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How Obama could handle the attacks
I think it's time for Obama to take advantage of the various attacks that are raised against him. Consider the free publicity that he's getting about 'becoming a symbol'. The part that it came from is short. Turn the whole quote - in context - into a commercial. That would effectively own the issue.
The NYT and even the WP are currently walking back stories they pushed that didn't stand up to scrutiny. Again, use the free publicity. Talk about visiting the troops, and then shift the subject to how McCain voted against educational benefits for GIs, and how he wants to restrict the VA to only specific injuries for those troops he claims to support. Again, the goal is to use the free publicity from these to redirect the narrative, and take advantage of the echo chamber.
The NYT and even the WP are currently walking back stories they pushed that didn't stand up to scrutiny. Again, use the free publicity. Talk about visiting the troops, and then shift the subject to how McCain voted against educational benefits for GIs, and how he wants to restrict the VA to only specific injuries for those troops he claims to support. Again, the goal is to use the free publicity from these to redirect the narrative, and take advantage of the echo chamber.
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Not sure what you mean by "free" here, Nate. I like where you seem to be going in terms of using jujitsu on McCain's message.
Are you saying that Obama should air a paid commercial using his quote in context and highlighting his record with troops vs McCain's? Then Obama can sort of rely on the echo chamber to do the rest? Hmmm.
I think Obama put up a new response ad tonight, so we'll see how far the echo chamber works in reinforcing his narrative. I don't think the new response ad incorporates all your ideas, but it's a start.
July 30, 2008 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm thinking of the work that McCain has already done. Josh is speculating that the recent attack adds were in very narrow markets - New York and DC. It was suggested that the targets of these adds weren't the public per se, but the MSM, who would then take the talking points and run with them, as you saw the NYT, AP and WP do.
The point is that McCain has already done the hard work of establishing a narrative and feeding it to the echo chamber - bought the adds, finessed the MSM, sent out the memo to Drudge and Rush. So the narrative is out there, but it can be appropriated.
That's what I meant by 'free'. The trick would be for him to - as you say - run his own paid commercial where he presents the quote in context and thereby appropriates the storyline.
It's not so much which issues he chooses to use this with, just adopting the Rovian approach of turning an attack into an asset.
July 31, 2008 12:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Please make the distinction here, this isn't Rovian; Rove didn't use the truth.
What you're describing is really a crusader's campaign, meet the falsehoods directly, head on, and then own the press coverage of it because you're telling the truth. There is really nothing to lose by doing this. But, as I said, taking the issue away from your opponent by telling the truth isn't 'Rovian', it's more like Trumanesque.
July 31, 2008 11:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good plan. Kind of like returning K5 McCain's hand grenades to him after they failed to go off the first time, except with the pin actually pulled out. Nice. My only concern is that this could be seen as Obama answering McCains' attack ads and thus give them some actual weight? Currently, Mccain would have a hard time getting any real public attention even if he were on fire. Even then I suspect that attention would only be of his short term value in roasting marshmellows.
July 31, 2008 11:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
The smell of the marshmallows would then be kind of problematic, so we haven't found ,anything he's good for, yet.
July 31, 2008 11:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Its that whole thing about staying above the fray. Dems don't do attack good, and while McCain and Co. are doing it so poorly, why risk it?
These recent ads only inspire the most rabid of right-winged fanatics. Maybe not. I am sure they'd prefer a much more callous approach, either way, it'll end up being, "what did that ole coot say today? - Obama is the reason why man hasn't gotten to mars yet!"
July 31, 2008 2:21 PM | Reply | Permalink