I have to admit I've been a bit out of the loop on this last round of primaries and so I'm not that well-versed in the latest shenanigans of the Clinton campaign, so I can't comment on how successful it was.
But on another note, my Rolling Stone magazine had an interesting quote about the success of McCain's campaign...hang on...
Here we go..."he's survived because Onward to Victory is the last great illusion the Republican Party has left to sell in this country, even to its own followers. They can't sell fiscal responsibility, they can't sell "values," they can't sell competence, they can't sell small government, they can't even sell the economy. All they have left to offer is this sad, dwindling, knee-jerk patriotism, a promise to keep selling world politics as a McHale's Navy rerun to a Middle America that wants nothing to do with realizing the world has changed since 1946."
So anyway, uh, how is this relevant? Oh yeah, I think that analysis is spot on for McCain's appeal, and that worries me because I'm just picturing all the racist or sexist crap that will likely come out in the general election. Because I don't think selling victory in Iraq will be enough for him to win, and I think his campaign will resort (or at least, some on the right will...maybe swift boaters and the like) to some pretty low tactics, because IT WORKS so often. Like you say, people are more easily manipulated by fear than hope.
It'll be interesting to see what happens, in any case.
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Date: 2008-03-06 12:03 am (UTC)But on another note, my Rolling Stone magazine had an interesting quote about the success of McCain's campaign...hang on...
Here we go..."he's survived because Onward to Victory is the last great illusion the Republican Party has left to sell in this country, even to its own followers. They can't sell fiscal responsibility, they can't sell "values," they can't sell competence, they can't sell small government, they can't even sell the economy. All they have left to offer is this sad, dwindling, knee-jerk patriotism, a promise to keep selling world politics as a McHale's Navy rerun to a Middle America that wants nothing to do with realizing the world has changed since 1946."
So anyway, uh, how is this relevant? Oh yeah, I think that analysis is spot on for McCain's appeal, and that worries me because I'm just picturing all the racist or sexist crap that will likely come out in the general election. Because I don't think selling victory in Iraq will be enough for him to win, and I think his campaign will resort (or at least, some on the right will...maybe swift boaters and the like) to some pretty low tactics, because IT WORKS so often. Like you say, people are more easily manipulated by fear than hope.
It'll be interesting to see what happens, in any case.