in Congress, so Rove said that was their issue. Gore's honesty. That was when the meme "Gore Invented the Internet" and "Love Canal" and a whole bunch more of the same shit until almost everyone in America started to believe Al Gore was a serial LIAR....Rove's strategy worked like a charm, although it was accomplished with distortions and LIES, it worked....Same thing against Kerry. He was a genuine Decorated War Hero.. Along comes the Swift Boat LIARS and low and behold it wasn't long before everyone in America felt Kerry LIED about his war experiences.... Attack their Strength not their weakness was how Rove operated.... Can we learn anything from that? Do Republicans have any strengths? Can we attack them without LIES and Deceit? Something for us to think about as we constantly hear about the polling that says Democrats will be wiped out in the elections...Attack their Strengths....

[whyverne]

1. I can't think of any. How about you? n/t

[Winterblues]

2. They are very good LIARS

:shrug:

[RandomThoughts]

3. I never really thought of it that way.

Ahh, I get, it so they are trying to paint honest people as liars. LOL

I see what they do, destroy credibility with smears. Guess you know why I don't like them much.



On a side note, is that the same concept as finding the biggest person in a group and kicking the crap out of them? Sounds like something he learned in prison.

[RandomThoughts]

4. I never really thought of it that way.

Ahh, I get it, so they are trying to paint honest people as liars. LOL

I see what they do, destroy credibility with smears. Guess you know why I don't like them much.



On a side note, is that the same concept as finding the biggest person in a group and kicking the crap out of them? Sounds like something he learned in prison.

[RadiationTherapy]

5. Republicans' strength is the media.

[emulatorloo]

6. 24/7 blast of the Republican Talking Points, with no fact checking.

[RadiationTherapy]

12. No need for facts, it is purely an emotional exercise.

A constant pumping of the base.

[emulatorloo]

13. Only Maddow reports the facts - well researched and well presented

It is very frustrating.

[RadiationTherapy]

17. Yes, but her style is not going to achieve the 'attack their strengths' concept from the OP.

[emulatorloo]

7. they are perceived to be "fiscally responsible" "lowering taxes" "strong on defense"

and having "family values".

None of that is true, but that is the marketing.

[Blue Owl]

8. When was the last time you heard a high-ranking Democrat utter the name "Karl Rove?"

It seems like they are content to let him sit in his cesspool and fling his toxic waste wherever he wants, and become "helpless victims" of his fabricated attacks.

Why would Democrats as a collective party not shine a light on that cockroach -- or better yet take him to court over the numerous crimes he's committed and put him away?

Frustrating nothing is done year after year, election after election.

[emulatorloo]

15. Jack Conway, yesterday on Hardball

I beleive I read a thread not too long ago that the Democratic Senate Committee was working on an ad about Karl Rove and American Crossroads

[Blue Owl]

16. props to Jack Conway!

I can only hope he starts a trend rolling!

[treestar]

9. They are supposedly upright family people

Yet if one is caught in a sexual scandal, it does not have the effect it should. Their voters vote for them even if they blatantly violate the supposed values they stand for. I don't really understand it. There seems to be something else they really stand for, other than what they claim.

They should be trashed by their own for not "winning" in Iraq and Afghanistan, if there were to be treated by the right as Obama is by the left. No dice, they don't do it.

That's why they get so much. They aren't losing hope or giving up in disappointment, even though they didn't get what they wanted out of Bush and McCain didn't even win the election. I always have to give it to them - they are fanatical. If the left were like them, they'd be passionately campaigning for the Democrats instead of complaining they didn't do enough.

[BoneDaddy]

10. EAsy...morality

Point out the ever present inconsistency between their claims of piousness and the reality of them not really being compassionate. Their strength is their belief that they are the "moral" party.

It is about perception, not reality.

[blm]

11. GOP's strength? Their fascist masters bought control of most broadcast media in the 80s and 90s.

Expose the fascist control of the newsmedia in public hearings that MUST be broadcast by every news network using public airwaves.


Control of the newsmedia IS the GOP's greatest strength.

[bobbolink]

14. The Dems have followed Rove's strategery... going after Dem's strengths.

Its working out quite well.

[SoCalDem]

18. Republicans strength is the fact that they are AWAYS on offense

so ANY strategy "against" them is ALWAYS defense. Nothing is too out-of-bounds for them.

They have had a 40 year free ride within media circles, which was accomplished by their "funders" buying up any and all competitors. They reset the public-think to "republican-default", so ANYTHING outside their narrow worldview became exotic, weird, odd, out-of-step.

They control the language and the transmission of ideas.
Those are their strengths.

Dem leadership yawned & ignored them for 3 decades, and decided not to compete with them financially.

You could have the best idea in the world..ever, but if you can only speak of it in small groups or in private, you will not get far.

A stupid idea repeated over and over, in dulcet tones (preferably by an everyman or a good looking , well dressed woman) will eventually catch on. (see advertising 101)