George Bush has Failed America.
Unlike some around here I'm still pretty confident that Kerry is going to win this thing. But its going to take hard work, a hell of a lot of hard work, so when I saw the "miserable failure" meme resurface over here a few days ago I shuddered. Like a lot of people in these parts when Gephardt first dropped those two words onto Bush I was ecstatic, finally the attack was coming from more then just Dean. But within days it was clear it wasn't an effective attack. It alienated most voters, and the criticism of Bush wasn't sticking. Once again the Dems showed their misunderstanding of negative campaigning. Let see if that can change.
Critique is a dangerous art. One that is liable to backfire. When wielded wrong a critique often tells far more about the attacker then the attacked. In psychology the term is projection, people are liable to see their own flaws in others, and when they talk it shows. The real miserable failure in presidential politics is Gephardt for instance. Bush? He's clearly not miserable. Manic? sure. Cowardly and fearful? no doubt. Simpleminded. of course. But he's not miserable, often he looks pretty happy down on that ranch. No, the miserable part of that statement came from Gephardt, and it reflects poorly on anyone who repeats it.
A successful political attack must be anchored at both ends, it should never get associated with the actual attacker. The Bush people have known this since Willie Horton. It's not just about keeping the attacker distant from the candidate, its about making the attacker disappear. The ideas must stand alone in the viewers mind, perhaps leading them to the slight impression they thought of them themselves. Ben Franklin learned this at the dawn of our country, and found he could effect political opinion best by posting anonymous broadsides.
The attack can't be disconnected from the target though, and it needs proper context. This is a delicate art in the age of mass media. You can't just say "George Bush has failed". Failed what? Failed who? You can't make it too personal. "George Bush has failed you" won't work, he hasn't quite failed us all individually one by one has he. No you need to pull out your mass media code book. The ones the Republicans have some how hidden from the Democrats it seems.
"George Bush has failed America"
Now that's better. "America" is a mass media code word. Broadcast it out over television and it means "you", "us", "the good guys". The people George Bush has failed.
"George Bush has failed America"
The final step of the process is the least appealing. Repetition. This is a jingle, this is an ad, this is borderline brainwashing. This is politics. Once you have your message it needs to circulate. Among 250 million people. This not easy. It needs to stick in heads, resonate with people as they nod off to sleep at night. Echo in the back of their minds as they stroll to the polls. Everyone knows it true, but no one knows how to say it yet. Repeat after me:
George Bush has failed America.
George Bush has failed America.
George Bush has failed America.