Republicans are very good at personal attacks...

[kentuck]

They will ridicule you for having a tan. They will ridicule you for windsurfing. They will criticize your looks. They will criticize your wife for having money. They will question your honor and whether your medals won in a war are real? They will say you consorted with the Communists. They will call you an exaggerator, a flip-flopper, indecisive, or whatever is effective in destroying your character. But, they will not discuss the issues. That is not their game.

[fishface]

Issues? How could Smirk possibly debate issues?

The village idiot is (in his own words) a "catastrophic sucess".

[Paradise]

1. well said! n/t

[bryant69]

2. So the question is what's the proper respons.

Should we play to our strengths and focus on teh issues? Or should we try to out do them in trashing our opponents? Or try to do both?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Dawgs]

3. Great Question...

I've been wondering the same thing all week.

Should Kerry ignore Bush and focus on the issues, or should he expose Bush for not focusing on issues and being negative?

We know that Kerry has been focusing on the issues, and apparently that doesn't work with many ignorant Americans.

I say both.

Focus on the issues, but also defend the criticism's and come up with his own sound bites.

[kentuck]

4. Issues are irrelevant when your opponent is destroying your character..

Unfortunately.

[babylonsister]

5. While I'd prefer to hear a debate on issues,

Kerry has got to fight fire w/fire. Sadly, that's all some people understand and will tune in for.

[kentuck]

6. "flip-flopper" issue is more powerful than healthcare issue

in voters minds, in my opinion. I think this is borne out in the present faux polls.

[The empressof all]

7. Yes this is true but....

Because of this disgusting behavior they are able to appeal to the publics "base" side. It's tabloid politics at it's best- and they know that the dirty ugly stuff sells.

The fact that they are able to get away with this says just as much about our culture as it does the folks who are getting elected.

Remember, one of Bush's big selling points was his focus on Values. This gave folks the OK to buy into the illusion that he was a good guy. Deep down inside though what they were attracted to was the kind of guy that told dirty jokes down in the church basement. That's why they pushed the "Who would you rather have a beer with" line.

Make no mistake, they have the manipulation of the vast American heartland down to an art form.