GOP's New Attack: Yes, We Screwed Everything Up, But Dems Would Make Things Worse!
From the presidential campaign to the lowliest down-ticket races, Republicans are throwing around a new attack line on Dems: That things may be bad now, but the Dems would only "make things worse."
This line came up in the RNC's infamous ad against Barack Obama from two weeks ago, which was mainly known for trashing the Wall St. bailout just as John McCain was trying to promote it:
"Barack Obama's plan: It'll make the problem worse," the announcer says.
More ads, and some analysis, after the jump.
Here's the most recent example we know of, an NRSC ad against Al Franken:
"Al Franken: He'd make things worse," the announcer says indignantly.
This NRCC ad has run in the Pennsylvania media market shared by two Dem Congressmen:
"Economy in turmoil, jobs lost, 401(k)s down," the announcer says. "But it would be much worse if Paul Kanjorski and Chris Carney had their way."
And this ad from the right-wing group Freedom's Watch has run against Kay Barnes, the Democratic challenger to Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO):
"Kay Barnes: She won't fix Washington," the announcer says. "She'll make it worse."
To say this is a novel strategy is a bit of an understatement. For an incumbent party to openly admit that the country is going down the drain, but to plead that they should be re-elected because those other guys would be even worse, is really an admission of failure on their own part.
Indeed, John McCain made essentially the same admission in his new ad this morning -- albeit phrased in the positive sense that he can do better -- and it just comes across as profoundly awkward.
Negative ads will be spewing.
October 16, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
OT:
The politicized corrupt Secret Service gets worse:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/observer2/2008/10/bush-rove-controlled-secret-se.php
Dana Milbanks (WaPo):
So let me get this straight:
* Ignore death threats against Obama, despite video / audio evidence
* Keep press from interviewing spectators at Palin rallies -- do they all get SS protection now??
WTF??
This is not getting enough attention. Greg and Josh just take the SS's word that they will investigate. It's evident that they are lying through their teeth, and denying the incidents despite video evidence. I guess the idiots asked Palin supporters who, surprise, claim it never happened. Right.
October 16, 2008 6:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
What in the fuck????
My head just exploded. I cannot believe this shit!
October 16, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wasn't McCain supposed to running low on money because of taking public financing?
October 16, 2008 8:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
What else have they got? They're finding out about the essential truth of Abraham Lincoln's famous statement:
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
October 16, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrghghghghgh!
The Republicans didn't just break America completely - they broke the whole planet - every fucking stock and commodities market in the world has been affected.
And they are standing there in the smoking ruins and saying:
"Um, can we have a do-over here?"
October 16, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
You guys really need to have some fun with Joe The Plumber:
His name is wrong on his voter registration, which would risk him getting purged from voter rolls under the Republican "It's Voter Fraud I Tell YOU!!!!!" rantings and ravings:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Purging_Joe_the_plumber.html
And MSNBC has more:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27221645
Joey makes $40K per his 2006 divorce.
Joey would get a tax break under Obama.
Wurzelbacher also acknowledged that he had no specific plans for buying Newell’s business, saying he and Newell had simply talked about the idea from time to time. He might have difficulty making the purchase: Court records from his divorce show that Wurzelbacher made $40,000 in 2006. Even if he did buy Newell Plumbing and Heating, Obama’s tax plan wouldn’t affect him. While Wurzelbacher told Obama that the business would be taxed at a higher rate because it grossed more than $250,000 a year, Ohio business records show the company’s estimated total annual revenue as only $100,000.
That business is under Obama $250K threshold as well.
Last night, McCain made Joey the new Face of his campaign.
Joey's another liar who is cooking the numbers to smack at Obama. A perfect Face for the campaign.
Well done, Senator McCain.
John
October 16, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, this guy clearly has an agenda. At the very least he's looking for attention. Maybe mcShame could appoint him to some campaign position. Plumbing..... that sounds like dirty work to me! He'll fit right in.
October 16, 2008 6:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
There have been famous White House plumbers before.
October 16, 2008 6:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joe has delusions of grandeur akin to the phenomenon of the wealthiest 15% of Americans thinking they are among the wealthiest 1%. The GOP will need to rely more than ever this year on people like Joe voting against their own economic best interests because they buy into some larger subterfuge (well described in TPMCafe guest Thomas Frank's What's The Matter With Kansas). Though Joe’s painfully normal lower middle class life is now being picked apart like chicken bones in a seaside landfill, twenty days out the details are actually far less important than the mantra and the shiny head. The Final Act may fully embrace Joe The Plumber or they may lurch away from him like a leper, whatever it takes and just what I’ve come to expect from this sad and ugly campaign.
October 16, 2008 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Joe has delusions of grandeur akin to the phenomenon of the wealthiest 15% of Americans thinking they are among the wealthiest 1%.
"Now, Joe, you're rich, congratulations."
-John McCain
Doesn't that line sound pretty bad now? Joe with that $40K a year and a divorce and a son to raise might just need Obama tax cut?
John
October 16, 2008 7:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Freedom's Watch is funded by the third richest man in America, Sheldon Adelson. He doesn't care what happens to middle class folks.
October 16, 2008 7:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
OT but seems par for the day's activities:
Got an e-mail from the Texas Democratic Party Chair clarifying the procedures for straight party voting. Apparently there has been misleading info pushed by outside groups (...or the GOP?).
I have forwarded the info to HuffPo and Josh...
October 16, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
O good job.
Well Texas must not be just in the bag for the Repugs or they wouldn't be pulling all these tricks out of the Delay-Rover Bag of same...
October 16, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thats what I'm thinking. I know the Democratic volunteers are urging folks to vote straight party...will be interesting to see what happens.
October 16, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
This whole sh*t storm of slime coming from the republicans reminds of Clinton/Dole 1996. Tighten up your chin straps and let's get ready to celebrate November 5th!
October 16, 2008 5:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
This argument isn't anything new. This is their fall back position. How many times has SFC Wallace used this one on these boards: "I don't like McCain, but Obama will only make things worse"? In addition, isn't this the same thing that they've basically been saying about Iraq for the past few years to justify staying - saying that the Dems position of leaving would just cause more chaos?
October 16, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's a really strange strategy. Don't vote for the other guys, they're worse than us and here's an example of how bad we are.
October 16, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda." Or so I've been told in the latest robo-call.
Twice a day! The last 2 days! Feels like I'm being stalked by the GOP!
October 16, 2008 5:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Twice a day, really? Annoying people doesn't really sounds like a good electoral strategy.
October 16, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yup. Twice a day. The past 2 days. It's getting really annoying.
So... what's our "extreme leftist agenda"?
October 16, 2008 6:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Governing.
October 16, 2008 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
O Zing!
LOL!
October 16, 2008 6:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
Worse? You'd have to be Lex F*cking Luthor to make this train wreck worse.
October 16, 2008 6:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
At least "It'll make the problem worse" would be a damn poor slogan for an anti-depressant.
Which makes it a big improvement over the Republican's previous "The change you deserve", revealed to be a slogan for anti-depressant Effexor.
October 16, 2008 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know, I think these ads are actually reasonably effective, especially compared to the recent conspiracy ads, which were basically a waste of money. At least these new ads address something that people care about.
October 16, 2008 7:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
The ad listed as from the NRCC is a Freedom's Watch ad, and vice-versa.
October 16, 2008 9:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Satan,himself could not make things any worse than this madman George w.Bush.That`s right the big w has become lower case.Bush is a sadistic madman,but McCain has proved what he is over the last couple of months.And it looks a lot like Bush.
October 16, 2008 10:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is politics 101 - scare the crap out of the voters. Of course, you hope that you convince them to be afraid of your opponent, not yourself. Bush used it every day of his presidency to get Congress to do what he wanted when he couldn't do things unilaterally.
October 16, 2008 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink