Democrats don't know how to run attack ads!
I hate to say this out loud but more and more I have become convinced of this. Democrats when they cry "were going to get tough", always attack policy. This isn't how you run an attack ad. As much as we the political junkies know policy positions. The average American only goes into the voting booth with about three policy ideas. Democrats have got much better at this, they know longer give the long laundry list of policies at speeches. But what they still haven't learned is what makes an effective CHARACTER ATTACK.
The GOP goes into elections looking to define their opponents with one major character flaw that makes them unelectable. It changes evey election, but there is always one. Dukakis was a liberl wimp, Clinton was immoral, Gore was an exagerator, Kerry was anti-military flip-flopper. Democrats are always defensive on this front, they always say they will respond to these attacks. Stop it! They will always create a new outrage and it can't be defended against. But we can learn to attack them back (or hopefully first).
Have a commercial where a woman can't afford healthcare after her husband left her for a younger woman. Especially one who is a heiress.
That is an attack ad! It has a policy veneer but it actually attacks a John McCain character flaw. Remember the 1988 Willy Horton attack commercial was "actually" about the Massachusetts prison furlough law, that was the veneer that allowed the mainstream press to run it. But we all know it was actually about race. This is the essence of how to run a character attack add.
This is how to run a character attack chain email.
John McCain left his sick first wife for a younger richer woman, then showed moral indignation an voted to impeach Clinton.
John McCain said he supported South Carolina's right to flag the confederate flag while running, then said he was against it after losing the SC primary . Saying will moral indignation he was one.
John McCain wrote a bill for comprehensive immigration reform including a path way to citizenship for illegals. Then with moral indignation he voted against the bill he wrote when running for president!
John McCain was caught in a illegal scheme that cost US tax payer Billions of dollars. But when caught up in the Keating scandal, he with great moral indignation championed
Campaign Finance Reform.
James Dobson of focus on the family said John McCain was a person of low character. With great moral certainty McCain the switched denominations Episcopalian to Southern Baptist when running for president the second time.
John McCain was against making Martin Luther Kings birthday a holiday, until he was ready for running for president. Then with moral indignation he said he was wrong.
John McCain with great moral indignation, said Jerry Falwell AND Al Sharpton were against of intolerances, but when he ran for president the second time he only said one was.
John McCain straight talk only works when he is caught! Then he shows great moral indignation and launches his crooked straight talk.
To run effective attacks ads remember the objective. Voters only go into the booth with three major policy ideas. Try to make sure that at least two of the three for your candidate are positive. On the other hand try and make sure that two of the three for your opponent are negative.
But the idea of a character attack is to try and show why your opponent is unfit for command. Why does the character flaw your opponent displays make them a bad fit for the job of the presidency. That is the sole goal of a character attack. It's not about a person being wrong, it's about them being of low character.