You Can't Fool All the People All the Time

Truth appears to be on an extended holiday, but with about fifty days left in this election cycle, this isn't the time for handwringing.

What's the best strategy when your opponent lies? It's not a simple question. The obvious move is to call them on it, but analyses of viewers reveals that "he said, she said" arguments leave observers confused and apathetic. "There they go again," seems to be the reaction, and they tune out the substance of the debate. This hurts us a lot more than them, because we need the electorate to focus on substance; they need them to focus on nonsense.

It helps if there's a referee to cry foul when the lies are proffered, but the media has been inconsistent at best, compelled to feign "balance" even when doing so means implicitly endorsing the lies.

Like this Wednesday AM, when I made the mistake of turning on CNN, where I witnessed a series of intense arguments and interviews about lipstick-gate, including the clip from the speech in which Obama made the lipstick comment, with not a hint, of course, of what the speech was about.

Let's just pause for a moment here and look at this moment under a microscope. It is one of the best examples of Rovian politics I've ever witnessed. This is the sentence in question--the one that ended with the "lipstick on a pig" comment:

"John McCain says he's about change too. And so I guess his whole angle is: 'Watch out, George Bush. Except for economic policy, health care policy, tax policy, education policy, foreign policy, and Karl Rove-style politics, we're really going to shake things up in Washington!'"

Now, it's clear that the McCain strategy has shifted from stressing "experience" and "country first"--both causalities of his choice of Palin for his running mate--to the old Rovian move of hitting your opponent where he's strongest, in this case co-opting Obama's message of change (re Kerry, they swift-boated his military cred, which should have been his critical advantage over GW Bush's chicken-hawk military "career").

Of course, the McCain agenda unequivocally contradicts their new message, which was Obama's point, but the opposition managed to completely avoid that part of the debate, while their dupes in the news media amplified their message by focusing exclusively on the lipstick smear. They took a potent attack on the hypocrisy of their agenda--McCain/Palin's plans on the war and the economy are, if anything, Bush on steroids (more war, no timetables, far more tax cuts for the wealthiest than even Bush has dared to propose)--and turned it to their advantage.

So how do you beat these folks? At times it seems like we're fighting the bad guys in a science fiction movie: "resistance is futile." But I don't think it is. In fact, I think they've exposed a weak flank, and while it's a race against time, the stakes are so high that we've got no choice but to devote all of our energies to establishing this simple meme:

They're telling lies, and liars make fatal leaders. I don't just mean fatal in terms of fiscal recklessness and more economic failure. I mean fatal in terms of decisions that could cost people their lives. Sound familiar?

It may also sound over the top, and there are caveats that I'll stress in a moment, but it's true. Krugman had this exactly right the other day:

"...the deceptive and dishonest 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign provided an all-too-revealing preview of things to come. In fact, my early suspicion that we were being misled about the threat from Iraq came from the way the political tactics being used to sell the war resembled the tactics that had earlier been used to sell the Bush tax cuts.

And now the team that hopes to form the next administration is running a campaign that makes Bush-Cheney 2000 look like something out of a civics class..."

Palin didn't say "thanks, but no thanks" re the bridge to nowhere. Her state got and spent the federal money. On this point, the media's been pretty good, but she keeps repeating her mantra. Obama's tax plan provides a larger break to the middle class than McCain's--about $1,100 vs. $300--the polar opposite of what the McCain folks keep saying. Obama didn't promote sex-ed for kindergarteners. McCain's campaign is run by the very lobbyists he consistently inveighs against; Palin's aggressively and effectively pursued Congressional earmarks.

We all know presidential politics are a nasty business, but they've taken it to another level. The untruths we're used to are conceptual, fuzzier, more ambiguous, stuff you can't easily prove or disprove, like, "we'll pay for our tax cuts by cutting spending (and don't worry, we'll only cut the wasteful stuff that nobody outside of a few crooks really wants)." Or "by cutting taxes on the wealthy, we will free the invisible hand and unleash untold riches that will trickle down to all." Or the stuff about victory in Iraq, whatever that is.

The McCain squad touts this stuff too, of course, and we can and do have good arguments over their validity. But the lies they're telling now are different. As Krugman said, they're "making assertions that anyone with an Internet connection can disprove in a minute, and repeating these assertions over and over again."

(The caveat I mentioned is that they're not all lying. Doug Holtz-Eakin, a leading McCain economic advisor and an acquaintance/fellow traveler for whom I've always had great respect, has a history of speaking truth to power. I suspect he's not too comfortable with a lot of the stuff he has to sell these days...see here for an example of what I mean.)

So why is resistance not futile? Because the lies could form their campaign and candidates' persona, and that could hurt them big-time. It's becoming a negative, mainstream theme. Jay Leno's making fun of it. The mainstream media is starting to come around. Obama's team is hitting back harder. You really can't fool all the people all the time.

The lying persona could become their 'Dukakis in the tank,' Papa Bush at the scanner, Kerry's "I voted for it before I voted against it"--the meme that defines a deep and fundamental weakness that reaches voters in their guts and just gives them a bad feeling about this ticket.

And given the last eight years, that may be enough to tip the scales. Not, of course, with the evangelicals allegedly charged up by the Palin pick, but with the independents in the swing states who will likely decide the outcome. They may be unfamiliar with someone like Obama, or too familiar with someone like Biden, or unable to sort through the fog of misinformation to assess with any clarity the campaigns' positions on the issues that matter to them. But if the truth about these naked lies is out there in a palatable way, they'll know they're being lied to, and they won't like it.

And then, they can honestly use that phrase that's been so misleading repeated over the last couple of weeks:

McCain/Palin? Thanks, But No Thanks.

Hey, that might be a neat bumper sticker, no?

Comments

[JennyJay]

Since Bush was elected twice and McCain close in the polls, what it shows is that America
is full of really dumb people - - who are easily fooled.
Palin can't even govern Alaska, it is a co-governership, her husband sits in on every meeting.
And gets a copy of every E-mail pertaining to government issues.
She can't even do her job alone - - and yet, here she is - - ready to be VP.
And America thinks she is super great for the VP slot.
We are a DUMB, DUMB, DUMB bunch of people who deserve what we vote for.
The good, the bad and the ugly.

[Ridgemore]

Well you can fool most of the people most of the time. Remember how people were told that Mitt Romney was not one of them becasue he removed the skin from some fried-chicken. And Obama is elitist because he talked about arugula. Yes, they talk all the time about how they are going to reform the health care system. Well, reducing the nation's obesity rate would result in billions of dollars in savings but it would mean loss in revenues for the drug companies and insurance industry. Buying a house you can't afford and driving gas-guzzling vehicle are civic duties. Having a pregnant teenage daughter has become a point of qualification. Creating a nation of village idiots is part of the plan of corporate-­controlled government. "Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem."
"It's morning again in America."

[nestmart]

but if you fool the right ones, the rest will fall behinf

[TexasAmerican]

That true. Obama has been lying for over a year but doesn't get called on it. When something untrue about him hits the air he whines. At first I thouight about voting for him. But he has been so unpresidental the last six months that I've changed my mind. He may be ready in eight years but right now he's an unknown, unproven and he hasn't convinced me he's ready to run this country. Palin has made McCain more appealing. And with the results of this do nothing, Democrat led congress, we cannot have the Whitehoiuse and Congress controlled by one party that in two years have wrecked the economy. With Palin and McCain it's like having a thrid party to vote for.

[dkerrice2861]

News Flash!!!! The republicans held the majority for over 12 years. Do you truly believe it took only 2 years to wreck the economy? Try reading some history or watch a real news channel.

[darker]

Yes, if you fool the right ones, THE REST WILL LINE UP AFTER 'EM!

We've been fooled over and over and over again by corrupt Republican LIARS.
Including flip-flopper, waffler McCain who should know better! McCain proved he's NOT A LEADER.
McCain FOLLOWS the Republican IRRESPONSIBLE FRAT BOY MOB.

NO MORE YEARS for the irresponsible Republicans!
Vote for COMMON SENSE LEADERSHIP: Obama-Biden.

[Cdub2112]

Robert Reich & Ben Stein was on LKL, & Stein agreed with every economic plan that Sen. Obama has. During the conversation, Stein went on record to say that tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations are the wrong things to do. Warren Buffett is one of Obama's advisors, and Stein said McCain should be able to talk to Buffett because McCain's advisors now aren't giving him sound advice. It will be replayed at midnight tonight.

Although I don't agree with Mr. Stein's politics, he is a very smart man and very sincere.

[JMalone3]

If You were The Boss... which team would you hire?
>
> With America facing historic debt, multiple war fronts,
> stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time high
> prison population, skyrocketing Federal spending, mortgage
> crises, bank foreclosures, etc. etc., this is an unusually
> critical election year.
>
> Let's look at the educational background of the
> candidates and see what they bring to the job:
>
> Obama:
> Occidental College - Two years.
> Columbia University - B.A. political science with a
> specialization in international relations.
> Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
>
> Biden:
> University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in
> political science.
> Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
>
> vs.
>
> McCain:
> United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894 out of 899
> (meaning that, like George Bush, McCain was at the bottom of
> his class)
>
>
> Palin:
> Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
> North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
> University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
> Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
> University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism
>
> Now, which team are you going to hire to lead the most
> influential nation in the world?
>
>
>
>
>

[livewire19]

Jared, I watch you all the time on CNBC. You're a good advocate for your candidate, and have the spin down, but you're not the best getting a grip on reality.

Truth is both campaigns are spreading lies about the other candidate. This is definitely not a Republican monopoly, and sorry about the sour grapes that the Democrats don't have a history of doing it as effectively as the Republicans.

However, with this election things have changed. The most vicious and energetic attacks are coming from the left, aided by the dupes in the mainstream media. This might backfire with the undecided votes. Only time will tell.

So things are looking up for your candidate-- his attack machine is in high gear out-lying the lying Republicans. You should be proud and hopeful.

[PresWatch]

Please point out the lies spread by the Obama camp. I'm not aware of them.

[TexasAmerican]

You are not aware because you are in denial.

[oldfart1]

Whenever John McCain opens his own mouth, and is not just reading or reciting a text prepared by others, something dreadful pops out, only to be erased the next day by his busy Rove-derived rewrite team, which effortlessly turns black into white. That seems to work very well for TV news bites, as it fools most of the people most of the time, but what will happen if and when McCain is President?

Then the mistakes will be policy mistakes, and they will occur in private. The public won't find out about them until months, or even years, later, and by then too many people will be involved to make such reversals so easy. There will be the same kind of stubborn refusal to reverse direction that Bush has made all too familiar, accompanied by patriotic vendettas against anyone - especially newspapers - who won't get "on message". In fact, such vendettas are already a stock part of McCain's and Palin's methods, and already Sarah Palin and he are refusing appearances that are not pre-edited. The future designed by them and their fundamentalist supporters looks like a return to the Dark Ages.

[anleyang]

I agree, McCain is trying to fool people all the time. It is getting ridiculous. This is a great lie the Republicans are propagating.

http://myrealitytelevision.com/2008/09/obama-admits-he-is-muslim-refers-to-his-muslim-faith/#comment-266

And it was so clever how Obama himself helped them.

[billw8017]

Two points.
Obama states his Muslim faith as a hypothetical, not as a fact. i suspect he believes in God and is not really that particular. Because...

...Islam is a valid religion. It has leaders who champion democracy and compassion. It accepts Jesus as a religious leader, only denying that he is the Son of God. Today, in Iraq Christians are persecuted from a suspicion of favoring the American occupation, but Islam had always treated Christians with respect and accepted them. Arafat married a Christian woman and made a point of attending the Christmas services in Bethlehem. Al qaeda is a bunch of fundamentalist nuts just like some Christians are.

[saskatoonie]

I've just spent some time trolling some conservative sites and it wasn't pretty. Unfortunately, most of us here pretty much agree with each other and what we need to be doing is getting on the center right sites and making our arguements for Obama there! Obviously it isn't going to make any difference what we say to those on the far right. Your skill at debating or promoting issues could be better served challenging those on other sites for now!

[NeverRepublican]

All voters voting republican would disagree..."we can be fooled all the time everytime"...

especially by our own party members.

[ully]

in holywood film,the truth comes later,the winner appear last moment,but now the liar smile,big smile and media make him more happy,because he likes to change all ,even the basic faith of their country....and lot of people doesn't realize who is fooling them .....!!

[vizbit]

The Candidate X Conundrum:

(A) brave enough to slay a moose
(B) too sensitive to face The Big Bad Media, contrary

(C) inexperienced to become VP
(D) resistant to background investigation, no transparency
(E) "unvetted",

Yet mysteriously causes polls to jump up by 20 pts.

Who's minding the store ? The Polls or The People..?

[chillingaz]

"REPUBLICANS DON'T REFORM REPUBLICANS!" - RNCLieBuster

"Its the 21st century economy stupid." - Chill

[Roschelle]

This election has brought out the absolute worst in this country. To some McCain and Palin can do no wrong even though the evidence says otherwise. This country, founded over 200 years ago only afforded black Americans the right to vote when Obama was 4 years old (1965). That is paramount in understanding what this campaign is faced with.

http://roschellenelson.blogspot.com/2008/09/its-in-numbers.html

[mirandawilde]

"Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing." - George Orwell