Why didn't the bush cabal pursue their usual inoculation gambit re: torture?

[leftofthedial]

Rove was the master at "inoculation." They could have disclosed some element of torture, included some false or illegal information, punished some flunky over the true stuff they leaked and used the false stuff to discredit their critics. --or did they think they did that with Lynndie England?


They used this approach to eliminate bush's DUIs, his cocaine use, his draft evasion and AWOL status, their own negligence (if not participation) in 9-11, each in turn of the shifting rationales for the illegal invasion of Iraq, the yellow-cake lies, the Plame outing, the failures and scandals of the illegal occupation of Iraq, and on and on.


But with torture, they made no effort at inoculation whatsoever.

How come?

[Taverner]

1. They thought they were going to win

I'm not sure why, but look at the Neocons right before the 08 Election - total assurance that they were going to be victorious

It would be interesting to know what happened behind the scenes...

[leftofthedial]

2. you mean, the fix that was in

either wasn't a fix, or wasn't really in?

[Taverner]

3. Perhaps

I really don't know what was going on in their heads

It could be that they didn't stack the deck in their favor enough, or they totally were caught by surprise by that whole 06 Election thing....

I would love to know someday though...

[annabanana]

4. They underestimated the margins of victory. .They didn't cheat

ENOUGH.

[EFerrari]

6. Gosh, I don't think so. The race they ran was prefunctory. nt

[Taverner]

9. I did feel there was a bit of Election 96 in there

But there were some true believers who thought the US would never elect a Black man too...

[EFerrari]

10. Well, when I first heard Obama was running, I didn't either.

Good to be wrong, sometimes!

[Taverner]

12. True. I thought that it would be much closer than it was

And glad it wasn't...if it were, we'd probably still be without a president and it would be tied up in the courts (shades of Coleman/Franken)

[EFerrari]

5. They were and are counting on the Democrats

to not go there after the Republicans were out of power. That's what our government usually does.

[babylonsister]

8. I think that, too, and pray we prove them wrong. nt

[leftofthedial]

11. I think the pressure from wacko far-left extremist Obama-hating puma liberals

who can't be trusted (like me) is the only reason we had memos disclosed and the semi-official passing of the buck to the AG.

[hugo_from_TN]

14. They know the Democrats won't go there because

they probably briefed several key representatives and senators on the interrogation techniques. This is the inoculation, and I'm pretty sure it will work.

[walldude]

7. Ego. They really believed that if they said it was legal

then it was. Their callous disregard for the law, well demonstrated in Bush's signing statements, made them think they were invincible. And the press gave them that invincibility. I think they thought the press was really on their side, now that there is blood in the water the press is starting to feed. Finally.

[CJCRANE]

13. Let's see how this UAE torture tape plays out.

Seems to me it's the perfect inoculation to keep the Repub base sweet.