Shorter Geoffrey Kruse-Safford
Posted on August 21st, 2008 by Brad
- God, I can’t wait to lose this election.
‘Shorter’ concept created by Daniel Davies and perfected by Elton Beard. We are aware of all Internet traditions.™
And if you want to be even more depressed, I highly recommend this awesome piece Roy penned for the Voice.
UPDATE: Just so you guys know — I’m not saying Obama is doomed to lose the election. I’m saying he needs a change in strategy. Barraging your opponent with negative ads may not be the hopiest thing a candidate can do, but it is effective. Just sayin’, peeps.
Settle down, Brad.
Nobody’s ever fooled hard-workin’ Murkans into voting against their best interests before, you know.
Brad, stop being such a ckickenshit.
Hmmmm…My even shorter response? He’s right.
Depression and hysteria are all fine and good, but they’re tedious reading, and should have nothing to do with end-of-August Presidential polls from Zogby.
If you want to channel your angst into something constructive, Roy’s piece or your AlterNet article should be the vein you mind Brad. It’s much funnier to be angry and sarcastic than hopelessly mopey.
Chickenshit. I meant to type chickenshit. And stop it.
Hey, I posted first on that Roy post, too!
Where’s all the cow bell, people?!?
You beat me to the punch. I was planning on linking to this poll in the batshit insane thread preceding this one, held my fire instead, and now here we are. So.
I’ve been telling you liberals all along that Obama was going to lose, and why. The big question now is where all your furious Bush hatred is going next. WIll it transfer directly to President McCain, or will you liberals fall into a death spiral of spewing bile against Americans? Discuss.
“There was no doubt in my mind that as a member of the black community, I am obligated to this community and will utilize all of my present and future resources to benefit the black community first and foremost.” – Michelle Obama
Will Amy Alkon be appearing in this thread?
The big question now is where all your furious Bush hatred is going next.
Nope, you’re wrong. We need even more anti-Bush hatred to win.
Where’s all the cow bell, people?!?
It’s languishing in Brad’s doldrums.
Shorter Truth: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Two words for you, Brad:
Ground Game.
McCain’s media buys and grandstanding on cable news may look really pretty on TV, but it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if it doesn’t get folks to the polls. I love to see Obama swing a rhetorical upper-cut as much as the next guy, but the idea that he needs to be spending all his time engaging in cat-fights with the latest band of smear jokeys is hopelessly naive. He won’t win a shouting match with the “liberal” media and its hordes of “serious people”.
Obama is plowing his resources into early voter registration. He’s got McCain outmanned at something like 35:1 in paid campaign workers. He’s got more campaign offices than McCain in every swing state except Florida, averaging a ratio of 3:1. He’s got an army of campaign donors just waiting to drop another $50 into his hat when their paychecks come due. He’s got enthusiasm among party loyalists that we haven’t seen since people named Kennedy were running. And he’s got public Republican defectors trickling into his camp in a manner that I’m sure has poor Ronny Raygun spinning in his grave.
Obama is doing just fine. All the media moaning and groaning and Zogby polling isn’t going to change that. No need to panic. Just sit back and enjoy the show.
Well, instead of moping, Brad, you could put something like this up on the main page, and help catapult the propaganda right over the rightwing’s defensive shit moat.
Seriously, like the Editors said, these rats ain’t gonna fuck themselves, and Obama himself has put the kibosh on the 527s…but there’s not a thing in the world stopping the progressive bloggers and their readers from getting on the same page with pushing a daily or weekly meme and encouraging their readers to push it with local media etc. A million people from all over the country bombarding media outlets with the same message on the same day…that can help put the negative McCain stuff into circulation.
I’ve forwarded the amateur ad I linked above to everyone on my email list. But a lot more people would see it and forward it if it got front-page attention from all the big blogs on the same day. And if a bunch of people were all forwarding it to Olbermann on the same day, his producers would notice and it would get shown on air.
Can we fuck these rats? YES WE CAN!!! We just need to better organize ourselves.
What we need is a blogfather to lead this thing.
FY, WordPress.
Look for my post to show up under ITTDGY’s at 0:52. No, I didn’t copy before posting; since it had a link, that foul bitch wordpress will hold it up for the next 10 or 15 minutes no matter how many times I post it.
Basically, it asks, can we fuck these rats? YES WE CAN!!
Speaking of David Kurtz and Zogby polls:
Look Brad. You’re a nice guy and all, but…
Exactly how many of these threads are you going to start where you say, “WE NEED MORE SPITE!” And the rest of us point out that it’d be nice if spite worked for us, but with the right-wing media still working at capacity, and the Democratic Party never going to have a chance at a spite ad without oodles of “serious people” asking why Obama had to go negative, and isn’t the glorious, fair-minded, straight-shootin’ maverick John McCain dreamy for staying above it all?
Face fucking facts man, you’re stuck on a gameplan that’s a big fat fucking loser for the Democratic Party. All the righteous indignation isn’t going to change facts that the media is a carny game for us. No matter how many times we try putting the “old decrepit psychotic” ring around McCain’s neck, it’s going to bounce off, and we’ll just waste a bunch of cash in the process.
SamFromUtah, this post is for you! Come on down and claim your prize!
Yeah. I’ve been getting polled by Zogby online via email for a coupla years now. At first, I was enthused to be part of such a marvelous democratic process. At least until I realized that most of the questions were in the format, “When do you think [insert name of Democrat here] stopped blowing goats?” The bloom was off the rose THEN, lemme tellya.
Seriously, I wouldn’t trust Zogby to keep my bowling score.
If I had to challenge Michael Phelps to a contest, I wouldn’t choose swimming.
It’s like Teh Editors said…”these rats aren’t going to fuck themselves”
There’s an old quote about arguing with idiots. I wish Brad would learn it and quit trying to mud-wrestle with the creatures that have captured the Republican Party.
Leon Trotsky, Exile-in-Mexico said,
August 21, 2008 at 1:01
Leon, you’re a nice guy and all (and I was really sorry to hear about that ice axe to the head thinghy), but…
Noun verb POW.
Nobody from the Obama campaign has told me I can’t be negative.
And when it comes to Senator Washington Insider McLobbyist’s Friend, I can be very negative.
Not hyperventilating over Zogby, but it does seem that Obama is a bit too laid back for his own good. He needs to start kicking McCain in the nuts, and to keep kicking him in the nuts, until the day after the election.
I never bought into the Hillary-is-tougher-than-him line until now. This is not the time to go before an audience of fanatical Christianists and give subtle, sophisticated, nuanced answers to important and complicated questions of moral and political philosophy. It’s time to say, “Hulk smash.”
We all pretend we enjoyed the class taught be the erudite, tweedy, salt-and-pepper-bearded, Expert In His Field professor at 3 in the afternoon on Fridays. But when we look in the mirror and are honest with ourselves, what we really liked was the class with the cool T.A. who gave us all the answers.
Come on down and claim your prize!
For me? Gosh, thanks.
Just in time for me to be out of town for awhile. See you after the convention.
This is actually a very good time to work on something useful, like perfecting that flaky pie crust (I use both butter and shortening, and never handle your pie crust mix any more than is absolutely needed) for those late summer fruit pies (peaches and blueberries, late season raspberries, get ready for pumpkins, and of course – apples!).
This is also a good time to taste that fine porter you brewed back in May, transferred to the carboy two weeks later, and racked a couple of weeks ago. It’ll be perfect to drink starting in late September, but there’s no reason you can’t start sampling now.
You might want to start that 2,000 piece / all black jogsaw puzzle, or try reading something by Pynchon. I’ve made it 100 pages in to Gravity’s Rainbow at least a dozen times.
As for the campaign, I figure that the guys who’ve been running the Obama show for the last 2 years + know what they’re doing.
If they don’t, I don’t expect them to look for advice in our shitty little blogs.
Brad- I’m sorta with you. Obama’s strategy should change.
I will say this, though. Saying it should change in my case is not akin to saying he can’t/won’t change it, as is the line du jour for the usual suspects (chicken littles over at TPM, LadyInstapundit, etc.). In fact, as we’ve seen thus far, Obama’s been willing to go to the mat in pointed fashion. So I’m holding out faith.
McCain is a lying shitbag who has sold out the troops, moderates, and anyone who gives a crap about the future of this country. He’s run a particularly idiotic campaign, playing off the fears of the average moron in this country. His platform/beliefs change so often that we’re left not knowing just what the fucker believes in, aside from the pursuit of douchebaggery and gold. His wife is a pill-popping legacy titty baby who has had enough botox injections to kill a whale. He snared this wife after unceremoniously dumping his former because she put on some pounds after an accident. It’s worth noting that she didn’t leave him while he was singing sweet songs to the VC after getting his lousy pilot ass shot down in Nam. Once marrying into money, McCain never lost sight of the average man. Sike. Nah, actually, dumbshit voted against giving MLK a national holiday. He’s a pussy of privilege, a flip-flopping coward, a fucking idiot, a short fat balding sack of gooey shit. He deserves to eat my poop, not be elected President.
So if Obama would like to put any of that to use, that’d be fine.
The fact is, shut the hell up.
People have heard all the negatives on Obama: that he’s inexperienced, that he can’t handle foreign policy, that he had America-hating ministers, that he was somehow involved with some corrupt Chicago lobbyist, that he’s elitist and leftist and Muslim and black. They don’t know that McCain was one of the Keating Five. They don’t know that McCain keeps making ridiculous gaffes that the media would have a field day with if Obama said them. They don’t know that he cheated on his first wife after she’d become disfigured by a car accident and then married the homewrecker and used her wealth to run for office. They don’t know that McCain is ready to bomb anything that moves and rattle sabers we don’t have. They don’t know that if McCain was ever any kind of “maverick,” he lost that distinction years ago.
If Barry McHope’s campaign thinks attacks are beneath them, then where the hell are the 527s? That’s how the Bushies kept their hands clean of the Swift Boat attacks. It’s time to get dirty, dirty as hell.
I might add that my grandfather managed to survive D-Day without getting captured by the enemy. I’ll go down to his trailer in South Carolina and inform him that this gives him more Prez Cred than McLiar, but seeing how he hasn’t voted for a Republican fucknut for decades, he probably already knows.
then where the hell are the 527s?
Obama told them to stand down, right after winning the primary.
I’ve heard that one of McSame’s top advisors is a lobbyist for some very nasty dictators.
Anyone else hear that?
Here’s the question America needs to ask John McCain:
“So, what?”
John McCain was a POW, so what? A man from my hometown was a Viet Nam POW. I vaguely remember his homecoming parade, when I was a little kid. I’m not sure if I remember his last name correctly, because I can’t find him on the internets.
My uncle was a POW in WWII. He escaped the Death March of Bataan because he was too sick to walk. He didn’t talk about it. He didn’t Want to talk about it.
My Dad served in the Navy in WWII, South Pacific. He didn’t like to talk about it. He was proud of his service but he didn’t brag. He carried the US flag in our Memorial Day parades but we never flew a flag at our house.
I’ve known a few guys who fought in Viet Nam. They don’t like to talk about it. Hell, they’d walk away if you asked them too many questions.
When John Kerry ran for President, his service was labeled a joke. He earned medals of distinction and courage, and Pat fucking Peale wore a purple heart band aid as the poster child of Buch/Cheney 04.
John McCain got a legacy ride to Anapolis, nearly failed, crashed 4 planes and ended up a POW. And now – 40 years later! – we’re supposed to bow and scrape? Fuck. That. Noise, my friends!
You’ve been in the states for 40 years, Senator. What the fuck have you done? Gold digger? check! Lackadaisacal public servant? check! Lobbyist scandals? check! Big business scandals? check!
One man PR firm for the Bush administration’s non-democratic, un-Constitutional policies and programs? motherfucking-check!, Senator…
War hero, my ass! What has he done for us lately?
(Sorry – I’m just so damned tired of hearing this “McCain hero” bullshit… Someone – that’s us – needs to say something. Loudly.)
Thank you so much for the link! Wow! To see my name on Sadly, No! after all the times I have linked to you is a real treat.
Since your shorter is exactly the opposite point I was making, I’m curious if you actually read what I wrote. Since many of your commenters are taking you to task for the whole “Spite!! Spite!!” thing, I think you might benefit from a bit of a sit down, a shot of Jagermeister, and some Seinfeld reruns.
Thanks, again, and I hope you come back for more.
Oh –
John McCain – he’s not a hero you can believe in.
Ripley- Yep, a thousand times yep.
Brad, just a note of support from this big fan.
Obama has to show us some of the nasty. The people will ultimately respect him for it.
All that being said, I’m long past underestimating Obama’s political acumen and pragmatism. I’m not all that worried. My guess is that he has a friggin’ boatload of negative ads scheduled in swing states for when they count, as evidenced already by now in his “stealth” (Corporate Media ineptitude runs both ways) negative ads in the swing states.
I’m concerned, but not overly so. Obama is a born and raised Chicago politician. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t show us a deft touch for negative campaigning.
He’s tougher than he looks and sounds. And he knows Moron-America isn’t paying attention ’til post-conventions.
We’ll see.
Shorter Brad: Obama should run his campaign exactly like I run my website.
Its funny how the left calls every poll that shows them losing “highly dubious” when most polling is done by leftwing pollsters with an agenda.
The very fact that Zogby, which is run by a bunch of far-left crazies would show McCain in the lead proves that your guy Obama is in deep trouble.
I know this is irrelevent to my point but I just can’t resist. The guy who runs the blog you linked to, you know the one who claims to be a Christian and yet is a liberal? I got news for you, he ain’t a real Christian. Their is no such thing as a liberal Christian. The very phrase is oxymoronic.
But what should I expect from people who still think communism is the greatest thing since sliced bread even after the millions of people who were murdered by communist regimes in the preceding century?
Also: Obama being black AND slightly ahead in the polling can’t be seen lowering himself to the Old Man’s level. HOWEVER, and this is where I’ll saddle up with you my boy, IF he doesn’t have a VP candidate who’ll ring that fuck dry, THEN I’ll agree with your thesis.
Obama has had everything thrown at him, some of it surely stuck. But he’s still tied and/or ahead with every other nominal advantage going his way (money, ‘fundamentals’, etc.). He’s survived Whitey, he’s survived Brittany, he’s survived being globally popular, he’s survived the Clinton campaign and he’s survived the fact that he’s running against a popular war monger.
You don’t get ahead in Chicago politics by being a nice guy. And you certainly don’t do it by being street dumb.
Brad, as a show of support, I think you’re spot-on.
However, I think I’m done underestimating Obama’s political and media acumen. He’s a Chicago politician by birth and nurture, and I would be horrifically surprised if he doesn’t recognize the value of negative politicking.
My take is that Obama knows that most moron-Americans aren’t even paying attention to the details until after the conventions. If he has a shitload of negative ads ready to go when they’re needed, he’ll be OK, and don’t forget he’s been running them already (under the Corporate Media’s radar; hey, it cuts both ways) in the swing states.
It seems to me that Obama could be dialing it up at just the right rate of negativity. He’s been a little tougher lately, and for maximum political effectiveness, this gradual turn is the way to go.
Too early to worry. Anyone who has played competitive basketball for as long as Obama has knows him some trash talk.
Come to me in mid-September.
[…] 20th, 2008 | Uncategorized | Another shot in to the big-time! Brad at Sadly, No! has done a “shorter” piece on me. On the one hand, I’m honored. On the other hand, I’m sorry to see he […]
Fuck WordPress. One more time:
Brad, as a show of support, I think you’re spot-on.
However, I think I’m done underestimating Obama’s political and media acumen. He’s a Chicago politician by birth and nurture, and I would be horrifically surprised if he doesn’t recognize the value of negative politicking.
My take is that Obama knows that most moron-Americans aren’t even paying attention to the details until after the conventions. If he has a shitload of negative ads ready to go when they’re needed, he’ll be OK, and don’t forget he’s been running them already (under the Corporate Media’s radar; hey, it cuts both ways) in the swing states.
It seems to me that Obama could be dialing it up at just the right rate of negativity. He’s been a little tougher lately, and for maximum political effectiveness, this gradual turn is the way to go.
Too early to worry. Anyone who has played competitive basketball for as long as Obama has knows him some trash talk.
Come to me in mid-September.
Looka here. Already the mainstream media and the right-wing howler monkeys that feed at that trough are chomping at the bit to paint Obama as, and let’s just be flat-out blunt, the Platonic ideal of a “know-it-all, uppity nigger” that thinks he’s better than us real (white) Americans because he’s in good shape and can read and shit. Added to the love affair the Villagers have had with St. John The POW since, like ’98 or so, and our man from Illinois is, well, never the less doing just fine. McCain overspends himself while Obama’s on vacation and gets a marginal bump in a shifty poll. Oh, woe is us (or at least Brad). Seriously, though, do you really think the media would just let him go negative and that be that? They wouldn’t paint him as some scary, spear-chuckin’ Superislamocommienazihomofacist who doesn’t like country music but insteads prefers the subversive sounds of Curtis Mayfield or some dumbass shit like that? Seriously? Who the fuck do you think runs Fox and CNN, fair-minded people? Have you not been fucking paying attention the past 8-15 years? Do you really think Obama could launch a fair and truthfull ad on, say, McCain’s war-hero horseshit – like for instance, pointing out how McCain’s crapped all over the VA – and there not be a fucking meltdown of fury at that man’s audacity at doubting the Great White-Haired Hope? Fucking think that through, just once. Jesus.
Ahem. Sorry.
Besides, am I the only one that sees shades of Ali-Foreman in all this, the ol’ rope-a-dope? McCain took in $26 million this month and spent $32, according to one story I read, and still, nothing seems to help him or hurt Obama. And in any event, what in the holy fuck is stopping y’all – ya know, the guys with the website and access to Alternet – in kicking up some righteously fucked rats? There are times when a non-gender specific person has to roll up his or her, hoist the black flag and start slitting throats, metaphorically speaking. Obviously, the media isn’t doing its job.
“Its funny how the left calls every poll that shows them losing “highly dubious””
Yes, those nefarious Castroists at pollster.com certainly are behind this evil leftist meme to undermine John “I Was a POW” McCain’s gaining grip on the hearts of Americans everywhere…
“Their is no such thing as a liberal Christian. The very phrase is oxymoronic.”
What does this even mean?
“who still think communism is the greatest thing since sliced bread ”
Insert … and…. EXECUTE…
Does WordPress suddenly hate me, or have I been inexplicably banned?
Brad, as a show of support, I think you’re spot-on.
However, I think I’m done underestimating Obama’s political and media acumen. He’s a Chicago politician by birth and nurture, and I would be horrifically surprised if he doesn’t recognize the value of negative politicking.
My take is that Obama knows that most moron-Americans aren’t even paying attention to the details until after the conventions. If he has a shitload of negative ads ready to go when they’re needed, he’ll be OK, and don’t forget he’s been running them already (under the Corporate Media’s radar; hey, it cuts both ways) in the swing states.
It seems to me that Obama could be dialing it up at just the right rate of negativity. He’s been a little tougher lately, and for maximum political effectiveness, this gradual turn is the way to go.
Too early to worry. Anyone who has played competitive basketball for as long as Obama has knows him some trash talk.
Come to me in mid-September.
Good. Let the left tear each other to pieces while the right remains united and wins the election.
Keep stepping deeper into the muck liberals, you’re only helping our side win.
Oopies, stupid lefty me….
Let’s try again…
“who still think communism is the greatest thing since sliced bread ”
Run wingnut script 2.7.3: Communism/sliced bread non-seqitur…. and…. EXECUTE
Testing, testing, fuck you WordPress, testing…
So the word out there is that Biden is the top choice for Obama’s VP. If that happens, I expect to see a lot of spite, hate and negativity from Obama’s camp, delivered by Biden.
This is not the time to go before an audience of fanatical Christianists and give subtle, sophisticated, nuanced answers to important and complicated questions of moral and political philosophy.
You may be right, but there are only two other options:
1. Tell those ‘fanatical Christanists’ to fuck off. Obviously not the thing to do and not just because it’s an election year.
2. Keep repeating the slogans. And that’s McCain’s shtick.
Erik, I’ll speak slowly and carefully so that maybe you’ll understand me.
Liberals and progressives are not communists, big or little c. We do not admire Stalin or Mao. Or even Hugo Chavez.
And as for “liberal Christian” being an oxymoron: Jesus was a hippie who believed in complete pacifism, thought the rich couldn’t get into Heaven, and ordered his followers to sell all they had and give it to the poor. Explain in less than 250 words how this comports with current conservative philosophy.
The very fact that Zogby, which is run by a bunch of far-left crazies
Man, who isn’t far-left crazies in your world? Are far-left crazies the reason your newspaper is late in the morning? Did far-left crazies ring your doorbell and run away? You don’t know anything about the far left or Zogby, but I’m betting you’re real familiar with crazy people.
Ahh Erik. “Their(sic) is no such thing as a liberal Christian.” Fantastic. Almost as good as that religious goofball that claims that atheists don’t exist. Yup. Now if you could only explain that this is because it’s the liberals that are bent on persecuting people for their religion – that would make it perfect.
Again, it seems simple. At least 80% of the voters (and realistically closer to 90%) have no flexibility whatsoever. Forty some for McCain, Forty some for Obama.
So the entire campaign is designed to move four, six, eight percent of the actual voting public one way or another.
McCain has reached a conclusion that the best way for his campaign to do that is FUD about Obama, and talk as little as possible about what a McCain presidency is actually about.
So far, it appears that Obama has decided that this narrow portion of the electorate can be reasoned with, spoken to in complete sentences, even sometimes PARAGRAPHS. There is some indications in the August polls that McCain’s methods have been more effective.
But y’know, I think there are people in the Obama campaign with their ears to the ground. And make no mistake, they do NOT want to lose. Perhaps their focus groups have indicated that negative attacks from a negro will cause an unrecoverable spike in his negatives. Perhaps they believe that the McCain bubble blew up too early, and he’ll crash on the shoals of his own senile stupidity.
Perhaps they are just waiting until after the convention to attack.
Whatever it is, I’m pretty serene about a presidential campaign where our guy is young, energetic, brilliant and charismatic, and their guy is an old windbag with a defective head and a bad temper.
Let’s see what November holds.
As nobody in the movies ever said:
Y’know, I just don’t have a bad feeling about this…
mikey
“The very fact that Zogby, which is run by a bunch of far-left crazies would show McCain in the lead proves that your guy Obama is in deep trouble.”
Translation: I couldn’t argue my way out of a soggy paper bag. Could someone please get me out of here?
Aww, mikey, coming in and spoiling things by being reasonable ….
Liberals and progressives are not communists, big or little c. We do not admire Stalin or Mao. Or even Hugo Chavez.
Well I guess that’s why I never received my liberal progressive membership card – one look at my Chairman Joe of Venezuela monument (with special bonus Hitler/Saddam/Satan idolatry) and they realized I was too liberal and too progressive even for Liberal Fascism.
Damn, I forgot about Jonah’s carefully researched argument proving we’re all commie fascists. Guess Erik was right after all.
Which is, of course, central to my point.
the batshit insane thread preceding this one
Those who refuse to learn from batshit insanity are doomed to repeat it.
Inconstant Reader said,
August 21, 2008 at 2:01
Erik, I’ll speak slowly and carefully so that maybe you’ll understand me.
No, he won’t. Erik’s a parody troll (see McMahon, Matt, etc.)
(facepalm) I thought I knew all the parody trolls from lurking. That’s such a noob thing to do.
Face fucking facts man, you’re stuck on a gameplan that’s a big fat fucking loser for the Democratic Party.
When have the Democrats ever pursued the spite strategy? Instead, they always do what Obama’s been doing so far: try to be the ethical, smart, clean-cut, class-president types. And ever since at least 1952, a majority of the American voting public wants no part of that. Far from voting for such people, most Americans can easily be made to resent them. Read Nixonland, if you haven’t already.
The other thing that hasn’t been working for the Democrats is the whiny, powder-drying insistence that “we can’t do X, ’cause if we do, the Republicans and the media will beat us up!”
Perhaps you haven’t gotten the memo: whatever you do, the Republicans and the media will beat you up! Stop basing your strategy on whether or not the media and your political opponents will like you…or even treat you fairly. Whatever you do, they won’t.
The only question should be: will it be easier to beat a John McCain that the American public see as a maverick and a war hero, or one they see as a lying, philandering, Manchurian Candidate?
I’d have thought that question answers itself, though after watching the last couple months of this campaign I’m beginning to doubt it.
So the entire campaign is designed to move four, six, eight percent of the actual voting public one way or another.
mikey, that may be true for Obama – but there is a second goal. To keep your opponent’s 40% at home on election night. To make the people who would normally vote against you to say “fuck it, I’d rather stay home and get drunk”. That’s what the blacky-black-black-black stuff is all about – turning lefties into PUMA’s. That’s what negative ads are about. That’s why I try not to mention how devoutly Christian Barry O is.
What’s the liberal version? What type of negative spite can be employed to make registered republicans decide that they’d rather sit this one out?
Well – the GOP base is a pretty fractious coalition – the devout, the greedy, the hateful. Attacks on McCain should be targetted at getting those groups to decide they’d prefer to opt out than endorse Johnny boy. That’s why I think the “filthy stinking rich” approach is going to kill him. Even if you’re convinced that it’s illegal immigrants that have stolen your job, you’re going to have difficulty voting for the guy richer than Paris Hilton, promising tax cuts to people making more than $5 million a year.
But that’s just my two cents.
Those who refuse to learn from batshit insanity are doomed to repeat it.
Brad-
Retro to Aug. 2004 and all the smart Geoffrey Kruse-Safford-type Dems were preaching the same high fallutin’, “Amerikans are smarter than-that nonsense.”
Remember the civility and bipartisanship on display at the Dem convention and Howard Fineman’s outrage and indignation after Sharpton pointed out that W. was a basically a racist idiot.
How unAmerican!!
So in the spirit of that post-partisan mumbo jumbo, I call on all Donkies, Indies and clear-thinking people to unite and vote to re-elect Kerry-Edwards in 2008.
I’d also note that not a lot of communists admire Stalin or Mao.
Except maybe as post-ironic kitsch. That comic book where Iron Joe fights Hitler the necromancer is fantastic.
“When have the Democrats ever pursued the spite strategy?”
1964, baby….
Shorter Geoffrey Kruse-Safford:
I am aware of all internet traditions.™
Testing, testing, effWordpress, testing…first time I’ve ever had trouble commenting…
Brad, as a show of support, I think you’re spot-on.
However, I think I’m done underestimating Obama’s political and media acumen. He’s a Chicago politician by birth and nurture, and I would be horrifically surprised if he doesn’t recognize the value of negative politicking.
My take is that Obama knows that most moron-Americans aren’t even paying attention to the details until after the conventions. If he has a shitload of negative ads ready to go when they’re needed, he’ll be OK, and don’t forget he’s been running them already (under the Corporate Media’s radar; hey, it cuts both ways) in the swing states.
It seems to me that Obama could be dialing it up at just the right rate of negativity. He’s been a little tougher lately, and for maximum political effectiveness, this gradual turn is the way to go.
Too early to worry. Anyone who has played competitive basketball for as long as Obama has knows him some trash talk.
Come to me in mid-September.
I posted this on the “batshit insane” thread:
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/08/20/wsjnbc-news-poll-mccain-running-a-negative-campaign/?mod=googlenews_wsj
Spite seems to work. Americans think that McCain is running a negative campaign, yet his numbers have gone up…
Shorter mainstream media: Roll up, roll up, we got your horse-race right here!
Silver lining to today’s news: I got hit on by a couple of Obamaganizers at lunchtime (good) and their message was, “Havent you heard? We’re behind. We have to work harder” (better). Gotta get those fingers on ballots, that’s the ballgame …
Speaking of internet traditions…
God, I can’t wait to lose this election.
Brad, you speeled ‘loose’ wrong.
OK, I’m curious. I’ll admit right now, after four or so, that at times I play “Erik Pontoppidan.” At times. What I want to know is, if anyone’s game enough to say, is Erik truly 100% a Gary Ruppert of sorts, or is there actually a real Erik occasionally in there? Because the spite level on this one leads me to believe that he’s not entirely a benign entity like our dear Ruppert.
Obama has to win in a fucking landslide for the Rethugs not to be able to steal the election for the third time in a row.
Why aren’t the Democrats fighting tooth and nail against Diebold?
http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=304124899839152
Looky here leftys, yet another reason why Obama’s gonna crash and burn!
Their is no such thing as a liberal Christian.
My vote is on parody.
Because it’s not as if anyone is actually stupid enough to actually believe that a figure like Christ, who openly challenged the existing order rather than seeking to perpetuate it, was a conservative. Conservatives don’t start new religions; they become pope.
Three words regarding Obama going 1/3rd as negative as McCainiac:
Angry Black Man.
Just wait until the RNC convention, after Rudi 911ani and Joe LIEberman have spoken. After McCoot has picked a VP that a large portion of das base is going to hate, no matter who he picks.
And then there are the debates. Oh yes, the debates.
You don’t remember Real Gary™, D.N.?
Ah yes, “Erik.” Citing the fucking IBD makes me think you’re straight up parody. Got any Mikey Ramirez toon links to share?
It’s almost like Brad is looking for examples to confirm his preconceptions.
Personally I don’t think Obama should go negative. The media would crucify him. Though they will anyway. We should go negative, or someone should. Of course getting air time will be hard.
But that’s my point, Dragon.
There’s risk in your plan. There’s risk in NOT employing your plan.
Somebody has to make an intelligent decision about which course has the lowest risk. And that decision does not come out of the gut, it comes out of well-funded research and careful consideration.
Frankly? You ain’t qualified to make the call. Neither am I. What you would like to see is entirely unrelated to what the best research can determine will be the most successful.
So rock on, mi amigo. Holler and shout and call out the rats-with-boners.
But my money’s on the folks with the focus groups and white papers…
mikey
ITTDGY, yeah, I do. It’s just that…that guy shows up here about once every four months nowadays. Perhaps there was an Erik(TM) once, but he’s gone.
Because the spite level on this one leads me to believe that he’s not entirely a benign entity like our dear Ruppert.
The fact is, there actually was/is a real Gary Ruppert. Gavin/Brad even confirmed on Amy Alkon’s blog that Gary’s IP, an email address, and city of residence is known to them. The fact is, whether he’s been around here anytime recently is a different question.
Seeing how many Malfunctioning Glenn Reynolds Robot-length posts that fucker made, I’m not surprised.
Think what you want leftys. I really don’t care.
The only thing I care about is for Conservatives to control all branches of American government.
If you liberals are stupid enough to think I’m a parody then be my guest I’m not gonna stop you.
But remember this, on election day my words that I have spoken here are gonna bite you all in the ass when McCain is elected President.
You know what that will mean leftys? It will mean that even in this current political climate with Americans dissatisfied with the Republican party, a “progressive” will never have the chance to sit in the White House. Ever.
Erik Pontoppidan said,
August 21, 2008 at 1:53
I know this is irrelevent to my point but I just can’t resist. The guy who runs the blog you linked to, you know the one who claims to be a Christian and yet is a liberal? I got news for you, he ain’t a real Christian. Their is no such thing as a liberal Christian. The very phrase is oxymoronic.
You know, I’ve been dealing with people like you since I started blogging two years ago. Not only am I both a liberal and a Christian, I am married to a United Methodist clergywoman. I’m quite sure your head just exploded, but that’s OK – one less idiot in the world I have to deal with.
As for bayville’s comment – Kerry ran in inept campaign. Obama’s has been smart from the get-go. Kerry was the favorite going in to ’04, while I seem to remember a woman named Clinton being the front-runner this past year.
Yeah, I trust the American people. It’s called democracy. We should try it sometime.
Looky here leftys, yet another reason why Obama’s gonna crash and burn!
The fact is, regarding that article in that rag very few people read, I don’t think you want to ‘go there’ in terms of what organizations supporting a presidential candidate constitute and “indictment” of the candidate’s character. We could have a field day with all the right-wing Neo-Nazi, Skinhead, White Supremacist, Anti-Semite, Timothy McVeigh, and Abortion-doctor murdering organizations that would love to see a McCain presidency, and ask, “what does this say about McCain?”
Still wanna go there? We can see what they’re saying over at Stormfront if you’d like!
Yeah, but both Ruppert and Toby Petzold were always more pitiful than nasty. Annoying on the level of a gnat but rarely more than that. Even sometimes quite entertaining. Unlike really nasty unfunny trolls like America’s Memory and that other dude, Gordo or Gordon or whatever. And there’s some of them who I won’t even invoke, since I’m sure they regularly google themselves and show up wherever they’ve been mentioned.
But remember this, on election day my words that I have spoken here are gonna bite you all in the ass when McCain is elected President.
The fact is, I also predicted electoral doom for the Democrats in ’06. And, as my namesake did, when you’re prediction doesn’t turn out, we’ll never hear from you again, because you’ll be in the back of the same truck I’ll be in heading back to Tijuana.
Geoffrey Kruse-Safford said,
August 21, 2008 at 2:37
Erik Pontoppidan said,
Geoffrey, Erik died December 20, 1764. I believe you are engaged in mortal Kombat with one of our many parody trolls (but not Anne Althaus™³²®©, as I would know).
P.S. There might be only one parody troll. (The Highlander theory.)
P.S. There might be only one parody troll. (The Highlander theory.)
I thought that was known as the Unitary Troll Theory.
Grand Unified Troll Theory (GUTT).
I’m still waiting for my thesis committee to meet.
But my money’s on the folks with the focus groups and white papers…
mikey, I kinda had a similar thought a while ago. But shit, when Nate Silver’s projection goes from +80 EV’s to +25 EV’s, it makes me nervous. The trendline is bad and I’m getting skittish. But I gotta remember that this Team Obama is not a bunch of chumps – Mark Penn is nowhere near that operation.
So, I’ll take your advice and keep on with my schtick – and let people who have shown that they know what they’re doing, do it again.
I’d kill Erik and Gary for a sandwich, right about now. Literally.
Also, John McCain is an adulterous wimp who would vote for a 3rd Bush term if there was tape rolling.
Ooooh, Maverick!
P.S. There might be only one parody troll. (The Highlander theory.)
What are you talking about? What about that strange figure on the grassy troll?
I probably should have been more thorough in my post and added that, should the conventions come and go and Obama has not rolled out a serious media campaign, either targeted or national, I might have to rescind my current thoughts. Noting the ad that’s making the rounds today – the whole John McCain/Ralph Reed/Jack Abramoff thing – is a good, factual, hard-hitting negative ad, I still think I’m right; but events and time will out, as they always do.
No offense, Brad, but I think we just disagree right now. That’s all.
Okay “Erik” or Erik or whatever-
Well no, really, and that’s at least some tepid testimony to McLie framing the discourse; the Republican Party brand is absolute shit right now, so McLie is the “original Maverick” or, perhaps most importantly, “not the black celebrity/Marxist/Commie/Muslim/Satan.” And do realize the Democratic Party is actually taking a chance in this election…dude’s a black guy with the name “Barack Hussein Obama,” and this is not far removed from 2003 or 2001, even. Keep that in mind.
I recall hearing and even halfway thinking in 2002 that the Democratic Party was heading down a Whig-like path to self-destruction, that they’d never win any relevent election ever again, that they were a National Party No More(TM). Four years later and they cleaned the GOP’s clock in the midterms, and are at least posed to gain greater majorities in the Senate and the House (funny, you never see the dittoheads even mention that particular branch of government anymore). Shit happens, and shit happens quickly. Which is why declaring victory in fucking August when your beloved candidate by the great majority of measures is still behind a week after the eeeeevil candidate was on vacation is a little silly.
Also, Erik, you’re a lot more witty when I’m “Erik.” Just saying.
Dear ITTDGY™³²®©,
We need to see a convincing argument that your “Grand Unified Troll Theory” is a significant advance on existing hypotheses before we can make any progress on your research proposal. In particular, your theory appears to have much in common with the “one guy-slash-Gary Ruppert” conjecture expounded by A. Alkon & Crid.
I got Crid once from a woman at Bass Lake in Olema and I found the best way to get rid of it was to soak it in white gas.
I’m sorry. Is “white gas” racist?
mikey
Dear Committee,
May I cite Prior Fart?
Arky enthuses
Arky, after watching both candidates in an unscripted format, I’m looking forward to the debates too. I think the trend from this poll is looking very good.
Face it liberals. Your guy Obama is toast.
He wants to scrap National Missle Defense to spend more money on social welfare programs. The only thing the “Great Society” accomplished was increasing out of wedlock births.
With Russia once again causing problems on the world stage do you really think thats wise to do away with missle defense?
Another point in McCain’s column.
Being negative takes practice that Democrats lack. You can’t just run out there and say “McCain is old and crazy!”
Republicans spend a fair amount of time and research trying to figure out what people respond to. If Democrats are going to go negative they have to do do the same. It’s not enough to point out true negative things, you have to point out things that stick in a language that sticks.
The Republicans have a good thing going with this “elitist” nonsense and the Democrats have no real equivalent.
Arky, after watching both candidates in an unscripted format…
As I’ve suspected, yet another parody troll. Umm, I mean the same one as all the others.
McCain couldn’t even follow his fucking script without trying to
answer a questionblurt some talking points before said question was asked.Toothy, why do you h8 aMurka?
Look, leftys. You obviously can’t see it from where you’re sitting in the Obamarama cult compound, but us clear-headed conservatives know which way the wind is blowing, and it’s to the right.
The left can’t even agree what affirmative action candidate to choose to lose against President McCain in November. What makes you think they can govern a country without turning it into a Marxist hellhole?
Erik recounts,
Damn, that’s funny, even though it’s a bit late.
I’d kill Erik and Gary for a sandwich, right about now. Literally.
Heck, you wouldn’t even need to bribe me with a sandwich– the satisfaction of making Erik and Gary (and let’s throw in the CUM dumpster and Troofie too) appear to have perished in an autoerotic asphyxiation circle-jerk gone tragically wrong (thanks, Butch) would be reward enough.
Nah, just have the four of ’em set up a Lima Papa about five hundred meters uprange and operate at fifty percent alert all night, to report traffic and movement.
The next morning, they will NEVER ever again be the same arrogant little boys. They will have learned things about themselves, the world and fear that they will never again have to relearn…
mikey
Does singing “Moon River” feature in this little Gary-on-Erik fantasy, mikey?
Rope. A. Dope.
The only important battle is the last one.
Could the “I want more spitting and punching” crowd please admit that it is more for their own egos then about actually running a campaign?
owlbear1 said,
August 21, 2008 at 6:04
Could the “I want more spitting and punching” crowd please admit that it is more for their own egos then about actually running a campaign?
After you, Gaston.
Please explain, iffy?
Only if you blame it on a member of an oppressed minority.
Alphonse and Gaston are very polite, owlbear1. I’m not sure if they ever won a campaign, though.
Here is how see it. Spewing Bullshit about McCain only serves to give the Hissy Fit Repucblican Professionals ACTUAL evidence of victimhood. Right now they have to ask every to shove they heads up their asses and twist to understand why they are so hurt.
Start making bullshit and spurious accusations against McCain and that ceases to be true.
What do you hope happens?
Checking back in, I see that 1) the liberals are indeed very worried about how Obama is doing in the polls and 2) Nelson seems to be having some kind of flashback. Can’t one of you grad student types go bell the cat and shove Nelson’s medication down his gullet?
And as always, your First Lady – runnerup
“There was no doubt in my mind that as a member of the black community, I am obligated to this community and will utilize all of my present and future resources to benefit the black community first and foremost.” – Michelle Obama
See, professional victims.
What do you mean “it’s late”? Are you trying to forment divisioniveness in the right, The Truth? I don’t appreciate your socialist subterfuge, pretending to be a red-blooded conservative just to make fun of me.
More 4 News had an interesting take on this last night. They essentially laid the blame at the feet of disaffected Clinton supporters who had shifted their support to McCain, a la Agent Flowbee et al.
I don’t know if this is true, that disaffected Clinton voters are having an impact in the opinion polls, it seemed to be more of a guess than having any actual research behind it, but if it is, then it seems to back up Brad’s idea that spite is a really motivational force.
Because lets face it, there is little more spiteful than a bunch of women (all of those interviewed were women) voting for someone who doesnt back equal pay for women and has (IIRC) recently come out against abortion, because your candidate lost.
No more than “white papers”.
Setting aside for the moment your blast-from-the-past sexism — do you have any clue what you’re talking about? Perhaps it’s that your attempt at sarcasm is so clumsy it’s hard to know exactly what you’re trying to say.
The PUMAs don’t exist – they’re a handy cloak for Diebold though. Everyone enjoys a good round of “fuck those emotional bitches.”
Setting aside for the moment your blast-from-the-past sexism — do you have any clue what you’re talking about? Perhaps it’s that your attempt at sarcasm is so clumsy it’s hard to know exactly what you’re trying to say.
Well I managed to parse it on the second try, but that my be due to my near pathological loathing of McCain. This is another one of those context things – when you start off with “There is little more spiteful than a bunch of women” you better have a humdinger of a closer. Preferably something that doesn’t point out how they constantly nag me about my dirty socks.
Also, are we still spite-ing the vote?
I’ve got something in “you know who’s” link limbo but basically it boils down to:
Interviewer: How many houses do you own Senator McCain?
JiSM3: Ummm, I can’t really recall – I’ll have my staff get back to you on that.
McNizky
My badly made point was the people interviewed by More 4 News were Clinton supporters, who claimed to predicate that support on feminist values, then organizing and prompting Clinton supporters, especially female Clinton supporters, to vote for McCain.
Whose support for women’s equality is, shall we say, not especially good.
I admit, that was a badly written comment, I had to do a hit and run because of stuff going on here, and should have taken the time to more properly word it, and I apologize for any misinterpretation of my position. My point was to highlight the hypocrisy and spitefulness, nothing more.
[…] 21, 2008 Sex Sells Posted by curv3ball under Uncategorized Brad LeRoque: I’m not saying Obama is doomed to lose the election. I’m saying he needs a change in strategy. […]
Cain: Well…all right then. But as Mr. Wangchuck points out, “When you start off with ‘There is little more spiteful than a bunch of women’, you better have a humdinger of a closer.”
After HRC gave up her campaign, my former blogging site was taken over by Clintonite nutballs and became so noxious with anti-Obama bile, generalized racism and hatred it was simply unbelievable. Seriously, the vilest Freepers have nothing on these freaks. My friends and I had to flee. We are all banned there now. This is serious fucked-upedness. The place is now rabid with PUMAs and ratfucking neocon eggers-on. I’ve just never seen anything quite like it. These are lifelong dedicated liberals who now proclaim their allegiance to McCain. I really am at a loss to explain such vitriolic harebrained identity feminism. And they of all people should know full well it’s this kind of rageaholism that only fuels antifeminist feelings in the usual sexist toolbags. FUBAR.
MzNicky deadpans
Congratulations, MzNicky! You now understand how Americans view liberals.
McNizky
Yeah, in retrospect that was very sloppy from me, and I should have seen how it could be taken. Especially since I am new around these parts, and so I don’t really have an established background or anything.
Looking at the sort of commentary at Agent Flowbee’s site, I sadly do not find your experience that surprising at all. I honestly find it both sadder and more shocking than the vile shit at places like Free Republic, precisely because as you say, these people are lifelong dedicated liberals.
I just cannot begin to understand the sort of mindset that places an individual candidate above the policies they hoped to promote. Any objective analysis has to come down on Obama being closer to Clinton than McCain on most issues. For a while, I did wonder if many of these people were simply GOP supporters playing at agent provocateur, and while I’m sure some are, there are too many people with established online reps who seem to have gone along with it.
I’m sure that for the most part, they are an online and very vocal minority, but still, I can’t help but worry that if they are organizing that they could have an impact. The worst part is, there seems very little that could be done to persuade such people to not vote for McCain. Except Clinton as VP maybe. And perhaps thats the goal. But it seems a very dangerous game to be playing at, if that is the overall plan, and I don’t think it is, for the majority of the Clinton supporters now backing McCain.
These are lifelong dedicated liberals who now proclaim their allegiance to McCain.
We may be well served in understanding the whole PUMA thing, so as to harness it for our own rat-fucking purposes. Remember that those who Heart Huckabee and the Dreamy Mitt Crew is not a small demographic – and as I recall, already more than a little uncomfortable with JiSM3. Also, McCain’s weak in defending against this, because to court mainstream voters, he has to distance himself from the fundies.
As Geoffrey said, he’s actually making the opposite point – & the Village Voice piece is pure bad-acid-school “journalism” although somewhat entertaining. If you REALLY need to wallow in a big bucket of despair, go check out what we’re doing to the Arctic instead: it’s August, 95% or so of America doesn’t give a shit what Zogby or anyone else has to say about Election 2008, & um, you DO know that polls can be (& are) manipulated to beat the band, right? If the folks paying for them want to create a trend, they just change the queries (or even the tone of voice used) to tip the numbers the way they want them.
The only way McCain can gain a few lousy points (while still failing to gain a lead, even with a gift-wrapped box of active Russian firepower dropped in his lap) is if the other guy’s on vacation, & you’re buying stock in sackcloth & ashes. What is wrong with this picture?
“There was no doubt in my mind that as a member of the blackAryan community, I am obligated to this community and will utilize all of my present and future resources to benefit the blackAryan community first and foremost.” – Michelle ObamaThe Truth
Fixed.
Hey, what happed to my strike-throughs? They looked good in preview.
Replace “black” with “Aryan” and “Michelle Obama” with “The Truth” and you will get the same result.
Um, except that Michelle Obama actually, you know, wrote the comments that I quoted. And she is attempting to become the First Lady.
Also, are we still spite-ing the vote?
And just in time, a new ad from the Obama campaign on those houses.
Someone should tally up and make and ad about all times McCain says he’ll have to check with his staff. He did the same thing when asked a couple of weeks ago about his voting record and position on family planning. I’m sure there are more instances.
David in NYC: Use the term “strike” and it will show properly in the final version of your comment.
Wielding his trusty sword Nonsequitor, The Trout has schooled us ignint librulz – YET AGAIN.
Wow, I didn’t know that “First Lady” was an actual office that one “attempts” to obtain! Uh oh, Michelle’s plainly suffering from a major Botox Gap. Give up all hope right this minute, all you Mao-lover secular humanist Islamofashionism-appeasers … Cindy is Teh ONE!
Now THOSE are gonna be some debates worth watching. Is there perchance a wading-pool of lime Jell-O involved, as well?
Jim,
I think Americans aren’t thrilled with the idea of a First Lady who openly hates white people. Why do you think the Obama campaign has more or less shut her up, other than a pathetic attempt to rehabilitate her several weeks ago on Oprah?
Michelle is a huge negative for Obama; are you going to pretend that she isn’t? Man, we haven’t even started on that story yet, but it’s coming, liberals, it’s coming.
As for the debates, maybe you should be Michelle in there; Barack is starting to look pretty weak away from scripted speeches.
Um, I’m just answering here, because the idea of letting Truthy’s shit sit there with no reply makes me feel kinda sick.
Troofy – when you make claims like America hates Michelle Kill Whitey Obama, it’d be nice to have some sort of back-up for that claim. Some sort of linky thing.
That’s how it’s done on the intermatronic tubeworks.
Troofy, after going on and on about the power of the poll and laughing at people who dismissed them, it’s more than a little disingenious for you to cite the Bradley Effect.
And about the Obama campaign reeling in horror, I seem to recall that at the time Larry “I’ve got a tape!!! My contacts have a tape!!! Even if there’s no tape, the tape is still true!!!” Johnson was having his conniptions, Michelle Obama was guest hosting national TV shows.
Is she not getting the same coverage now as say, McCain’s Missing Houses? Well sure, but that’s not because Team Obama is hiding her – it’s because McCain’s Housing Problem is FUCKING HILARIOUS. If that’s the standard than Cindy McCain must be less popular than self-trepanantion. Which is apparently popular with me, since I’m still reading your comments.
To borrow a phrase, the fact is… that Michelle Obama is very intelligent, charismatic, well-spoken and extremely hawt. Will she be a liability for the Obama campaign? Maybe to racists and registered republicans (i.e. morans) but those folks were never going to vote Obama anyways.
Incidentally, the “uneasiness in my own heart” is due to my love of chili dogs. And my personal favorite polls analyst is marking the end of the MCCain swing right now – and the convention is still two days away. No, even ignoring the massive ground game advantage that Obama’s already built up, he’s held his lead in traditional metrics though the bad trendline, and now he’s got open space to build massive momentum.
[…] I said last week, “I trust the American people. It’s called democracy. We should try it […]
[…] I wrote this post in which I invoked the whole “rope-a-dope” analogy that managed to raise the ire of Brad at Sadly, No! I think my invocation of this boxing analogy has turned out to be wrong, however. While initially […]
[…] | Uncategorized | Brad at Sadly, No! didn’t like all my talk of rope-a-dope. Indeed, he did a “shorter” piece on me, in which he claimed that I wanted to lose the election. Now, Brad has written extensively this […]