WaPo: A Lipsticked Pig and the Politics of Perception

[AZBlue]

That said, it may not matter what Obama meant (or, in this case, didn't mean) to say as, in politics, perception matters more than reality.

Sensing an opportunity, the McCain campaign launched a "truth squad" headed by former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift designed to highlight the comment by Obama; "It's clear to me -- as I'm sure it will be to fair-minded Republicans, Democrats and independents across the country -- that Senator Obama owes Governor Palin an apology," said Swift on a conference call announcing the group's formation.

I think it's very appropriate that this woman's last name is Swift.
I HATE it when they tell me how to think. And they don't even disguise it anymore, it's right there in the open.

In this modern world of politics -- the 24 hour cable news channels combined with the power and the reach of the Drudge Report, which is heavily promoting the lipstick story -- perception often matters more than reality.

The McCain campaign has demonstrated over the past few months that they understand this "freak show" (as John Harris and Mark Halperin coined it in their book "The Way to Win") politics acutely.

From turning Obama's celebrity against him to this latest episode of taking a seemingly innocuous comment and transforming it into a national news story, the McCain campaign is effectively using the politics of perception against Obama.

It's a sound strategy given the major challenges in the political atmosphere for Republicans. The more McCain can make this race about personality and less about issue debates, the better the chances he has to win.

We need to fight "fire with fire."

Data from the latest Washington Post/ABC poll backs up this strategy. Forty-eight percent of those sampled said the candidates' position on issues is their main concern while 37 percent said the personal qualities of the candidates are their prime focus. Of the 48 percent who are "issue" voters, they go for Obama by a 56 percent to 37 margin; the 37 percent of "personality" voters opt for McCain by a similar 56 percent to 39 percent margin.

We can't just make this about issues anymore. Unfortunately that doesn't win over a certain percentage of Americans. And making it about personal qualities will win this election for us: Obama and Biden have honor and morals while McCain and Palin have none. And there are certainly plenty of examples that can be used to demonstrate this. We should never lower ourselves to their level and lie - but we won't have to because the truth about them is awful enough.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/09/a_lipsticked_pig_and_the_polit.html?hpid=topnews

[anonymous171]

1. Obama won't do it. So we will lose.

[Jane Austin]

2. Well, you lose, anyhow. n/t

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

4. You mean, the MEDIA refuses to do its job and scrutinize McSame on the issues

and on his and "The Puppet's" records, so we lose. Obama already has character and he already has the issues on his side. But it's the M$M's refusal to do its job which may cause us to lose.

[Skinner]

3. This is sickening.

Apparently, it is now the job of the media to tell the people that truth doesn't matter, and that perception trumps reality.

What if, instead, the media actually did its job, instead of trying to pass the buck?

[AZBlue]

5. I see the media as a bigger enemy in this election than the GOP.

[Plaid Adder]

7. Yeah. I love that "unfortunately..."

Like, "Well, what can WE do about it? We're just journalists! It's not like we CONTROL PERCEPTION or anything!"

Assholes.

The Plaid Adder

[WI_DEM]

6. the media in this country is becoming absolutely useless.

[tech3149]

9. You underestimate them

They're not just useless, they're destructive and complicit.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

8. Truth doesn't matter anymore............

Its become a situation of it sounding good in the media echo chamber.

[AZBlue]

11. Did you ever see the movie "Wag the Dog"?

There's a scene in which Anne Heche's character (Winifred Ames) shoots a TV. Dustin Hoffman (Stanley Motss) asks her what TV ever did to her and she replies that it destroyed the American electoral process.

I'm beginning to think she's right.

[alcibiades_mystery]

10. Uh, the data they provided shows that issues win for Obama!

Data from the latest Washington Post/ABC poll backs up this strategy. Forty-eight percent of those sampled said the candidates' position on issues is their main concern while 37 percent said the personal qualities of the candidates are their prime focus. Of the 48 percent who are "issue" voters, they go for Obama by a 56 percent to 37 margin; the 37 percent of "personality" voters opt for McCain by a similar 56 percent to 39 percent margin.

Issues: 48%
Personalities: 37%

ISSUES
Obama: 56% = 26.88% of electorate
MCcain: 37% = 17.76% of electorate

PERSONALITIES
Obama: 39% = 14.43% of electorate
McCain: 56% = 20.72% of electorate

26.88 + 14.43 = 41.33% = Obama
17.76 + 20.72 = 38.48% = McCain

Even if ALL the remaining "other" voters (15%) became personality voters at the same percentages, Obama would STILL win, according to their own numbers!

38.48+8.4=46.88 (McCain)
41.33+5.85=47.18 (Obama)

So how do these numbers "support the strategy?"