Bring on the negative ads.

[Skwmom]

I think negative ads could play an important role in the 2004 primaries --- if a candidate can't survive attack ads in the primary election he sure in the heck won't be able to survive attack ads in the general election. Like it or not Bush is going to have a huge pile of money to run negative attack ads in the general election.

For instance, let’s assume Dean gets the nomination. If you think there won't be negative ads highlighting Dean's ditching military service via a military exemption and then hitting the ski slopes - I have some tropical property I'll sell you in the Antarctica. How do you think this is going to play to the general public?

Some of you on this board love to military bash but what if a sarin attack or something else happens in the US before the next election. Americans will be scared shitless and looking for the military and a strong military party (like it or not the Dems are perceived as weak on defense) to save their ass.

Other great commercials that Rove can run in the general election:
– Dean on K Street being spoon-fed one liners by Carville and Begala.
- Dean waffling on issues. (Howard Dean – he’ll say anything to get elected).
- Rove can paint Dean as a wacko liberal in conservative states and a phony liberal in liberal states (thus sapping energy from the liberal base). Heck Rove won’t even have to run commercials to accomplish this – the Carlye Group among others own enough of the news media that he’ll be able to get his message out for free.

So bring on the negative ads in the primary election. It might be the only thing that gives some people a dose of reality and saves the Democratic party from self-destruction.

[PAMod]

1. Rove won't have to run the commercials because...

our fellow Democrats will have already done it.

That's real smart.

Negative ads are effective, though usually they are produced & shown out of desperation.

The Republicans love to watch us kill each other - it makes things so much easier for them.

[rocktivity]

2. BRING IT ON, ROVE!!!

Like it or not Bush is going to have a huge pile of money to run negative attack ads in the general election.

Dean has a iffy military record? Bush is a flat-out deserter.

Dean is being spoonfed by Carville and Begalia? Bush is being spoonfed by Cheney and Rove.

Dean waffles on issues? Bush is asking for another $87B to fight the war and is cutting veteran's benefits.

Rove can paint Dean as a left wing whacko? Dean can paint Bush as a mentally unbalanced despot.

Dean's son got busted? Bush's daughters and niece are repeat offenders.

Rove and Bush don't have a moral leg to stand on. So go right ahead with the negative advertising, fellas--make our day!


rocknation

[PAMod]

3. Each of your points is 100% dead on

These are the points that ALL Democrats should be focusing on, rather than how we can beat the crap out of each other to darwinize the field.

"mentally unbalanced despot" heh, heh. We'll have a hard time coming up with a TV euphemism for that one.

[Skwmom]

6. Let me get this straight.

You're going to be able to out negative ad Karl Rove and the Repbus with all of their tons of money, and their domination of the airwaves, televisions, newspapers, etc. (which by the way is only getting stronger every day). Can't wait to see it.

[Skwmom]

4. I heard the Democrats referred to the other day as the "Ostrich" party

-- the party who likes to bury their heads in the sand.

Yeah,let's only focus on the positives and totally ignore any negatives that we know the other side will use against us in the general election.

I think it's like trying to have a title boxing match with an untried challenger. In boxing, the challenger is someone who has proven himself in prior boxing matches. He's been knocked around and bruised but the people betting on him know he's the best guy to try to knock off the current title holder because he's been tested, knocked around and has survived difficult challenges. Imagine if this wasn't the case. The title holder could end up knocking out the challenger with little effort.

Imagine - Round 1 in the general election and the match is won by the Republicans.

[PAMod]

7. Here's a better boxing analogy

Your fighter has to beat the world's best fighters the day before the title match. The fighter you have to face in the title match is rested and ready, and has watched the tapes from your matches yesterday.

He knows where you will be sore and will pound you there.

Geez people, anyone can see that a criticism from a fellow Democrat is going to ring true moreso than the same charge from the partisan opposition.

Let THEM make the charges, let THEM dig this crap up.

Keep your eyes on the prize!

We can't govern if we don't win!

We can't win if we don't unite!

We won't unite until the internal crap stops.

Get Your head out of the sand, Skwmom.

[Skwmom]

9. I really don't see much uniting on this board.

I wish I could put my head in the sand and ignore the train wreck that is waiting to happen. Unfortnately it's not part of my personality.

[Skwmom]

11. Watch the tapes.

No I'd rather have a candidate who had taken an actual punch to see if he's left standing after it's landed.

[Bandit]

5. Bullshit

:shrug: why don't you let the GOP do what they do best and let our candidates handle it as they will.
Why should you are us sink to that level? Think of positive ways to deflect instead of bashing for bashing sake.

[rocktivity]

8. Right, Bandit

Leave the "bashing for bashing's" sake to the GOP. The fact that they doesn't have anything harder to hit the Dems with just shows how weak they really are.


rocknation

[Skwmom]

10. Okay let's let the GOP do what they do best.

Strategize, plan, plan and plan some more to have the Dems end up with a weak candidate who doesn't have a chance in hell of winning in the general election.

Correction - he might have a slim chance but sorry that's not good enough. The stakes are to damn high.

[PAMod]

12. Whose potential nomination scares you so much?

The people that are in the top tier are all very fine candidates, each with unique strengths, and will have a good shot at victory if we unite.

Each also has weak areas that would be best left unexploited by those who may have to fall in line behind him later on.

Keep your eyes on the prize!

The primary season is important, but it is MORE important that we have a strong united party and message in the General Election.

Your candidate may not be the nominee. You may end up broken hearted. But you have to be ready to support whomever the nominee is. To do otherwise is to aid and abet the Republicans.

One more thing, sorry about the head in the sand thing before, that's the first negative thing I've said in a post. I disagree with your encouraging negative ads, but otherwise I will assume you are a loyal Democrat trying to do & say the right thing.