Rove's Platform (An IMPORTANT READ)

[radwriter0555]

How do you take a vulnerable, borderline-unelectable person and make him unbeatable? Ask Karl Rove. Having succeeded in making George Bush look presidential last time around, he's tooling up for the Return of the Cowboy Statesman in 2004. Democrats eager to forge a winning counterstrategy would do well to look more closely at the evolving Rove playbook for November.

The basic outline of the Rove-Bush campaign is already clear: To minimize your guy's weak points, attack your opponent for waffling on those very issues. For example: If polls show the electorate is increasingly unhappy with the situation in Iraq, accuse your opponent of being, sort of, both for and against the Iraq invasion. By ignoring the fact that changing circumstances and fresh information can (and should) prompt changing views, you can label your opponent as indecisive, which, in many people's eyes, is worse for a president than being wrong.

But Karl Rove knows that negative campaigning, while effective when backed with a massive ad blitz, must be accompanied by a positive message—something your guy can promise that will appeal both to your own base and the undecided independent. Rove also knows that only two things get the mass of Americans going: their pocketbooks and their lifestyles. Or, put another way, their lifestyles and their lifestyles. A two-pronged attack is best: First, have your guy promise to keep cutting their taxes while warning that the other guy won't follow suit. When someone points out that federal tax cuts have to be paid for in other currency (increases in state and local taxes or cuts in services or both) change the subject to a "family values" issue that will force Democrats into taking a principled stand. Easy one: gay marriage. Although Bush is unlikely to demonstrate how the desire of gays to formalize extant, long-term, child-rearing relationships with state approval threatens the marriages of straights (much less the moral fabric of the nation), just repeating the phrase "sanctity of marriage" wins points with Bush's base—and leaves the poor Democrats with the tricky task of explaining, for the umpteenth time, why the Constitution goes to such lengths to separate church from state.

Meantime, in a speech last week, Bush tested out his basic one-two approach: (1) jab the opponent with all-purpose slurs, then (2) stand firm. He accused the Democratic nominee-apparent of waffling on Iraq, NAFTA, taxes and the USA PATRIOT Act. "It's a choice between keeping the tax relief that is moving this economy forward, or putting the burden of higher taxes on the American people," Bush said."...between an America that leads the world with strength and confidence, or an America that is uncertain in the face of danger... are for tax cuts and against them. For NAFTA and against NAFTA. For the Patriot Act and against the Patriot Act. In favor of liberating Iraq and opposed to it. And that's just one senator from Massachusetts."

Any senator who has cast thousands of votes over a two-decade career would register inconsistencies, as well as what might be considered devolution and evolution (and Kerry certainly fits that bill.) And who better to focus on inconsistency than Bush the Younger—a man who is such a stranger to second thoughts that he boasted he never lost sleep over the 152 executions he authorized while governor of Texas? Generally, he takes a stand—on Iraq, on taxes, on whatever—and sticks with it no matter what. He leaves all the backpedaling to his subordinates: find any excuse, any rationale, make whatever explanations or modifications you need to, but don't put me in the position of having to publicly renounce a previous stance. As he likes to tell people, he isn't about to "start an argument with myself."

If the Democrats are going to beat Bush, they'd better do two things: 1) agree on a focus for anti-Bush campaigning and stick with it, and 2) decide what they're for and pound that message home.

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http://www.tompaine.com/feature2.cfm/ID/10034

[sadiesworld]

1. I agree. The key will be focus and unity.

[rasputin1952]

2. Good read, and it brings up precisely the points we need...

to remember; get the message down, and show bush as the idiot he is.

One can go anywhere in this site and see the fractionalism. We have all got to pull together for the common good of the nation we live in. The worst thing we can do, is remain fractionalized.

It is not enough to just point out what a bad administration this is, it is of vital importance to have a message and a viable way to get this country back on track. I do not agree w/everything the Democrats stand for, or push as ideology, but I do stand by the vast majority of what the Democratic Party ideology stands for. I have nothing in common with the neo-con ideology, so I will vote progressive, and whatever candidate we nominate. But just because I am not 100% in line with Dem ideology, I will not hold back my support on a point or two. Far to many neo-cons are single issue voters, I will not go there.

I also will not hold back my support of the De agenda because my candidate dropped out. So what? The stakes are far higher than at any time in my life, for this country, for me to be so self-centered as to break apart the party and have my vote cast in vain. We must all realize, that not since 1860, have we been in such a precarious position as a nation, and things have changed dramatically since then...now, we are speaking of a world-wide conflagration, not just a national crisis. We must regain the moral high ground in International events. This admin has proven it is inept, and the consequences of another 4 years of this will be catastrophic.

O8)

[lovedems]

3. I have seen newsclips where the IDIOT is actually trying to run as

a "Washington outsider". That is sooooo stupid to me for 2 reasons. It would either explain his total lack of interest in the day to day struggles and issues that face our country or it makes him look foolish for being THE leader in Washington, the ultimate insider, trying to portray an image that is just not possible.

Either way he can't win trying to portray this image and I am ROTFLMAO that he is even trying.

[maggrwaggr]

4. Fuck Rove. Go offensive. Put Bush on the ropes. Define the debate

To hell with Rove and his bullshit.

If Kerry goes on the defensive, I'm moving to Canada NOW

[Junkdrawer]

5. Look for Rove to go negative in an attempt to force Kerry negative..

then, the minute Kerry does anything to criticize Bush, look for Rove to return to flag waving and have the media all sing from the hymnal that Kerry is running a desperate, NEGATIVE campaign.