Fight the real enemy

[jlh]

I'm trying to do the NaBloPoMo or whateverthehell, but with fewer television posts. I admit, I started with a backdated post; I put up this post about race earlier today.

So this is what I think about recent apologies: Wow, it really doesn't take much for Karl Rove to get every Democrat in the country off message and off strategy one week before the election, does it? I mean, seriously, y'all, it was a non issue and the fact that it lasted for what, three or four news cycles now? is testament to how much we all allow the right to set the agenda, and we just react, and I'm so over it. It was a stupid mistake, yes, but was it worth being the only thing about this election that I've seen anyone on my flist blog about in the last week? Um, that would be no. I mean, I know that none of us are writing political blogs here, but you pick one thing and it's Kerry, who by the way is running for fuckall, putting his foot in his mouth again?

If you actually want something to get pissy about, how about these assholes at the Club for Growth PAC. They were running an ad attacking Larry Grant, a Democrat running for Congress in Idaho's First District. In it, they pull the "don't let the Democrats retake Congress" card. Toward the end, they talk about San Francisco and New York liberals, and put up pictures of Nancy Pelosi and Charles Rangel.

Now, Nancy Pelosi is fair game. She'd be the new Speaker if the Democrats take the House, and the Republican talking point is to refer to her as a "San Francisco liberal" which is actually pretty accurate. But how many people in Idaho, rather than in her own district, would recognize her, or know who she is?

Charlie Rangel is another story. True, if the Democrats take the House he'll be the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, which is a very powerful spot, and for the Club for Growth PAC, who are anti-taxes, he would be a true pain in the ass. But again, what person who isn't from New York would know him?

The above, the bits about their being the (hopefully to me, frighteningly to Club for Growth) future Speaker and Chair of Ways and Means, gives a nice fat deniability to what I'm about to say. But I'm sorry, what is the point of putting up a picture of what to a non-New Yorker is some random black guy and saying "New York liberal"? What kind of short hand is going on there, what kind of signal? Never mind the sign embedded in "San Francisco liberal." I mean, it's true; her district is San Francisco and his is New York, but I'm sorry, what does San Francisco stand for? So to have all of this—a black man, a woman, San Francisco and New York—it's just gross. If they had just labeled the photos, I wouldn't be saying this, but as it is, what are they really saying.

Yeah. It's pretty gross. So if you want to get all righteous about something as we count down the days until Tuesday, get righteous about bullshit like that, and not some Senator who isn't even up for re-election saying something arguably stupid but ultimately just something that Karl and W can use to distract everyone from the matter at hand. Seriously, people.

ETA: Hmm, since I saw the ad, and heard about it on my local radio station, they've re-edited it to put in their names and call them both simply "tax and spend liberals." (At least, that's the version that's on their website today.) Which is fine, really, but my musings stand.

Comments

[mahoni.livejournal.com]

What kind of short hand is going on there, what kind of signal?

It's funny. At the company I work for, that kind of thing could win somebody a lawsuit, because it would be a violation company and federal anti-discriminaton regulations.

And the fact that...I mean, what that ad says about not only the people who put it together, but also the audience they hope to reach with it, the audience they think is made up of the people who can help them win a majority vote with it. Do you know what I'm trying to say? That the target audience of that ad are, according to that political party and those politicians, the people who matter, the people who vote. And if the fact that it's the party controlling the majority of government is any evidence, they're right.

Which is wrong. People think that they can't make a difference by voting, and that they can't change anything by voting, but they could change that. And that would change a lot. You know?

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. I mean, we're human so we are motivated by fear, and fear is sparked by difference. And these people are going to use what they know to motivate people. And if the ad were more overt about tax and spend liberals, I wouldn't have much of a problem with it, because that's an honest and important philosophical difference. But this is shady bullshit, yet they can hide behind "well, that isn't what we meant."

That said, looking at this crap it's easy to see why so many people have just checked out.

[sistermagpie.livejournal.com]

I barely wanted to think about the Kerry thing after the first time I had to sit through the tape. It's embarassing to watch, but at the same time obviously embarassing because he was fumbling words.

But the other subject is far more disturbing--talk about showing your true message there. Imagine putting up a picture of someone and saying "Mississippi Redneck" or "West Virginia Hillbilly." Or the more simple: One of Those People Who Are Out To Get You.

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

Love this post.
Kerry seems to be off the news now, though, because of that evangelical from Colorado.
But everyone should be talking about Bush saying that Rummy's Iraq work has been "terrific".

[jlh.livejournal.com]

I'm just glad that "stay the course" has finally come back to haunt them.

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

My grandma says that they want to "stay the curse."

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

My grandma says that they want to "stay the curse."