What will happen when Bush starts bashing our candidates?

[livinontheedge]

$200 to $250 million buys you a hell of a lot of political mud-slinging. Right now, we bash Bush 24/7. It's had an effect. His favorable ratings are in the low 50%'s in most polls.

What happens when he starts bashing our guy 24/7?

Maybe I'm worried for nothing, but I think he is going to unleash the ugliest campaign in the history of politics. Unfortunately, negative campaigning works. By the time the democratic primaries are over, our guy will be broke and Bush will start firing $200+ million worth of shit-bullets at our man. That has me worried.

I would feel alot better if his ratings were in the low 40%'s.

[jenk]

1. mud slinging will be attributed to us, not Bush

I just saw a trailer on FOX news

"how will mudslinging factor in the 04 elections"

(pictures of dem candidates, no Bush)

they'll buy the whole "GOP positive agenda" crap and try to paint us as radicals.

if there is a mess in iraq & the economy, Bush won't have the time to attack us, and if he does they'll just be shallow attacks.

[livinontheedge]

5. I predict the economy and Iraq will be much improved by then.

THAT is what has me so concerned. If Bush/Rove can effectively trash our nominee with lies, like he did Gore, we gotta have something to counterpunch with. We've already used the lies, lies, lies theme and it worked to a degree, but not enough.

[andym]

8. Yes, this is possible

Yes, this is possible. If the economy and Iraq
are good, we need to win on personality. That will
be hard without Clinton, especially with $200 million
and a potentially hostile press.

[James T. Kirk]

16. Remedy

Here is what I think the Democratic Party needs.

1. A candidate - There have been a bunch of debates already and no candidate is getting much support poll-wise and none of them is the clear leader yet. They can't ALL run in 2004. The voters needs to start deciding on one now. Maybe if the weaker ones dropped out, it would help.

2. A coherent platform - Say what you want about the Contract With America, but it was an effective campaign tool for the Republicans last decade. The Dem party needs a concise list of the things we'll do, so the population will see a clear distinction between the parties. Call it the "Democratic Initiative", or "America 2.0" or something like that.

That's my two cents.

Kirk out.

[Warpy]

9. Bush will not bash anyone directly.

In fact, all the ads showing Bush's ugly face will brag about his "accomplishments" in tax cuts and the war on Terra, spun for the gullible fools. He will look "presidential." You know, strong and silent...

No, folks, the attack ads will be from right wing stink tanks like the Heritage Foundation and Eagle Forum, hiding behind patriotic and pious sounding dummy organizations. You know, "citizens for our precious children," and other sanctimonious fake groups. Their pockets won't be deep, they'll be bottomless, and countering those attack ads will be problematic. Candidates who try will find themselves doing nothing else.

Until and unless Congress gets up off its collective dead rump and starts tightening up the regulations on these groups, all campaigns for government office will be plagued by propaganda, phony statistics and outright libel. People will continue to be fooled by all the astroturf, the plethora of "citizens' groups" out there with their attack messages.

They'll put the Unelected Fraud up on a pedestal, and leave the dirty work to the stink tanks.

The saddest thing is that it will probably work.

[slaveplanet]

2. Don't know

but Barbara Bush:" you can criticize me, but don't criticize my children and don't criticize my daughters-in-law and don't criticize my husband, or you're dead."

Now If you or I said that about a Dem candidate(who are under secret service protection) we'd be in some serious trouble....

[Padraig18]

3. We will have certainly provided him with enough ammo!

None of the candidates' 'supporters' here ever consider that, though... :eyes:

[La_Serpiente]

4. When that starts to happen

missles will be flying between the two camps. This will be the ugliest presidential election ever.

[livinontheedge]

6. I agree. But what else can we say about Bush that we haven't already said

What else can we hit him with?

[andym]

7. It will not be pretty

It will not be pretty, and all our candidates are vulnerable,
because they are not really well known in the generial public's eye.
Each of the candidates has at least one serious weakness, which can
be spun into "untrustworthiness." They will use the candidate's own
strengths against them, which will make it difficult to defend them against the attacks. For example, Gore was almost a boy scout in his
honest earnestness, but he was a very smart man, his very intelligence opended the door to being made into Pinnochio. The general public doesn't trust intelligent people who appear overtly intelligent, this mistrust was easily translated into Pinnochio using a few of Gore's statements taken out of context.


Bush needs to be discredited in a non-partisan way to even
out the inevitable effective attacks against the trustworthiness
of our candidates. He is still considered an honest good man
by the most of the general public.

Hopefully, some investigations will pay fruit, and the dirty politics
of the Bush administration will be featured on network TV.

[livinontheedge]

10. Is it possible that we shot our "wad" too soon?

We attacked, and attacked and attacked. And we damaged him . . . just not enough. Now we need something new. And we need it badly.

[andym]

12. No, the attacks open the door

No, the attacks open the door, which is good,
but they will have to followed up
by substance, that is,investigations
with serious implications that
actually go somewhere.

[Wwagsthedog]

11. Unfortunately, bush doesn't really need to really bash anyone until July

his handlers will counter the Dems by using warped news releases, leaks and by ignoring them. puke campaign coffers will be overflowing and be spent to buy TV time to go after the Dem that gets nominated. We sure can't expect to get a fair shake from the media. The ABB campaigns will have to realize this and act accordingly.

[livinontheedge]

13. I'm listening to Guy James right now. He keeps saying the same things

over and over and over. The same things he says every Saturday. Bush lied. He's no good. The French were right.

God, we need something NEW!!!!!!!

[JNelson6563]

14. Why would he have to?

Until the primaries are over it appears we Dems are doing a fine job of ravaging ourselves. He doesn't have to lift one corrupt little finger....

Julie

[jafap]

15. for starters why don't we match the $200 million

There was an article on DU a couple months back about how Democrats can match that $200 million with only $2 a week.

After all, what is $200 million if not $10 each from 20 million Democrats? Are there 20 million Democrats willing to give $10 to help defeat Bush? If not, then we do not deserve to win.

Since the article I have donated $117 to the DNC, about half of my week's pay. I paid $57 to send an email to Clinton wishing him a happy 57th birthday and I just bought an autographed copy of Corn's book for $50. Between now and next July I am probably good for another $200 as long as Lieberman is not the candidate.

I used to hear about Dean's ability to quickly counter-attack with "Deanies Meanies" (okay I just coined that phrase, but I am ready to put whatever writing and logic skills at his disposal as well, and I am feeling kinda mean.) So I hope he is on the ticket - Clark/Dean.

We also need all the celebrity firepower we can get - if Ted Kennedy travels to St. Louis to campaign for a Democrat it is newsworthy and you get a free sound bite in the prime spot. Same thing if Jesse Jackson goes to Chicago or Al Sharpton goes to Atlanta, etc. Just please stay away from private planes.

Never give up. Never surrender.

[gulliver]

17. It has already started.

The $200 million is just the tip of the iceberg. The payroll and consulting coffers of every crony corporation in the "Bushist Consortium" will be opened wide.

The attack will always be sneaky and cowardly. Bush, who is nothing like a real man, will "stay above the fray" which is just another way of saying "let other people do his dirty work." He wouldn't dare directly attack one of our candidates with his own words. He'll hide behind an army of orcs like the weaselly little coward he is.

The smell from Rove and the other skunks is already starting to get mighty strong.