The key: Attack McCain's character.

[backscatter712]

Yet another mistake made on our side is to go purely on the issues - we're right on the issues, they're wrong on the issues.

When we do that, the public yawns.

Make it personal.

The Repugs do. They swiftboated Kerry, came up with all sorts of smears and lies that attacked his character - alleging he lied about his Vietnam service, alleging he's wishy-washy, alleging he's soft, etc.

We all know that the Repug attacks on Kerry are bullshit, but they worked, mostly because they turned the race into a soap opera.

That's what we need to do. Attack McCain's character. And the funny thing is that we don't even have to lie to do it.

Bring up Vicki Iseman, bring up his divorce with Carol McCain and simultaneous marriage to Cindy McCain. In other words, McCain's a philanderer.

Bring up his policy reversals - he's a flip-flopper.

Bring up his votes against veteran's benefits - in other words, he's calloused and doesn't care about ordinary folks.

Bring up his use of the c-word towards his wife - he's a misogynist. Bring up his statements on homosexuality and his infamous statement calling Asians g***s. In other words, he's a homophobe and a bigot. Show his angry outbursts - he's an uncontrollable psycho!

Show that he's a hypocrite. Show that he's dishonest. Show that he's senile. Keep it going!

ATTACK HIS CHARACTER!!! ATTACK!!! ATTACK!!! ATTACK!!!

[liberal N proud]

But he is a former POW

And he didn't have a kitchen table during those years.




:sarcasm:

[SuperTrouper]

3. Have the POW's attack him for discrediting them with his frivolous use of POW status

to shield him from criticism. Like Claire McCaskill said yesterday, the use of his status as a former POW is demenaing to the campaign

[Heather MC]

4. Also attack his record for Vets, let the Vets attack his record

a nice video of several different Vets attacking him would be very powerful
attack the fact that he fought so hard to keep his POW record sealed

[backscatter712]

6. Heard that on AM760 today,

Jay Marvin interviewed a vet who said that experience as a POW should not be mentioned frivolously, and that weaseling out of answering questions with the POW card dishonors his fellow veterans and POWs.

Now, if only we'd hear that on Olbermann...

[Heather MC]

11. I think they need a commercial of McCain telling a Crowded that all the

Vets association Back him
then have the screen go black with white text that ask Really?

Then showcase all the Vets Associations that do not back him

[Butch350]

1. The Obama Camp is going for the Kill in October...

[rucky]

2. His record with Veterans issues discounts his character.

that's the angle that has substance and hurts him where it counts the most.

[President Decider]

5. At this juncture, I agree. Even if it isn't true, MAKE IT UP! After all, that's what the GOP does

[backscatter712]

7. While we're at it, bring up McCain's opposition to the Truth Bill

That was a bill that was brought to Congress back in 1989 that would have required the Pentagon to release records on POWs from the Vietnam War, as well as WWII and the Korean War.

In fact, McCain opposed multiple bills that would have provided information to the public that might have helped families find out what happened to their POW/MIA members. Was there something that McCain wanted to hide about his captivity?

[DaveofCali]

8. McCain is a fraud

Thats to put it simply: He pretends to be a humble moral moderate maverick when in reality he is just another elite dishonest conservative politician.

[anonymous171]

9. Stop calling him honorable and stop talking about his POW days. He does that enough himself.

[TwilightGardener]

10. Agreed--he is of very poor character, even among professional politicians.

[smartvoter]

12. Add what he said about Chelsea Clinton to that. nt

[DaveofCali]

13. McSellout: if he sold out on his own values, how can voters trust him on his word?

Smash his image like that, that will hurt his image deeply.

[SteelPenguin]

14. We're always too Cerebral

it happens when you put all the smart people on one side...

You're right though. If McCain were our candidate, other than his issues, we know exactly what they'd be doing. Questioning his service. Questioning whether he collaborated with the Vietcong (the lefty version of Ann Coulter would go on diatribes about how he's still working for the communists he was so brainwashed). They'd call him an adulterer at every turn, a philanderer, a flip flopper. They'd call him senile, etc.

they'd be tearing him to pieces and distorting his policy positions, or outright lying about them.

The republicans know this is a no holds barred street fight and they have no problem using brass knuckles and throwing sand in their opponents face. Meanwhile we try and stick to our Tai Chi forms and get the snot beat out of us.

I want some Democratic Capoeira mixed with Grappling and Kickboxing.

[backscatter712]

15. Exactly! We need to villainize McCain!

Too many people think this is high-school debating club, where you're judged on the logical accuracy of your arguments, and picked apart through exposure of logical fallacies.

No. Most voters are too dumb, and have too short of an attention span for that.

What wins is soap-opera politics.

And part of successful soap-opera politics is tearing down the opponent by attacking not only his positions, but his character. Make him into the villain, with a twirled moustache!

If we can't do that, we'll lose, no matter how logical we are. We're on Planet Earth, not Vulcan.