Mom, He Hit Me: Dean's overhyped "attack" ads.

[unfrigginreal]

By William Saletan and Jacob Weisberg
Posted Monday, October 27, 2003, at 11:02 AM PT


"Did It" and "Iraq" were produced for the Dean campaign by Trippi McMahon & Squier.

From: William Saletan
To: Jacob Weisberg

Well, the Kerry-Gephardt machine is at it again. Two weeks ago, the New York Times outed the collaboration between John Kerry's campaign and Dick Gephardt's. Their common objective was taking down Howard Dean, who threatens to kill Gephardt in Iowa and Kerry in New Hampshire.

Last week, they struck again. Dean has two new ads on the air, one in Iowa and one in New Hampshire. The press is pouncing on him. "Dean's New Iowa Ads Attack Rivals," says the Washington Post. "Dean Becomes First in Campaign to Attack Fellow Democrats," says the Times. And look who shows up in the articles: spokesmen for Kerry and Gephardt. The Post quotes Kerry's campaign manager, Jim Jordan, saying, "No one here can remember any Democratic candidate going up with negative ads in October." The Times tells readers what transpired backstage: "an intense round of press releases, phone calls and e-mail messages from opponents' campaigns to reporters debating how negative the spots were. Mr. Kerry's staff quickly e-mailed the advertisements' scripts to reporters with the subject line 'Dean goes negative.' "

Do the ads live up to the hype? Hardly. In the New Hampshire ad, Dean says of Iraq, "The best my opponents can do is ask questions today that they should have asked before they supported the war." In the Iowa ad, he says of seniors' prescription drug costs, "Instead of fixing the problem, the best my opponents can do is talk about what was said eight years ago. … For years, the politicians in Washington have talked about health insurance and a prescription drug benefit, and all you got was talk. But in Vermont, we did it."

more...

http://slate.msn.com/id/2090319/

[Larkspur]

1. Dean's Ads get the most bang for their buck and are right on in responding

to Geppy's and Kerry's attacks.

Dean's ads are always this blunt and it has been effective.

[RetroLounge]

2. Yup, they're desparation is showing...

B'Bye and back to the senate/congress for you...

and take holy Joe with you.

[sendero]

3. if that's an attack....

... they'll both be crying in their teacups when Dean finally issues a real attack :)

[okieinpain]

4. I'm still trying to find out how the guy is liberal, whether he is or not

he's got my vote. I like a man with some fire in his belly. that's is what it's going to take to beat bush.

[denverbill]

6. It really doesn't matter, does it. Liberal, moderate, conservative?

They are labels. I could call myself a conservative who favors national health care and gay marriage. I could call myself a liberal who stands for cutting govt spending and being tough on crime.

Labels are meaningless. The only important thing is positions and records. I like Dean's positions on almost every issue. He is dead right about Iraq, then and now. He ran Vermont very well, including building a rainy day fund that's coming in very handy now.

So who gives a damn if he's the second coming of Newt Gingrich or the second coming of George McGovern: the fact is, I like his positions, and I like his record, and that's all that matters to me.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

7. You are correct. Dean's got the wrong policies for America.

That's what matters.

[LuminousX]

9. 100% Wrong?

Absolutely wrong. Dean doesn't have one policy that you support?

[killbotfactory]

5. They got Dean's ad played on all the news shows

by laying on this bogus charge, and caused more people to view the ad and think "what couple crybabies".

Good work, Kerry and Geppy!

[Speck Tater]

8. "President Dean"

Get used to hearing it. Get used to saying it.