Bush camp executes media game plan

[UpInArms]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/2458497

WASHINGTON -- President Bush's re-election campaign is following an aggressive and precise 90-day media strategy to define Sen. John Kerry as indecisive and lacking conviction, with a coordinated blitz of advertisements, speeches and sound bites, senior campaign advisers said this week.

The goal, several campaign aides said, is to first strip Kerry of the positive image that he carried away from the Democratic primary contests and then to define him issue by issue, in their own harsh terms before the summer vacation season. The central thrusts will be national security and taxes, they said.

The aides said the strategy was planned weeks ago in close coordination with Karl Rove, Bush's chief political aide, while Kerry was battling for his party's nomination.

...more...

I wish these "news" media pricks would not use the term "re-elect" - it gives the false impression that this POS was ever "elected" - he was not - he was appointed. :puke:

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. The good news is...

...Rove & Co. had all that time to plan, and so far, everything is backfiring on them. One thing we can say for certain, the Bush Administration isn't good working out of plan which is what they'll have to do if this media blitz fails.

[saigon68]

22. This picture won't help

[Mountainman]

2. wingnut talk radio is part of this plan

It is working to some extent but Bush's negetives are too great to overcome I think .

[dusty64]

12. Wonder why hate radio

and fux isn't subjected to the campaign finance rules that the extreme right is trying to use against groups like MoveOn.org? Seeing that they are but propaganda arms of the rethugs, shouldn't it?

[chelsea0011]

3. 90 days of "slash and burn" baby

Trust me on this. Governor Weld tried this when he campaigned against Kerry. He was successful early but when the real campaigning started Kerry clobbered him.

With 100 million to blow, the repubs may make some poll gains but it will be temporary.

[nodictators]

11. If Kerry doesn't fight back now, he'll be dead meat by June

Kerry has yet to respond to Bush's false charge the he voted against body armor for the US soldiers in Iraq.

A presidential candidate who doesn't defend himself will be seen by many as a person who won't defend the country.

Remember too, what happened to former Sen. Max Cleland and Sen. John McCain. Both were war heros. Both were defeated.

Kerry has to rebut Bush's false changes and make devastating counter-charges. Leaders have to be willing to use force, here forceful rhetoric.

Bush has more than the right-wing talk shows on this side. He most of the corporate media, especially TV and radio, on his side. They can and do lie on behalf of Bush. For instance, both NBC and CBS hammered Kerry on the body armor issue.

The truth about "body armour" is that Bush sent tens of thousands of US soldiers into Iraq with Vietnam-era flak jackets, not body armor. The flak jackets offer little protection against bullets fired from AK-47s, which are commonly used by "terrorists" in Iraq. Modern body armor provides excellent protection against AK-47 bullets. Why won't Kerry say this?

[54anickel]

4. What a bunch of crap. Is it true Shrub is up in the polls?

Urgent timetable, redefine, ill-defined, window of opportunity - bunch of crap!!!

We just see this as the greatest window of opportunity, not that there won't be others," said Mark McKinnon, Bush's head media strategist. "It's easiest to define somebody when they're ill-defined, and John Kerry's ill-defined."

The Bush aides pronounce their efforts a success thus far, and point to polls showing that Kerry's ratings are dropping while Bush's are rising, a huge relief to Bush's campaign, which just a couple of week was criticized even by some Republicans for appearing flat-footed.

snip>
So far, Bush's campaign has spent nearly $20 million in advertisements while Kerry has spent nearly $2 million since effectively clinching the nomination on March 2.

Oh yeah, and that doesn't include all the freebies he didn't have to pay for, like that HHS BS put out about Medicare and the actors in the staged press releases and the turkey trip, and, and, and.....

Let's just impeach the little idiot and be done with it.

[UpInArms]

6. don't discount all those hours

that are "donated" to *Co courtesy of Limp-Bagh, InSanity, O'Really, Savage, et al

:puke:

[54anickel]

9. Ohyeah, I try not to trouble my "beautiful mind with" -

such Repugsive thoughts. :evilgrin:

[lancdem]

13. Two polls out today have him running even with Kerry

That's not good for an incumbent president.

[Frodo]

5. "planned weeks ago??" Try "DECADES ago"

"Democratic candidate" is "a tax and spend liberal", "weak on defense", "weak on crime" and "wants to take your guns away".

Works almost every time. And it doesn't help if we concede one or more of the points.

[54anickel]

7. Just from personal experience, I think the "take your guns away" has

lost some of it's punch. My B-i-L and his buddies are avid gun collectors (gun nuts and card carrying members of the NRA). They have all dropped that mantra. It's not that they believe the Dems have changed their stance - they believe it doesn't matter, Dem or Repug, when they want your guns, they'll get them. Say the gun issue won't sway their vote either way (they are preparing for much worse, especially after that Tommy Franks comment on "martial/military law" - they are a scary group).

Tax and spend vs borrow and spend - that one is dying as well. Hear the borrow and spend quite a bit from the Shrub supporters I used to work with.

Weak on defense and crime are still biggies though.

That's what I am seeing in my little corner of the world. All anecdotal for sure, but I think times are a-changin'.

[Frodo]

17. I wouldn't say so. I'd say we gave up the issue.

You don't see a lot of "gun control" candidates out there. We "lost" this battle in the court of public opinion some time ago.

These days (except in the most liberal of districts) our candidates all say "I support the 2nd ammendment" and at most try to "close gunshow loopholes" etc.

Have Kerry get up there and say (as the previous administration argued in court) that the 2nd ammendment does NOT protect the "right" of the individual to keep and bear arms (that it is instead a corporate right) and you can kiss the White House goodbye for another four years.

[Chitown_Dem]

8. They've forgotten

that old adage about glass houses.

And they keep insisting that this is all about image (Bush's "positive" image vs. Kerry's "negative" one), but I don't believe it will work. Most people know the difference between perception and reality and telling us something is true when we already know it to be false is an insult to our intelligence.

Kerry's team should keep pointing out how the Bush campaign has absolutely NOTHING to run on except fearmongering and negative attack ads. All Kerry needs to do is keep them on the defensive. There is PLENTY of fodder there.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Welcome to DU C_D.

:hi:

[lancdem]

15. Yep

and this election will be about the incumbent's record. It always is.

[leesa]

14. What has changed about the strategy? Purchase the outlet and the

reporters and they will lie for you 24/7. No change there.

[kentuck]

16. Kerry needs to explain that this is a big money, negative campaign...

against him and tht Bush and Rove admit that is exactly what it is. They are not trying to hide the fact that they are going negative in order to tear him down. That fact needs to be front and center.

[Dr Fate]

18. Kerry needs to start INSISTING on "Man to Man" Debates...

"The Amercian people are tired of these finger-pointing ads,
When ever Bush wants to come out from behind his TV commercials and debate me man-to man, I'm ready.

This country is not going to have a TV ad sitting behind the desk of the Oval office- and they derserve more than this from us.

So Bush, how about tomorrow night at 8:00PM sharp?- I'm ready when you are."

[kentuck]

20. Good advice, Dr Fate!

The only way the people can judge is to see these men that would be President face to face. They deserve more than a nasty ad.

[mrdmk]

19. He is a taste of the crap we will knocked with

<snip>
Former Sen. Max Cleland is the Democrats' designated hysteric about George Bush's National Guard service. A triple amputee and Vietnam veteran, Cleland is making the rounds on talk TV, basking in the affection of liberals who have suddenly become jock-sniffers for war veterans and working himself into a lather about President Bush's military service. Citing such renowned military experts as Molly Ivins, Cleland indignantly demands further investigation into Bush's service with the Texas Air National Guard.
<snip>

Here is the link:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/ac20040212.shtml

Ann Coulter is up to her manly name calling at this point of the game. Of course name calling is a last resort to building a line of reasoning. This is the Ms. Coulter that we know and love, out on the fringe.

[otohara]

21. LAPDOG media will oblige w/ master & commander

since most in the media make pretty good money...must hold on to tax cuts...must obey Karl Rove.