In the past I have voted both for Republicans and Democrats. Last weekend, I signed up to volunteer for Obama. This election has become too important for me. For the first time in my life, in mid 50's now, I feel scared enough about the American Taliban (fanatical right) getting in power again. It motivated me to volunteer for a political organization. I need to do all I can at my personal level to prevent my beloved country to be yoked to the dehumanizing beliefs of the fanatical right. However, over the weekend, the response of the Obama/Biden team has been tepid at best to the ticker parade of lies, misinformation and deceit coming from the MaCain/Palin camp. And I am hoping Obama/Biden team will sharpen their message in the coming weeks if we are to win this election.
So I mostly agree with Joseph Romm from Huffington Post, who is worried about the tepid response and a wrong message conveyed by Obama/Biden team over the weekend on TV.
Obama's basic message is that John McCain is a good person who has same policy positions as George Bush. Biden's basic message is that Sarah Palin is a good and "smart, smart, smart, smart, smart" and "tough, tough, tough, tough, tough, tough, tough" [I may have miscounted] woman who has the same policy positions is George Bush.
This is a losing message. While the game is on you don't call your opponent "tough", "smart" "good", even though you may think so. It only encourages them! The time to be gracious to your opponent is after the game is won. During the game, the strategy should be to remain focused on the ball, and the tactic should be to relentlessly attack the opponents weakness... in this case the serial lies and deception, their greater than life fantasy (remember the signs held high with the monikers "G.I. John and Superwoman" at RNC). We are fighting an election, not living a comic book fantasy......and we need plant the right image in the minds of the masses. That's the image of our superhero's: fair.....but also tough, forceful, and pulverizing the evil of our enemies.
Neither McCain nor Palin are "good people" as most Americans use the term. They are serial liars who have invented phony positive stories about themselves and phony negative ones about Obama.
As we have seen repeatedly over the past 8 years, the traditional media dominated by four major corporations, will only present talking points from two sides without calling out if they are telling lies or not. This is done in the name of "balance". So the creationist's get the same coverage (maybe much more) than the scientists. And the culturally constipating "mooseburger" neons up the headlines.
This is last quarter of a bloody game. So Obama/Biden, and their surrogates: sharpen the game plan, work the refs, call the lies, and remain fair but aggressive. The hope of the free world rides with you.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...