Sorry, gang, but they're planning something...

[Bucky]

Please don't get cocky about this election coming up, my friends. Bush hasn't started running yet. The SOTU was just dippin' his toe in the water--you know they market test everything first. The themes from the State fo the Union address didn't work so they're reworking them even as we speak. Mr Rove and Mr Bush and Mr Cheney have got a new trifecta up their filthy sleeves:

(1) new terrorist strike, call it mid September and expect it to be stopped before (too many) fatalities occur--in this case Bush is the "hero". A successful terror attack kills Bush and the Patriot Act he's riding in on, but a prevented one justifies all the BS that they've been doing and derails any criticism we've launched against them;

(2) capturing Osama bin Laden, late September/early October--I don't think they have him on ice, but I bet they have him pinpointed and are waiting for item #1 to unfold a bit first;

(3) something else--something we haven't thought of. While the first two are real damn obvious (tho most DUers seem to expect the terror attack to be successful), I can't begin to guess what the last surprise is. But my gut instinct tells me Rove's got a new rhino in his Bullwinkle hat. Possibilities:

• Reagan kicks the can right before Halloween, prompting a big sympathy vote
  
• a huge defection of conservative go-along Dems (not Lieberman, but a couple of old Southern Dems) who denounce our nominee as unbalanced, irresponsible, high-taxin', whatever...
  
• a drop in unemployment starting in mid September, brought on by a bunch of jillionaire corporations who suddenly remember who's buttering their bread and initiate quickie hiring programs
  
• a rapproachment with North Korea, Iran, or (God help us all) France to plug any holes in Bush's foreign policy creds, or
  
• a dramatic revelation against our nominee--Kerry's certainly got a couple of skels in the closet; Clark may be more bullet proof, but a man who's fought wars will have something to hide--General Skelton may suddenly remember what the "character issues" were with Wesley; Edwards is trial lawyer--one misrepresented ex-client could help derail his whole train and certainly among the hundreds he's helped there's got to be a disgruntled Republican with a need for sudden fame and cash

Tag onto this list the usual character attacks that all Democratic nominees go under and we're gonna be up against one mutherfucker of a machine this summer and fall. Just because the beast is sleeping doesn't mean he doesn't know how to use his teeth. Let's play a real game here people. We're in the running, but the other guys still got their tricks. I'm not despairing, but I think we need to not misunderestimate these bastards.

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Thats why we must hammer endlessly...

We have to keep them on the defensive and thats the only way we win this thing. Email, stay active, stay loud....

This is gonna be the fight of our lives.

[Blue_Roses]

30. I definitely

second this

[NV1962]

2. Heh

To quote a famous lieutenant: Bring It On!

Let's see what gives when, instead of a cowering and cowardly press cotery that refuses to pick up stories, the reichwingers meet a counter-attack from real patriots.

Bring It On!

Whoever the nominee, they're in for a nasty, cold and lonely November this year.

[POed_Ex_Repub]

3. One thing I know they are relying on

Those checks coming back from taxes after shrub's cuts. They're hoping people are so happy to see money in their hands they forget that their local taxes went up because of it (and the labor market still stucks).

[salinen]

5. This is the most important election

in the history of the world.

[Indiana_Dem]

12. That just gave me a thought...

Those of us lucky enough to get a tax return ought to use part of it to fund our candidate instead of investing it back into the economy like Bush wants us to do!! lol

[NV1962]

15. That's exactly what Michael Moore did

Him, and a few other millionaires have pledged to use their full tax refund to unseat the unelectable.

[progressivebydesign]

20. Like the tax rebates from AUSTIN, TX????

Did you all notice that when the measley checks were sent out.. our "pre-bates" they were from Austin, Texas?? I have never received an IRS check from Austin before.

[madrchsod]

4. i agree

they will do something but i don`t know if it will work. they are running out of time, they are going to have to create alot of jobs this year. the war has to wind down fast-and remember it`s going to be summer over there..you`re right never under estimate the enemy-like the whitehouse did in iraq.

[genius]

6. They've got the voting machines to make a theft look legitimate.

Are we going to stop them? Are we going to be prepared to prove we won? Will anyone care who won? What are we willing to do to make sure the winner takes office?

[Dogmudgeon]

7. I've thought so

I have come to much the same conclusions as you have, except ...

1. They can't depend on The Gipper to shuffle off his mortal coil at any given time;

2. A re-employment scenario would probably be initiated in the springtime, to allow two quarters of good news, so that the economists can proclaim an official return to Good Times;

3. Revelations can't be counted on to play;

4. The highest probability is a multi-play scenario. In other words, the capture of ObL and another terror attack.

I think that another terror attack is the most likely of the scenarios. It would automatically give Bush a 20-40 point boost that would carry through the election.

Some bad news that could be turned into good news for Team Bush:

1. Oceanographers announce that the Gulf Stream has collapsed, promising a brutal winter, and possibly a return to ice-age conditions (this may actually be occurring now);

2. A dramatic downward re-assessment of the energy situation;

3. Radical Islamic coup d'etat in Saudi Arabia and/or Pakistan;

4. Major intelligence scandal, resulting in Cheney and/or Tenet falling on their swords and making Bush look squeaky-clean;

5. (Add your own scenario here.)

Unlike you, I don't think there is much hope in the short run. I think Bush has the election in the bag ten ways from Sunday. The hope is for a progressive Democratic leader to come along in 2008, when the feces should be hitting the fan by the long ton.

--bkl

[Seldona]

8. Most of us expect the worst campaign ever.

While I still have faith that the masses are waking up, I am sure we can expect these people to do whatever it takes to remain in power.

After all it is the only thing that matters to them.

There are promising signs though.

The media is beginning to take the gloves off with Bush.

There are simply to many land mines planted for him to make his way out of the minefield unscathed.

There are what? 6 or 7 different investigative bodies at work atm?

Even if all else fails, people have woken to the fact that he is at best incompetent, at worst a criminal.

[izzie]

14. Do recall NH last time with Bush and McCain

Bush was wild when he did not win and they went back to the drawing board and used all McCain's point and used those plus down right lies to take him out. I do think the news was with Bush last time so lets see what goes on this time. People do know he does not tell the truth now any how.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. I don't underestimate george and his minions

but I think they are underestimating the American People

What is going on RIGHT NOW has the feeling of 1800 all over again.

For those who do not remember their US History, Adamns was also voted out by a very angry people, who did not want a second King George...

But... this is the fight of our generation and our lives.

[pdg]

17. Apropos 1800 all over again

Incidentally, the Adams administration presided over a steady deterioration of relations with France and substantial war-mongering within his party (the Federalists). Despite that (and attacks on US shipping by French privateers) Adams resisted the drift to war and reached an agreement with France in 1800.

[newyawker99]

35. Hi pdg!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[milkyway]

10. I agree, but one glimmer of hope is that bush* himself looks like a wreck

lately. It's all coming apart for him. They have thought since 9-11 that they could do whatever they wanted and the American people were ignorant and stupid enough to let them get away with it. But now they realize it's not going to be as easy as they thought.

My gut feeling is that the big money establishment in this country has turned on bush* and his extreme policies. He's bad for business. They have decided to have him replaced by a safe Dem, John Kerry (instead of a rabble rouser like Dean). They will be happy to go back to the days of Clinton.

[emcglynn]

11. Bingo!

But what do I do? Do I stay politically obstipated(constipatedX10) Or do we make 08/04 in Boston look like Chicago 68 X 10?

[murielm99]

16. I don't think it did anything to make a difference in Chicagi in 68,

except to get a little attention. Nixon was elected, after all.

Maybe a huge stink in New York might wake up a few. We really do need to be out in the streets, but will it help?

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

28. I would be estatic to go back to the days of Clinton

Who wouldn't?

[aquart]

13. Osama won't make a difference.

Terrorists are not finite. We'll be struck by new ones. Bush thinks like a John Wayne movie script. Don't you.

Terrorist strikes by definition are not controllable and your fantasy of keeping it down to a few with George the hero is just that.

It is becoming important to conservatives to distinguish between George and Ron, lest Ron be tarred by George's stunning ineptitude. The death of Reagan will emphasize the differences not create sympathy for George.

Right now, Conservatives hate George as much as we do. Especially the ones who were arm-twisted by Delay on Medicare. Don't expect George to get anything but the cold shoulder from them, whichever party.

Unemployment is not going to drop enough to save George. It is going to get worse. We are now entering stagflation. Everything is headed downhill. And his Congress refuses to extend unemployment benefits.

A rapprochement? From people so pissed off at us who KNOW they just have to hang on until he's gone? Tee hee. Especially since Ashcroft is now making foreign policy tours.

Nothing they can say about our nominee is as bad as what Bush is. He's a LIAR! Don't you get it? People know.

The October Surprise? I'm sure it will be handled as brilliantly as every other Bush event this year.

BBV is all the bully boy has left.

[Leilani]

18. If only a conservative Repug would challenge him

There are so many conservatives really angry at the Shrub, however they will vote for him, because they don't have a choice.

Of course we can hope they will stay home, but most won't. Many have been brainwashed into believing that Dems are Commies, & they'd rather be dead than red.

[RUredE4me]

19. Lie, Cheat, and Steal...

I think the GOP will stick to good ol' fashion election rigging. (Just like I think the Super Bowl game was rigged to have the 'Patriots' to win.) Am I the only one to notice the presence of Patriot QB sitting next to ugly-azzed Laura Bush at the State of the Union Address? Lie, cheat, and steal. That's what they do.

[KT2000]

21. Take it to the convention

The millions of dollars in the Bush campaign will buy the denigration of our candidate for sure. That is why we have to go to the convention with several candidates.

[Tim_in_HK]

22. Planning something?

I fully expect that Osama will be caught before the election. Not because I think he's already caught and they got him in a spider hole ready for display (as I've seen some around here posit . . .), but we've already seen a step up in the amount of resources going back to Afghanistan for this purpose, and an increase in searches. It would be a huge win for Bush.

I assume that all serious candidates have put this inevitability into their campaign planning and strategy for the GE.

That's how I read Clark statements saying that if he were prez he would have already caught Osama (and the reasons he outlined are the same I mention above: lack of resources) . . . in anticipation for this inevitability, so that after Osama is caught, he'd be able to say, it should never have taken this long.

[quaker bill]

23. This is why 'electability' sucks

You know that they have ammo stashed on any of the candidates.

Electability is a concept based on speculation about the election outcome. Once the preception of "electability" is fractured by this sort of stuff support vanishes. The mantle of 'electability is virtually impossible to get back.

A candidacy built on support for popular issues ('the candidate X agrees with me on the issues' polling dimension) is far stronger. Because when the mud flies, people still know the candidate agrees with them.

This paradigm explains both the recent plummet in Dean's apparent popularity and the fact that his campaign continues to do very well at fund raising.

Apparently a good portion of Dean's support in December was due to his apparent "electability" as the front-runner in the polls. Once the 'electability' meme collapsed for Dean, he was left with those who find him attractive as an issues candidate. This base keeps the campaign fired up and funded. This sort of supporter is not disuaded by a bit of bad news.

The point being that there is something to learn here, regardless of who gets the nomination. Campaigns based on electability are fragile and can collapse at a moments notice. Those built around issues are far better equiped to withstand the attacks to come.

Choose wisely.

[mzmolly]

33. Excellent Point QB...

Thread worthy I'd say? ;)

[morgan2]

24. 5 arabs going to be caught

boarding a plane going from france to washington dc, with box cutters and tazers.

[adadem]

25. They're already starting

with this ricin "scare". I watched Frist yesterday and he looked like a lying dog.

[Kamika]

26. I'm scared about reagan mostly

Just our luck if he'd die just before the election, and we'd see memorial tv shows 24/7

[bigtree]

27. They've got a plan to bring Nixon back from the grave.

Bring it on! :hippie:

[dansolo]

29. The first is the most likely

I have always thought that the best "strategy" for Bush would be to have them stop a significant terrorist attack. They get all the benefits of scaring the populace, without having to excuse the failures by not being able to stop it. That is the best way to present the argument that he is "protecting" us, and provide further justification for his "War on Terrorism".

[meg]

31. Invasion of Cuba in the fall

Need a new war for Bushie.

[mzmolly]

32. Yes they are... A friend told me his cousin is in the military and they

have OBL contained and are just waiting for the orders to go in.

You can bet come fall, OBL will be in US custody.

[TexasSissy]

34. How 'bout Ricin in the Senate Bldg? Occurred to anyone else?