The GOP has an excellent propaganda team with decades of experience. This is the sort of thing they live for.
But the idea that Americans instinctively recoil from negativity or that there will be some sort of backlash against Republicans generally and Palin specifically because of how "negative" their convention speeches were is pure fantasy. Cultural tribalism and personality attacks of those sort work, especially when they're not aggressively engaged. Every four years, the GOP unleashes unrestrained personality attacks on Democrats and exploits cultural resentments. Every four years, Democrats tell themselves that such attacks don't work and are counter-productive. And every four years, that belief is disproven. These "character" issues end up mattering largely because Democrats, in election after election, allow wars over "character" to be waged in a largely one-sided fashion.
Every four years, the GOP unleashes unrestrained personality attacks on Democrats and exploits cultural resentments. Every four years, Democrats tell themselves that such attacks don't work and are counter-productive. And every four years, that belief is disproven. These "character" issues end up mattering largely because Democrats, in election after election, allow wars over "character" to be waged in a largely one-sided fashion.
Dean scream, swiftboat, effete, muslim, white legs good, brown legs bad.
It's been Obama's to lose, and while I don't think he's lost it yet - if he hammers on the economy issue - he's been making too many gaffes for comfort.
It's an ugly game. You have to go there. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
More so, he's lacking the viciousness necessary. It's an ugly game. You have to go there.
It's an ugly game. You have to go there.
Oooh, me, me. Can I play ? Pleeeeaase ? keep to the Fen Causeway
Both Gallup and Rasmussen, the two daily national tracking polls, have had to continual muck with their internals to keep McShame close -- and he's still running behind. These are interesting, but not determinative, as they illustrate the ebb and flow of the two campaign's message.
Gallup and Rasmussen both seem to have R-leaning house effects, according to Pollster.com. I'll be interested in seeing what Diageo has to say, since it apparently has the lowest (albeit slightly Dem-leaning) house effect. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
