Terry McAuliffe - Listen Up - Inflate the Expectation Game for the RNC

[ruggerson]

You have to be all over the airwaves in the next week telling pundits what HISTORICALLY an incumbent president has gotten as a bump from his nominating convention. It is roughly 6% or higher. You can peg the number at expecting around a 10% bump, since the convention is so late, the emotion from the 9/11 anniversary, etc.

This has to be talking points for every Democratic politician who goes on a talk show for the next 14 days.

They played the expectation game with the Dems, so play it right back. When Bush gets less than 10%, the media can pronounce the GOP gala a bust.

I have yet to hear one Dem doing this. Their convention is rapidly approaching.

[Paradise]

1. you're right! n/t

[Catshrink]

2. The talking heads did this to Kerry....

and then blasted him when the bounce wasn't as high as they said it would be.

[ruggerson]

3. The talking heads followed the bait set by Bush/Cheney

Where the hell are our strategists and why are they not doing the same in return?

[Dickie Flatt]

4. we have strategists? [n/t]

[BillZBubb]

9. We sure do...

they are playing chess with each other as we speak. Of course, some are practicing their judo as well. Maybe they'll get around to the election some time soon.

[TheDonkey]

5. Do you think GE, FOX, Microsoft etc really care what our "strategists"

have to say???

Don't act too shocked that the media is pimping the rethugs while ignoring Democrats.

[KoKo]

6. If they were loud and agreesive enough to talk over the Repugs heads

the Media would care. They like a good fight. So far what Kerry's Campaign is sending out is like sending the Christians to the Gladiators.

[yardwork]

7. I expect no less than a twenty point bump!

Anything less will be miserable failure!

Twenty point bump. Twenty point bump.

See, we can do it too. Although it is nauseating. I don't know how long I can keep it up....

[Protected]

8. Matthew Dowd is already lowering expectations

He expects no bounce for Bush, but this is also the same guy that had the media echoing that Kerry would get a 15% bounce out of the DNC. (Matthew Dowd is Bush's chief campaign strategist.)

[indyjones1938]

10. expectations

I agree, and the same tactic applies to the debates.

Bush is going to play his down home, aww shucks, good ol' regular guy image for all it's worth. Rove wants to use Kerry's strength at debate against him. Kerry's detailed, fact-based and thoughtful answers will be deemed "elitist" and "intellectual" by the media, while Bush's "aww geez" answers and simple one-liners will be declared "masterful" and a "stroke of genius."