Tom Toles Rant: Ashamed!
By Tom Toles
Okay, the GOP has now decided to run on a platform of clever editing. And the manufacuring economy, as in manufacturing complete fabrications. When Obama is talking about how you didn’t build the road that leads to your business, the GOP ad leaves out the “road” part of the quote to manufacture the claim that Obama thinks you didn’t build your business. Is this the terrain we are going to decide our future on? Apparently so. Roadless! You’ll need an SUV!
Obama probably also believes that Fonzi didn’t build the water ski jump he used to jump the shark. Well, he’d be right. This particular jump has been years in the making, and only recently has it become shark-jumping worthy. I’ll use Frank Luntz as shorthand for the GOP strategy in messaging in recent times. Find the loaded, emotion-laden words and phrases and hammer away with them. Credit where due. It’s been very effective. Throw in the occasional dog whistle, and you have yourself a finely-tuned, vote-getting vehicle. Who says we don’t make things here anymore?
But as the evidence and reality sinks in that tax cuts for the rich produce mostly just richer rich people, the Machiavellian messaging machine must become airborne, sharkwise. Now the claims simply defy ANY test of common sense. Here’s another recent gem, right out of the multi-sided mouth of Mitt himself, about Obama. “I’m convinced he wants Americans to be ashamed of success.” Read that sentence and think about it FOR ONE SECOND. Ashamed of success. Ashamed. Obama wants. Romney’s CONVINCED. Can ANY PART of that sentence be true, AT ALL? Somewhere, the sharks are smiling.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/tom-toles/post/ashamed/2012/07/20/gJQA3SrMyW_blog.html
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