Truemors
Digg
del.icio.us
AddToAny
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Democrats Face Challenges in Dirty Tricks Election
by moonwolf | September 10, 2008 at 06:51 am | 730 views | 27 comments | 48 recommendations
by moonwolf
The Democratic Party must realize that Obama/Biden are not a shoe-in come November. Though everything seems to be in place to save the country and thus probably the rest of the planet from the debasement of another four years of crawling farther down the sewer into the neocon nightmare, there are certain observations and indicators that should be raising red flags for Obama supporters as the contest unfolds.
It is time for all levels of the Democratic Party apparatus to look carefully at wise opinions and valid suggestions such as those made in the editorial below, to redouble their efforts, modify their strategies, techniques and tactics to accommodate the fact that they are not battling ethical, honorable or honest opponents bound by any moral need to play fair, and that due to the way the GOP has rigged the game over the last eight years playing fair could very well mean losing this most critical election.
"Stop saying that!" my wife says to me. But this is not a high school football game and I'm not a cheerleader with a bad attitude. This is an election and as things stand now, we're gonna frickin' lose this thing. Obama and McCain at best are even in the polls nationally and in a recent Gallup poll McCain is ahead by four points.
Something is not right. We have a terrific candidate and a terrific VP candidate. We're coming off the worst eight years in our country's history. Six of those eight years the Congress, White House and even the Supreme Court were controlled by the Republicans and the last two years the R's have filibustered like tantrum throwing 4-year-olds, yet we're going to elect a Republican who voted with that leadership 90% of the time and a former sportscaster who wants to teach Adam and Eve as science? That's not odd as a difference of opinion, that's logically and mathematically queer.
It reminds me of playing blackjack (a losers game). You make all the right moves, play the right hands but basically the House always wins. I know what you're going to say " But I won twelve hundred dollars last year in Atlantic City!" Of course there are victories. The odds aren't tilted crazy, but there is a 51%-49% advantage. And in the long run, the house has to win. The house will win.
So what is this house advantage the Republicans have? It's the press. There is no more fourth estate. Wait, hold on...I'm not going down some esoteric path with theories on the deregulation of the media and corporate bias and CNN versus Fox...I mean it: there is no more functioning press in this country. And without a real press the corporate and religious Republicans can lie all they want and get away with it. And that's the 51% advantage.
Think this is some opinion being wryly posited to titillate other bloggers and inspire dialogue with Tucker Carlson or Gore Vidal? F**k that. Four corporations own all the TV channels. All of them. If they don't get ratings they get canceled or fired. All news is about sex, blame and anger, and fear. Exposing lies about amounts of money taken from lobbyists and votes cast for the agenda of the last eight years does not rate. The end.
So one side can lie and get away with it. Now let's throw in one more advantage. Voter caging and other corruption on the local level with voting. Check out the article here on HuffPost about Ohio messing with 600K voters. If only five thousand of those voters don't or can't vote that's a huge advantage in a contest that could be decided by literally dozens of votes. That takes us to about a 52 to 48% advantage.
September 10, 2008 at 06:51 am by moonwolf, 730 views, 27 comments
Crowd Power
moonwolf
Maple Bay, Canada
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (27)
- reply
Johnny Reb (not verified)at 08:12 on September 10th, 2008
Well, yes, we are gonna frikkin lose this thing. Because no, we don't have a good presidential candidate or VP candidate.
I'm in my 30's, a lifelong Democrat and though I can never in good conscience vote Republican, I can and will abstain from voting this time around.
at 08:28 on September 10th, 2008
good reb, I'd rather see you abstain than throw your vote to the smelly old thing and the pitbull in lipstick
at 09:18 on September 10th, 2008
It appears that the Republican Party is determined to roll in the mud and attempt to manufacture controversy to avoid real issues of concern to the American public.
Since the Obama campaign has stated they want to maintain high ground, this strategy of attack, utilized by the McCain campaign, as you say, Moonwolf, seems to be crying out for a reciprocal response of like measure. Most likely, all manner of responses are being weighed by the Obama campaign.
However, aside from the loss of moral high ground, upon which the Obama campaign has tried to stand, when choosing to wallow in the mud, there are elements that have to be addressed, mainly, if it is decided that someone from the Obama campaign or a surrogate is going to have to roll in the mud, who that someone will be has to be carefully chosen.
Many Americans would take great offense to a full frontal assault on the govennor by Senator Obama for two reasons. The acknowledged public reason would be that anything and I mean anything, that he said would be called sexist, no matter what.
The second reason, an unspoken reason, many Americans would not take kindly to a Black man verbally abusing, and that is how it would be perceived, a White woman.
For months, we've heard about Senator Clinton's supporters who felt she was mistreated by the media and Senator Obama, they felt, because she was a woman. Any critique of the govenor by Senator Obama would have the same polarizing effect.
So, it remains for the campaign to drive home its message that the McCain-Palin ticket is not change, keeping Senator Obama on point with his articulation of the issues that the American people DO really care about, losing their homes, jobs and the rest, as the Obama campaign selects someone to take on the foolishness which is elevated to a substantial and obviously effective smokescreen.
at 09:34 on September 10th, 2008
Thanks Karen,
It is really a tough situation. When you decide fight evil by evil means, well, evil always wins doesn't it?
I am sure that the Obama camp has some ultra-smart cookies working on this. The problem for me is, progressives have thought that just pointing out the lies and deception, widespread criminal activity, government spying on its own citizens, pork-barreling, the total lack of care for the American voter, illegal wars and killing, exploding government debt, increasing poverty, offshoring and decimating the manufacturing sector, and loss of the Constitutional guarantees and values would just by nature of it being the truth, bring the Republicans down.
That is a lazy viewpoint and has not worked so far.
at 09:23 on September 10th, 2008
I feel (and somewhat share) his pain.
It will mean standing firm against the lies and false charges already begun by McCain-Bush, as well as Palin-Stevens who came out lying in the first round (I bet her handlers were proud).
We'll just have to hope that the majority of the electorate can see through the same lies and false attacks of the Grimy Oily Party.
at 09:33 on September 10th, 2008
dunkel berg,
This is where it gets really scary. I am having a hard time finding any confidence in the electorate seeing through anything after the last two elections.
at 09:44 on September 10th, 2008
We all know who would be the perfect person for the job but, she has said she will not enter into that arena.
She cannot be perceived to be attacking a fellow woman, one who is also a history maker for the Republican Party.
I'm convinced that Americans all throughout this country will see through all of the attempts at prestidigitation, understanding that indeed it is the goal of the person(s), in this case the McCain-Palin campaign, using sleight of hand to misdirect attention during their presentation, avoiding facts and reality.
at 09:45 on September 10th, 2008
Karen,
If I believed in God I'd be praying you are right!
at 10:33 on September 11th, 2008
If they don't, then, we'll be spending decades pretending we don't know why the Democratic Party lost to the Republican Party, after eight years of difficult times under their stewardship, having created an even wider gap between the haves and the have nots, starting an unpopular war, losing lives, demoralizing the country and draining the economy, with the Republican candidate proclaiming he was for the Bush administration's policies and actions, saying he supported President Bush on almost all issues of substance, including the war.
A companion piece can be found here.
at 10:13 on September 10th, 2008
OK, guys, maybe my Soma levels are just a little out of balance today, but here's a citation that's giving me some serious deja vu ...
Source: en.wikipedia.org
at 10:26 on September 10th, 2008
Thanks Emilio,
at 11:27 on September 10th, 2008
That movie was eerie, wasn't it? The description of the character kind of reminds me of the steward of the Reagan era. Does anyone remember the news reports of him doodling cowboys and horses while attending important meetings? (Doodles from TheAtlantic.com.)
at 12:21 on September 10th, 2008
Karen,
Yes I do remember. It was during what was known in Canada as the Regan/Mulroney era. The right-wing lunacy infected both countries at that time, and that was when I became fully aware of how important it was for me to educate myself and get into action.
Remember 'trickle-down' Reganomics, NAFTA (look at how well they worked!), Iran-Contra, and the runaway spending ending in massive budget deficits in both countries that it took a decade for the Democrats in the USA and the Liberals in Canada to get us out of?
I remember Regan being flat out asleep and Nancy having to wake him up and then him not really knowing where he was. A non compus mentus nuclear armed President. Scary!
How short people's memories are!
at 12:35 on September 10th, 2008
Seller's character, Chauncy Gardener, reminds me more than anything else of Sarah Palin ...
I remember one part of the movie, which I have not watched for many years now, where the media people are seen discussing Gardener after he is noticed with the president - they are trying to dig up the dirt on him, find the skeletons, etc ...
The part which comes to mind and also the part which reminds me very much of Palin here is that in the movie the media investigators begin expressing a lot of frustration because they can't find anything on him ... no background whatsoever ... no public statements, no books, no corporate board memberships - nothing !
What struck me at the time I first watched that movie was seeing how the movie's idea of the political machine worked - having zero background was the most advantageous quality imaginable for a candidate to have ... nobody could nail him with anything negative he may have said or done in his previously non-existent public life ...
Although not precisely analogous to Palin, she comes close enough ( for government work, ahem ... ) in that she really does have, in an almost literal sense, no background whatsoever !!
The worst thing the media has been able to villify her with so far, in my opinion, is a speech she made as governor to her old Wasilla congregation. A fact which probably works more in her favor than against ...
Finally, even if her daughter's baby turns out to be slightly off color, if you will, this will happen well after the fact in the event the nightmare scenario does come true and the Republicans win yet again, if we can believe the 5 month number for Bristol's pregnancy now being bandied about ...
Anyway, this whole Palin thing is beginning to seem to me like something of an inspired stroke of genius ... look at the effect it has had on Obama - he's gone more or less out of his mind, McCain's VP choice has shaken him up so much ...
at 11:16 on September 10th, 2008
moonwolf, I like this story. It's good stuff.
As someone trained in politics in the US and an avid political student I have one additional observation to add to the reasons that Obama will lose this election - Republicans are better campaigners. They have better consultants, strategies and tactics. I do not know why but it is true. This can be measured by the superiority of their Get Out The Vote campaigns - the GOP simply motivates a higher percentage of their suporters out to the polls on election day.
- reply
ryan Roy (not verified)at 11:17 on September 10th, 2008
All this aside for the moment, I heard something the other day that has got me thinking and would be wise to hold too as this elections come to pass. Neither canidate should conceed till ALL THE VOTES ARE COUNTED! And an active civilian populous should get involved with the vote monitoring and validation. This is where the election failed us last time and it could happen again.
at 12:39 on September 10th, 2008
We need UN observers !!!
at 11:38 on September 10th, 2008
moonwolf, I like this story. It's good stuff. I guess all we can do is vote and hope for the best. Oh, and hope that there's a groundswell of support for the Democratic ticket that cannot be ignored. McCain and Palin are pretty easy to see through for their overt lying and denigrating the other candidates. Hopefuly, the so called "Religious" people will also see the light and vote Democratic. I could happen.
- reply
Mark McManus (not verified)at 12:01 on September 10th, 2008
It really doesn't matter who is at the top of the ticket, Democrat or Republican. Both parties are responsible for the financial mess we are in today. The Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is loaded with ties to the Democrat party in congress and will cost the taxpayers billions.
Without real reform including a return to the United States Constitution along with a change in monetary policy, we will be doomed to be a third world country in less than 15 year. It is inconceivable that anyone from either side of the aisle can agree with the continued tax and spend path we are currently on. The growth of government in our lives and the confiscation of our earning to redistribute wealth is socialism and in direct violation of our constitution.
Why don't the Democrats use Detroit, Michigan as an example of their policies for the last 25 years. Between unions, higher taxes and the entrenched Democrat bureacracy, the city has become a thirdworld country with poverty rates worse than those I've seen in the poorest of countries along with a high school graduation rate of less than 25%.
at 12:27 on September 10th, 2008
Mark,
Many would say you are right, but good people need to start somewhere. So choosing Obama is the lesser of two evils. After all we know what another 4 years of the Repugnicans will get us, a global war and US bankruptcy, and possibly the end of the biosphere itself. I don't believe Obama can possibly be worse and there is a chance that he will be considerably better.
Cynicism can help but being resigned about the outcome certainly won't!
at 12:28 on September 10th, 2008
Thanks for the flags and the great discussion so far everyone!
at 12:51 on September 10th, 2008
moonwolf, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 13:02 on September 10th, 2008
moonwolf, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 13:15 on September 10th, 2008
as usual..
at 14:47 on September 10th, 2008
Looks like all of you, moonwolf from Canada, and all GSers are rolling in the mud too along with the Huff Post and revelling in it, too.
at 21:29 on September 10th, 2008
moonwolf, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 10:53 on September 11th, 2008
moonwolf, I like this story. It's good stuff.
I'm tired of this election and can't wait until its over...so I can plan whether I am going to die or not? Makes no difference who wins, I'm still gonna die......just as America will. in the end.
America the Scam to Humanity.
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/us-government-takeover-its-financial-crisis-real-or-scam
I