Let's Be Blue -- A Plea for Partisanship

Yes, yes, I know we are all a bunch of enlightened, Obama-style post-partisans, and isn't that wonderful -- but we are missing an opportunity here. As our economy continues to underwhelm, with each week bringing more and more catastrophic news, we are not taking advantage of our key strength and McCain's key weakness:"the brand."

McCain is a Republican. Despite his alleged possession of magical maverick fairy dust, he is a Republican who votes Republican, and is therefore responsible for much of the mess we find ourselves in today. We should be pouncing on this. We're not.

Obama, in all his post-partisan glory, is a Democrat. Again, not something to be ashamed of. Democrats fix broken economies. It's what we do. It's what we should be bragging about. We're not.

By running to the party label instead of from it, we are linking Obama to a grand tradition of economic champions and linking McCain with the philosophies that have put this economy in the toilet.

Here's the ad I want to see:

(We hear a Narrator over a montage of scary footage of Wall Street and the struggling middle class)

NARRATOR
The US economy is in crisis. Again.
Eight years of Republican policy have
turned surplus into debt.
Tax cuts for the rich.

(Images of rich Republicans: Jack Abramoff, Cindy McCain, etc.)

NARRATOR
Deregulation.

(Images of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bear Stearns, etc.)

NARRATOR
Bowing to the whims of the oil companies.

(Images of Bush, McCain, Saudi prince, etc.)

NARRATOR
Again.

NARRATOR
Republican economic policies, the same policies
John McCain has been fighting for his entire career,
are laying waste to our economy and proving
disastrous for the middle class.

(Image of a baby carriage teetering on the edge of a cliff. A hand reaches up to stop its fall.)

NARRATOR
Let us help.

(Scary images turn hopeful.)

NARRATOR
We're Democrats.

(Positive images of Democrats, Obama, Biden, happy Americans, etc.)

NARRATOR
It took a Democratic president to get us out of
the Great Depression.

(Image of FDR.)

NARRATOR
It took a Democratic president to turn this nation's
largest debt into its largest surplus.

(Image of Bill Clinton.)

NARRATOR
We're good at fixing problems.

(Image of hard-at-work Democrats)

NARRATOR
Besides, why would you trust the economy to the
same people who screwed it up in the first place?

(Images of Bush, McCain, Cheney, etc.)

NARRATOR
This November, vote for a Democrat.

(Fade out on images of Obama and Biden.)

********************************************************

A bit heavy-handed? Sure (Particularly the baby carriage imagery, I admit). But I'm just spitballing here. The point is, we have a huge weapon in our arsenal that we're not using. Maybe Barack Obama can't talk much about party if he wants to keep his post-partisan cred. But we can. Just imagine if the DNC started putting out pro-Democrat ads. It would be newsworthy. And it would shift the conversation to a topic where we win big easily.

"Democrat" shouldn't be a dirty word. Let's use it and be proud of it.

Comments

[magen]

Exactly!!!!!

All of Obama's ads are REACTIONS to McSame's.

McSame attacks, Obama defends.

Typical loser strategies that highly-paid Democratic Strategists come up with. Always letting yourself be defined by the other side doesn't work, hasn't worked, and I'm scared to see what happens in this country if we lose this time.

This is the most winnable election for Democrats in my lifetime, Obama should be attacking McSame, not defending himself.

[ElBruce]

Actually, Bill Clinton did great for 8 years by defending to attacks, drawing the Republicans into acting crazier and crazier while keeping your head and throwing level punches back. Like political Jujitsu, he had a great tendency to use their attacks against them. Obama's starting to learn how to do this, I think. Or at least, I hope.

[ProudLiberalDan]

Great post

I totally agree.

There is currently only one side interested in "new politics" which turns us into doormats. At some point the Obama campaign has to say, "we tried it the post-partisan way and it didn't work". It seems they are finally realizing -- or I certainly hope that they are realizing -- that "new politics" (the repeat of the Dukakis/Gore/Kerry "doormat" strategy just isn't work in the general in the way it did against an ideologically similar opponent in the primary. The American people want a fighter and thank goodness there is finally some fight being shown. I just hope it isn't too little, too late.

[MrKnuckles]

Sounds like a damn good script to me... I know I'm voting Democratic across the board, but why not sell the idea to America:
"Vote 100% Democratic on Your Ballot This Fall and Help Save Our Nation".

[luziannagirl]

Yeah, and isn't it amazing how so many of the once-proud "W" rear windshield decal-donners now wring their hands and proclaim the blame for our current national megamelaise to be bi-partisan in nature!?????

And, it is. But not equally.

I think it's time for "real Americans" to stand up,sharpen their tongues, and say what so many of us are thinking but for some reason won't say:

"You know what, Republicans, that "bipartisan blame" line is B.S.

The VAST lion's share of blame for most of our current mess goes to Bush, the NeoCons, the Republicans, the Free Marketeers, and to all of YOU who voted for them, and continue to make excuses for them.

You people had your turn---you got your OWN President, and you got your OWN double-Con­gressional majority for 6 LONG YEARS, and you Republicans messed America up worse than anyone ever thought it could be messed up!

So Republican voters, stop being stuck on stupid, and if you can't man up enough to help the REST of us turn the page by voting for Obama, then just stay home!

And, no, McCain and Palin are NOT a "new page". DUH!!!

And then we need to say to the Democrats, " And YOU damn well better get YOUR act together and make the changes needed or we'll boot your asses out next!"

[LHoney]

WOW - what a fantastic idea!!!! Hope someone who can actually DO THIS sees your post! Lets add some Hoover quotes that sound just like McCain quotes..... The economy is sound (right after the crash) - fundamentals are sound (yesterday)..... Don't do the baby thing tho, still have the kindergart­en/pervert remarks to deal with! I also think Obama/Biden should reach out to people specifically with children and put children in the ads. McCain/Palin are a threat to my children, to all of our children... Get the messages out there in SHORT SOUND BITES - PICTURES ARE EVEN BETTER! Obama doesn't have to sell the intelligent or educated voter who already know where their vote is going regardless of their affiliation.

Obama/Biden 08!

[felixxx999]

best part:

NARRATOR
The US economy is in crisis. Again.
Eight years of Republican policy have
turned surplus into debt.
Tax cuts for the rich.

(Images of rich Republicans: Jack Abramoff, Cindy McCain, etc.)

[bwilder]

I LOVE it and it passes the 'truth-o-meter' too!

Sure hope to O folks are reading the HuffPo today :-)

[CamillesDad1]

Count me in.

Frankly, as a computer professional, and noticing that most of my colleagues (even in beknighted South Carolina) are liberals, I think we ought to take it a step further.

After two stolen elections in a row, I think it is well within the confines of Ethical Hacking to be prepared to steal one back.

Lets see how the Rethuglicans feel about Diebold's security if they lose every race, right down to Dog Catcher.

Of course, I'm kidding . . . really ;-)

[BadChristian]

GREAT post.

I think we could even take some scenes and put the voice of FDR's 1936 address over them. Post-partisanship makes for a good "nice-guy" image, but when the accusation that you won't fight back is gaining traction, the voice of a man who welcomed the fight could add some helpful confidence.