How Should Obama Respond? A Third Way to End the Sliming

The SwiftBoating of Barack Obama has begun. And by the same author and organizations. This should have come as no surprise to Senator Obama, his campaign, or to Democrats, and they should have been prepared with an effective response. Yet, their reaction has been weak and ineffective. Pundits may talk all they want about how the Obama campaign, unlike the Kerry campaign of 2004, has launched a counter-offensive to debunk this book. Technically they are correct, but in a deeper sense they are wrong. What has been launched is a defensive response, and such a response cannot succeed. As soon as a politician is on the defensive with something like this, the battle is lost. This is not opinion; this is backed up by psychological science.

Just this Thursday, on the front table at a local bookstore, was Obama Nation. It was listed as non-fiction. Nowhere to be found was the touted 40-page document put together by the Obama campaign refuting the book and detailing its inaccuracies. What every patron saw was the anti-Obama book and that is what will stick in all of their memories.

The problem with refuting slander is that the very act of doing so gives it currency. The charges and countercharges are discussed publicly and in the process the charges are dignified. The Kerry campaign of 2004 realized this and chose to ignore the SwiftBoat ads. This strategy failed because when a candidate ignores a well-organized and funded movement, the narrative of the campaign is written by them. Now Obama is refuting the charges in an effort not to repeat the Kerry mistake -- but this just substitutes a new mistake for the old one. The charges are now being discussed and detailed. So are the refutations but they are not best-sellers sitting on the front table in major bookstores. The belief seems to be that the media will get out the word that the book is scurrilous and the public will reject it. That will never happen.

Here are the psychological facts. Classic studies on attitude research show that the source of a message matters when a person is deciding whether or not to believe that message. That is the good news. Now for the bad news: The same research shows that after a while, the source becomes less important and the content is believed. This is called the "sleeper effect" because it does not manifest itself immediately. Thus the Obama strategy will seem to work at first but ultimately fail as the source of the message is forgotten but the content remains. Anyone who doubts this should look at the persistence of the belief that Obama is a Muslim, was sworn in to the Senate on the Koran, and went to a religious Muslim school. All have been proven false; all remain prominent in the minds of the electorate. The same will happen with the contents of this book.

Even mere repetition of the title of the book -- just the title, nothing else -- will insidiously harm Obama. The book is called "Obama Nation." Say it quickly a few times and what do you have? "Abomination." The unconscious mind is a funny thing. It creates associations. (See Drew Westen's book The Political Brain.) Obama and abomination. Add this to the constant repetition by the media, and you have a very serious problem. If you don't believe that, note how many slips from Obama to Osama there have been. And those slips stick...more negative associations. And if you still don't believe, check out the Internet sites and mainstream news stories about Obama being the Anti-Christ.

So is this hopeless? Are there only two possible strategies? Must you either ignore, as did Kerry, or defend, as is Obama? If this were the case, it would indeed be hopeless. But there is a third way. The solution is not to allow the narrative to be controlled by the anti-Obama forces. The solution is to rewrite the narrative. Here is how:

The Obama campaign should decry the silence of the McCain campaign and of the RNC. They should demand that both organizations denounce this book and all such efforts. Failure to do so indicates tacit endorsement and failed leadership. Perhaps they are even involved at some level. This is, after all, a well-funded and organized effort that benefits both the RNC and the McCain campaign. Certain McCain campaign ads seem to tacitly support these abominable views. Now the narrative shifts from the charges against Obama to the ethics and values of the opposition. If those organizations strongly condemn these tactics (and I mean really condemn them, not "of course we don't approve but..." or "I haven't read the book and so cannot comment."), and shy away from ads that seem to give them currency, the problem will evaporate. Further, others will not attempt it in the coming months.

Even if the RNC is not motivated to do this, McCain should be. After all, he was the victim of vicious false rumors during the 2000 campaign. He knows what it is like and he did not like it. If the RNC and McCain campaign do not condemn this or do so in a half-hearted way, they will be tarred by the brush of association with slime and slander. They will be seen to be as coarse as Corsi. The narrative will then be changed to the topic of ethics in political campaigns, with Republicans on the losing end.

If we can discourage this crash and burn approach to politics, perhaps the next time we visit a bookstore we'll see serious books on politics, politicians, and political psychology prominently displayed instead of unsubstantiated gossip disguised as serious reporting.

Comments

[Americatheignorant]

they are up against. McCain has been in Vietnam and been in the prison camps and dealt with some similar people...Personally I would be scared to death for the nation if Obama was elected. Repubican's in general seem to grasp the concept that you cannot simply make deals with talk diplomacy with these insane dictators and expect that the world will be at peace. Obama has been slow to grasp the concept...
Plus, who wants a president that thinks that "his pay grade determines his opinions." If you cannot even take a stand on when you think human life exists, why are you so quick to defend "Roe vs. Wade" in voting record as a senator? I would assume that would also be something above your pay grade, if you cannot even give a competent response to the previous question.

I am an independent voter and consider myself a moderate...however, Obama does not have my vote.

[riverhippie]

Obama is not John Kerry. He should ignore these stupid attacks and do as he said he would do: run a different type of campaign.

Obama should laugh at these ads, say he will never stoop to such lows, and continue talking about issues.

By attacking to retort an attack, Obama looks like one of the politicians he syas he isn't.

Kerry was a different matter; he is one of the politicians Obama says that he (Obama) is not.

Obama need to create a new playbook, only ridicule McCain for his tactics, and stay on the high road.

I was really dissappointed when I saw the Cindy McCain ad yesterday. It's below Obama to play like the old politicians.

[Johnagain]

"Obama need to create a new playbook, only ridicule McCain for his tactics, and stay on the high road."

I wish this advice would work. Unfortunately the bulk of the American electorate will not be swayed by a politician taking the high road. Most American adults are intellectually lazy and woefully misinformed when it comes to politics. Most put far more intellectual effort into analyzing their local sports teams (men) or deciding which consumer goods to buy next (men and women), than they have in analyzing their candidates for high office. Most will vote solely on emotional queues, and the most effective of these are based on fear. Politicians are well aware of this. In this context, whichever candidate can sow the most negative feeling about the other, will win. It is as simple as that. If millions of people think that Obama is a Muslim, was sworn in on the Koran, and harbors some secret alliance with Al Qaida, they will vote for McCain, or anyone else who runs against Obama. And yes, millions of people believe these things. Those people do not think about how our economy has come it's current state, how the war in Iraq affects the economy or our security, how rogue nuclear powers like Pakistan are endangering the world, how Bush administration policies affect fuel prices and inflation, how those policies affect the climate and the environment, etc. They do not truly 'think' about any of those things when voting.

[thebron]

It would be nice to run a campaign where the right wing candidates condemn message machines that their former operatives and paid consultants run, but that seems naive. The system will simply never work this way, and until the left realizes this, they will always lose the message fight. Strategy 1: attack. Strategy 2: keep attacking. Obama revealed his weakness on strategy 2 this week when he attacked McCain for not knowing how many homes he owns (yet he wants to be the guy to fix the worst housing crisis in history). The right and left media backlash was that Obama 'attacked' McCain. Then it died down. So Obama's 'attack' became the message instead of McCain's economic cluelessness. McCain's economic cluelessness. McCain's economic cluelessness. McCain's economic cluelessness.

[111]

Third Way, huh?

thirdway.org
will not give us change but Obama does seem to be taking talking points from them and the DLC.

[veracity]

Joel, Obama should take a page from KARL ROVE"s playbook - GO RIGHT AT John McCain's PRESUMED 'STRENGTH' !

TIE McCain to Bush-Cheney's disastrous policies, & INFORM Americans that McCain supported those Bush-Cheney policies that HAVE MADE AMERICA WEAKER over the past 8 years.

- "OBAMA/BIDEN - FOR A STRONGER AMERICA" !!!

#1. Point out that it is Bush-Cheney-McCain POLICY GOAL to have American ship BILLIONS upon trillions of US consumer dollars overseas, to purchase oil from foreign dictators, so Bush-Cheney's oil cronies can SKIM their 30-40% cut off the top.
Wiki proves that Chevron SUED Toyota and Panasonic, to STOP production, of the fully production and road-ready Toyota _2002_ ALL ELECTRIC RAV4-EV 80mph and 120 mile range small SUV .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_RAV4_EV

#2. Point out that McCain SUPPORTS TAX CUTS FOR RICH in TIME OF WAR, = DEFICIT ECONOMICS, = "LOOT THE TREASURY" corruption -
- that FORCES American _taxpayers_ to ship MORE BILLIONS of US citizen dollars overseas, TO PAY INTEREST ON THE BUSH DEFICITS, alone!


http://www.scribd.com/doc/3015540/US-Budget-Deficit-or-Surplus-1960present
$400 BILLION _per year_ US _BUSH_ DEFICITS, that the clueless, cowering Pelosi-Reid Dems can't quite bring themselves to mention.

The PRIMARY function of any nation's leaders are TO PROTECT ITS CITIZENS from harm.

If Senator Obama wants to LEAD, his first job is to PROTECT American consumers & taxpayers from the greed & corruption that is the signature of Republican, inside DC politics.

[Johnagain]

I would also add a 4th way. Go on the attack. Only do so in a more sophisticated way. Hammer on the facts about McCain and his past. Hammer on those things for which there is ample proof. I won't list them all here, but most readers of this site know what they are. Do this all the while demanding that the McCain camp disavow their attacks. Do this with every dollar you have, right up until election day. And most importantly, show no mercy whatsoever, because experience shows sleeze bags that call themselves Republicans will offer none to you.

[loper2008]

sorry, i don't think asking the rnc or mccain to apologize is an effective strategy ... nobody is talking about that book. the only people that would buy that book already have their minds made up. obama shut down its television play. that was the most important thing.

[heartsick]

This guy is a died-in-the-wool Republican! Who cares about psychology when you're being lied about and smeared? It's just that Republicans believe that Obama has no right to anything, including the right to defend himself and/or his family. Republicans are poised to defend and promote any tactic that smears Obama. There is no bar over which they will not vault to keep Obama "in his place"! This is something that all of us need to understand.
America's corporate media is foaming at the mouth to disparage and impugn Obama at every turn. CNN has even sent a reporter to Kenya to find Obama's half-brother to suggest that Obama ought to be helping his brother who "lives in squalor". But they don't discuss the fact that Cindy McCain doesn't help her half-sisters with the money their shared father earned. Obama didn't get his money from his and George Obama's father. He earned his own money! But America's media feels compel to sneakily assault Obama for not using his money to support a brother he only met one time. And they don't find fault with Cindy McCain's not sharing her father's fortune with a sister who spent summers and holidays with Cindy and their father. What is this but raw racism?

[liz]

Great point, but stop with the over-reactive racism card. You may need it later when it really applies.

[abby4ever]

***The book is called "Obama Nation." Say it quickly a few times and what do you have? "Abomination."***

I made this same observation in almost the same words, in three different posts on three different threads, just this week, and all three were scrubbed. There was nothing in them that broke the rules, they were only about this play on 'Obama Nation' and how it sounds when you say it outloud. To my knowledge no one had brought it up before.

Why did they get snatched, I mean scrubbed, when Joel gets to say it in his blog?

[abby4ever]

***The book is called "Obama Nation." Say it quickly a few times and what do you have? "Abomination."***

Hey! That was my observation, in several different posts I did just this week. Hmmmm.

[MWChris]

I think a 527 group needs to be formed to run ads on McCain that address his negatives:

1) Examination of his activities as a POW. Some (Col. David Hackworth) have alleged that McCain cooperated with the No. Vietnamese.

2) McCain's use of the "POW card" to deflect ALL criticism.

3) His tactless divorce

4) His temperment (and temper)

5) Keating 5

I am sure there is more....

[PrinceHal]

This is absolutely the best post I've seen on this subject. Right, you can't refute a book by publishing your own pamphlet (even a big, long pamphlet) which is, incidentally, not for sale at bookstores.

Also, has anybody noticed that there is more than ONE big, best-selling anti-Obama book? There definitely is a second book, "The Case Against Obama" by David Freddoso, which is every bit as scurrilous and only a smidgen less successful than "The Obama Nation." Check it out on Amazon. Look at Amazon's best-seller list.

And while you're at Amazon, note that there is a third book, "Fleeced" by Dick Morris and Eileen something, which has the same mission and is selling none too shabbily. Note that our good friend Jeff Bezos at Amazon is promoting the hell out of all these books. I don't know what Jeff's politics are, but apparently when it comes to selling books, he doesn't have any.

Not sure what the Dem solution is. But ATTACK MCCAIN seems a better answer than DEFEND OBAMA,. It works for THEM! And keeps right on working, it appears. Can't we learn anything from somebody else's success, especially when it keeps coming at our expense?

[Bobrobert]

roflmao

Thanks for the repuke-lican update.

:-)

Obama has it under control.

[heartsick]

Stop trying to promote Republican sleeze! You're just revealing yourself!

[Cugel]

"If the RNC and McCain campaign do not condemn this or do so in a half-hearted way, they will be tarred by the brush of association with slime and slander."

What on earth makes you think McCain will care? He's ALREADY "tarred" by association with "slander."

What your entire article ignores is that Republicans LIKE "slime and slander!" As long as McCain's attacking, the cheer. The more vicious the lie, the better they like it!

Did Republicans really think Kerry was faking his purple hearts? They didn't care! They hated Kerry and wanted to tear him down so they were going to believe any lie about Kerry. The more people talked about it and condemned it the better they felt.

By election 2004 there were thousands of Republican storm-troopers at huge rallies all over America, chanting in unison "Flip-Flop! Flip-Flop!" about Kerry.

All that matters is turning out the base. And Karl Rove proved that you do that with constant attacks.

"I he brings a knife, you bring a gun. If he puts one of yours in the hospital, you put one of his in the morgue. That's how you get Capone."

With the recent attack ads Obama is running about McCain's "housing crisis" we finally see that he's getting it.

No defense, no whining about some anti-Obama book. No demanding McCain repudiate it. Just go on the attack and rip his lungs out, right through November.

[wbramh]

Face it, the Media loves slime. Period.
And slime gets you a ratings bounce. Not real issues or real suffering.
Years ago, serious topics were discussed with serious people - Secretaries of State, National Security experts, Foreign leaders, University professors, etc.
Now we're lucky if the 3 political hacks that have usurped the places of the experts are at least from different parties (something that didn't happen on MSNBC after the the Reverend Rick's Faith conference last week).
A black man who grew up poor, put himself through Harvard and is intelligent is the Elitist (meaning uppity N-Word, of course)
The "Old Boy's" son at the bottom of his class making it big, anyway. Sound's like W.
Andevery stupid, bigoted, or dangerous thing he says or does gets a pass.
As a prime example, read my Diary today on Daily Kos about McCain and the "Gooks." (comments appreciated)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/22/222253/156/438/573152
If you have any Asian friends who are leaning towards McCain, the above Diary/article is a must read!
So McCain's the man with experience (now he's claiming judgment, too)?
I knew a guy who played the fiddle for 89 years - and for 89 years, he stunk.
So much for experience.
While he offended people's ears, he never killed anybody.
I wish we could say the same for our "experienced" leaders - like Cheney, Rumsfeld & McCain.

[rudyinbama]

The fiddle statement is wonderful - and that's exactly what needs to be said about McCain - his ideas stink.

[fnygy]

I couldn't agree with this more. The fact that the media reports this in context of the 2000 smear against McCain and the 2004 smear against Kerry makes implicit what we all know to be so - the candidate who benefits is BEHIND the smears. Both McCain and Kerry should have gone after Bush PERSONALLY - not the charges or the author. Obama needs to call McCain out on this one. Let him deny it - let him defend himself against it - rather than defend the baseless charges.

[darker]

I agree " the candidate who benefits is BEHIND the smears. "
REPUBLICAN THINK TANKS are a growing LIES & CORRUPTION INDUSTRY.
Rovian smear campaigns are REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA that show Republicans have no values, no morals and offer NO FUTURE.

Republicans are out to DESTROY AMERICA and its middle class through GREED, CORRUPTION, WAR-PROFITEERING, PRICE-GOUGING, DEREGULATING ALL INDUSTRY, causing CHAOS in the USA.

Republicans CANNOT GOVERN on a national level.
DON'T LET THEM.

Vote your COMMON SENSE. Vote for Obama.

[olderdem]

Obama has to attack, and attack again, and then again until the election. Put McCain on defense, responding to those attacks. There's certainly plenty to attack about McSame regarding issues and judgement and integrity. .