Tar and Feathers

[RandomUser]

One tactic that Republicans use is guilt by association or, more accurately, demonization by association. They pick some Democratic figure (such as Ted Kennedy or Bill Clinton) that will rile up their base's hatred and associate him with whichever candidate they're trying to defeat.

Well, they say turnabout is fair play. Why haven't we adopted this tactic? Take a Republican figure that is way out of mainstream -- like Santorum or some wacko fundie -- and use that to knock down Republican candidates in blue/purple areas.

If they can take Daschle and paint him as liberal via Ted Kennedy, why can't we pick some wacko fundie and tar-and-feather the more moderate Republicans?

This is a selective tactic. It won't make much difference against a raving right-wing lunatic in a deep red area. Just as it won't make any difference against a liberal dem in a deep blue area.

But if we pick and choose our battles, using this method against liberal/moderate Republicans in blue/purple areas may work well. It accomplishes one of two possibilities. Either it knocks the Republican out of the seat, or it forces that Republican to play defensive and try to disprove charges that he's a right-wing wacko. Even if he wins, the latter prospect means he'll have to chart a more liberal course in his career to fend off future guilt-by-association-with-right-wing-wacko attacks.

Furthermore, this will cause those not under election pressures to worry about their future elections as well, and play defensive. They'll be afraid of being too "right-wing-wacko," just as they've successfully scared many of our Dems in red/purple areas to be afraid of being "liberal."

If Republicans can knock down Dem seats in the south and midwest (like Daschle) by linking him to Ted Kennedy, we should be able to knock off Lincoln Chafee or Mike Bloomberg by linking them to right-wing-wackos.

Let's paint THEM as being out of mainstream, just as they've tried to marginalize and paint us out of the mainstream.

[illflem]

1. Rush would be my choice

[creeksneakers2]

2. Great idea! Make them take a position on Rush

[bklyncowgirl]

3. Great idea

Nothing like a hillbilly heroin popping, three time loser in the marriage game, windbag to get the family values folks attention.

[itzamirakul]

4. Yes!

Let's get started here on DU with regular posts that lamblast some stupid thing he has said that day or something that we know is a direct talking point given to him by Rove. But the problem is, I don't listen to the fat-assed blowhard.