Wanna know why all the attacks on Obama haven't stuck?

[scheming daemons]

EDITED: Because I used unfortunate phrasing to make my point.


Because in order for an attack to stick, it has to be believable.


When opponents have tried to attack Obama as a "muslim", it hasn't stuck. Because it is simply not believable. He doesn't treat the women in his life the way that a lot of Americans think a muslim would... so the attack isn't believable.


When opponents have tried to attack him by using Reverend Wright, it hasn't stuck. Because Obama doesn't speak of America with the same disdain as Wright does. The attack isn't believable.


When opponents have tried to attack Obama by using William Ayers, it hasn't stuck. Because the overwhelming majority of American people understand that nobody speaks for Ayers' actions in the 60s other than Ayers himself. The attack isn't believable.


When opponents have tried to attack Obama as being unamerican, or as being all-teleprompter with no ability to think deeply on his feet... it hasn't stuck. Because people can see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears that it isn't true. The attack isn't believable.


When they try to say he's a marxist/communist... it doesn't work. It's not believable.



Attacks only work if the theme of the attack is believable. Calling John Kerry an elitist works... because he's worth millions and speaks with a proper Ivy League accent. Calling Al Gore dull worked, because at the time... his stump delivery was very dry and monotonic. (it's much better now).

Calling McCain a hothead works... because he acts the part.



The right wing made a big mistake this year when they decided to invent attacks against Obama that simply were not believable.

The closest they came was with the "inexperience" charge... and it might've worked... until McCain chose Palin.



We're going to win. And we're going to win big. Yes... it is true that a lot of Americans respond to negative campaigning. But only when it is believable. It hasn't been this year.


Go vote. Get other to vote. Work to protect your polling places. Then fucking relax.


Obama's got this.

[opihimoimoi]

1. In addition, the Negativity of the GOP Campaign has been 24/7

People tire of this whining crap....

Obama has it right....

Vote Blue

[Occam Bandage]

2. "He doesn't treat the women in his life the way that a muslim would"

[renie408]

5. Yeah...and it was going so well right up to that point....n/t

[Lisa0825]

6. Exactly my thought. nt

[BeatleBoot]

8. That line stuck out like a sore thumb for me, too.

Unfortunate.

[scheming daemons]

14. Really? Do you think women in Islamic countries have the same rights as women here?

Explain.

[Occam Bandage]

17. We're not in Saudi Arabia. Do you really think that all Muslim-Americans are misogynist?

[scheming daemons]

19. No... I think the average American voter.. the ones the attacks are targeted at... DOES think that

[Occam Bandage]

22. Then why ask if "women in Islamic countries have the same rights as women here?"

[scheming daemons]

26. Do they? Explain.

[Occam Bandage]

32. Wait. Back up a second. Is your point:

1. Muslims are discriminatory,

or

2. Americans believe Muslims are discriminatory?

You're hopping between the two.

[scheming daemons]

35. Answer

1. In most Islamic countries, muslims are discriminatory.

2. Because of #1, Americans believe that all muslims are discriminatory.

[renie408]

34. I have a better idea. Why don't YOU explain why ALL Muslim women have bad lives. Which

is the assumption of the statement in the OP.

Please. Explain.

[scheming daemons]

37. Corrected in the OP

[Occam Bandage]

49. Fair enough. And now, we move on.

[renie408]

27. The average American voter believes all kinds of weird shit. That doesn't

mean we all have to buy.

[scheming daemons]

39. Which is the point of the OP. The attacks haven't worked because they don't fit the

preconcieved notions of the average American.


That's why the GOP failed.

[renie408]

You sound like Linda Richman.

But I would like to take a shot at that explanation...Not all Muslims are living in Islamic countries or living orthodox lifestyles. Any more than all Christians are.


And that Barbra Streisand...Buttah!!!

[Clio the Leo]

25. The problem is the blanket statement....

In SOME ways, many Islamic women are treated more respectfully than Western women. Have Islamic countries raised the occupation of "stripper" as something women should aspire to? Some here have.

There are examples on either side of the argument, but no culture holds the monopoly on being respectful of women and we have to be careful stereotying an entire demographic group like that.

[girl gone mad]

54. I concur.

While I would be extremely unhappy to live under an oppressive regime and things such as honor killings of women sicken me, I don't think this represents mainstream Muslim culture, particularly in Western countries.

Two close friends of mine are Muslim men and I've always felt that they have more respect for the women in their lives than most non-Muslim men do.

[frogcycle]

11. my sentiments exactly

[scheming daemons]

12. The way Americans perceive muslims treating women...

Michelle and the girls are wearing burqas... they're not forbidden from participating in sports... Michelle's not forbidden from driving.


Like it or not, these ARE tenets of Islamic life.

[Demeter]

18. Got News for You, Muslim Women Drive

Ann Arbor is full of them, in their native costume, in minivans and other urban assault vehicles.

Only in Saudi Arabia is the driving ban--much good may it do the Royals and the clergy!

[scheming daemons]

21. The GOP's attacks have been targeted at the common American perception of muslims....

And Obama doesn't fit the mold.

[Occam Bandage]

23. God, this reminds me of the primaries.

"No, I'm not prejudiced...I meant that OTHER PEOPLE would think that."

[Occam Bandage]

20. "These ARE tenets of Islamic life."

...

[scheming daemons]

24. My sister-in-law spent 6 years working in Saudi Arabia... she wasn't allowed to drive

The same is true for many other Islamic countries.

[Occam Bandage]

28. Saudi Arabia is not Islam,

any more than Idaho is Christianity.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

33. Saudi Arabia is the Alabama of Islamic countries.

Not exactly a good benchmark.

[scheming daemons]

40. True.... but that is the perception of the average Americans that the GOP targets...

[Starbucks Anarchist]

41. But you used SA as an example of "Islamic tenets."

[scheming daemons]

43. My point was... and I'm sorry it got lost in all this....

is that most Americans have a preconceived notion of what a muslim is and what one acts like.


Obama doesn't fit that stereotype, and therefore, the attacks didn't work.



That's all I meant.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

47. Fair enough.

Sorry about the mix-up.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

31. I've known Muslim women sans hijab or burqas.

[iceman66]

36. Should have said "stereotypical muslim"

after all, this attack is directed to people who believe stereotypes.

[kestrel91316]

38. They are not tenets of Islamic life. All my Muslim clients are women

(the men can't be bothered to take the cat to the vet, lol) and they ALL drive themselves, and in my 17 years only two have come in wearing anything different from what other women in Los Angeles wear. And no burqas or chadors.

[a la izquierda]

16. Thank you for that...picture worth 1000 words. nt

[kestrel91316]

30. Well, I suspect the OP meant that he didn't treat the women in his life

like a FUNDAMENTALIST WACKO MUSLIM EXTREMIST would. Because he sure as hell doesn't. One look at how Michelle dresses and you have your proof that Obama ain't no "Koran thumper", lol. Not a trace of a scarf, let alone long sleeves, long skirts, or anything resembling a burqa or whatever. And Obama doesn't wear that little crocheted cap that the Muslim fundamentalist men wear.

[scheming daemons]

42. Thank you...my point got lost in all the banter....

Obama didn't fit the American voters' stereotypes of what a muslim is, so the "he's a muslim" attacks didn't work.

[LiberadorHugo]

53. My 2 cents...

One more Afghan woman getting an education would have been worth the Soviets butchering 1,000,000 Mujahideen sympathizers.

[hobbit709]

3. McCain is Wile E Coyote and Obama is the Roadrunner

[parasim]

4. Excellent post.

Very succinct. thanks.

on edit: except that I hope that you meant "radical" muslim, because the muslims I know don't treat women any differently than I do.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

7. I assume you meant "radical Muslim," not "Muslim."

[scheming daemons]

15. I meant the way Americans perceive muslims and their treatment of women

And in Islamic countries, women are second-class citizens.

[iceman66]

45. That is something that varies from country to country.

In Saddam Hussein's Iraq, for instance, women actually had a measure of equality, but you wouldn't know that from our media!

[scheming daemons]

48. What matters is what AMERICAN voters think...

[Raksha]

50. Muslim fundamentalists do treat women abominably,

but then so do ALL fundamentalists. Patriarchy, along with the inevitable second-class status for women, is one of the hallmarks of Muslim, Christian and Jewish fundamentalism. I had no problem with the OP's statement because I assumed the "radical Islam" stereotype was what he was referring to. It's the wingnuts who try to equate radical Islam with Islam in general.

[scheming daemons]

51. I bet "Wiccan fundamentalists" don't treat women abominably... ;-)

Just playing.

[SpookyCat]

55. Trouble maker... LOL!

[TheDonkey]

9. I think they haven't stuck because Obama is very likeable and people don't want to believe nasty

things about people they like. Obama's charisma, looks, intellegence, etc add up to his "likeability" factor.

[Cha]

10. The Swiftboat charges against

Kerry weren't believable, either.

I think it's the Perfect Storm for them not to work .. NOT THIS TIME

[Enthusiast]

62. You are the one with the right answer.

Voters now see how wrong they were in voting for Bush in 2004. The Republican Party destroyed their credibility with the Swiftboat attacks. Now any wild claims they make will be suspect. Just as Bush has cried "Wolf!" too many times.

[crossroads]

13. People are tired of being lied to... they fell for GOP BS for the last 8 years!

I think they know McSame is just 'crying wolf' again...
You don't jerk peoples emotions off that many times and not pay a price!
I feel Americans woke up to the fact they have been played over and over again - FINALLY!
CR

[Clio the Leo]

29. And Wright didn't speak out of disdain....

.... he spoke out of tough love and he spoke the truth.

But yeah, other than the Muslim thing, great post.

[scheming daemons]

46. Again.. you're answering based on YOUR viewpoints... not that of the average voter

The GOP tried to target the average voter with these attacks.


They didn't work because the attacks weren't believable to the AVERAGE VOTER.

[nolabels]

63. You just answered your own question

He is able to deflect because more than not, he is like the vast majority of us in the middle. The normal type of GOP attacks end up hitting people in middle they are trying to woo over. He has framed the debate against them and they are stupid enough to take the bait

[DerekJ]

44. Do you know who this is?

[scheming daemons]

52. Yes... I do.... but 90% of American voters don't..... and wouldn't believe you if you told them

[Kali]

56. I don't (at least by looks) - who is it?

[DerekJ]

57. President Megawati Sukarnoputri, Indonesian president (from July 2001 to October 20, 2004).

Indonesia is the most populous Islamic country (88% Muslims of approx 230 Million people).

In other words, North America (Canada included if you do not count Kim Campbell who was not really elected) so far did not elect a woman president, and the Muslims did, in their most populous country too.

[Kali]

61. Ah, thanks. (no TeeVee, although that probably wouldn't change my recognition

abilities much. US MSM is not big on exposing us to much geographical info beyond our borders.)

[FatDave]

58. I think it has more to do with charisma than believability.

Were the swift boat veterans attacks any more believable? No, but Kerry didn't have the charisma of Obama. Obama's charisma gives him the same teflon quality Reagan had. You can sling shit at him, and he'll just deflect it with a smile.

[Tutonic]

59. Mmmm not diggin this post. The premise that Wright spoke with

disdain--it was not snippet, the premise that John Kerry is elitist because he has millions and speaks with an Ivy league accent, the premise that most Americans have a view about how Muslim women are treated...these seem to be based on general stereotypes.

[Lord Helmet]

60. a generous coating of teflon?