The Sheer Stupidity of 'Demonizing' Michelle Obama
Friday, July 18, 2008 at 04:20PM from a McCain Democrat's Journal, July 18, 2008
Just when we thought that the memory of the North Carolina Republican Party video attacking Michelle Obama was fading, the Washington State GOP made the same mistake and released a similar attack vid. What part of "stupid mistake" do these folks misunderstand?
The new ad was condemned by both Barack Obama and John McCain, and rightly so. This is NOT something that goes over well in middle-America, Main Street America, and politically moderate America - - which is where I live, where I work, and how I think, so I'm not guessing here.
Okay, listen up. Here is what such ads accomplish:
1. They give credence to the accusations that there is a Republican Attack Machine.
2. They permit the opposing side to spread charges of "Swiftboating" when any negative information is thereafter disseminated.
3. They burn up money which could be put to better use.
4. They appear to many moderates, independents, and other potentially allies to be rude and pointless.
Now, here is what such ads DON'T accomplish:
1. They DON'T change the minds of persons who support Barack Obama.
2. They DON'T win votes from the political center.
3. They DON'T get positive press coverage.
So here's the math: no new votes, but maybe you lose a few. STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!
Naturally there are times when criticism of Michelle Obama is warranted. If she goes back out on the campaign trail and says something inflammatory or negative, then of course a response is warranted. The response should be polite and to the point. What is NOT WARRANTED is re-doing the "proud" remark over and over and over. It simply makes the organization which sponsors the ad look petty and mean-spirited. Michelle Obama is not running for President, so subjecting her to such treatment is a bad tactic. And I don't want to hear the nonsense about how she's "running for first lady" and so on. That doesn't matter.
The only article I have posted previously that mentions Michelle Obama, Obama's Campaign of Smoke and Mirrors, did not attack Michelle Obama but instead focused on the reactions of Barack Obama and his campaign to the first round of "proud" criticism. In my humble opinion, that was as much as needed to be said, and I assert that analyzing matters that way is more effective than trying to 'demonize' Mrs. Obama.
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Reader Comments (2)
I can't imagine the Democratic Party running an ad about Cindy McCain's criminal behavior: forging prescriptions and stealing drugs. But, her criminal behavior is well known and certainly gets mentioned on the internet.
Maybe the Republican Party has a collective short (or no) memory when is comes to Mrs. McCain's criminal activity. Mrs. McCain's behavior raises a serious character issue, totally eclipsing Mrs. Obama's gaffe. One would think that the Republican Party is inviting attacks on Mrs. McCain. Stuck in stupid.
CHANGE: I agree with you on one of your points. No, the Democratic Party as such will not be running ads attacking Cindy McCain, for two reasons, one being that they realize the stupidity of doing so, the other being that it leaves them open to counter-attacks, which, in this case, would be quite effective. On the other hand, you obviously enjoy attacking Cindy McCain yourself - - since you use the screen name CHANGE, do you really believe that a person can never change, or do you simply find it politically expedient to attack Mrs. McCain? Good for the Democrats that you're not in charge, I'd say - - Jay