War of Perception-How We Can Win It!

[goodwalt]

Bush has presided over the first net job loss since Herbert Hoover. Gas prices have hit all time highs. Each year's federal deficit sets a new record. Thousands of soldiers have been injured, and nearly a thousand killed in a war launched for reasons now known to be false. The environment. Corporate scandals. I could literally fill this page with example after example of dereliction and deceit. So how is it that the most inept and corrupt administration in US history is ahead in the polls? The answer lies in the adage that "Politics is perception".

Since Sept. 11, Bush has spewed forth a non-stop litany of tough-guy sound bites. Amplified through the unquestioning megaphone of our vapid media, Rove and company have saturated the American people with their message to the point that it is accepted by many as fact: George Bush is a "strong" and "decisive" leader.

This perception- this demonstrably FALSE perception- is all that they have to run on. Take it away, and Kerry wins in a landslide. Hell, if we can just SHAKE this image, Kerry wins in a landslide. The PROBLEM is that the perception is so deeply rooted. It is not reasoned. The image of Bush as "strong" is an emotional belief reinforced through ad nauseum repetition. If these people were susceptible to rational arguments, they never would have bought into the Al Queda=Iraq equation in the first place. Nor do I think we can "out tough-guy" them at this point, because they have too much of a head start. What I think MIGHT be effective however, is to present these people with emotional images that show Bush to be weak and indecisive.

Remember the footage of Dukakis riding around in a tank? Forget Willie Horton- for my money, THAT was the image that won Bush Sr. his election- and THAT is what the Dems need to start doing to Jr.

AD IDEAS

Those seven minutes of W reading "My Pet Goat" are money in the bank. A 60 second spot starts with Andrew Card leaning in to whisper to W. Voice over says "At 9:03 EST, the George Bush was told that the American people were under attack". Then you show a series of 5 second clips of W looking dazed. Reading about goats. Looking dazed. Have a clock face super-imposed that corresponds with each clip. End the clip with bold lettering that reads "STRONG AND DECISIVE LEADERSHIP?"

The daily show had a GREAT piece during the convention, touted as the RNC's lead in video to W's speech. It strung together some of W's tough-guy sound bites like "Bin Laden-dead or alive"and "smoking them out of their holes", and then cut to a clip of W saying "You know, we don't HAVE to find Bin Laden to defeat Al Queda"(Paraphrasing). THAT had the makings of a great ad. Thirty seconds of the tough guy talk, then lettering super-imposed over a still of W looking goofy- "SO MR. PRESIDENT- WHERE IS THE MAN WHO MURDERED 3000 AMERICAN'S ON 9-11?" Cut to the clip of him shamelessly back-pedaling, then back to the still with captioning "ANYONE CAN TALK TOUGH MR. PRESIDENT- 3000 AMERICAN FAMILIES ARE STILL WAITING FOR RESULTS."

While not going directly to the "strong" and "decisive" motif, there is another ad using Michael Moore footage that I would dearly love to see. I swear I have seen a clip of W saying words to the effect of "Sending our soldiers to war is the most serious and gut-wrenching decision a president is ever faced with". Show that. Then super-impose "DO YOU REALLY FEEL THAT WAY MR. PRESIDENT?". THEN cut to Michael Moore's footage of W crossing his eyes and making faces immediately before his televised announcement that we are invading Iraq.

Unfortunately, I am just a pissed off Democrat without access to the 527 groups that have the ability to implement these ideas. IF you agree with my premise, and IF you agree that this would be an effective means of cutting the balls off of Karl Rove's Bush=Strength master plan- help me spread this idea until it gets to somebody with the resources to make it happen.

[hippiegranny]

1. better yet

show the clip of "Sending our soldiers to war is the most serious and gut-wrenching decision a president is ever faced with". and then show the footage of Dumbya pumping his fist and saying "feels good" right before he announced the start of the Iraq Occupation.

[goodwalt]

3. I like it

I like the image. The fact is, this guy is an idiot that has just been reading sound bites off of his handler's cue-cards. There is an INFINITE number of adds that could be run in this vein. The PROBLEM is that neither Kerry- nor the 527's better suited for this kind of attack, are specifically targeting the perception that W is "strong" and "decisive". There are thousands upon thousands of school kids that could be saved beatings each year if they only had access to Bush's speech writers. Maybe THAT should be the next phase of shrubs "no child left behind" program.

[Parche]

2. post

Awesome post

Kerry will think of something soon
Bush will be made to look like the fool he really is
He is

[goodwalt]

4. Thanks

Thanks for the positive feed-back. I do like the new aggressive tone of Kerry's speeches. He is starting to sound damn near Clinton-esque. Not sure about "W" is for "Wrong" thing though- sounds like he is getting campaign input from the guys at "Sesame Street".