Obama uses a deft touch — while some would prefer a sledgehammer
I talked to someone earlier this week who worked tangentially on some previous campaigns with David Axelrod, the Obama campaign’s chief strategist. He told me, “Axelrod’s not the type to drop a refrigerator on a guy’s head. He’ll take the refrigerator apart, drop one piece at a time, and save the biggest piece for last.”
I mention this because there’s no shortage of handwringing in Democratic circles about Obama hitting back against John McCain’s negative/personal/dishonest campaign, but not hitting back nearly enough.
The parries come more than a week after his Republican opponent launched a string of increasingly personal attacks on Obama. McCain has said that his rival would lose a war in order to win a campaign, accused him of going to a gym rather than visiting wounded troops, and, while aides asserted that he had “played the race card,” hinted that Obama has a messiah complex and portrayed him as a celebrity comparable to Paris Hilton or Britney Spears. That final line of assault continued yesterday with a new McCain ad, again mocking Obama as “the biggest celebrity in the world.”
Such attacks have raised worries among Democratic strategists — haunted by John F. Kerry’s 2004 run and Al Gore’s razor-thin loss in 2000 — that Obama has not responded in kind with a parallel assault on McCain’s character. Interviews with nearly a dozen Democratic strategists found those concerns to be widespread, although few wished to be quoted by name while Obama’s campaign is demanding unity.
“Democrats are worried,” said Tad Devine, a top strategist for Kerry who thinks Obama must stay on the high road. “We’ve been through two very tough elections at the national level, and it’s very easy to lose confidence.”
Well, sure. Looking back, neither Gore nor Kerry stooped as low as Bush’s gang, and neither was rewarded by voters for claiming the moral and ethical high ground. If voters are going to respond to negative and mendacious attacks, Obama has been positive and honest, and the polls narrowed a bit after McCain’s attacks began in earnest, it stands to reason that Dems are going to feel some anxiety.
But my advice to the party, at least with regards to Obama’s strategy is simple: Relax, we’ve only seen the small parts of the refrigerator.
To be sure, from my role as an arm-chair quarterback, I can think of a couple of open receivers the campaign could have hit but didn’t. When McCain called the Social Security system a “disgrace,” I expected the Obama campaign to pounce. It didn’t. When McCain’s chief economic advisor called us a “nation of whiners,” I expected it to be an Obama campaign staple for a month. It wasn’t.
That said, it looks like this week, in particular, has been something of a turning point.
On Monday, Obama’s team unveiled a contrast ad, which argued, “After one president in the pocket of big oil, we can’t afford another.” A few hours later, Obama delivered a pretty hard-hitting speech, detailing McCain’s ridiculous voting record on energy, and the fact that McCain hasn’t done anything on energy in the quarter-century he’s been in Congress.
On Tuesday, Obama’s team unveiled another contrast ad, and delivered an even harder-hitting speech criticizing McCain, saying Republicans seem to “take pride in being ignorant.”
On Wednesday, we saw the first purely-negative ad from the Obama campaign, hitting McCain’s absurd claim as the “original maverick,” followed by another aggressive speech.
Yes, there’s a qualitative difference between Obama’s ads and McCain’s. The Republican’s attacks are personal and character focused; Obama’s are focused on policy. If Obama wanted to get a little dirtier, he could alert voters to McCain’s role in the Keating Five scandal, his extravagant and ostentatious wealth, his scandalous personal life and record of adultery, and McCain’s status as a septuagenarian. Obama is apparently reluctant to pursue this, and I’m not especially surprised.
I am, however, willing to be patient.
Obama spokesman Burton said the campaign sees no reason to shift strategy.
“This is a classic Washington story, anonymous quotes from armchair quarterbacks with no sense of our strategy, data or plan,” he said.
TR
says:I’m not worried either. The Obama camp has to recognize that McCain occupies a special (if largely undeserved) spot in the eyes of the media and some voters, and they’ve got to be a little gentle in the pushback.
I think they’ve taken the right tone — laughing it off with mild derision — and it’ll only cause McCain to blow his stack more. If they get too angry, like Hillary did in the “Shame on you, Barack Obama!” scolding, it’ll come off wrong.
And as Burton hints, I’m confident they have some big ammo in reserve. No use shooting it now before most people are paying attention.
taritac
says:Obama always rises to the challenge.
Racer X
says:I agree.
McCain’s media created patina had to be gently peeled off before they could drop anything heavy on him, otherwise it would backfire. Dropping refrigerators on old war heroes is dirty pool, but dropping them on shameless flipflopping oil company stooges is perfectly acceptable.
MsJoanne
says:I don’t think he should do anything at all until after the convention. I think his approach is perfect – for now. Had Obama done nothing, I would have been unhappy. But he comes back smartly. McCain, again, comes off looking like a child.
MW
says:Last week I posted comments pleading for Obama to get in the game. His campaign seems to be doing that this week. I do not argue for Dems to be as down an dirty as Repubs, just that they have to play offense at least some of the time and not just be on defense all the time.
EvilPoet
says:So far so good. Don’t try to fix something that’s not broken.
SteveA
says:Look at the states where Obama is lagging McSame and you will see a large percentage of senior population. They identify with him and their only input is from TV and the newspapers which are owned by the Rethugs. Obama needs to make a strong statement in those states that these outlets have no choice but to pick up.
eric
says:I know many of you do not believe this, but as an Illinois resident, I have seen almost no Obama speech unless I actively looked for it on the Web. Cable news viewership is not that large as a percentage of the population. Not everyone has seen Obama enough to close the deal. That is why his convention speech will have to rock.
Right now McCain is trying to muffle the reaction to Obama’s convention speech by denigrating the “cult” of Obama supporters who are transfixed on this “celebrity” of a man appearing in a stadium speaking well but having accomplished nothing.
That will be the message by the repubs after Obama’s speech. I think that everyone in Camp Obama knows that as well and they are going to give a different kind of speech. I think you will here all about Obama as a man and why he understands the middle class pain (unlike McCain).
I am looking forward to taht speech like no other i can remember
tomj
says:I’m stuck with the belief, backed up with lots of examples from the primary, that Obama gives lots of time for everyone else to stake out extreme positions. Sometimes it appears that the longer he waits, the more extreme and hardened the positions become.
Then, as the story of the day or more likely the week plays out, Obama steps in and delivers some game winning hit or strikeout. But the damage which is done in the long run is against not only his opponent, but against the surrogates and pundits which went along or piled on.
Next time the voters will remember how wrong the other side was.
It always reminds me of the dissonant and illogical Life Cereal ad where Obama plays Mikey.
Tom Cleaver
says:What I want to see is some “Chicago Rules” in action:
“He brings a knife, you bring a gun; he puts one of yours in the hospital, you put one of his in the morgue.”
David W.
says:What? Second-guessing by those who were never happy with Obama in the first place? Whocouldanode?!?
neilt
says:I agree. After watching his team deftly beat someone who is tantamount to royalty in the Democratic Party in the primaries, I have no doubt they’ll be able to do the same to McCain.
It’s not like they forgot how to fight all of a sudden (no matter what the yahoos over at Salon tell you!*)
*sorry, couldn’t help myself there – I’m so disgusted with their latest “What’s wrong with Obama?” piece!
Racer X
says:Tom, you won’t be happy unless we hang every single last Republican from a lamp post.
The “Chicago Rules” were practiced by gangsters and criminal cops. That’s who we’re up against, not who we are.
Obama is going the Jujitsu route, go watch some Kung Fu reruns and see how that works out for the bad guys.
Prup (aka Jim Benton)
says:Obama reminds me of the sort of Warner Bothers cartoon character — that IS a compliment — who uses a sword, attacks, the victim walks away going ‘he never touched me’ and then falls apart into five pieces.
And he does the attacking on the issues, not on personalities. (Lack of ‘Presidential temprament’ IS an issue.)
Again, neilt nails it. Hillary was far harder a candidate to defeat. But another advantage of his approach is that his opponents get more and more desperate and start making all the blunders.
Sure it isn’t as flashy as if he were swinging wildly in his own version of ‘pinata politics’ but it keeps working — and he never coasts. I think he was campaigning as hard against Alan Keyes at the end even though nobody gave that idiot a chance.
(I keep thinking that many of the “HIT ‘EM HARDER’ crowd are really wanting him to act out their own frustration against the Bush malAdministration rather than thinking about the real race.)
Prup (aka Jim Benton)
says:RacerX: thanks, you too nailed it. And this is what I have been arguing right along. It is jiujitsu, getting the opponent to charge and using his energy against him. It sure worked against Hillary — remember her desperate ‘working-class hero’ absurdity.
DragonScholar
says:My guess is that they’re playing this one carefully.
They knew (and know) McCain is going to go and use the past playbook – essentially lying and denegrating people. They knew it was coming. Responding however is not as easy as it sounds, for a few reasons:
* In a fight with a liar, you have play carefully, because as soon as you go too far over the line, they’ll pounce. They have no problem lying, but will go after you if you even twist the truth.
* McCain’s team seems to have no problem with things escalating wildly. In that case the dirtiest at the end of the fight looses.
* Obama’s working on a change-of-tone approach, so has to play this carefully.
So my guess is they decided to take a few punches and let McCain show his stuff – knowing there wasn’t any stuff to show. Now that he’s opened himself up, they’ll begin hitting back. The problem for McCain is he seriously set himself up – the guy was owned by Paris Hilton for the gods’ sake.
Secondly, I think they honestly expect McCain to meltdown (further).
DragonScholar
says:RacerX,
I think it’s an apt metaphor – and really the necessary approach. We’ve got to view this like martial arts, not some simple street brawl.
The Republican Leadership playbook is nasty, vicious attacks as noted. If we play that game we do end up like them – and then we loose. One has to fight a different way, and let people’s strengths become weaknesses.
Also, frankly, I think there’s a game of chicken involved in taking a “street brawl” approach in politics. If everyone goes in full-on crazy-vicious, then if people think we’re a divided nation now, we will be a complete mess by the end of such a campaign. The Republican Leadership, I think, is counting on the fact that the Democrats don’t want to do that.
Steve
says:Obama’s primary target will be the GOP convention—which is as it should be. McCain won’t be gallivanting around the country, going from one stacked-deck townhall to the next; he’ll be in a fixed location for several days, and everyone will be watching.
He won’t be able to play “Flippy the Evil Clown” during that time; he won’t be able to bend, twist, and revise the message to suit the audience in each little Podunk stopover. He’ll have one, fixed message that has to go to everyone simultaneously.
The GOP and its hydra-like noise machine will be vulnerable; each and every one of their faults can be brought into the open air for all the world to see. Their platform and all of its planks will be vulnerable; far too many commitments have been made and reinforced by the campaign that will represent a polar opposite to whatever the platform finally hashes out to be. McCain will be vulnerable to an unceasing assault on every last flipflop and policy dodge he’s played over the course of his entire political career; the myriad myriads of u-turns that simply cannot be camouflaged enough to look like a straight-talk anything, let alone an “express”.
September 1, 2008—a mere 25 days from today—the final assault on Fortress McFlippy begins. Get those refrigerators ready for dropping….
Lance
says:“haunted by … Al Gore’s razor-thin loss in 2000”
Actually, CB, we are haunted by Al Gore’s win in 2000.
I’d really like to think Obama’s campaign is going about this the right way, and this week seems to demonstrate that, but Paris has distorted the picture for a couple of days (and thank you Paris) so I’m not sure yet.
In the end, Obama is going to have to beat JSMcC*nt like a drum, and while he says he has to see Bill dance to see if he’s a brother, I need to see Barack play to see if he’s a winner.
Hillary should have said in that debate: “Bill wants to see you jam before he can say you’ll be the second Black president”.
Hannah
says:Re Obama’s acceptance speech, I would like for him to talk about legislation he has sponsored in the Senate to address those who feel he’s an “empty suit”. Talk about how affects America and Americans.
#17 Dragon Scholar makes some really good points. Wasn’t there a survey that found that most people are tired divisive campaigning?
I wonder if some of the “I’m tired of hearing about Obama” means they are tired of McCain’s negative ads (and the pundits’ unceasing discussion thereof). After all, most of McCain’s recent ads are about Obama, not John McCain.
joey(bjobotts)
says:What works to Obama’s advantage is there is so much material coming from the McCain camp to work with. Just choose a subject…any subject and you’ll find either McCain has flipped on it or has no plan or has made glaring screw ups. He’s running a race with someone who has only one leg…and it’s removable. McCain doeesn’t have a leg to stand on…at least not one that Obama can’t knock out from under him at any given moment. No mater how hard the press tries (like Clarke’s legitimate statements or Brokaw’s “it’s the surge right…right) McCain is a candidate that is self destructive and irritating. Feeling sorry for him got him into the senate but it won’t get him into the WH. Face it, the GOP had and has nothing this election except an overdue apology to the American people which they are still unwilling to recognize.
Kerry had nothing to offer the American people except Democratic policies which Americans overwhelmingly voted for to give dems majorities in congress. Personally he didn’t offer much. Gore could not let his personality out without a huge smear effort blocking it so Americans really didn’t get to know him until after the elections and many regret not voting for him now.
But Obama turns the world on…he’s cool so to speak…and ap-pears at a time when voters are firmly aware of what the republican administration has done to America. He brings hope. Right word, right time, right person…and click. This is how I know he will be the next president. He has no competition (only Hilary ever was). My two cents.
joey(bjobotts)
says:btw…it’s not “give the new guy a chance”…it’s, “the new guy proved he deserves a chance”
He’s not “the one”…he’s “the ‘right’ one….right now”
Bruce Wilder
says:Obama has the best-organized Presidential campaign in my 40-year memory of political campaigns. These guys are great. And, lucky.
The McCain campaign, on the other hand, is terrible — 3rd string amateur hour. Absolutely pathetic.
Why worry? Be happy, people.
Molly Weasley
says:A week ago, we were all more worried about the campaign’s seeming unwillingness to hit back. Now, I think they’re taking the right approach — hit when necessary, point out the inconsistencies and stupidities, and still act as if you’re taking the high road.
It worked against Hillary: “She think she’s some kind of Annie Oakley or something!” and it seems to be working now. The Republicans look pretty stupid about the tire gauge nonsense, don’t they? I just got back from filling up my car, and there was an acual LINE in front of the air pump.
Keep it up at this level, I say. I bet many of those comments were given at least three days ago.
low-tech cyclist
says:I’m worried. This is starting to sound too much like the word that would leak out of the Kerry camp as the SwiftBoat attacks continued to build. Be patient, they said.
There’s no need for Obama’s camp to attack McCain on personal/character issues. The main point is for Obama to define McCain before McCain gets a chance to define himself. And McCain’s stands on the issues (whether consistent stands or multiple stands) are quite sufficient to do this with. He wants to privatize Social Security; he wants to cut taxes on the rich to a degree that would leave Bush green with envy; he thinks we’ve already won in Iraq, except if Obama brings the troops home; he’s willing to sacrifice dealing with climate change in order to lower the price of gas by a few cents in 2017; etc.
Plenty to sock McCain with, without bringing up character (aside from his propensity to flipflop).
Cal Gal
says:I too was worried and am somewhat reassured.
I think criticism from anyone involved in the disastrous Kerry campaign is just too funny. Any criticism from Bob Schrum, and I’ll KNOW the Obama campaign in on track.
The Obama campaign organization is smart and disciplined, and I think they may just have the winning formula by having him sit back, take a flurry of these lame punches from the McSame folks, let them get tired out pre-conventions, and then come back in the late rounds (when the hoi polloi have tuned in) with a few well-placed uppercuts that will put the old guy DOWN on the GROUND.
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Helena Montana
says:“But my advice to the party, at least with regards to Obama’s strategy is simple: Relax, we’ve only seen the small parts of the refrigerator.”
But the thing is, I’m afraid that, like Kerry and Gore, the small parts are all that will drop. There’s tons and tons of low hanging big parts, but the Obama campaign refuses to use them. The could run an entirely clean, truthful, and not even mean-spirited attack campaign and come out big winners, but they’re just too damned fastidious.
Prup (aka Jim Benton)
says:Has anyone bothered to notice one tiny little thing — that McCain hasn’t been Roving Obama? And if you say they are holding back, you’ll have to explain why they are. They know how little enthusiasm McCain is generating, how far he is falling behind. This is the time for them to start throwning red meat to the animals.
But all we are getting is ‘celebrity’ (and Will Ferrell and Paris rammed this down their throats), ‘arrogant’ and ‘tire gauges’ (which, now, even McCain is agreeing with Obama on).
I hate to say this, but McCain may have been lying, flip-flopping, and floundering around, but he’s been running a relatively clean campaign so far — especially for a Republican. He hasn’t even used the weapons Hillary tried to use, Wright, ‘He’s not a Muslim — as far as I know’ or even Rezko. No ‘swiftboating’ no 527s on the attack. (I’ve seen no evidence that the McCain campaign has had anything to do with the scurrilous e-mails, any more than Clinton did.)
Sure, he’s tried to argue his opponent is unqualified, that his policies would be bad for the country, but that’s legitimate politics. And he’s said some things in interviews — like the ‘socialist’ comment — that were particularly nasty, but he hasn’t — as far as I know — used this nonsense in ads. He hasn’t even used the ‘too liberal’ line that was ‘practicing the scales’ for most Republican campaigns.
Maybe I’m forgetting stuff — and he certainly hasn’t been advertising in NY — why waste the money — so I might not have seen the bad stuff. But he’s done nothing like the sTinker in Tenn.
mellowjohn
says:i KIND of agree w/ racerx and prup, but after what those republican motherfuckers (apologies to mother everywhere) have done to my country for the past 30+ years, i don’t want to beat them. i want to beat them bloody!
and as a resident of illinois, i’ve seen several axelrod opponents end up wondering what hit them – just like the cartoon character prup mentions @ #14.
Prup (aka Jim Benton)
says:And to continue my point, Obama can — and I believe already has — won on the issues. Yes, the replies are good, but there is simply no reason to go on the attack when you are winning this big — always remember that ‘enthusiasm gap,’ that is the key.
Prup (aka Jim Benton)
says:mellowjohn: you made a point I wanted to, but pulled back on. You don’t want him to attack McCain, you want him to attack Reagan and Bush I and Bush II. But winning and changing their policies is what matters, not acting out your revenge fantasies.
Hannah
says:#24 Molly: “I just got back from filling up my car, and there was an acual LINE in front of the air pump.”
::snort:: love it
Dee Loralei
says:And I think Team Obama is holding a few choice morsels to release in October ads, the “Social Security is a disgrace” and ” The economy is all in people’s heads and Americans are whiners” comments will make devastating ads come Oct. Those were game changing candidacy ending boners and Plouffe, Axelrod and Obama will use them at precisely the right time to end McCain’s campaign. No matter what October Suprise the Bushies have in store for us.
Relax people, trust Obama, he’s earned it.
And remember he couldn’t attack Hillary because that would give the perception of Angry Black Man rapes white woman. Just as now he can’t truly attack McCain. It’d be angry Black Man mugs/assaults septuginarian white war hero.
beans
says:Like republicans, bermuda grass is ugly and tough to get rid of. But I found that if you let it grow out for awhile, it not only shows itself, but it is completely vulnerable to herbicide.
Rabi
says:Obama needs to err on the side of positivity. While I’m not opposed to seeing him hit back on McCain, he has to stay on the moral high ground. His brand is, quite frankly, all he has in this election. If he hits too hard, he won’t be seen as a proponent of a new kind of politics, and that would effectively end his run. Of course, hit too softly and McCain sets the agenda, and people see Obama as weak.
I find the term “armchair quarterback” pretty ridiculous. The Democratic party’s “strategy,” on a national level, has of late been centered around losing. Bloggers are a new voice – people commenting on politics not necessarily bogged down by being inside the system.
mellowjohn
says:but prup…
my revenge fantasies are so-o-o-o much fun!
Hannah Stevens
says:From what I have seen so far from Obama, he is a master and i think he knows what he is doing. He does take the high road and I think it will pay in the end. Or maybe Americans like dishonest, nasty crooks for leaders. Looking at the last 8 years, it looks that way. I was reading about McCain offering Cindy to take part in a topless beauty pageant. Is that for real? And the remark that McCain made to Cindy when she had commented on his thinning hair calling her the “C” work. McCain is pathetic.
Turdblossom
says:@9
Then, as the story of the day or more likely the week plays out, Obama steps in and delivers some game winning hit or strikeout. But the damage which is done in the long run is against not only his opponent, but against the surrogates and pundits which went along or piled on.
Next time the voters will remember how wrong the other side was.
McCain will be your next President. I read these threads and I’m astonished at the respect you folks give the American people for remembering anything beyond the last ad they were exposed to. We are busy creating the Obama meme of “the elitist other, not ready to lead,” and you guys are complimenting the Obama campaign for being spineless in their response.
How many Americans still think Saddam was involved in 9-11, and had WMD?
How many Americans think Obama is a Muslim?
Stupid ass Democrats!
LOL
Turdblossom
says:Above corrected with a tag. I was laughing so hard I neglected to check the preview. But then when one makes as few mistakes as I…
@9
Then, as the story of the day or more likely the week plays out, Obama steps in and delivers some game winning hit or strikeout. But the damage which is done in the long run is against not only his opponent, but against the surrogates and pundits which went along or piled on.
Next time the voters will remember how wrong the other side was.
McCain will be your next President. I read these threads and I’m astonished at the respect you folks give the American people for remembering anything beyond the last ad they were exposed to. We are busy creating the Obama meme of “the elitist other, not ready to lead,” and you guys are complimenting the Obama campaign for being spineless in their response.
How many Americans still think Saddam was involved in 9-11, and had WMD?
How many Americans think Obama is a Muslim?
Stupid ass Democrats!
LOL
ESM
says:We keep hearing about a dip in the polls, which I assume they mean tracking polls, because if you look at the last 4 national polls released this past week they show no real difference:
CNN/Opinion Research 7/31/08: Obama +7
CNN Poll Of Polls 8/6/09: Obama +5
AP Poll 8/609: Obama +6
CBS/Times 8/6/08: Obama +6
Prup (aka Jim Benton)
says:Y’know, maybe the guys who are yelling “Attack! ATTACK!” might be right, if McCain were running a better campaign. But fergawdsakes, he’s doing such a wonderful job of shooting himself in the foot that there’s no need to help him, and maybe actually gain him some sympathy votes for people who think we’re cruel for beating up on an old man.
Don’t you realize how bad a campaign he’s running. It’s so incredibly awful I half expect a recording to turn up of him saying something like this:
“Harry, no, listen, I got a better idea. Your way gets you, what, one more vote in caucus. But if I stay a Republican, think about it, who are they gonna pick to run in 08? Newt the Nut? That bigmouth from New York who has all the scandals? That guy in Massachussets who said he’d be better for gay rights than Teddy? No way.
“It’ll be me, y’know, the war hero, the POW, I’m a cinch?
“Whaddya mean, win? No way! You think I want the job? It’s hard work, too hardd for an old guy like me. Hey, wait a minute. Didn’t I say something about bein’ ready for the Old Soldiers’ Home? Maybe they got film of that somewhere.
“No, you don’t get it. I got some ideas for runnin the worst campaign ever. I mean, after me, there won’t be a Republican elected for 40 years. Lissen.
“First, I’ll go on about lobbyists, how bad they are for the country — only I’ll hire a couple of dozen to work on the campaign with me. In fact, remember that guy who got in trouble for bundlin’ stuff for Big Bill. I’ll have one of my guys do it, only make it so obvious what he’s doing it’ll be all over the papers, maybe have him gewt contribs from people who are supposed to be givin’ more than they make in a year.
“Then, ya know how Georgie Boy’s always playing up to the religious types. Well there’s this guy in Texas. i mean he is a REAL nut. You look at him hard, he’s said somethin’ to piss off everybody, blacks, gays, muslims, women, even Catholics. So I’ll get him to endorse me, people’ll be curious, see what the screwball has said. And I’ll get rid of him, but only after a couplea weeks, so that people will have time to look real hard at him, and see I begged him to endorse me.
“Now whoever your guy is, or maybe that Clinton broad, whatever they say, I’ll be against it, especially if they say somethin real smart. So I’ll give it a week again, then I’ll say that i was wrong and he was right, and then I’ll say I didn’t really mean that, especially if people are talking about how the old man finally came to his senses on it. I mean, you know the way I play the guy who’s getting gaga in the cloakrooms, the laugh that always gets. I’ll be doin that only nobody’s gonna know its just an act, they’ll be talkin about how senile I’m gettin’.
“And a guy on my staff, he’s talking about how that internet thing’s getting bigger, how it’ll be a real player in the next election, those blugs or whatever. Anyway, so i gotta have one, only I’ll put up this notice, right in public, how I’ll pay people to start writing things on the Democrat blugs. I mean it’ll be right there for everybody to see. After that, I mean anybody who writes anything good about me, everybody’ll tune it out, figurin’ that they’re just doin it to get paid.
“And here’s the kicker. you know how the Republicans are so uptight, like their ass clenches if anybody even shows a boob on tv like that Jackson did.
“You ever hear of the Buffalo chip festival? No? Neither did I, but one of the messengers, he’s big into bikes and stuff, and I heard him talking about it to a secretary, thinking he’d get in her pants by acting bad. This thing is wild, rock music, everybody gets drunk and is fucking, they even have this thing called the Miss Buffalo Chip contest they run every night its on. Only the girls go topless, hell, they even go bottomless, and they do things like pretending to blow bananas and stuff like that. Real dirty stuff.
“So picture this. I actually go to the thing and make a speech there, sure nobody’ll be listening but it’ll make the news and all. Only I’ll be playing dumb, and I’ll suggest that Cindy should compete in the contest, like I’m so ignorant I think it’s nothin’ but a beauty contest.
“How will Cindy feel about that? She’ll whip my ass, you know it, just like when i called her a cunt in front of reporters. God what a turn on. I don’t think i ever had sex that good than after I did that. Can you imagine — hell, I got a hard on just thinking about it.
“So what’s better, me becoming a Democrat, or what i got planned? Figured you’d say that. Can you see the look on georgie’s face. I mean even he isn’t so dumb he won’t know just what I’m doing, but he won’t dare say anything.
“Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it.”
Bruno
says:Dragonscholar @ 17 said:
That is exactly right. The reason democrats would loose:
1)Republicans are pro’s at fighting dirty.
2)Democrats are not even considered novices in that realm.
3)Republicans and democrats both enter the ring, and while the democrat stands there listening to the referee (media) explaining the rules, the republican puts on his illegal brass knuckles and hits the democrat between the eyes.
4)The referee didn’t see that part, so he starts the contest. The democrat tries to complain that the republican cold cocked him before the contest, while the entire audience (low-information voters) are laughing and having more fun than they can handle.
5)The democrat is still trying to complain while the republican hits him in the back of the head (illegal) again.
6)The referee (media) decides that the republican won that contest, with all the approving jeers from the low information audience (Fox News)
7)The pundits analyze the ‘fight’ and are amazed at how swift the republican won that contest.
8)the democrat is still trying to complain that it is not fair.
9)the democrat goes home and writes a blog entry about how the republican didn’t follow the conventional rules, and how he stayed above the fray.
10)the republican is having a good time in the parade quickly put on in his honor.
That pretty much sums it up.
so… Democrats — watch some Bruce Lee movies and learn some moves that will put the republicans out of business once and for all
Bruno
says:prup @ 41
That is a funny one. I wonder if we could polish that up some, to make it look real, and release it or…
Let’s make a formatted ‘word document’, for people to download, so they can forward it to any nut who keeps sending all those ‘Obama-is-a-muslim’ e-mails and othe trash.
Make it look official…
That would be so cool. We can all dream.
Pryce Watkins
says:I am sick of hearing McCain whine about being a prisoner of war. There were lots of prisoners of war. But he seems to be the only one who feels that it entitles him to be President. Obama has sound ideas for bringing this country back to its former glory, but I agree that that Obama needs to fight back. I think he is doing well so far. I suspect that he will hit hard at the convention! And I hope he continues to hit hard after that.
McCain is still a prisoner of war… Bush’s war on the American Middle Class, the war to keep the richest 5% of the American people RICH, as well as the war in Iraq. McCain is prisoner of the Republican Party Agenda. It has not changed. Just a different face, same story. And they use any tact to win. They did before. They will again.
I hope you are right that Obama’s tact will work. He is the man for the job, but will the People see that. They are mostly sheep who follow the most vocal contender, be they religious or political. They believe what they hear; therefore, it behooves the media to be the eyes and ears of the public FAIRLY. I am sick of hearing Liberal Media. All that does is allow them to give the Republican more press under the guise of being fair. Republicans are whiners…. and McCain is the best. If he loses this election, he will whine that the liberal media are responsible. BAH…
The people had better listen to Obama or they will be a prisoner of the Republican Party for another 4 or 8 years. The Republicans are not above stealing another election. So we had better get out in force to vote!
Americans should follow the suit of the Europeans. They have socialized medicine. Along with that comes the idea that Doctors use natural healing sources first keeping prescription drugs for a last resort. As well with this attitude that we focus on keeping our public healthy instead of investing in groups that benefit financially from keep us ill. With that in mind, we would stop allowing our processed food manufacturers to put additives in our food that make us crave more of everything we eat! It would also end the process of feeding our food animals growth hormones and then pumping them full of antibiotics in order to keep them from dying of disease (from taking those very hormones, etc.) before they can get them to market. In a society where health comes before profit, we will go back to organic methods of growing all our food sources. Wow… what a concept! Focusing on Health instead of profits! That is what socialized medicine brings.
Nah…. It can’t work! Because, of course, the Pharmaceutical industry, AMA, and big Insurance Companies will fight that tooth and nail with lobbyists all over the place! And Republicans fighting it tooth and nail, because that is their base.
ooops…. got off on another subject! *LOL*
Pryce Watkins
says:Bruno, you are way too smart! *LOL* You did hit the nail on the head…. your points are right on. Bruce Lee? Hmmmm…. never thought of him as political! you may be right, however.
kennywest
says:McCain and his campain has been so pathetic, that anything new seems good. His attempt at humour is childish and wreaks of contempt for Obamas popularity.
kennywest
says:Obama makes me think, McCain just makes me think about gettin old.
Corrine
says:One thing about McCain and his crew can’t stand, they try very very hard to hit Sen. Obama in the head, guts, back, arms legs, and what does Mr. Obama do, puts on his Aspercream, Neosporin and bandages, stands straight up, and upercuts them. Grant it, I wish his blows would knock the h*** out of them but the Senator and his team know exactly what they’re doing. They’re very good strategists. They know exactly when to drop that knock out punch. McCain and his crew won’t know what hit them.
It was so funny when McCaine blasted Sen. Obama about inflating tires, then he turns right around and agrees. He and his campaign are so stupid, I don’t know whether to laugh or feel shame for their stupidity. I find myself mostly laughing at Mr. War Hero and his bunch of nuts. I give him credit for being a war hero, but please, there are thousands of prisoner of war heros. But, it takes more than being a war hero to be President of the US. You’ve got to have brains and fresh ideas which Mr. McCain lacks greatly.
Phizz
says:Face facts if you can stomach it.
B.O. is a snooty elitist.
The media is in his back pocket, blinded by their love of the idea of a black, leftist president.
He DID play the race card, because he has nothing substantive to say.
He uses sniveling minions, like Wesley Clark to do his dirty work hit jobs, then “distances” himself from the vicious attacks.
And now the “rock star” (as his adoring press and moronic followers like to refer to him as), is flipping and flopping like a fish out of water, turning his back on the very leftist extremists who delivered the nomination to him. He’s a typical, cynical, two-faced politician, whose only apparent talent is reading a speech that someone else wrote for him off of a telepromper.