Fact and Fabrication

[rpannier]

When I was in college (in the 80's), I worked for an advertising agency in San Francisco. What I got out of the job, other than a whole lotta cash, was that "If you can convince the public of something, it is true." Facts are irrelevant. Afterall, how do you know dog food tastes better or is new and improved?
This brings me to the shrubs. A majority of Americans still believe there is a link between hussein and al qaeda. Why? It could be a number of factors, mostly it's because they've heard it from enough sources, they believe it.
Most people probably believe that McCain was Kerry's first pick for VP. Why? Because they've been told that McCain was first choice.
It is up to us to get the message out. But, we need to write newspapers and tv/radio stations to get the word out. Air America is a great source. Encourage your friends to listen. Play it in your car. Play it on your computer at home when friends are there, instead of the tv.
Educate people. It will help prevent them from believing that the dog food has to be new and improved, because they've been told so.

[greblc]

1. What about Fear?

Don't "we" believe because we are afraid. Wasn't it fear that brought us to war. I agree to a point but doesn't there have to be something for the listener? Kind of a "What's this got to do with me" factor.

[sweetladybug]

2. greblc, whenever we are told something over and over and over

again, people start to doubt their own selves and believe what they are told over and over and over again. It's nothing more than brainwashing, and this bunch in charge of our country are good at what they do. If I had voted for Bush and finally seen through their lies and bullsh-t, I would be very very p-ssed.
ELECT KERRY AND EDWARDS 2004!!!!

[newyawker99]

3. Hi greblc!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[sendero]

7. I think you are touching...

... on a very important point.

Political lies have to have some kind of payoff in the listener's head. The RW is very crafty in making up lies that people want to believe, lies that reinforce their own view in some way.

The left needs to get on board with this technique, it appears to be very powerful.

[trof]

4. Something I posted about a month ago:

The (Joey) Bishop Gambit (not a chess move)

A 1967 movie, "Guide for the Married Man", consisted of a series of more or less tongue-in-cheek 'blackouts', or vignettes, showing how men could spice up their lives a bit by engaging in extra-marital 'activities'. One might say that it rode the crest of the wave of The Sexual Revolution.

In one of the more surreal segments (which could be subtitled "Deny-Deny-Deny") stand-up comedian and Sinatra Rat Pack member Joey Bishop is an apparently hapless hubby. His wife returns home unexpectedly to discover him in the marital bed with a scantily clad, well endowed young woman. She launches a venomous harangue.

As his outraged spouse is bombarding him with "How COULD you? You RAT, you WORM", etc., Bishop calmly goes about the business of helping the young woman dress and making the bed. All the while, he keeps up a running dialogue (monologue?) with his wife.

"I don't understand? What are you talking about? What do you mean? You saw WHAT? That's impossible!" And on and on. As the young woman slips quietly out the door, he says "What girl? Where? Are you CRAZY? Have you taken leave of your senses? What's come over you?"

By the time he has finished fluffing up the pillows and smoothing the spread his wife is convinced that nothing at all happened and whatever she thought she had witnessed with her own eyes was somehow a figment of her overactive imagination.

With the War on Terror, the WMDs, the invasion of Iraq, the torture of prisoners, the tax cuts and the economy, the environment, etc., I would posit that Bush*, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Rice, et al are using a variant of the Joey Bishop Gambit.
And many of us are falling for it.

[shoelace414]

5. Leno said McCain was his first choice yesterday

He so parrots the RNC's talking points.

[rpannier]

6. Leno is an RNC talking head. n/t