I love the use of "breaking" all the time. Anyways, recently I realized how stupid I was, which helped me better relate to Democratic strategists--thus, an epiphany!
I was trying to respond to a post about what I perceived as incredible arrogance and the use of the word, "neophyte." I thought I'd be smart and look up the exact meaning of the word and stick it to those arrogant bastards, but what I found on Dictionary.com was, "1. A recent convert to a belief; a proselyte." Well, hey! That isn't so bad. I used it in my tepid response and said, "I hope I never lose the zeal of a neophyte."
This got me thinking about Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy version, not real one).
In Clear and Present Danger, the President is in trouble when it is discoverd that a close friend and supporter was a drug dealer. The Prez is trying to find the right words to distance himself, when Jack Ryan nervously steps in and says, paraphrasing:
If they say, "Was he a good friend?" you say, "He was a great friend." Leave them nowhere to go with the story.
Seems like reasonable advice, and of course in Clancy's fictional world it worked. I believe this is a great stratey for the linguistically challenged Dems.
Let's take a look at the Gay community. They got slammed with the label "queer." How did they fight back; by not protesting the label. The shouted, "We're here, we're queer!" and stole the term from the bigots. They left them nowhere to go with the term.
Look at it from the other side. Imagine if George Bush had embraced the term "anti-war." What if he had stole that from us? I was wondering why his Brain didn't tell him to say this
Nobody in this country is more anti-war than me. I'm the one who has to order are brave men and women into combat. I don't want to have to do that. I'm figthing with every tool I have not to do that. Nobody who understands the sacrifices of soldiers in war could every be, "pro-war."
Sure, he would have been lying through his teeth, but it would have made great headlines, "Bush is anti-war."
What if he left us nowhere to go on the National Guard? Imagine Bush saying,
I was selfish and without direction in my youth. I avoided Vietnam, yes. I did many stupid and selfish things then, but with God's grace I grew and learned. That is why I got into public service, to repay my debt and serve those troops who are braver than I was at their age.
He'd leave us nowhere to go with the story. It worked with alcohol, why not the service.
In a recent diary, I wrote about the Left's fear of "Class Warfare." Why don't we simply embrace the term? Why didn't Edwards say,
Yes, I'm a class warrior. I'm fighting for average Americans, not giant corporations. Halliburton has enough people figthing for them.
?
They say, "Liberals hate America." We say, "Yes, I hate what George W. Bush has done to America."
They say, "Democrats are on a witch hunt with Tom Delay." We say, "Yes, we don't want unethical 'witches' leading Congress."
They say, "Liberals want to kill Terri Shiavo." We say, "Yes, we believe she and everyone else deserves respect in dying and a peaceful passage to the next life."
They say, "Democrats want to raise taxes." We say, "Yes, we want to raise taxes on Corporations that are hiding their profits offshore. We want to balance the budget."
They say "Liberals are in favor of handouts to the poor." We say, "Yes, George W's favorite philosopher taught generosity, grace and compassion. Our party tries to inact those values."
The point is, with such a strategy we diffuse their talking points and leave them nowhere to go with the story. They won't get far with their on air shouting matches when we just say, "Yes."
Come up with your own.