This "Paint Dean as McGovern" strategy will fail

[Must_B_Free]

and I'll tell you why, I'm 33 and I really don't know who McGovern was.

It's not even in the memory of probably half of the voting base.

Nixon is the first President I remember seeing on TV.

It's like drugding up Barry Goldwater... I just wasn't around then so I don't know who he was or what he was like.

What a brilliantly shortsighted miscaculation from Rove.

If they had said "another Michael Dukakis", it might have meant something to me.

[slinkerwink]

1. yep, I didn't know who McGovern was before I heard he was like Dean

[wtmusic]

2. I remember McGovern

and I also remember the Thomas Eagleton/mental health issue being much larger than many give it credit for.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. They

Will try anything but the issues!

[napi21]

4. Remember McGovern

I don't remember much about McGovern, but the country was different then. I think there's a lot of anger now, for a lot of reasons. The 2000 election, the war, the economy, no jobs, even the Pubs are angry with Bush for spending too much.

I surely hope Rove turns out to be the idiot he seems to be. It looks like he's been failing pretty often recently. YEAH!!!!

[newyawker99]

12. Hi napi21!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Guaranteed]

5. Excellent point.

It's lost on those under 40 who aren't poli sci or history majors.

[napi21]

6. You're right

I agree, but we have to remember the seniors are the largest voting block in the US.

I listen to a lot of C-span and it's amazing how many rPubs are angry with Bush. I hope they get angrier as time goes on. Howard's message is resonating with a lot of people, not just Dems.

He's going to be our next President!

[slinkerwink]

9. welcome to DU!!!!

:hi:

[Capn Sunshine]

7. It's like the false issue of military service

nobody under the age of 45 give a rip about what happened with Vietnam; or * wouldn't have been nominated.

[Capn Sunshine]

8. It's like the false issue of military service

nobody under the age of 45 give a rip about what happened with Vietnam; or * wouldn't have been nominated.

[drfemoe]

10. You probably hear that because that's

the way *u*hco is 'hoping' to play it.

Here's what happened: (1972)
President Nixon was renominated with only token opposition at the Republican convention at Miami Beach. In his acceptance speech Nixon stated:" It has become fashionable in recent years to point up what is wrong with the American system. The critics contend that it is unfair, so corrupt, so unjust that we should tear it down a substitute something else in its place. I totally disagree, I believe in the American system." Senator George McGovern was nominated after a long series of primary battles, that saw both Senator's Muskie and Humphrey withdraw from the campaign. Both were considered more moderate than McGovern. McGovern received the Democratic primary on the first ballot.

The Republicans successfully depicted Senator McGovern as a radical leftist. He was unable to shake that depiction. Thus regardless of the charged that McGovern made, most Americans paid little attention. Two weeks before the election Kissinger announced that "peace was at hand". The result one of the most one-sided elections in American history. (emphasis added)
*note* "radical leftist" = Stop the War
http://www.multied.com/elections/1972.html

He may want to run like Nixon .. but I was reading a comparison of *u*h and Goldwater somewhere. This is what We want.

What happened: (1964)
President Johnson was nominated for re-election by acclamation at the Democratic convention in Atlantic City. Senator Goldwater ran for the republican nomination, He was opposed by Nelson Rockefeller, but was nominated on the first ballot.

Goldwater promised "a choice and not an echo." Goldwater suggested the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Vietnam if necessary. He called for deep cuts in the social programs. He also called {sic} opposed much of the civil rights legislation. He suggested that social security become voluntary,(emphasis added) and that Tennessee Valley Authority be sold. Johnson campaigned on a platform of continued social programs, and a limited involvement in Vietnam.

The election of 1964 was the first election since 1932 that was fought over true issues, and which brought ideology into Americans politics. President Johnson won by a landslide.
http://www.multied.com/elections/1964.html

The reference site has more info like state maps and voter turn out. http://www.multied.com/elections/

1964 is the first 'election' I remember. But only because my family went to the state fair and there were cans of 'gold water', and because we had lost Dear JFK a year before. Even though my family was always repup, and protestant, I personally adored Kennedy (at that young age).

You make a good point. There's a piece in the NYT for tomorrow, I believe, that indicates *u*h is probably going to start his "campaign" right after the State of the Union at the end of January. He wants a chance to define "Dean" as a super left wing, wild eyed whacko (McGovern) before the primaries are even finished.

It would be great if we could get a March surprise, though. (Perp march.) The blessing of living in interesting times.

[Silverhair]

15. You didn't list McGovern's campaign promises, that made him lose.

His proposal of $1,000 a year to every person in the USA, (Remember that in 72 $1,000 was about like $5,000 now) was pretty extreme. That issue alone was enough to paint him as a nutjob.

Not only did he want to withdraw from Vietnam, but he wanted huge reductions in military spending, far beyond what getting out of a war would have saved. And he wanted that during the cold war.

[drfemoe]

20. oops

thanks for the added info ..
That was the first year I was eligible to vote.
I really would have been a McGovern "hippie" if I hadn't been so strongly influenced by my repup family.
Live and Learn. ;)

[JCMach1]

11. Maybe it's time to paint * as Carter... use GOP spin against them

Remember in 1980 the Repugs spun Carter as a failure on the economic and foreign policy front.

Remember that was THEIR spin on him.

[Silverhair]

14. That won't work.

I don't think we want to bring up Carter. He had 17% inflation, 9% unemployment, and interest rates were in the 20+%. And he did nothing, except one failed rescue attempt, when confronted internationally. That comparison would hurt us.

[Name removed]

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[ima_sinnic]

17. coming from a poster who believes a candidate's hair

is THE most important important quality in a candidate, I am sure your insight is quite valid (see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=876805 for a real substantive post, complete with the expected reference to Bill Clinton)

troll much?

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[Silverhair]

16. You are not fully understanding. They are using verbal shortcuts.

When they say they will paint him as another McGovern, they don't mean that they will run ads saying that. What they mean is that they think they can run the same type of campaign against him, (With a few modifications.) as they ran against McGovern. They think he has the same weak spots.

[neebob]

19. Which is pathetic

considering their incredibly arrogant, idiotic, lying sack of a candidate. It pains me that anyone thinks it's all right for him to finish his term, much less run for another one.