Bill Maher is 100% correct when he says...

[NightOwwl]

"In Michael Moore's film he shows the seven minutes where he just sat there when the country was under attack. <snip> This is a huge issue. This could have been their swiftboat stuff."

Not to blow my own horn or anything (OK, I'm blowing my own horn), but I've been saying this for weeks. We have on video, everything we need to tear down Bush's image of "Strong and Steady" leadership. I am so angry at Kerry and his campaign for neglecting to take advantage of this unbelievably powerful footage.

Link to Larry King transcript: http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0409/13/lkl.00.html

[Leilani]

1. I am watching Bill Maher right now

& he is soooo right!

Make an ad, with closeups of Bush in that classroom, with a narrator explaining the timeline.

Another ad needed: Bush flip flops...& make the first one of Bush saying we are going to get Bin Laden, then saying Bin Laden is not important.

[Chomskyite]

2. This is exactly what I've said for months.

When go we bring out the My Pet Goat ads. It's just a metter of time. When we do, it's over for Bush.

see my webpage for more

[NightOwwl]

5. Can you post the link to your website?

I have the "display signatures" option turned off, so if it's in your sig. I can't see it.

[NightOwwl]

13. Leilani

The Bush Osama flip-flop. That would be the icing on the cake. :smoke:

[SeekingTruth]

3. I think this stuff is coming.....

but what really gets me is how political campaigns don't use humor as much as they should. Let's face it, some of the most lasting campaign ads utilize humor - how about Wellstone's - or even that sad Bush gasoline ad.

[JSJ]

4. a 7 minute political ad would be unprecedented- go for it nt

[Satchel]

6. Get a clue Kerry!

Yeah, why is Kerry so weak? What is going on, does he want to lose? For crying out loud, there are so many things he could do. I can't tell you how many people have said "Anyone is better than Bush", well many people think Kerry is really no better and it's because he is not setting himself apart from Bush and not attacking easy targets.

[PittLib]

8. Are you really paying attention?

[saracat]

12. This is counterproductive!

Stop whining! The media doesn't cover Kerry no matter what he says or how strong he is! Today John Edwards came to Tuscon and was greeted by 10,000 people and thousands were turned away at the door, yet no local media reported the numbers or gave it more than literally 15 sec. I timed it!They went directly to a full minute and a half of a bush speech and he wasn't even in our state! And it was the same for all the media!
I would like to know why you think Kerry has been weak if it is extremely unlikely you know what he has been saying, as it has not been covered! Get a grip.We are going to win.We are proving it ten and fifteen thoudsand at a time!

[NightOwwl]

14. Deleted-responded to an innocent poster caught in the crossfire n/t

[saracat]

15. I wasn't replying to you Nightowwl.

I was replying to poster #6 , who did say" Yeah, why is Kerry so weak?"
I am so tired of all the criticism that is lowering the morale of the troops( campaigners) and not offering constructive criticism. You are not in that catogory but post #6 is!

[NightOwwl]

20. My apologies saracat.

Please forgive me. :)

[saracat]

22. Thanks .Not a problem.

Constructive criticism is great.But the unadulterated whining with no solutions just to demoralize ticks me off. And believe me, I can criticize with the best of them. I usually call DC and whine! LOL!

[NightOwwl]

24. Hah!

I take it out on the poor volunteers at the Kerry campaign. Actually, we usually end up having informative discussions. I do get the impression from most of them that they wish Kerry would just hurry up and take out the big guns!

[saracat]

26. I think we all feel like that!

I don't talk too much to the "kerrybots" they send out because they can't do anything!

[Satchel]

18. Boo Hoo

Oh your right, Kerry is awesome, he'll win, he's doing everything right....blah blah. I saw Edwards a couple weeks ago and the turnout was pathetic for a fairly large town. He only spoke for about 20 minutes and it was the usual soundbites. What a waste of time. I'm not just giving my impression of the campaign here either, this is the feedback I get from other people. Yes the media has something to do with it, but we have to fight back. I don't want to lose, I'm sold on Kerry, but I know lots who aren't. People who support him are against the war, but he voted for it and said he'd do it again, wtf? If I'm not happy with his campaign, I'll say so. If you don't like it don't read my posts.

[saracat]

21. Posts like this do nothing to help us win.

And that is the point right? Exactly what do you do that qualifies you to be such a nay sayer?You can say anything you want,but it would be great to have some credentials behind criticism especially since you offer no solutions.How many political campaigns have you won?

[Satchel]

23. right

and posts that say "we're doing great, let your guard down, don't worry!" don't help us win either. IMO no "post" will help us win, I'm just here for the discussion. Kerry's campaign doesn't read DU. I'll hold Kerry to as high standards as I wish, I'm sorry you're so easily satisfied.

[saracat]

27. Hmmm and still no credentials?

And is it possible that you don't know the Campaign does read DU?
Elizabeth Edwards and Chris Heinz post here,so you really don't know about which you speak!

[saracat]

25. We generally indicate on DU that

it is not tolerated to trash the candidate!

[Satchel]

28. oh well

How did I "trash" him? Good grief. Believe me, I could, but I mostly just trash Bush. I'm sorry to break it to you, but there are many people who say "Kerry sucks less". Not exactly a raving review. I just don't think a candidate should run on -at least I'm not him. People demand more. As they should. Kerry has my vote, but I want him to get others, those with higher standards than -hey! I'm not Bush! Vote for me!

[saracat]

29. It would help if you were constructive.

"many people who say "Kerry sucks less"is not constructive.It is just disparaging." People demand more." You don't even indicate what you want much less how to get it. Nite.I give up!

[Satchel]

31. Why do I have to be constructive?

I want Kerry to distinguish himself more from Bush. I see the differences because I've kept track of all the horrid things the Bush administration has done. Not everyone has and they don't just want to vote for "the other guy" without knowing how he is different. I know lots of people who have a problem with Kerry being in Skull and Bones, a blue blood power elitist, taking money from corporations, voting for the war...to mention a few. So a search on the web too, you'll see, many people don't trust Kerry to really be much different. I don't know what to tell these people.

Do you think Kerry's advisor's read DU? Why should I outline a campaign strategy here? Does it really matter?

[gulliver]

33. Then maybe Kerry should kickand scream about the media.

The Republicans do it no matter how much time they get. It's called "playing the ref." Kerry's people should try it some time.

[Fitzovich]

7. Bill was great

As usual he was fantastic on Larry King. I got to see almost the entire show and Bill was right on target. I love his show but, alas it is usually on too late for me (I work very early) and miss it most weeks.

[gcomeau]

9. Here's what they do.

Split screen add. 7 minutes long. Wouldn't work for television, the ad buy would kill their campaign budget... but make it an internet ad and then get in gear and SPREAD IT AROUND. Hype the heck out of it. Hell, if it caught on enough the major networks would start showing clips of it for free on the news coverage it would generate.

One side of the screen. Bush. Sitting. Doing nothing. That blank 'someone come tell me what to do" expression on his face. TIME INDEXED.
Other side of the screen. News footage of the unfolding situation at the towers. People scrambling to react. Casualty reports coming in. TIME INDEXED and sync'd up exactly with the Bush feed. Show everyone exactly what was going on while Bush just sat and did nothing at all.

Let's see anyone sit through 7 full minutes of that and then come to the conclusion the most important thing for him to be doing was not giving the couple dozen kids in that room the impression that he was worried about something.

If the campaign won't do it someone get MoveOn to.

EDIT: More effective. Start it by quickly pointing out that before this 7 minutes we're about to watch Bush found out the first plane had hit and went ahead with the photo op. Then go to the split screen coverage. And don't do any narration. Don't do any captions except the time two time indexes. The only sound and the only message should be the ones that come straight from the coverage that day. It's all that's needed.

-Grant

[NightOwwl]

16. Real time split screen would be devastating to Bush.

Yes. I've been fantasizing about something like this.

Show Bush frozen in his seat against a shot of the absolute horror of the attack. Bush squirming in his seat as the panic continues to escalate. Bush looking right and left for someone to take charge as Giuliano walks through the dust and comforts people every few steps.

Why oh why oh why isn't this being used?

[KT2000]

10. Suspend disbelief

A reason that the video could be so helpful would be to wake people up to the real Bush. In theater the concept of "suspending disbelief" is what holds the show together. Anything that takes the audience away from the story - a mistake, something poorly done, will break the spell and you loose the audience for good.

A visual of the real Bush could break the spell.

[NightOwwl]

19. They may need to wear blindfolds:

The first sighting of the Emperor with no Clothes may be too much for their system. If precautions are not taken, they may be at risk for severe mental and emotional shock.

[JI7]

11. Kerry did mention it including his supporters. does he want an ad made ?

how would we make it ? does he want it to be 7 minutes ?

[NightOwwl]

17. Make a complete seven minute video...

Two 3.5 minute videos
Four 1.75 minute videos.

Take that and use the the Bush Dead or Alive/We don't really care where he is flip-flop, and honestly, what more do we need?

[Nay]

30. Why do we have to wait for the Kerry campaign to get off its ass?

Where are all those multimillionaires out there, dying to give Kerry a boost? Soros? Ted Turner?

Why can't a PAC funded by them make the deer-in-the-headlights video, and then pay to have it shown on all major networks? What is everybody waiting for?

If we wait until the "news" networks cover Kerry, we will still be waiting, with our asses in our hands, come Nov. 3, and we may be looking at 4 more years of Asshat. Yes, it will be a major outlay of money, but jeez, we have a few rich people on our side, too.

[Disturbed]

32. Yes, Kerry did say it.

The Neo Fascist excuse was that Dumbass didn't want to scare the kids, yet after that he told an audience with those same kids in it that America has been attacked and that two planes had hit the Twin Towers. For over an hour Dumbass did nothing to protect this country.

Kerry should repeat this everytime he speaks to an audience. Hammer that, as well as the Osama bin Laden flip flop. There are many other GWB flip fops, as well. Kerry needs to dumb down and shoreten his speeches for the American public. Their attention span is brief. Complicated facts and figures are boring and lose the audience.

Bush is miserable failure should be the theme. Then put in short topics about what Kerry will do for the country after that.