"There is no fate that cannot be mounted by scorn." - A. Camus
The Daily Howler had a post a few days ago about the GOP's 2000 strategy to make Gore an object of derision. The strategy worked - every pundit under the sun made "Love Story" and "invented the internet" jokes. Ask people what Gore's policies were and you're likely to hear, "Earth tones for everybody?"
The Bushies are gonna do the same thing to Kerry. Flip-flopper, can't make up his mind, etc.
You can hardly combat mockery with argument. It's difficult to use reason against sarcasm or humor. It makes you look stuffy, over-serious. And in today's anti-intellectual USA, stuffy and serious are bad. Sort of like being "liberal". It's bad to think too much, as everyone knows.
Plus, people's attention spans are short. They'll remember a joke for a week, but forget details of Kerry's combat history or senate voting record immediately.
It would be a shame if the GOP managed to make fun of Kerry, when the GOP candidate is such a ripe target for mockery and derision.
Bush is just BEGGING to be made fun of. He's a dolt, a doofus, a village idiot, a goon, a town drunk. He can't think clearly, he's clumsy, he's driven a half dozen businesses into the ground. He can't pronounce "nuclear".
Yesterday at work my Republican colleague was going on and on about the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, about how Kerry was a liar, etc.
Initially I tried arguing with the truth. I failed - Republicans are resistant to reason.
Next I tried sarcasm and scorn. "Coke head Bush". "Arbusto". "Clean and sober once he turned 40". "Nuke-yoo-ler". "Don't get fooled again"."Ambitious secretaries". "AWOL". "Mano a mano". "Amazing you can't see Cheney's mouth move when Bush speaks".
It worked. People in the room had a good laugh at Bush's expense, and even chimed in with a few Bush-isms of their own.
And this was in Dallas, which is about as pro-Bush as you can get.
It's safer now for people to poke fun of the Boy-King. If enough people keep it up, it might become a national trend.
I think we run a bit of a risk of forgetting to employ derision and mockery, because the stakes are so high. Bush IS a dolt and a goof, but he's a dangerous dolt and goof. People may be too concerned to poke fun.
But, humor works. We should use it.
Tell a Bush joke tomorrow at work. You'll feel better.