Message for Obama and Dems: The Country Cannot afford Another President Who Lies
Here is the message that needs to get across in TV ads, Obama's speeches, and Biden's and many surrogates' comments: America cannot afford ANOTHER President and VP who lie to us (just as Bush and Cheney have often done). Turn McCain's transgressions into an act of perfidy against the country, rather than just "playing unfair." Tie McC and Palin to Bush and Cheney and, at the same time, present them as a threat now and for the future.
The lies of the McCain campaign have become so egregious that elites and the MSM are beginning to chide him. But let's not kid ourselves: that won't prevent the lies from affecting voters who pay only sporadic attention and cannot take time to explore full nuances. Thus Obama's campaign and the Dems have to turn this into a refrain about McCain HARMING THE COUNTRY -- becaiuse he, like Bush and Cheney, is willing to lie and mislead the public. Show us some clear TV clips of McCain lyiung (e.g., about Palin not sponsoring earmarks) and then state the plain facts. Follow this NOT with complaints about unfairness or about "McCain doing anything to win." Conclude by saying that a president who lies will mislead the country, not level with us, not lead us well in a time of trials. Lying hurts America -- that is the message to get across.
The complaining approach, saying that McCain will do "anything to win," probably backfires with voters who look for presidential candidates who project strength and determination to prevail. Obama and the Dems CANNOT merely appeal to the media for "fairness" and cannot talk merely about "playing the refs" (as if this were some kind of cool game). THEY HAVE TO TURN McCAIN's LYING INTO AN ACT AGAINST THE COUNTRY'S WELLBEING. Obama has to stop playing it cool and nice, but he does not have to get personally nasty. He can tell the truth: nothing hurts a democracy more than leaders who lie and mislead.
This should not be hard to say: HOW CAN A PRESIDENT WHO LIES REALLY BRING THE CHANGES WE NEED? etc. Americans realize, many of them, that Bush's lies about Iraq and the economy etc have hurt the country, so there is an implicit backdrop for this message. But it does need to be framed in terns of what is good for America -- and McCain has to be tagged as a mis-leader.
I am not an expert on political communication, so I am not sure exactly how to write the speeches and ads and talking points (don't we Dems have some talent who can do better ads?) But I do know self-defeating talk when I hear it. When Obama says repeatedly that "Republicans are not good at governing, but are good at running elections," he actually compliments them, in effect, for dirty tactics. (I want to throw something every time I hear Obama deliver that line about Republicans being good at elections .... What does he think the Democratic Party has nominated him and Biden to do? Campaign powerfully and win the election! No one governs in a democracy, however flawed, unless they win the election first!). Biden and Democratic surrogates, in turn, seem to be saying very little -- certainly they do not offer a chorus as Republicans do every day.
Come up with a simple, powerful theme about how dishonesty harms the country, please, and repeat it again and again, using different specific examples, each time McCain, Palin, and their campaign and supporters spread lies. Present yourselves, Obama and
Biden, as the true defenders of our nation -- the real straight talkers with effective solutions. Other ads and messages can put forward the solutions to the real-world problems. But deal with the McC lies, which are not going to stop, by telling all Americans in plain English why we have to care if would-be presidents lie.
I share your sentiment and I do believe that a different approach than the one Obama has taken needs to be tried.
Take note of this though. When Democrats say that a Republican is not good for America it is never as effective as when a Republican says that a Democrat is not good for America. Why? Because they have been chanting the mantra that THEY are the patriotic Party, THEY love America THEY support the troops, Republicans represent American values, etc.
We Democrats have not been able to get traction on that front for a long long time now. There is a history to this going back to the 60's "living-in-the-belly-of-the-beast" days.
All popular cultural trends throughout the world center around this "us" are special "them" are secondary (at best) meme (there I used that word!).
It is our very cosmopolitanism that they play against us.
So while I see where you are going with this (you want to rid yourself of the Democrats curse of being perceived as somewhat less patriotic than the Republicans) I think a straight turn around might not work since it would go against the popular perception that thinks otherwise.
I wish I had a short-term answer for this problem, but I can't think of one off hand.
On the other hand maybe a swift turnaround as you suggest IS a good start, but I'm afraid they have years invested in questioning our patriotism and it might take years to disabuse our fellow Americans from that indoctrination.
As an afterthought the effect of their incessant questioning of Democrat's patriotism has had an effect on Democrats themselves, alienating them from their own country and casting doubt upon themselves. I wish it were not so, but it is.
September 14, 2008 9:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Theda, this will not work as long as we allow the public to continue to believe McCain is an honorable man, an honest man, someone who really loves his country and gave everything for it. If all of that is true then your approach will be seen as an attack on an American Hero.
Unless we can paint McCain as something other than an American Hero we lose. Obama and Biden made major mistakes in praising McCain in their speeches. The obviously agree that McCain is an American Hero to be loved and honored. So, of course we should vote for him.
It is probably too late now for this. But, it is absolutely necessary to re-write McCain's biography in truthful terms. He truly is no American Hero and we have to drill that into every voters head 10 times a day until the election.
September 14, 2008 11:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
You forget they attacked Kerry--an American war hero--and got away with it just fine.
September 15, 2008 8:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Theda,
Here's what I came up with... Trying to use active voice, and trying to actively show leadership:
Obama: "Are you like me? Are you sick of what Republicans are doing to our country? Subprime Mortgages? Bailouts? Enron? Scandals? Well, join with me, and we'll throw the bums out!"
September 15, 2008 1:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah. Where ARE the surrogates?
Ed Rendell can hit Palen as a former mayor and current governor.
Gore can hit McCAin and Palen on their bizzaroworld energy ideas.
Bill? On anything?
Hillary? On Palen's qualifications and, well, just about anything else?
There also are several excellent female lawmakers and governors with serious standing, who can counterpunch Palin's qualifications and positions on feminist issues like equal pay.
Warren Buffet....? T. Boone Pickens....? The list is a long one.
My humble suggestion is that the campaign get a speaker's bureau organized yesterday, set up the communications plan, and put someone senior in charge of getting these folks to fan out over teh talk shows, to be deployable on an hour's notice to Cable TV and local news. That's what I'd approve my donations be used to pay for.
Speaking of which, it's another Monday and time to send another $25..... I can keep this up forever...
September 15, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's hard to get everything said in a 30-second ad, but I'm thinking along the lines of...
Voice over -- the guy who narrates the Frontline episodes would be perfect: "In 2003, George Bush and Dick Cheney lied to the country to get us to support a war with Iran."
Clip of George Bush: 2003 State of the Union (16 words)
Clip of Dick Cheney: "...we'll be greeted as liberators..." or some such nonsense...
Voice over: "These lies hurt our country and cost us billions of dollars. (Dark visuals of war, then cut to visual of McCain talking in slow motion.) "Now John McCain and Sarah Palin are lying to the American People."
Clip(s) of John McCain: "..."
Clip(s) of Sarah Palin: "...I said thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere..."
Graphics superimposed on the videos of (attributed) newspaper headlines/quotes like "not truthful" and "lies".
Voice over: "We cannot afford another President and Vice President who will lie to us."
"Paid-for-by" statement -- note, this does not have to be an Obama ad. This could be done by a 527 group.
I think it would be pretty effective. Two messages:
McCain/Palin are like Bush/Cheney; McCain and Palin lie.
-- ARG
September 15, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you are concerned about a president who lies, by all means, do NOT vote for Barrack Obama.
He has not been able to explain any of the following satisfactorily:
1. His stating that he did not vote "no" to the IL bill insuring that babies who survive abortion receive medical care when in fact National Right to Life found that he voted "no" four times. He called National Right to LIfe liars when they reported it and he still has not apologized, even after they produced documentation.
2. He stated that he voted against the war in Iraq while he was not even in the senate at the time.
3. He said that he went to church twice a month, but he claims he did not know Jeremiah Wright's radical positions.
4. He ran a completely dishonest aid suggesting John McCain agrees with Rush Limbaugh on immigration. The truth turns out to be that they do not have the same position and the excerpt he used in the aid was not used in correct context so as to truthfully present Limbaugh's stance.
5. Most of his ads have truth mixed with error.
An even better reason, however, to NOT vote for Obama is because he is not telling the nation the truth about the many taxes he has planned for us. A nation that punishes producers and gives handouts to non-producers will decline. It is inevitable.
September 20, 2008 9:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sorry about spelling ad, 'aid' in the above post. I don't know why I did that!
September 20, 2008 9:52 PM | Reply | Permalink