The New GOP Attack Machine

[babylonsister]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2863.html

The New GOP Attack Machine

By: Mike Allen
February 22, 2007 04:40 PM EST


If you suddenly start hearing a lot about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., having a “calculating nature” and “political baggage,” or being a “lifelong liberal,” it won’t be a coincidence. Similarly, get ready to see Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., strafed for his “short political timeline” (a euphemism for “rookie”), for being “arrogant and insulated” and a liberal rubberstamp. John Edwards? “New negative tone,” “running to the far left” and “hypocritical.”

The put-downs – some clever, some blunt -- are part of an attack-o-matic that the Republican National Committee is encouraging its supporters to use in preparing for their appearances on cable television and talk radio. The 69-page playbook, posted on the national party’s Web site (GOP.com) on Wednesday as “Meet the Real Dem Candidates,” devotes 10 pages each to Clinton, Edwards and Obama; nine each to Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut; and seven each to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former Iowa governor Tom Vilsack.

The Republican tip sheets, each with the antiseptic title of “Research Report,” constitute a sophisticated new way for the party to infuse the blogosphere and airwaves with a coordinated, fact-based message. They help allies who come with their own credibility and are not identified as party officials.

The reports come complete with video links and amusing photos: Edwards has a shiny forehead, Biden has an open mouth, Obama glowers, Dodd pontificates and Clinton and Richardson purse their lips.

snip//

Here are the images Republicans are pushing for each candidate, so count the times you hear them on radio and TV out of the mouth of your favorite (or least favorite) pundit:

* Biden: "An Undisciplined, Self-Described Northeast Liberal, In Love With The Sound Of His Own Voice."
* Clinton:"A Calculating, Divisive, Lifelong Liberal With Political Baggage."
* Dodd: "A New England Liberal, Past His Prime, On An Unrealistic Vanity Run For The White House."
* Edwards: "A Hypocritical, Inexperienced Liberal With A New Negative Attitude."
* Obama: "An Inexperienced, Insulated, Arrogant, Unabashed Liberal."
* Richardson: "A Self-Promoting, Washington Insider With A Controversial Record."
* Vilsack: "A Tax-Hiking, Mismanaging, 'Blip' Candidate With No Foreign Policy Experience."

[mtnsnake]

1. Hillary doesn't even need a new GOP Attack Machine. She's got DU.

[SoFlaJet]

3. Why do you think that is?

wondering.....

[Dr Fate]

10. The good news is it is mostly just Hillary- we mostly like everyone else.

So long as she is not nominated, it wont be a problem.

Besides, I thought that being attacked by DUers would give her credibility with swing-voters who love the war, so why worry?

[DemKR]

2. "No foreign policy experience"

Didn't matter with Bush but matters with Vilsack? lol..hypocrites

[LiberalFighter]

4. What would be "Research Report" be for GOP candidates?

Mitt Romney: "Flip Flop with holy underwear"
John McClain: "Born again conservative, despised by his Arizona constituents"
Rudy Giuliani: "Best choice for Republicans... Married 3 times, Mistresses on the side, Kerik mafia connection"

[AX10]

5. And the corporate owned and influenced media will ignore these.

[John Q. Citizen]

9. No, more like

Romney: Massachusetts Mormon with no foreign policy experience and and a lot of flip flopping on the issues

John McCain.(aka Grandpa McCain)Iraqi war cheerleader, bush's lap dog, now old and tired

Rudy: Loose morals and lifestyle from New York City, and politically manipulated 9/11 for political profit.

[PhilipShore]

6. Mind-boggling...

considering that everyone on that list - is to afraid to even utter the word liberal.

[John Q. Citizen]

7. All Right! Dennis is beneth the radar.

[AlinPA]

8. The R's control the media and the message. They are organized like Nazis

and march in goose step in their messages. We just don't know how to fight. Maybe we will learn by next year. It is going to be dirty. The R's are so afraid of our candidates that they will stop at nothing, and we don't have secret service protection for any of them. I'm still worried that they will go after Obama or Clinton and it won't be with words. Those bastards are capable of anything. After starting a war to get the chimp "elected" and thousands killed and wounded, nothing is beyond them.

[blm]

13. True - but why did the Dem PARTY never bother to set up a machine that

kept attacking Bush and the GOP and protected ALL Dem lawmakers being attacked?

We hear about the powerful Clinton machine, but that begs the question - Where were they between 2000 and 2006 when the other Democrats and the entire Dem party and its issues were being smeared by Bush and the RW machine?

Why wasn't that powerful machine used to counter attacks on Alito filibuster or against Rumsfeld when 3 of the Dem candidates in 2003 called for Rumsfeld to go? Or when Bush was lying about Tora Bora? Or when the nominee in 2004 said Rumsfeld had to go?

Where was the powerful attack machine throughout all those years after 9-11 where Dems were LABELED weak on terror, or Clinton to blame for 9-11? Guess it would have benefitted the PARTY too much at that time - better to wait out the attacks until a Clinton is running for office?

[blm]

11. Question: Why doesn't the Dem party have a MACHINE that operates for ALL Dems the way

the GOP has?


The GOP has had this noise and attack machine set up for two decades. It goes after every Dems and protects every Republican.

Why did the Dem party only end up with a Clinton machine that has all the most access to the corporate media but only comes out in any forceful way when a Clinton is running for office?

Throughout 2001 - 2006 the Clintons held their 'machine' back from attacking Bush and the GOP who were smearing the entire Dem party as 'weak on terror' yet there was nothing hitting back. They even let the "clinton to blame for 9-11' meme run its full course and didn't hit back until fall of 2006. Why? Because they don't hit unless a Clinton is running?

[babylonsister]

12. Good question; you'd think they'd have learned something. nt