Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Campaign Shenanigans

As this election trudges forward both campaigns are trying tactics to subconsciously move the American electorate. The mark of a good campaign is employing these tactics as a part of larger strategies (and just to be clear Obama, tactics and strategies are different things). Be prepared to be inundated as we move ever closer to November, here is what the campaigns are going to try.

“Look If He’s Driving The Car, Get Off The Sidewalk”- This is what Obama’s communication guy, Robert Gibbs, said this morning about John McCain on Morning Joe. Do you think this phrase was picked by accident? The Obama campaign is doing their best to paint John McCain as a crazy old geezer who is going to recklessly destroy the country, until of course he dies after a few months in office and then were left with “the lipstick on a pig” Sarah Palin.

The Obama campaign is using Chicago thug tactics to paint McCain as unfit, and its not going to work. People know John McCain is old, but by talking about it and turning it into a blatant campaign partisan issue you are only hurting your own campaign. What you are doing is transparent and therefore silly. If it is this easy to see through your campaign tactics then you are not running a very good campaign.

Deliberately Downplaying Sarah Palin- I’m beginning to have a theory about Sarah Palin and why she has been doing a bit poorly in interviews, I think its by design. Look the reason the pundits thought Obama “won” the debate (which I think is nonsense) is because McCain “didn’t win it large enough”. I believe Joe Biden is going to have this very same problem.

Joe Biden is expected to wipe the floor with her in the debate, but I think the pundits will be in for a bit of a surprise. When McCain first unveiled Palin and she gave that great introductory speech followed by the terrific convention speech, she clearly wasn’t in a “underdog” position. If Sarah Palin delivers another convention style performance at the debate, Obama is toast, but in order to retain the maximum effect her expectations must be low. I think what has looked like a poor strategy on the outside, may in fact turn out to be genius by Friday. But this all depends on Governor Palin.


Final Thoughts- What is interesting me most right now are the undertones of the campaign, these stories are not talked about widely but have significant subconscious impact. While most bloggers and American’s are tuned into the bailout crisis, what I am most interested in is the political impact of events and it is too soon to judge who this bailout benefits. Expect a story from me on the impact of the bailout after the hype has died down. So now I leave it to you readers, I illustrated the subconscious tactics and strategies I’m seeing, what are you noticing? Until next time…

8 comments:

Bob Scuba said...

What I am noticing is the RNC is asleep at the wheel, not driving it on the sidewalk. Our brave Conservatives in the House may have just saved the Nation. The Democrats led by Pelosi could be taken out right now. They have never looked weaker than yesterday. We need to elect McCain and Palin but we also need to get more of us in Congress before we lose the country. So where is the RNC running ads demonstrating the madness of the Pelosi/Reid Congress?

Nancy Swider said...

Here is the new RNC ad, I think its pretty good.

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/30/rnc-ad-worse/

Anonymous said...

Bravo, what a great blog.

wendy said...

What I can't believe how the Democrats can stand there and lie to your face and not blink. I have decided that they have such a god complex and have been so protected by the MSM and that they think we (average Americans) are too stupid to think for ourselves. Well we do have brains and know how to use them.
Then there is the whole kids singing for Obama thing that just made me sick.

Gail said...

I too am interested to see the impact of the bailout crisis. So far it seems to be benefiting Obama, although I can’t imagine why. My radical liberal friend today reminded me that the Republicans have been in power for 8 years, so therefore it’s their fault. I tried to explain that it’s Bush, McCain, and others who have been calling for regulation since 2003, and that it has been Barney Frank and Chris Dodd who have been intent on blocking regulation and claiming Fannie, Freddie and the other culprits were completely fine as is. My friend was having no part of it, convinced she knows the truth because she listens to MSNBC and NPR, and cites Paul Krugman and Al Franken as providing the “truth”. I’m not sure how McCain/Palin can counter the mainstream media and liberal blogosphere so anxious to spin in favor of Obama and ignore the real truth. LOVE YOUR BLOG!
gailtalk.blogspot.com

Chris said...

Thanks for leaving a nice comment, I'm not used to people being reasonable around election time! :-)

-Chris

Unknown said...

Do you REALLY think that Sarah Palin is a good VP pick. Check out some of the following:

http://anotherdamnblog.com/index.php/sarah-sarah/
http://anotherdamnblog.com/index.php/what-has-sarah-palin-done/

I think the John McCain running now isn't the same John McCain that earned my respect during his tenure in congress.

Unknown said...

I made some detailed, well researched posts on the current state of the economy here:

Why we are in a Financial Crisis: http://anotherdamnblog.com/index.php/why-are-we-in-a-the-financial-crisis/

Why We Need the Bailout: http://anotherdamnblog.com/index.php/why-we-need-the-bailout/