Are the Democrats willing to bet it all on preemptively striking McCain-Palin?
There is a major difference between the Democratic leadership and the Republican leadership. Democrats fight the political campaign as if it were an intellectual, academic exercise. The Republicans fight like it is an all out war, a brawl for control of the neighborhood. While the Republicans are willing to risk it all to save their hallowed ground, Democrats prefer to fight in a clean war mode. Republicans fight as if their futures depended on the win. Democrats fight as if they are right and, consequently, for the sake of fairness, deserve to win.
On any disagreement, the Republicans grab their guns and start shooting …it’s war. The Democrats pause to think. What is the problem? What are the facts? Can we negotiate with the potential aggressor? How can we avoid conflict? Should we wait until we are sure that the other party means us harm …wait until the other party throws the punch?
The Republican model for America is to stand on the high ground, with back to the wall and beat the shit out of anyone who attempts to intrude on their [rightly or wrongly claimed] space. The Republican’s believe that all of America [for that matter much of the world as well …e.g., oil, gas reserves, other peoples’ affairs, etc.] is their [the Republican’s] space.
Republicans will stand-up and fight to keep that space. They will fight with whatever means available to win. Lies, cheating, stealing are all legitimate implements of war from their paranoid perspective. So we shouldn’t be surprised at McCain’s crossing-over from the failed candidate of 2000 to the Republican Party nominated [successful] candidate of 2008.
McCain drank the Karl Rove kool-aid. He believes. With the choice of the extreme right-winger Palin as his running mate, McCain now has the Republican Party coalesced around his candidacy. It is up to the Democrats to stop him…. It is up to the Democrats to bring out everyone in the Party, attract a bunch of the Independents floating around between the two parties, and even some on the fringes of the Republican Party who may be sane. Every vote will count [assuming Diebold plays fair]. It is only wishful thinking to believe that the Republican ticket will self-destruct.
The Republicans will continue to play a zone defense to keep Palin away from the Press. Tough questioning is unlikely to occur with Mrs. Palin sheltered within the protective custody of the McCain campaign. McCain can’t afford to have her off campaigning by herself because of her inexperience with McCain’s issues….He can’t afford to have her away campaigning on her own because he cannot withstand Mrs. Palin outdrawing the crowds at the expense of McCain himself. He’ll keep her close for her protection, but most importantly for McCain’s protection.
So how do Democrats fight? The answer can’t be that the Democrats stay in fight back mode. As long as the Democrats are in fight-back mode, the Republicans will lead the fight. The fight will be on the Republican Party terms. The Republicans will win if they define the battlefield.
So here is the advice for Democrats:
- Quickly, recruit some of the meanest, baddest political operatives that can be found [Carville comes to mind] to proactively counter the hooligans in McCain’s campaign. Set them on their mission to seek and destroy the McCain campaign. Stop it in its tracks.
- Go on the offensive with mind-boggling solutions for the nations problems [all those things that Bush, Cheney, and McCain have fucked-up over the last eight years]. Pump these solutions in advertisements, through surrogates, and in every speech / town hall meeting or other forum where Obama and/or Biden can raise an audience.
- Call-out McCain, Palin and anyone spewing bullshit in support of McCain’s election. Put Biden on the road …morning, noon and night …to hammer …hammer …hammer the character of the Republican candidates, the misstatements of the McCain campaign and its surrogates, the complete lack of credibility of the Republican ticket. McCain’s proclamation of change as a theme for his campaign must be squashed. The transfer of power from George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to John McCain and Sarah Palin is not a definition of change in anyone’s dictionary …not even the demonstrably false and discredited dictionary [W’s Definitions of Words That Inspire Right Wing Wacko’s, Moron Edition 2000-2008., Rove, Fox News, Association of Lobbyist. Washington, DC. 2008] of the far right.
- Cerebral campaigns don’t work …Gore / Kerry have proven that fact in 2000 and 2004 respectively. Hillary came close to doing so in 2008. American people don’t think as evidenced by the success of the Lottery, Las Vegas, reservation and riverboat gambling. The campaigns must be at the visceral level. Unfortunately, a noun, a verb and “X” work.
Obama must remember that he violates Democratic values only if he looses. He must drop the bombs [politically nuclear or conventional] needed. He must destroy the enemy [Republican Party’s candidates] in this war, and win this thing going away.
A failure, by the Democrats to win in this election, has the greatest ramifications of any election in my life cycle …Kennedy to present. The destruction of the Supreme Court, exacerbation of our failing relationships with other nations, further plunge of our nation into the throes of bankruptcy, a continuation of the never-ending pattern of wars …a nation of haves and have-nots …chaos may very well be our future with a McCain-Palin victory. It is up to Democrats to stop this nonsense and return the country to the rule of law, the hopes and aspirations of all the people, and end the slide to a nation for the privileged few.
Cross-posted at DailyKos.