Dems: Damn the Torpedoes and Take No Prisoners
The conventions are over. So now, my Democratic friends and allies, it's time to arrest McCain's bump. It's time to take out the big guns. Time to dispatch the battle tanks and set sail the fleet. Time to stop the niceties about oh, how John has been a good friend and a hero. We've heard every detail by now.
McSame is committing grand larceny... stealing the "change" message. He's throwing the wool over voters' eyes. He's pretending that the he's not the latest GOP fox in the henhouse. Hiding behind the skirts of Sarah Palin, the GOP is swift-boating the truth once again. And Democrats should be ready with an overwhelming counterattack.
That McCain/Palin pig (with pink lipstick) can't fly, and it shouldn't defy the colossal weight of eight years of Bush failures both at home and abroad.
Last week, The Daily Show had every juicy conceivable line of attack against McCain/Palin. John Stewart even had the best potential Obama commercials -- juxtaposing McCain and Bush as if Bush had McCain sitting on his lap -- lip sinking every one of Bush's failed promises to the American people, as if the two were in lockstep. Memo to Obama Campaign -- hire those Daily Show producers!
Gov. Palin is beginning to sound like a disciple of political double-speak -- skirting the truth of her embrace of earmarks and the so-called bridge to nowhere -- as her Pentacostal beliefs filter out on the internet. It is disturbing to watch the actual videos from her church. She sounds like a person who apparently shares a Rev. Wright-like penchant for outlandishness from the pulpit that should cause any reasonable voter to take a serious look. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her small town values... there is something quite wrong with her small town beliefs that may conjure up intolerance to anyone who may not share her hard-core conservative Christian beliefs.
So, what to do?
1. If Hillary is uncomfortable taking Gov. Palin dead on, well, then, Barbara Boxer and Claire McCaskill and other "take no prisoner" Democratic female surrogates should be hitting the airways hourly. Sen. Boxer was terrific yesterday on Late Edition. She had every anti-McCain and Palen fact down cold, and her machine-gun like delivery hit the target dead on. Tailor talking points to focus on the issues that women care about, like health care, education, job opportunity, social and economic security.
2. Get the fact sheets out on the McCain-Palin embrace of the Bush/Cheney record. They should be air-dropped (internet and airplane!) into every battleground state. I have yet to see a succinct factual rebuttal in straight-forward form that can easily be distributed and absorbed by every Democratic activist from California to New Hampshire.
3. The campaign should be drafting bullet-proof op-eds/and letters to the editor to be signed by surrogates well-armed with armour piercing facts that rebut the McCain change/reform message.
4. Narrow down into pure simple detail the Obama/Biden economic message. What are the 10 things that the Democrats are going to do to create jobs, solve the housing crisis, make college education affordable, make health insurance a reasonable reality. Voters deserve to know the basics and not be overwhelmed with the small print. Get it out to every Democratic precinct captain or as a direct mailer to independent voters.
5. Keep up a steady barrage highlighting McCain's country-club tax plan, and its special giveaways to favored corporate recipients. Middle class Americans will be furious if they learn that McCain is preparing another tax-giveaway to the unneedy.
6. If Karl Rove were working for Democrats, he would be plotting every conceivable way to cause the legendary McCain temper to rear its ugly head right there in front of the national media.
7. Get the surrogates well trained to jump on conservative talk radio. Geared to do battle, and well-armed with bullet-proof points to defend the Obama/Biden record; and ready to take on McCain's record. Avoid wasting ammunition over Gov. Palin. Let the press handle her. She may have been a game-changer, but McCain will be making the decisions, not her.
8. Attack McCain's foreign go-it-alone reckless policy plans. Mobilize the Democratic generals and admirals supporting Obama and McCain to hit the conservative talk radio circuit that independents listen to. McCain will take Bush-Cheney unilateralism to a new, even more reckless level. His foreign policy will isolate America even further, and bring even greater dissatisfaction for the United States among our existing and potential allies abroad. Independents don't want four more years of Bush-Cheney policies that have undermined our image and stature abroad.
So that's my partial, unsolicited Order of Battle. Nothing innovative. Nothing that hasn't been in the arsenal before. But time's awastin!
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where are the surrogates? There is a deafening silence that is very worrying.
I agree completely
Hey Mr. Ginsberg,
Can you get this article before the eyes of the Obama campaign planners AND all the Democratic members of Congress?
They DO NOT listen to emails from regular Democratic voters which is more than frustrating, but they might listen to you. Please use your influence to slap them upside their hard heads with this. Someone needs to wake these people with voices up, like yesterday!
What the hell do they think "party unity" means?
The Dems swooned over Obama for "taking the high road" in his campaign, then go right out and recommend attacks. Can you spell h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y.
I can spell it for you:
r-e-p-u-b-l-i-c-a-n
Ha! Good one.
There are somethings about Ms Palin I want to know, but none of the media people are looking for.
1. How many hours a week does the Mayor of a town of 7-8000 people put in?
2 As a member of the County Comm and as Mayor what issues came up? how were they addressed? When did the Mayor decide to go after earmarks, and how avidly did she go after free money.
3. Alaska gets more money than any other state from the Federal treasury, why and how? Surely Alaska has enough money of its own to spend why so greedy? I thought they were considered rough and rugged individualists, so why more money from the other 49?
4. Other than childrens books and maybe the Bible, what has Ms. Palin read in the past 4-8 years? Does she, or did she ever belong to a book club?
5. I know t about the tax returns of all of the Senators, but can you find out anything about the finances of the Palin family? How much expense money is available?
6. What kind of a student was she at University?
7. Has she ever written anything that was published?
8. Will she answer all questions put to her, or are some areas out of bounds? If so, what?
9. What weres her relation with the Senators and Congressional delegation in Alaska?
10. How does she get along with politicians in the State of Alaska?
October Surprise!
Hillary replaces Biden for VP
Forget the failed beauty queen. She's just a distraction.
McCain’s impaired judgment offers us:
Palin/Bush as our potential President.
More Bush smoke and mirrors.
Higher deficits for US; more debt to China; Lower minimum wage; Less safety for workers, greater wealth for the top 2 percent wealthy
No incentives for US jobs; Social Security privatization?
More illegal incarcerations/ kidnapping/ torture, loss of personal privacy, and Constitution raping.
No equal pay for equal work, no Roe vs. Wade, no legal contraceptives, no child care outside the home.
Crime will increase as the economy continues tanking.
School vouchers equal Republican’s siphoning tax dollars to evangelical schools and starving public education: our children will learn only right wing world visions. And who deserves to live in that world.
McCain’s ignorance about the Internet will create laws limiting its use.
McCain will reinstate the draft and a foreign policy in line with his warrior fantasies. His inability to think clearly endangers our nation.
Another choice: Check out Sen. Obama’s complete background in biographer David Mendell’s book, “Obama, from Promise to Power.”
If you truly support our military, please see this video and listen to our military heroes, including a Medal of Honor recipient. Thank you. JMB, former US Navy Medic.
http://www
Brilliant, Taking America back
Idon't know. Maybe we do need the military draft back. Maybe if hockey moms, soccer moms and pitbulls with lipstick were FORCED to see their sons and daughters go into a misguided, undeclared war, they might be more concerned about the leadership of this country instead of the personality of its leaders. Small towns have given many of their young people who voluntarily signed up because of lack of civilian opportunities.
This is one of the points raised by many about the comparative apathy in the population concerning the Iraq war. A volunteer service insulates the general population that hasn't a personal stake in conflicts. Doubtlessly, there would be much more active concern about ill-advised, lingering sorties if the entire population was directly affected and perhaps this is a flaw in the volunteer philosophy, given leaders unable to manage their duties efficiently and effectively.
I wish my Jeep got the mileage that McCain has gotten out of his war record. ENOUGH!! As a Viet Nam vet myself I can say ENOUGH and not feel guilty nor disrespectful. McCain says he wants to "change:" health care.That is a lie! How about starting with veterans health care from
WWII...Kor
Folks lets face it we nominated the wrong candidate. Even his wife is the one that wouldn't let him put Hillary on the ticket. If he had done this our worries would be over and we Dems would be in the White House. Does anyone know why she hates Hillary so bad?
STOP THE BS . HE IS HIS OWN MAN . THE SAME CAN'T BE SAID FOR MCCAIN.
wrong. we nominated the right candidate. hillary has her own huge role to play still, hopefully as senate majority leader.
We Dems: "Gosh darn those old torpedoes! Let's cast anchor and wait till they're all past...."
US Vice President Henry A. Wallace, quoted in the NY Times, April 9,1944.
"The really dangerous American Fascist...
There is nothing new in the American political narrative, only now 'they" frame it as a " culture war ", nothing could be further from the truth. Their aims and methods are still the same, and I fear this time they will win. The ignoble end to a noble experiment.
Wonderful! Americans should take heed. It is unfortunate that white voters (hardworking or not) are being sucked into this "he is not like us." George Bush was "one of us," and look what you got and lots of it to boot. Low income families are accustomed to being tossed around and about by the government. They know how to get by as best they can. The middle class has beared the burden for many years and unfortunately many believe because they have been able to purchase a home, pay for it, send their kids to college, and retire that it will always be that way. Take a look around you. You are not them. You will not be invited to fly around the country on luxury jets or go on overseas trips, lunch at the white house, or have expert medical care at your demand, guaranteed pensions that you can actually live on, affordable food, gas, cars, and other necessities of life. Do not be fooled by that everybody gets to keep more of their money. If money does not come to your state, your state will have to get it from you. Consider the trickle down effect. Look at the companies "rescued" by the government and the amount of money those responsible for the failures get in return. More than you can ever hope to earn. If you don't see anything wrong with that, we're all lost.
RIGHT ON, LETS HOPE OBAMA'S ADVISORS READ THIS AND THE REST OF THE NAME BRANDS IN THE DEMO PARTY. OBAMA NEEDS TO MOBILIZE HIS TROOPS. HE NEEDS TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH HILLARY, BILL, GORE, KERRY, DEAN, ETC. AND REMINDTHEM HOW IMPORTANT THIS ELECTION IS AND THAT THEY NEED TO GO ON THE ATTACK....
I have high hopes for a Democrat in the white house after 8 long years of G.W. Bush and his criminal co-horts. However, IF they are to win, they're going to have to get tougher, much tougher with McSame and Palin and start addressing key differences in philosophy and policy. The reason both of them are engaged in character assassination is because t hey have no favorable to run on. It's a typical republican tactic to divide, confuse and conquer through lies and misrepresentation. of facts. Gore was not a forceful speaker nor did he attack them like they love to do. This low key campaign may well cost Obama the election if he doesn't fight fire with fire. That's what it's going to take!
Fantastic. Please forward this to the Obama campaign ASAP. The future of the country depends upon Obama's winning this election.
I agree. And that's a pretty scary thought...
I agree that the Dems need to focus and simplify their facts. But can raw facts compete with the raft of lies strung together to make a compelling anti Obama story, as for instance with that smash hit “Obama Nation”? Unfortunately Republicans know that to move folks to action one must target the heart not the intellect. The emotions want what they want, and often times in politics playing to emotional desires of voters, like giving candy to a baby, is the only effective way to go.
Absolutely spot on!
Obama/Biden: Do EVERYTHING Marc says and get Lewis Black too while you're at it.
I know I'm getting REALLY TICKED OFF and fed up with the SIDEKICKS (STOP using term Mavericks, by the way)..... save the diplomacy for January '09... we're going to need it then.
as Marc said, TAKE NO PRISONERS!!!! This is NOT, I repeat NOT, a REHEARSAL !!!
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