They knew how to win. Does John Kerry?

[kskiska]

The Bush machine is running one of the dirtiest -- and most effective -- campaigns in modern history. The Democrats need to get back in the fight.

By Eric Boehlert

Back before the Watergate break-in, Republican operatives had a name for their unique brand of below-the-belt campaign attacks: "rat fucking." Part character assassination, part collegiate pranks, the dirty tricks -- conducted in utmost secrecy -- were designed to throw Democrats off balance, create confusion, and tarnish reputations. Three decades later these attacks have been perfected. Except now they're practiced out in the open for everyone, including the compliant media, to witness.

(snip)

Instead of quickly pointing out that Kerry's Vietnam accusers were factually challenged and that the coauthors of the anti-Kerry book, "Unfit for Command," had severe credibility problems, too many mainstream reporters, editors and producers, taking their cue from Republicans, agreed to abandon serious campaign coverage for weeks in order to focus, yet again, on a so-called character flaw of the Democratic candidate. By the time the Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times did deploy reporters to knock down the Swift Boat Vets' rickety charges, they'd taken on a life of their own in the anti-Kerry netherworld of talk radio, right-wing bloggers and Fox News.

(snip)

The nasty tricks have some Kerry supporters frustrated by the Democrats' inability to hit back hard -- and to take control of the news cycle by doing so. It hasn't always been this way. Two generations ago a Massachussetts Democrat, John F. Kennedy, beat the dirty-tricks politics of Richard Nixon by playing hardball himself. And in 1992, Bill Clinton defeated a nasty Bush campaign that had eviscerated Michael Dukakis four years earlier, by running a tough campaign war room and aggressively fighting the Bush attempts at smears. So far the Kerry campaign hasn't shown the same instinct for the jugular.

"The response to the Swift Boat controversy was not at a level it should have been," says Paul Alexander, director of "Brothers in Arms," a new documentary about Kerry's Vietnam days. "The question should be, what about Bush's military record? That's the response. Not that there were 12 bullet holes on the side of Kerry's boat in Vietnam. The only way to beat Karl Rove and that level of viciousness is to hit back harder. If Democrats don't understand that ... well then, you can finish that sentence."

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http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/09/01/kerry_media/index.html

[BeatleBoot]

1. Yep.

[Enrico]

2. Personally I feel let down

lately ... Kerry is just not bringing it home... I was pumped during the DNC, and now its like - it feels like its fizzled... I THINK KERRY NEEDS TO SHOW HIS STRENGTH BY ATTACKING REBUBLICANS the same way they attack us. We need to beat them at their own game.

[The Traveler]

3. Fight, goddamit fight!

Bush's life and his political record provide a lot of ammunition for character assasination. Up the ante. It's show time.

[Tamyrlin79]

5. Ummm...

It isn't "character assasination" if it is the TRUTH.

[The Traveler]

7. **sheepish grin** Yeah. Yer right. (n/t)

[misterphelps]

4. Listen to Clinton fer cryin out loud

People say that Kerry's responses aren't being carried by the media... That's because the networks want sound bites. The repugs know this. That's why they control the whole friggin government.

Make it short, John. Get angry. Defend yourself. After 911 America wants a DEFENDER. If you can't defend yourself, America won't elect you. Fire whoever is giving you contrary advice.

[Tamyrlin79]

6. Kerry should take Lincoln's example...

Find his General McClellan and fire him!

[dand]

8. Kerry is too civilized for his own good,

for the first time I am really frightened, these fascists are starting to kick our ass, I am afraid Kerry and Edwards don't have the gumption for this fight.