It's Saturday morning -- not my preferred time to publish a diary. But go get a cup of coffee and pull up a chair. I have something I have to get off my chest.
I'm an Obama guy and I'm disturbed that we're trying to refute Clinton by repeating her mantra -- "lifetime of experience."
Here's the thing: you never, never EVER refute your opponent by using their own language. All that does is reinforce the effect that THEY want to achieve. That's in Chapter One of the Political Rhetoric 101 textbook.
Even Obama himself is doing it: "We already had the 3am phone call. It was about Iraq. Hillary gave the wrong answer."
Stop it. Enough with the goddam 3am phone call ad. And stop running a counter ad that looks so much like the original that people confuse the two.
This whole thing has gotten completely out of hand.
I don't know (and don't care) what Bill Maher thought he was doing in this interview with Terry McAuliffe, but what he did do was hand Clinton a huge benefit by repeating Clinton's "lifetime of experience" mantra several times.
Fellow Obama supporters, I am urging you to wake up: Every time we repeat Clinton's mantra we're reinforcing it.
Not only that: Stop pointing out that Obama has more experience than Clinton.
Another example...
Here's Tom Daschle:
Barack Obama has more public office experience than Hillary does, that is elected public office experience. And it's not just a question of experience....
Jaysus, Tom. If it's not a question of experience then DON'T SAY THE WORD. Because every time you say the goddam word, Hillary Clinton gets a new lease on life.
Better you should cut right to the chase:
...it's a question of judgment, and every single time Barack has been called upon to show good judgment, it's not only his experience but his character and his courage that has caused him to make decisions that others only wish they'd made years later, including Hillary Clinton.
THAT'S what I'm talkin bout!
One suggestion, however. Cut out the part that I bolded. It doesn't add anything to your argument -- it just helps Clinton.
You know and I know this election is about Obama's fresh and compelling vision for the future.
Shorter Obama: Yes We Can
[Anti-Hillary invective deleted here]
Repeat after me: the goddam election is about judgment and character. Talking about anything else -- even to refute it -- is just handing them the contest on a silver platter.
P.S. You know Clinton's on the ropes when her crowd starts chanting Yes We Will. Obama gets stronger every time Clinton says that.