By Jim Spencer
SpencerSpeaks.com
Two of
Udall’s camp has been remarkably quiet as the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the conservative advocacy group Common Sense Issues have produced misleading videos and advertisements that try to brand
“The key words here are ‘defining early,’†said political scientist Bob Loevy of
As crazy and distorted as the current attack ads are, without rebuttal and pushback to discredit the source, almost any kind of specious characterization can take hold, said Colorado State University political scientist John Straayer.
“Basically,†Straayer explained, “you have to Swift-Boat them back.â€
Otherwise, the truth gets lost as it did in the presidential election, where people actually believed the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth’s big lie – that Kerry had not done the things that won him combat medals in
The attacks on Udall are not as vicious. But they contain outrageous half-truths and spin designed to make the Congressman look like a wimp and a political opportunist.
The sources of those claims are clearly Republican. But counting on people to make the distinction is risky, Loevy and Straayer agreed.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Udall campaign finally responded to the Common Sense Issues ads by suggesting that Common Sense Issues might be illegally tied to the campaign of Udall opponent Bob Schaffer. Loevy called that approach “inside baseball.â€
“You have to deal with the electorate,†Loevy said.
“This is an era where the advice has changed in the modern era,†he continued. “It used to be that you didn’t respond because it just kept the story in the news. Bill and Hillary Clinton articulated a different strategy – an instant response that refutes the claim.â€
Questioning credibility or making claims of crimes may help impeach the messenger, said Straayer. But alone, claims of illegal connections will be insufficient to break the frame into which Republicans hope to fit Udall, especially if they continue with attack ads for the 11 months until the election.
“You’ve got to go at both the substance and the source,†Straayer said. “You have to do that whether the attacks are from the right or the left.â€
It is necessary to have “an item-by-item rebuttal to the factual misrepresentations,†the professor said, while you try to characterize the folks making the charges “as at best silly and at worst mean-spirited and willing to do almost anything with the truth.â€
For instance, Straayer said, the ugly push polls Common Sense Issues has conducted on behalf of - but without permission from - Mike Huckabee in the Iowa Republican caucuses could be used to show the group even plays dirty against members of its preferred party.
That said, Straayer is amazed that the attacks ads on Udall started almost a year from Election Day.
“I don’t remember any other campaign starting this early,†Straayer said.
On the other hand, the professor opined, Udall has “a pretty good image†that will take some time to undermine, if it can be undermined at all.
Loevy thinks Udall needs to keep hammering home a very simple message that stresses his experience in Congress and on the Armed Services Committee, as well as his connection to all of
Added Straayer: “He’s clean, attractive and statesmanlike. What you want to do (if you’re trying to attack him) is transform him into a ‘
Udall’s personal response needs to maintain a modicum of statesmanship if he wants to secure his image, Straayer continued. “He might say something like, ‘We all know this isn’t true. Let’s elevate this discussion and get to the issues.’â€
In the end, though, Udall and his supporters have to say something to head off the Swift Boats.
“He has to get his advisors together and respond to this,†Loevy said. “It comes down to this: Are these people with ads going to define you, or are you going to define yourself?â€
Copyright 2007 by Jim Spencer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
6 users commented in " Udall Must Fight Swift Boat-Style Attacks "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackback[…] post by Jim Spencer This was written by . Posted on Monday, December 10, 2007, at 12:35 am. Filed under […]
While many of “us” realize that such ads are just amazing and outrageous, the rest realized, sadly, they work. When Swift Boat came out, most were in denial - no one would possibly buy into this hate that hero from the Vietnam war with a silver and bronze star compared to a candidate who have avoid the war and had questionable reserve service had made this all up. But what failed was the media. Where media job is to investigate and report truth - they failed, because now the new neo-media is about sensationalism. What’s controversial and personal - sells. The more the outrageous - the more people “want” to believe it. And the Republicans are kings at this.
Where the Dems fail is they just hope people are smarter than this (duh! no their not! - look who re-elected Bush!). The Dems also believe if they take the high road and just use their small time spin machine to give the counter-FACTS it will go away. The only way to counter such mud slinging is to play in their arena and sling it back. Course the Repubs will then claim the high moral ground then, but the hypocrisy will be exposed. That’s the only saving grace - that people are not totally dumbed down. This is why the Repubs/neo-con Bushies just can’t seem to sell Iraq, and now Iran. People are finally wising up - it’s for the Dems to lose, and we know they can, and Udall is no knight in shining armor.
Right or left, these so-called 527 committees are insidiously evil. The truth is not in them in large part because there are no sanctions for getting caught lying. No 527 can be “not elected.” Face it, if Kerry had dealth with the Swift Boat Veterans decisively and quickly, he’d probably be completing his first term as President. (Remember, a change of just a few votes in a very few states would have changed the outcome of the 2004 election.) Having said that, perhaps the Swift Boat Veterans actually performed a public service. They helped demonstrate that Kerry was perhaps the most indecisive person to have run for President in the history of this country, and thereby helped him not get elected. I jest, of course. Kerry was indecisive, but there still is no excuse for the kind of lying that the Swift boaters engaged in. Now it’s Udall. Who will be next? Does anyone even wonder who or what is financing these evil groups? In the case of the Swift boaters, it was a Texas oilman, and we all know how much the Texas oil money means to GEB/Cheney, et al. Oh, and by the way, noidea, I seem to recall Republicans screaming like stuck pigs at the equally vicious antics of Moveon.org. As I have said many times, neither party has a monopoly on cupidity or stupidity, and neither can make a case for being on the side of the angels.
Well said, LHKMAN.
As Keith said, the Dems fail when they hope people are smarter.
When you’re sniped, you have to fire back.
Only when the enemy quits sniping can you quit firing.
How much will oil be 2 or 3 yrs. from now if the GOP win the presidency again in 08?
$150 a barrel?
Ah, but this is not a presidential election, where John Kerry was seeking to introduce himself to an unfamiliar electorate. The difference is this is Colorado, and we all know who Mark Udall is by now. I predict this will bounce off him and stick to Schaffer. Besides which, attitudes toward Cuba have changed in every state except Florida. The latest generation of voters can’t really understand why this little island gets the big scare treatment. If there’s oil there and everyone agrees to it, let’s drill, baby! As for the 527’s, if that’s all they’ve got on Udall, they should go home early.
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