Ignorance and Deception

[BloodyWilliam]

Let's face it. The Republicans/conservatives are kicking our ass propaganda-wise. Why? Because they're telling half-truths (and outright lies), being disingenuous and intellectually dishonest, and taking advantage of one unfortunate fact about the majority of Americans:

Complex issues are boring. They're hard to understand and almost impossible to get someone interested in if they didn't care much about them in the first place. Americans generally are willfully ignorant, much more eager to watch crap about Kobe, O.J., and Laci Peterson than watch news about the issues that actually affect their lives. Why? Because those issues are complicated, difficult to understand, and easy to manipulate into sound bites. And it doesn't help that every major media outlet shines a huge spotlight on the trivial celebrity crap, and gives almost no major attention to the decisions that affect our lives!

Why aren't we doing the same thing? As Democrats (for me, as liberals), we should stop trying to be totally factual and totally honest with the people. Frankly, they don't care. What we need to do is Willie Horton the hell out of the Republicans. We need sound bites based on half-truths that can be twisted in our favor. NO MORE NUMBERS.

Instead of "Dean proposes a ?% tax cut for the lowest ??% of Americans," how about just "Dean wants to cut taxes?"

Instead of "Unemployment is increasing, but the economy is growing," how about just, "Bush is the reason you're out of a job. What's the GDP if you don't get any part of it?"

We need to be better at sound bite-fu, because frankly, being the good, honest, well-spoken guys is NOT winning us votes. Most people just don't care.

It sickens me, but perhaps we do have to manipulate the public every bit as much (if not moreso) than the Republicans. Otherwise, we'll just be the righteous losers.

We also need to use this to make people realize that their votes do affect their lives. The difference between a Democrat and a Republican could be the difference between you having a job and you not having a job. The difference between a liberal and a conservative could be the difference between whether your child can see a doctor or not. The difference between a Bush and a Dean could be the difference between whether you breathe clean air or your children get asthma from exposure to smog.

The conservatives are waging a shadow war against the United States by manipulating them into thinking that they don't matter, that politics is too big for them to understand and effect and that no matter what they do, there's always something better on TV than the truth.

We're losing this war not because of our words, but because of how long our words are and how loudly we say them.

We need to speak a little shorter and much much louder.

It sickens me, but it seems that if we have any hope of seeing an improvement in this nation, we must manipulate the American people just like the republicans are.

We can't play nice anymore.

[elfwitch]

1. playing nice

I've pretty much always felt that it doesn't do any good to play nice/fair with cheaters. If you go in against someone you know it going to fight dirty, you cannot win by following the Queensbury rules.

I say let's re-hire Tony Schwartz (the Daisy Girl ad guy) if he is still alive and kicking and beat these jerks at their own game. They aren't going to start playing nice EVER, so why should we? Let's bring the proverbial gun to a knife fight.

[HootieMcBoob]

2. it's sad to say

but you make a really good point. those are also good pithy "bumper stickers" or soundbytes that could be used to good effect.

[BloodyWilliam]

3. We need to play by the bastards' rules. We need to be bastards ourselves.

The difference is that unlike the administration, unlike the conservative whores out there, we're actually idealists in our bastardness, not just craven, corrupt, greedy slime.

We need people to talk to newspapers, television networks, radio stations, and get on talk shows and and every other damn thing we can think of and start attacking with short, sharp, shocking statements.

"Sean, shut up. You're just a spoiled rich boy who hates to see poor people live. Bush has taken food out of the mouths of too many people, and it's going to stop now!"

"Bill, you're a bully and a thug, and you're going to shut up and give me a chance to speak. Bush's tax cuts went to the wealthiest of the wealthy, and almost no one else. That includes greedy little men like you and Bush. You came from a rich family in a rich town and Bush came from Kennebunkport. You did NOT come from a poor suburb and Bush did NOT come from Texas! He's more of a Yankee than me, and for that I'm ashamed!"

"Ann, you're a bitchy traitor who can't see how hypocritical she is. Dissent is what built this country and dissent is what will help this country. You're just a pathetic little Nazi blindly following the leader because you can't think for yourself."

We need to be fucking MEAN.

On edit: We can't be afraid of namecalling. They aren't, and when they call it on us, we need to point out that if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it's a fucking DUCK.

Most importantly (and we should USE this statement):

"IT'S NOT NAMECALLING TO SHOW YOU HOW YOU'RE KILLING THIS COUNTRY!"

[info being]

7. I like it.

If we talk like that, and stay focused on Value Propositions (what's in it for ME!) we will reach people.

Michael Moore had a chapter about this in his latest book.

[onebigbadwulf]

4. I agree

Davis had the filthiest dirtiest repuke-resembling campaign team and it got him elected 4 times even though he was an AWFUL governor!

We need those rabid dogs going for the jugular of the repukes. Give them the highest positions and watch the Bush admin crumble.

[BloodyWilliam]

5. We need sound bites and a place to shout them from.

"BUSH IS WHY YOUR JOB IS IN DANGER!"

"Bush is why you can't afford college."

"Bush is why your children can't see a doctor."

"Vote democratic and we'll make your life better."

"Vote republican and your job will go to Asia (and you won't go with it)."

"The republicans lied to you, and they're lying still."

"This country was founded on dissent."

[info being]

8. A few more

- Democrats are good for the economy.
- Democrats help you earn more money.
- Democrats use tax revenue on things that benefit you, not just go to the rich.
- Democrats support the military.
- The Democratic Party is the conservative party. Repblicans are radical loonies.
- Democrats are the Constitution-based Party
- Democrats are all about conservative, family values.
- Democrats represent hope, Republicans represent fear and hate.

Fucking pull the rug from under these scumbags.

[HFishbine]

6. Numbers can be numbing

And as far as Dean on taxes, he's seeing how his proposals are being painted by Kerry. He shoudl take a clue and adjust his message. He's been saying all along he wants to repeal the Bush tax cut. Remember though, it was the democrats who made the tax cuts more beneficial to the poor an middle class.

Dean should start saying, "I want to repeal the Bush tax cut that went to the wealthy and keep the democratic tax cuts that went to working Americans."

[eleny]

9. A little bit ago, my husband....

got off the phone from a lengthy conversation with a Republican friend. The guy just bought an enormous house that has two furnaces. And he was complaining that natural gas is going up in price by 70%. So, my husband just told him "Ask the Georges!" The guy asked him what he meant and hubby said - "Bush Sr and his shrub. They're in the energy biz!". And his friend was speechless.

So, I agree with you. Clever, accurate soundbites that make people think are a good thing.

[Nadienne]

10. "Brevity is the soul of wit." - W. Shakespeare

I think what Metallica said was true: "The empty can rattles the most." At this point, it can be said about the ditto-heads. I'm not sure if I'm really gung-ho about sinking to their level. I've heard of an idea of another party saying all the things Dems should say, so as not to smear the Dems.

But then again, we wouldn't be lying about anything. We wouldn't even have to exaggerate.

I wonder if the real truth is just so unbelievable. Hitler once said something to the effect that a mass of people is more accepting of a big lie than a small one... *sigh* Things are just too far gone.