They knew how to win. Does John Kerry?

[OneBlueSky]

good summary on salon.com of why BushCo is winning the battle . . .

They knew how to win. Does John Kerry?
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

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

Sept. 1, 2004 | 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.

The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth became the latest multimedia incarnation. Launching the most bitter, and perhaps most deliberately misleading Republican-backed campaign attack since the racist Willie Horton ad of 1988, the group, bankrolled by a wealthy Bush donor, aired hollow, secondhand allegations that John Kerry lied about his actions in Vietnam that won five military medals. Not one charge about Kerry's medals has withstood the slightest scrutiny, but thanks to the inaction of the national press corps, which again appeared in awe of the mighty Republican attack machine and its conservative media echo chamber, the Swift Boat's dirty trick succeed in disrupting the presidential campaign for several weeks this summer.

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)

That's one reason some Kerry supporters remain anxious about the potential power of Republican attack machine. "I'd give Republicans an A" in 2004, says one prominent Democratic strategist. "The Bush campaign is more adept than the Kerry campaign at playing the game. The game is, the press only covers four things in a campaign: polls, scandal, mistakes and attacks. And the only one of those you can control are attacks." (my emphasis)

- more . . .

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

[abrock]

1. Its time to knock it up another notch. BAM!

Running a dirty campaign is not the Democratic way, but this time, its the only way, and a sitting incumbent has never deserved it more.

[Gore1FL]

2. They are winning?

No doubt the GOP has control of the message much of the time, but that has more to do withthem owning the messengers than it does with a failure on the Kerry campaign.

I'd like to see better reponses and retaliations, but I don;t think the GOP is "winning".

[bushwakker]

3. So they must attack

by JK publicly accusing AWOL of being AWOL. The facts are there and Bush opened the door with the SBL's attack.

[NMDemDist2]

4. they need to attack Bush on his "strength"

Terra

that's what Rove does

[SheilaT]

5. And they need to

talk loudly and often about Bush's lack of military service. The degradation of the environment under Bush. The loss of jobs.

It's as if the Kerry people think the election will go their way simply because the dissatisfaction with Bush is as great as it is. He won't win if he's simply Mr Nice Guy.

Beat them with their own tactics. No, they don't have to lie, just tell the truth about what this administration has done. But Kerry and those around him apparently think that they can win only if they appeal to Bush's core. What nonsense. They need to not worry about the right wing religious nut cases and appeal the the broad majority of Americans who care about things like poverty, health care, the environment, and not attacking innocent countries over the flimsiest of pretexts.

At the rate we're going, the turnout will be the lowest ever in November.

[PATRICK]

6. Press and people

Both are practical hypocrites or unwitting stooges to dirty campaigns. The people pretend that issues matter and fall for any promise almost on a point system they seem quite proud of. The press knows better but mainly it bores them so they only parrot issue statements and pontificate on what they think the issues should be. Thus they too ooze into the issue trap.

The real contest for people and press has little to do with issues or party. It is simply "personality". If the press dislikes you first they will cripple your image with the people. If the people are personality shopping in disgruntled times, look out, it could be anyone in any party with any agenda.

What gives Kerry pause is the cognitive dissonance weighted toward the fatuous monstrosity that is Bush. Attacking the obvious has an obvious problem. People already deny it, the press covers it over. And of course you can't win friends by attacking the judgment of the press and the people.

To those who say we should be as foul and ruthless as the legendary Bush slime machine, be careful what you wish for. Our advantage for now is having the truth almost as an unmined mother lode for our convenience. The real goal is to persist in the personality presentation and make the dirt backfire. THAT is the goal, more than trying to "me too" Bush. The two pronged goal is to make Kerry win and destroy the Bush illusions so that people are united in what cannot be denied. When Clinton kept the support of the people his "success" did nothing to dispel the lingering tar and anger and misdirection. Surviving is not enough. The lies must be crushed.