What does she need to do to start fighting back? And who are her allies? Shouldn't they be supporting her? And if the election is in May, isn't about time to start turning up the heat? Why wait for the pres to criticize Sarko's plan? Why not Royal and the Left? All this is rather puzzling to me.. "Once in awhile we get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if we look at it right" - Hunter/Garcia
Royal started well and won the primary within the Socialist Party (PS) convincingly. [...] Another reason why it will be hard is that Sarko has the MSM with him. Not loudly, not Fox-News-style, but discreetly, in the choice of what memes to play and which to mute: how to create perceptions and fuel their growth. For some time the big news was all about Ségolène making silly mistakes. [...] What's worrying is how easily he's getting away with it. [...] It's as if the Royal campaign and the PS were simply unprepared for what was coming, even though it was very predictable.
Another reason why it will be hard is that Sarko has the MSM with him. Not loudly, not Fox-News-style, but discreetly, in the choice of what memes to play and which to mute: how to create perceptions and fuel their growth. For some time the big news was all about Ségolène making silly mistakes. [...]
What's worrying is how easily he's getting away with it. [...]
It's as if the Royal campaign and the PS were simply unprepared for what was coming, even though it was very predictable.
Sounds a lot like Bush's rise against Gore in 2000 (or Dukakis & Kerry). The conservatives, or more precisely, "the big, globalised, financial capitalism", has apparently found a method to push important elections in their way. Yeah, they need to be more subtle in countries like France than they were in America. But they know perfectly well what they need to do, how to play, what to await avidly from the opponents.
The progressives need to invent new tactics in these assymetric battles. They need to learn how to deal with subtly adverse media and surrogate mob attacks. They need to manage public perceptions much better. They need to have influence on political rules, not just follow them. Hell, if Roayl cannot win the "nice candidate" crown, there are many much more important nominations. It is a big disadvantage that progressives cannot fully rely on their instincts and habbits, since these are routinely exploited by right wing machines. It will take some boldness to make a few sensible steps without fully knowing the effect. But usual tactics is nowaydays a way to Kerry-lite defeats. I would have confidence in pure rational judgements in this situation.
