A couple of bloggers/talking heads have answered my Question #3. First Scott Johnson from Powerline:
For John McCain to prevail against Obama, McCain will have to deploy an intellectual rigor in exposing Obama that he has yet to display on the campaign trail.
and Tony Blankley, via RCP:
If Obama can be defeated, it will not be with a meat cleaver but with a surgeon's scalpel. This is difficult in a national campaign in which the public, almost of necessity, must be communicated with by slogans. But Obama is the master responding to blustery charges with wry, dry irony.
The Republicans must systematically make a hundred tightly argued, irrefutable critiques of very specific examples of Obama's policy being wrong for at least 60 percent of America.
America may be going through one of our episodic style shifts. In 1932, FDR's conversational style trumped Hoover's old oratory. In 1960, JFK's coolness and wit caught the emerging post-World War II sophistication of our culture. Twenty years later America, tired of sophisticated cynicism, was ready to return to Reagan's old-fashioned sentiments and values.
Obama is tapping into a curious alchemy of youthful idealism tempered by Internet edginess. Republicans must communicate their values and policies through that prism, or they will not communicate at all.
"Intellectual rigor"? "A hundred tightly argued, irrefutable critiques"?!? Again, I'm afraid--how can I say this with humility--that strategies that would hold water with me would bore the average voter to death. People don't want a cogent, well-written essay--too much reading! They want a symbol. They want soundbites. They want to be made to feel good. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is.
For John McCain to prevail against Obama, McCain will have to deploy an intellectual rigor in exposing Obama that he has yet to display on the campaign trail.
and Tony Blankley, via RCP:
If Obama can be defeated, it will not be with a meat cleaver but with a surgeon's scalpel. This is difficult in a national campaign in which the public, almost of necessity, must be communicated with by slogans. But Obama is the master responding to blustery charges with wry, dry irony.
The Republicans must systematically make a hundred tightly argued, irrefutable critiques of very specific examples of Obama's policy being wrong for at least 60 percent of America.
America may be going through one of our episodic style shifts. In 1932, FDR's conversational style trumped Hoover's old oratory. In 1960, JFK's coolness and wit caught the emerging post-World War II sophistication of our culture. Twenty years later America, tired of sophisticated cynicism, was ready to return to Reagan's old-fashioned sentiments and values.
Obama is tapping into a curious alchemy of youthful idealism tempered by Internet edginess. Republicans must communicate their values and policies through that prism, or they will not communicate at all.
"Intellectual rigor"? "A hundred tightly argued, irrefutable critiques"?!? Again, I'm afraid--how can I say this with humility--that strategies that would hold water with me would bore the average voter to death. People don't want a cogent, well-written essay--too much reading! They want a symbol. They want soundbites. They want to be made to feel good. It's unfortunate, but it is what it is.
posted by Matt | 11:00 AM
5 Comments:
I'll have to respectfully disagree with you here, Matt. I think there most definitely is the ignorant sound-bite population... but as the general election draws nearer, I think you've underestimated the American people.
Perhaps this is the conservatism in me (for lack of a better word), but I believe in the abilities of people--which includes their cognitive processing (and subsequent rejection of) the vapid message of Captain Vapid.
Just to be contrary - because I'm flipping tired and my boy is sick - I think Matt has overestimated "the people" as a whole. People are dumb. I bet if you asked the average American to list the last 5 presidents they couldn't. I bet if you asked the average American to defend *why* they are Republican or Democrat - they couldn't.
I'm officially disillusioned...or maybe I'm going numb from the screaming and crying.
Hey Tim,
It is FAR too early for "numb" to set in. Numb can't show up until at least year one.
Noob.
Seriously though--the first few months were pretty hard for me. New Job. New Kid. Lost my parenting manual--didn't know what the heck I was doing.
Noob. True. But considering that I still feel like a noob....
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