Bush Advisors, with Eye on Dean, Formulate ’04 Plans

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25 — President Bush's campaign has settled on a plan to run against Howard Dean that would portray him as reckless, angry and pessimistic, while framing the 2004 election as a referendum on the direction of the nation more than on the president himself, Mr. Bush's aides say.

Some advisers to Mr. Bush, increasingly convinced that Dr. Dean will become their opponent next fall, are pushing to begin a drive to undercut him even before a Democratic nominee becomes clear. But others said the more likely plan would be to hold back until after the Democratic contest had effectively ended, probably no later than March.

As a Bush strategist put it, Dr. Dean's rivals are "doing a great job for us" with their increasingly tough attacks on him.

"Voters don't normally vote for an angry, pessimistic person to be president of the country," Matthew Dowd, a senior Bush adviser, said as he pressed the anti-Dean theme this week in an interview at Mr. Bush's re-election campaign headquarters. "They want somebody, even if times are not great, to be forward looking and optimistic."

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/26/politics/campaigns/26REPU.html?ei=5062&en=f70dde43205be535&ex=1073019600&partner=GOOGLE&pagewanted=print&position=

[w13rd0]

1. Looking forward and optimistic?

Sure Bush is, he's holding the cards, his friends are getting the contracts, not his kids getting killed, breathing the befouled air. If he wants to lob charges of anger and pessimism, we'll show that son of a bitch RIGHTEOUS ANGER and a heaping of HOPE and a WILL to overcome fraud sons a bitches like him.

[Aloha_Texan]

15. Why its OK to be angry

I'm in agreement on the issue of "FURIOUS ANGER". Granted, it may not be the best strategy to reach out to independent voters during the general election but now during the primaries I think being the candidate of liberal anger is a fine idea.
We cant allow the repubs to claim it's somehow unamerican or wrong to be angry. Hell I'm f'ing angry, and so are many of the other hardcore dems I know. Many of the party insiders failed to notice the base was getting really pissed off and kept doing things the moderate way (like giving bush the power to invade iraq and failing to critisize that bastard untill it was the primary season). This just managed to piss the base off more.
I'm not an angry dude and dont advocate getting to worked up often but seriously now we have very justifiable reasons to be angry.

1. Our leader made up excuses to start an unjustified oil grab in the name of "national security".

2. We have lost more jobs under Bush the Hoover and those who have jobs are working longer hours for less pay then before, despite improved technology. They can sing about GDP all day but people care about how things are with jobs more then they care about how much crap we are pumping out.

3. MASSIVE DEFICITS AFTER CLINTON FINALLY BALANCED THE DAMN THING.

4. Increased corporate control of the media that leaves lefty opinions out.

5. The administration's steadfast reluctance to work with the world community.

Quite frankly I could go on and on but these five in particular make me seriously pissed. Bush's people can try and claim that anger is unbefitting of a candidate all day but I dont think FURIOUS ANGER has ever been more justified.

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore"

Merry Christmas :D

- Aloha Texan

[Lugnut]

18. Yep!

That's pretty close to about how damned angry I am.

Welcome to DU, Aloha_Texan! :hi:

[kentuck]

32. He will grin and smirk....

and say that he doesn't know why the Democrats are so angry. They could better spend their time trying to solve the problems our nation faces and laying out a vision for the future.

He's going to continue doing his job and let others do the politicking and name-calling. And that will sell to the "average" American, whether we like it or not. And that is why we need a strategy to counter this strategy of the Repubs.

[dawn]

33. I don't see Dean as angry

I don't think he comes off as angry. A bit blunt, perhaps, but not angry.

But perhaps our strategy should also portray the Dems vision of a glorious American future, rather than just point out what's wrong with Bush? I think the latter is important, but we should be prepared to accentuate the positives we will bring to the nation.

[Shadder]

2. Let me guess...

Lie, Lie some more and if that don't work lie again.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Well, well, seems Dean is getting the nomination

but Dean a LEFTY? what are they smoking

He is center right and far closer to oh Kennedy

[w13rd0]

4. Yes, but you see...

...he might let lefties SPEAK! He might even insist that not all media speak with the same right-wing consumer-yes civic-no voice. Heck, what happens then? It's taken them a generation to manage the social engineering they've accomplished thus far, certainly we don't want that threatened.

[LiberalTexan]

5. yup, and..........

"Voters don't normally vote for an angry, pessimistic person to be president of the country," Matthew Dowd, a senior Bush adviser, said as he pressed the anti-Dean theme this week in an interview at Mr. Bush's re-election campaign headquarters. "They want somebody, even if times are not great, to be forward looking and optimistic."

Voters don't normally elect a retard for a president, either....as evidenced by the 2000 election. I'm sure Mr. Dowd would like to review that...

[w13rd0]

8. What's funny...

...is review what Bush was saying in Campaign 2000. Certainly didn't sound all that hopeful to me. Sounds like Bush wants to actually sit the election out because his record might not mesh with his message...

[Greyhawk]

22. Sun shining on their faces

I heard Chris Matthews say that Americans tend to vote for the candidate who most appears to have the sun shining in his face (that is, with an optimistic attitude). Clinton had that over Bush-I for sure... That's what the article is really addressing...

If you're a voter listening to a candidate and not paying close attention to issues, you tend to vote for the guy who says "happy things". Who will do that better: Dean or Bush?

[bobthedrummer]

30. Voters aren't used to the SCOTUS throwing a Florida election either

that installed this administration IMO.

[Demobrat]

6. So it's the angry, pessimistic strategy, huh?

I love it. They can repeat it ad nauseum, just like they did the Saddam/Sept.11 BS, but the difference is that once people hear Dean speak for himself, they will see for themselves exactly how "angry" and "pessimistic" he is. And when his message of hope gets heard, well, bye George.

[bobbieinok]

10. you assume people will be allowed to 'hear Dean speak for himself'

and that they will be allowed to 'see' who he really is.

REMEMBER: Gore basically had no skeletons in his closet so the media created 'Gore the serial liar.'

There was nothing that he said, no way that he dressed etc that was not discussed as nauseum in a way to make him look weird and unacceptable.

How many times has it been reported here at DU that commentators, debate moderators have worked relentlessly to trick/con any one of the candidates into saying something that their company can spend the next week spinning as a negative.

[Demobrat]

11. Yes, I am assuming that.

I'm assuming that his supporters will raise the money to fight back against the attacks, that he will be heard, and that he will take the fight to Bush. I'm not the slightest bit worried. Dean ain't gonna get Gored.

[formactv]

19. First time I ever gave

to a candidate was to Dean several months ago. It was only $25. If he is nominated I will send in $100. Not much really, but after voting for 30 something years, only Dean got me to pay anything. I suspect I am not unique.

[Robb]

21. True, but the flaw in their strategery

...is an easy one to exploit. IF (many if's in this sentence) Dean gets the nomination, and if the GOP's strategery is to go after his perceived negative attitude, all he has to do is be upbeat every time he's in the public eye. Which I expect he would be, anyhow. People would say well, they're painting him as X and he's acting Y.... :shrug:

[deminflorida]

7. The Ultimate Republican Wet Dream......

"Some advisers to Mr. Bush, increasingly convinced that Dr. Dean will become their opponent next fall,"

[Demobrat]

12. Now, now.

Didn't you mommy ever tell you sour grapes give you a tummy ache?

[madaboutharry]

9. Reckless, angry, and pessimistic

describes Bush. A reckless leader who sends American soldiers into reckless war, an angry dry drunk who reacts to the world from the darkest of places, and a pessimist who manipulates Americans with fear, robbing them of their civil liberties and basic needs while rewarding an elite clique from his own inner circle.

Forward looking, what the hell does that mean? Maybe it means that Bush is looking forward to controlling the natural resources of the Persian Gulf. It must mean that he is looking forward to installing a Theocratic form of government where the Constitution no longer applies, but rather the government is run according to the doctrine of the Old Testament. He must be looking forward to signing legislation that does away with such communistic ideas such as social security and Medicare. He must be looking forward to the demise of the public school system, a woman's right to control her own body, any form of environmental controls, or even regulations on the cattle industry - like maybe a cow should actually be healthy enough to stand up and walk before we allow people to eat it.

Somehow I think "forward looking" and "optimistic" might not be too tough for a democrat to run against.

[jaysunb]

14. Great Post !!

You said it all :toast:

[young_at_heart]

13. Power is all that matters to them

It's becoming more and more obvious that whatever it takes is what these people will do to have Power (with a capital P). What has created this unbalanced and vicious situation? I'm wondering how it's possible for so many Americans to be blind to the various manipulations that occur almost daily. I feel so depressed.....I want to be happy again!!!

[mouse7]

16. Yeah... Anger is bad, right?

Man 1: "You raped my wife, murdered my children, and stole my land and life savings!"

Man 2: "Anger is bad. You must control your anger. Nobody will like you if you are angry."

[Manix]

17. ..only when this loser is sent crawling back to Crawford will there

be real optimism in America again.

[auntpattywatty]

20. The key phrase being "referendum direction of nation "not on prezz ...

in other words "If you are against Bush, you are not patriotic" - same old stuff - but it has WORKED!! It is going to be an up-hill battle to fight this - I hope all our guys have a really good strategy for deflecting this.

[janx]

23. Chimpy & Co. won't even know what hit them.

.

[NashVegas]

24. Reckless? Oh Boy, Bring it On

And sit back and watch the flames when the 'Saddam tried to kill my daddy' sound bites get rebroadcast.

[shanti]

25. more shiny happy people

is what the chimp wants....too bad *ush, dean knows what time it is!!!

[RFKHumphreyObama]

26. Don't you just love how

Bush’s political strategists are having to come up with ways of duping the American public into believing that the world is becoming a better place, that the economy is booming and that things are looking up for America?

Four years ago, under a Democratic Administration, they actually were. Bush is trying to dupe the American people into believing they have what they previously had before he came to power. This, to me, is an admisssion of failure on the part of the Bush Administration -that they have to pretend that life was as good as it once was

[rman]

27. Dean seems to be optimistic about saving the US from Bush

-

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

28. Deciding?

This piece accomplishes exactly what they are purported to be mulling over.

And it didn't cost them a dime.

[missile_bender]

29. A better, more honest headline for the Times article would have been

"Bush to Ignore Issues, Start Mud-Slinging Campaign"

It's the best they can do without Willie Horton.

http://www.unembedded.com

[MGKrebs]

31. Bush strategy against Dean:

Terra alert! Economy is good!

Bush strategy against Clark: Terra alert! Economy is good!

Bush strategy against Kerry: Terra alert! Economy is good!

repeat ad nauseum.