Defining Insanity
If, as they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result, it may be time to sign us Democrats up for the funny farm.
Which of our candidates can beat McCain? Both of them. Which one will beat McCain? Possibly neither of them -- unless we trade in our straightjackets for some straight talk of our own.
Successful campaigns hinge on effectively defining the opposition. It's not about who the candidates are -- it's about who says who the candidates are. If you define your opponent, you win. If your opponent defines you, they win. Just ask Al Gore and John Kerry.
The Bush campaign spent $70 million in April of 2004 to define John Kerry as a flip flopper, weak on defense, and weird. Those ads -- "Doublespeak", "Weapons", and "Wacky" -- played April 21, April 26 and May 30 respectively. They set the stage for the caricature that followed. That buy laid the groundwork for the swift boating to come (incidentally, the swift boat series hit the airwaves in August -- a month when, according to conventional wisdom, nothing really happens).
2004 was no anomaly. In 2000, Bush and company defined Gore so well that according to Rolling Stone, "a review conducted by two nonpartisan groups, Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Pew Research Center, found that a stunning 67 percent of the Gore campaign coverage in early 2000 centered around two negative themes: that he lies and exaggerates, and that he's tarred by scandal." Mark Fabiani, Gore's communication director, said it best, "If you let people's pre-existing notions prevail, you deserve what you get."
If Democrats want to win, we have to start defining McCain now. Not in a few months, not after a few more superdelegates have made their choices, and absolutely not after the convention. We have to tell people who John McCain is now -- before he has a chance to tell them himself.
The best news is we don't have to rely on Bush-like unethical push polls and rumors about illegitimate babies to do it. McCain has plenty to work with all on his own. There's the underreported temper for one thing. And for the record, its not one of those "yeah, he gets a little hot around the collar" kind of tempers but more like a "he curses at his wife in public" kind of tempers. Unlikely to go over real well with the soccer moms. And do the American people really want someone that off-kilter picking up the 3 am phone call -- having his finger on the proverbial button? We seriously doubt it. If only they knew about it.
Then there's the whole Keating Five thing -- what was that about again? Oh yeah, financial institutions that padded the pockets of executives while regular Americans got hosed. A meltdown of responsibility that cost taxpayers billions of dollars -- sound familiar? Most people have probably forgotten the whole thing. It's about time to remind them.
Of course, we could just point out that in this time that cries out for government reform the "Maverick" has packed his campaign with lobbyists and Washington insiders. We could explain in this day of ever-changing technological advancements that McCain was born before FM radio. And while his age alone shouldn't exclude him, it's not as though he's offered a robust vision about preparing America for these changing times (or really any vision about the future at all). We could let people know that the man who hopes to lead us out of financial disaster really just isn't that "interested" in economics. Of course he doesn't really need to be -- heiress wife Cindy will cover the bills. If that isn't enough there's always the 100-year war and "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran." Seal it all with a big kiss on the head from George Bush, and we could beat McCain whichever candidate we pick.
So what's the problem?
We aren't doing it.
The New York Times this week described a current "hodgepodge" of efforts by the party and its allies to challenge McCain now before he gets traction. Nice effort but how much can a Democratic Party with $5.3 million in the bank at the end of March really do? MoveOn.org is planning a campaign to mark the 5th anniversary of Bush's declaration of the end of major combat operations. That's good, that should help. And an independent group Progressive Media USA, which has already run some ads in Ohio and Pennsylvania, is planning to spend "tens of millions" to educate the public about McCain. That is, just as soon as they raise tens of millions of dollars. Therein lies the rub.
While John McCain is straight-talking his way into the hearts and minds of the American people, most major democratic funders are waiting to see who wins the primary. It is admittedly hard to focus on Act 2 when Act 1 is such a nail-biter, especially when at each juncture it seems like the end may be just around the corner. But it is time to decide that we can walk and chew gum at the same time. Because if we don't define McCain now, it won't matter who wins the primary. Yes, I know, the other guy/gal is a lightweight-bong-smoking-all-talk-cold-calculating-pms-ridden-shrew (after all, the right wing media said so, right?). But you have to do it anyway, because your country needs you and because McCain really is that bad.
He is neither the moderate nor the reformer that he pretends to be. He's wrong on Iraq, he's wrong on health care, he's wrong on Social Security, he's wrong on the economy, and he's wrong on taxes. His judges and his cabinet will be just as ideological as Bush's. His presidency will suffer from the same intractability. His government agencies will be filled with similar political appointments. The K Street project will continue. Washington will remain a morass of self-interests incapable of meeting the grave and great challenges in front of us. All for the want of a horseshoe nail.
So here we are in 2008 -- the same thing is happening as we saw happen to McCain and Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004. All of this noise -- about flag-pins, patriotism, Hamas, Ayers, Wright (for him) and cold, bitchy, lying (for her) -- is just another coordinated effort by the conservative movement to define our candidate. If you don't think its working, check out the latest polls.
In chess, if your opponent puts one of your pieces in jeopardy, you can either protect it or challenge a piece of theirs of equal or greater value. Well, our king and queen are both in jeopardy and we're taking a bathroom break.
The worst part is that it's completely unnecessary. Over the last couple of years, progressives have built a robust communications infrastructure -- the beginning of our own echo chamber -- to challenge the right wing dominance of the media. We have research groups, media outlets, media monitors, government watchdogs, communications organizations, internet fueled organizing groups, and bloggers, bloggers and more bloggers.
But we need the paid media (and the funders who support it) to step up now before it's too late. If we think the Democratic Party is divided now, wait until we lose a general election with 81% wrong track number and just watch the recriminations fly.
Fighting for your primary candidate is understandable. Failing to define McCain now while we still can? Now that's just crazy.
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I so disagree. Al Gore won in 2000 but the Bush-packed Supreme Court supported the stealing of the election, especially in Florida.
In 2004, Kerry took a dive. Again, Bush stole Ohio but Kerry rollovered and refuse to challenge him. John Edward took to stop Kerry and delay his consesscion speech an hour. I believe it was planned for Kerry to take a dive, from the beginning.
This year? I dunno. Early on, I thought Clinton was the Chosen One, but maybe the script calls for Clinton and Obama to split the left and get McCain elected. Obama looks like the better choice.
But in this again of e-vote - our vote is meanless. This years, I believe the puppetmaster are fighting among themselves. We will know more after they have exposed their next President-Select.
You disagree but Bush is President. Facts are hard to comprehend and this post was not about kerry or gore but about defining the opposition. Guess who did that better?
I am no Bush fan, but the supreme court was not packed by bush at that time since he was not the president yet.
Come on people we gotta do better than this, an opinion does not trump fact. If this is the best we can do then McCain already won.
SCOTUS in 2000 vote...5 to 4, 5 Republicans, 4 Democrats. Shameful and disgusting.
Oh, believe you me, the folks in the Hillary camp have been fairly active in "defining" McCain for a long time, labeling him as supposedly being a more suitable choice for office than Obama.
Furthermore, far too many, even among Democrats, feel far too compelled to award McCain a perpetual consolation prize by acknowledging him as a war hero on account of prolonged torture.
Granted, the conservatives demonstrated no reservations whatsoever about shirking off Kerry's service during the war, and we should be equally inclined to do John McCain "no favors" either.
Remember John Podesta? Apparently he's in charge of these Robo-calls. I guess that's the favorite game the Clinton's play. Between Rush limabaugh and operation chaos, and this.....t
Democrats need to take Marketing 101.
republiCONS are great at selling you everything America doesn't want or need.
Democrats have all the talent, but can't sell it.
McCain is having quite an easy time of things. He's been posing with Romney to look professional and hanging with Huckabee to look positively civilized. He's making some of the right noises around NO to make sure people know he won't be like W.
Meanwhile, some have started beliving MSM idea that the last few states will actually change the lead in pledged delegates. I though that was mathematically impossible! If so, then superdelegates do need to end this asap. Delusional thinking will not change actual elected delegate outcome.
I'm beginning to think that whatever happens to the Democratic nominee, the Democratic Party will have earned it in spades. They've either let someone who could not possibly change the election results run a masterful and vindictive smear campaign on the nominee ,or they will overturn the election results in a stunning lack of interest or care for the electorate that will keep them out of the white house for the foreseeable future. And rightfully so! The Republicans will not need smear ads against Clinton if the DNC decides to go against the voters who have given obama his lead. Especially after the close Gore and Kerry votes, they'd have to be completely daft to think that Democrats would go for the overturn of the delegate count. What do they think we've been complaining about for the past 8 years!!!
You guys, Mike Lux and Erica Payne are blowing it -- you're panicking! Let the process work and don't be so afraid of loosing. Fear sucks the momentum building for Obama in November's election. We're talking over six months from now!
Besides if want to cry about loosing in 2000 you should admit that the election was fraud; and in 2004 as well. But I got to tell you, while some conservatives and progressives share your concern that the neocon's corporate media pundits will sway this election using the typical propaganda of past, then you miss what is happening.
Things are so screwed up in this country that only a populist movement with broad support across the nation can effect a positive outcome. (Some say social-politcal movements are not made in elections because the apparatus of change is not already in place). However, the base of a movement IS in place and has recently galvanized aound Obama. Social and political groups all over this country have been created and will join each other to grow further and foment dialogue outside the propaganda machine you fear. It's grass roots and it grows as we speak.
They grow out of lessons learned. They grow because most people know the future of democracy in this country is failing. They grow because our will and actions are strong enough to break through the apathy and doubts that keep dreams from becoming reality.
Yes, we can!
Yes, we can!
as mentioned this morning on scarborough,mccain is gettng older as we speak. november is almost 4 dog years away. for an old man that's a long time.
i know you're going to tell me how much valuable experience he acquired in solitary in 'nam. that's all ancient history and so is he.
I agree completely and would add only one thing: Where are the ads about McCain courting John Hagee's endorsement?
Insanity is giving the nomination to a junior senator with no record and ample evidence of political naivity. Doubly insane when there is a formidable and competent woman running who can actually win the general election. Is the Democratic party really going to cut it's nose off to spite it's face? Are we going to give the White House away again?
Insanity is allowing a lying crook to steal the Democratic Nomination just because she "stood by her man" and "dodged bullets."
Insanity is giving it to the candidate that earned the most votes, the one that people actually like? As opposed to the candidate who was married to the last Democrat to hold the office?
Think Hillary can win?
The Dems really get what they deserve. (Another reason why I vote Republican
We can't forget that golden oldie, " The Howard Dean Scream" played over and over again to drown out his message. An enthusiastic candidate well hell he must be crazy. But he never called his wife a c@#t.
Democrats need to pull their heads out of their collective asses and realize this is NOT just about the Presidency, this is ALSO about the HOUSE and the SENATE. The Democrats have an actual chance to gain substantial majorities in congress AND take the Presidency. It would hurt to hand over the Presidency to the Republicans, but it would be even more damaging to hand over the House and the Senate to the Republicans too. All of this infighting and distraction within the party is going to cost the all three prizes.
Ms. Clinton's ugly campaign is going to bring this party to its knees. She has no chance of winning. NONE. Only massive landslides and a complete turn around by the super delegates can get her the delegates required. Check it out for yourself.
http://www
It's done and the Democrats better understand how much damage this is doing to their chances come this fall. She's going to cost the party the whole ball of wax if they continue to let her run her negative campaign.
ObamaGrandma Jean Weiss for VP
http://edi
Obama/Weiss'08
"The Bush campaign spent $70 million in April of 2004 to define John Kerry as a flip flopper, weak on defense, and weird." But Kerry was a flip flopper, face it. The shoe fit. What's wrong with spending money to spread an important message about a candidate. It's not the ads that were the problem: it was the product the Dems were selling. Get better candidates, get votes. How hard is that. Stop blaming the opposition and take a good hard look at "yourself" (so to speak).
Plenty of money will be spent to connect McCain to Bush. If that connection works, perhaps McCain loses .... If the connection is valid, perhaps citizens will vote against McCain.
Or not. Who knows. Lots of McCain supporters are actually divided over whether McCain or Obama best represents their views. Did you not know that? A lot of people are sick of divisiveness. A lot of people are weary of partisanship. Some of us want to be Americans again (hence our interest in flag pins). You don't like my fondness for symbolism? You trample upon my love of my country? Fine, I'll vote for the candidate that cares what I think.
Start caring about what citizens want, about what voters think -- a broad spectrum of voters, not just your little coteries of like-minded people.
Preach to something other than the choir, and who knows? You might end up with an even bigger choir.
Seems to me the choice is yours.
Yeah we need to dumb ourselves down to the level of the know-nothing rednecks who brought us Bush and destroyed the country.
Know nothing rednecks. I love this comment coming from -- what is it? -- the "diversity" party. Yeah. Bigotry (alive and well).
I'm glad to hear you would consider Obama, and he does care what you think. He's setting out to be the President for all Americans. About time!
Remember that McCain has changed positions on many of his stances lately, attempting to pander to the right wing of the right wing. That's flip flopping and it's dishonesty as well.
You guys are stealing all my material. I've said these very same things repeatedly. Finally people are starting to get it.
You must have given them bad advice. "If Democrats want to win, we have to start defining McCain now. "
Why not define your own candidate instead. Why not someone to vote for rather than someone to vote against.
Can you not think of reasons to vote for, anymore? (Hint: one problem with the Dems: they're so negative.)
Well said. Very well said.
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