A hint of hysteria in the air...

[Smarmie Doofus]

Since Kerry whupped Bush in debate #1, I detect a note of panic in Republican pronouncements generally. The attacks are meaner (Cheney in the Veep debate) more shrill, crazier than ever.

I think that THEY think they may be on the ropes ( I'm not so sure they're right).

The WMD report today should be another nail in the coffin.

Trouble is, I don't think K and the gang are exploiting the GOP panic effectively. For one, they should refer to it, (i.e. the panicky tone of the Republican campaign in the last week or so) DIRECTLY.

Today, for example, K's daily 15 second network soundbite was a critique of Bush's ridiculous response to the WMD report. K accused Bush of "spinning". But anyone persuadable by this sort of logic has been persuaded by now.

Of course he's spinning. But K's wasting his soundbite. Better point would have been that he's doing a *pathetically bad job* of spinning. Accusing him of "spinning" conveys the idea that he's in some way clever... right about the time that many folks are concluding that "CLEVER" is beyond him, and because of that, he's gotta go. Everyone, fan and foe, already knows Bush is a liar; what's the point of belaboring that?

K should be attributing all attacks to the GOP's precarious position. Effectively colors anything they say from now on. The shriller the attack... the better for the Dems. But the attacks have to be responded to effectively.

People in the USA may tolerate a simpleton in the oval office but an hysterical simpleton, I'd wager, is another matter.

Paul

[girl gone mad]

1. They're on the defensive..

and we all need to work to keep them there.

[pfitz59]

2. To paraphrase: "Shrill, stupid and shaking.......

is no way to go through life!" Dean Wormer to Bush*!

[Lex]

3. Things are going to get really mean for the next 3 weeks. Really mean.

From the Repukes.

I'm hoping The K/E campaign is braced for it. I think they are. Lesson learned from the Swiftboat Smear.

[Julien Sorel]

4. They are taking a beating.

I'm worried about peaking too soon now. DU has been a reliable contrarian indicator, and right now a whole lot of people are acting pretty cocky. Contrast that to a month ago, when everyone was pointing fingers, yet the meat of the campaign had obviously not been reached. There's still 4 weeks to go, and there's been a tsunami of bad news. The odds are, that can't continue. If Bush can limp through the debates without knocking himself out, he still has a ton of money to spend making attacks on Kerry. And he's still in office. He demonstrated with yesterday's "major policy speech" that he sees nothing wrong with abusing the presidency for political purposes, and he will do it again if Rove can think up a way.

[janx]

6. Can't continue? It has been continuing for three and a half

years!

[checks-n-balances]

5. You make some great points - I hope some Dem higher-ups are listening!

Er, I mean, reading!

[Roland99]

7. Rash of Bush/Cheney yard signs in the last week here...

I've seen a huge spurt in Bush/Cheney yard signs in the last week.

It started right after the debate (which Bush embarrassed himself immensely)

And, the yard signs are in conspicuous areas...homes near entrances to office parks or shopping centers or on subdivision cut-throughs to major thoroughfares (ie.- high-traffic areas.)


They are SCARED people! The Bushies are SCARED!!

[NJCher]

9. Me too, Roland

I've hardly ever seen any Bush/Cheney signs in NJ. But last week I saw some sprouting up, mostly in the yards of the wealthy in the lakefront homes in Morris County. Saw three last weekend.


Cher

[KoKo]

11. hey NJCher...I used to live in Princeton area about 12 years ago...I'm in

NC now where Kerry/Edwards are running all over Bush/Cheney. I still have friends there in mid-NJ and they just love BUSH...feel he keeps them safe...and I can't deal with them. I'm here in a Red State wondering how my former NJ friends are worse off than me here in NC...:-(

It's all very odd. I think it's 9/11..at least that's what they keep throwing at me...because NJ was so close to it all.

I think that those of us removed from it maybe aren't connecting with the "fear level" up there in NY,NJ,Conn. (all states I've lived in, too, btw, but when they were more liberal..way back). Maybe that's why Chimp/Cheney dwell on fear..they know it sells in former Dem areas because 9/11 is still there with neighbors and friends lost forever?

:shrug:

[tuvor]

8. Stopped reading at "Kerry should..." n/t

[kaitykaity]

13. I'm making that my policy from now on as well.

That's a good bumper sticker.

:)

[NightOwwl]

10. "Bush is in denial", "Bush lives in a fantasy world"

"the president of the United States and the vice president of the United States may well be the last two people on the planet who won't face the truth about Iraq."

Gee, if Kerry keeps repeating sound bites like that, people might start thinking....

BUSH AND CHENEY ARE INSANE!!!

Sheesh :eyes:

[maine_raptor]

12. Except for one thing, I think you have a valid point.

Timing.

This would be very effective AFTER a poor Bush showing in Friday's debate. It would also ratchet up the intensity a notch, but would be worth it because it counters Bush's inroads into "Security Moms".