So I am no brilliant strategist but I know a few things. I know Kerry ran a bad campaign, and I know that if I was his campaign Manager I would have run a commercial with a clip of George Bush talking about how he "doesn't think much about Osama Bin Laden and didn't spend much time on it" to the tune of 50 to 100 million bucks.
That's Classic Rove - Take the opponents greatest strength and turn it into their greatest weakness. Franken wrote about this in "the Truth with jokes." Bush's greatest strength (or percieved strength) was 9/11 and terror. So turn it into a weakness.
That being said I think the Dem Strategy of the "Culture of Corruption" is a good one. The Repubs keep playing right into it every day - Kentucky Governor gets indicted today, Jerry Lewis in the house of Reps is under investigation by the FBI - All plays right into our hands...
But one problem below the fold...
The one problem is that it seems to loose its luster when Democrats come into the mix. I have even heard one of the best (Randi Rhodes) get flustered with this idea recently, saying that yes some democrats are bad, but for Repubs its a way of life. The Culture of Corruption idea loses steam when you start bringing up Dems with problems or corrupt Dems.
Lets face it - No matter how bad the repubs are or how low they sink they will always try and drag the democrats down with them and create the "fake-balance" story:
- Well Dems are corrupt too: (Jefferson - LA)
- Well Dems have ethics problems too - Mollohan (W.Va.)
- Well Dems took money from Abramoff too - Reid, NV (And of course the ridiculous AP article)
So the strategy here is simple: Dump Jefferson.
Dump him fast and get him to resign as soon as possible.
I know this is bad to assume guilt...and I know everyone is innocent until proven guilty. But from everything I have read this dude is done. Get him out now. Right now.
Not even 2 weeks from now.
Because in 2 weeks you know who (Karl Rove) will finally, yes, finally be indicted. I know you've heard this for 2 years - but Rove is done.
I myself had though that he got off the hook but once Rove got demoted a bit back to spend more time with his family/ I mean focus on the upcoming elections - you know he is done. Hooray for that -
So the strategy is simple - We have a few bad apples, because people are people, but:
We get rid of our corrupt officals - We get rid of our bad apples and don't have to wait until they are shamed into resigning or indicted. Wanna see real morals and real values... here they are.
Delay only waited until after the Abramoff investigation and when people plead before finally resigning.
Libby waited until the indictment was handed down before resiging.
And Rove will go down the same way - Bush said that he would fire him - but he didnt have the balls to do it.
Get Rid of Jefferson - Force him out now - before he is indicted and before he pleads, and with enough time before the mid-term elections.
Get rid of him tomorrow and you will have the perfect juxtaposition once Rove gets indicted.
The corrupt Repubs will hang on till the last breath until they are forced out and indicted...but the Dems get rid of the bad apples.
Both Dean and Pelosi were up-front about investigating him on Sunday, but they know what's going to happen.
Corba Kai style, sweep the leg, get Jefferson out now, before Rove finally goes down. And then you can show every 2006 voter what true "moral values" looks like.
Just my thoughts...