Reply #77: What a bunch of bullshit. This is insightful?

[NYC Liberal]

Candidates have marketed themselves in elections since ancient times. You think Greek and Roman politicians didn't use marketing? There is nothing wrong with it. How else would you get people to listen up to what you have to say and get interested in learning about your ideas? You market yourself in a debate, you market yourself though speeches, you market yourself now through television commercials and the internet.

Ms. Klein says: " the promises aren’t there, it’s really the emotions." She misses the whole point. The point of television commercials (as one example) is not to give a complete in-depth analysis of the issues, but to get people motivated to learn more about the issues and your positions on them. That's exactly what Obama did and if she simply looked at the ads and said "Huh. Interesting." and then went about her day, well that's her problem if she didn't take the time to go listen to his speeches - which were filled with concrete ideas and real plans.

I'm not surprised though, since the same people who only looked at a few ads and cried "empty slogans! marketing!" are no doubt the same people who are shocked that Obama is considering sending more troops to Afghanistan (not just opposed, but surprised that he's doing it) when he has never, ever been against the war there. If you only looked at a few 30-second ads and never watched all the debates during the primaries, never watched his speeches on the campaign trail, and never took the time to sit down and listen to an interview with him, you would be surprised at a great many things I'm sure.

And by the way, this trend of calling anything you don't like "corporate" and anyone you disagree with a "corporatist" - that's what's devoid of substance. It means nothing, it means jack shit. Rather than making real arguments, some people here on DU and elsewhere have taken to simply slapping that label on anyone and anything with whom and which they disagree with no argument or logical reasoning. We are supposed to take it at face value that calling someone a "corporatist" or "DLC" is a valid argument in and of itself.