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Staying on Message Email Print

By sdf
01/22/2006 01:32:22 PM EST

One of the great frustrations of those of us who inhabit the Reality-Based Community over the past five to ten years is just how much better the Right and its powerful media allies are at sticking to a script than our guys seem to be.  They pick a point, blast fax it out to all outlets, and hammer it home again and again.  However off base or factually incorrect, it becomes part of the common consciousness; it acquries, as Stephen Colbert has noted, a certain "truthiness" (or becomes "factesque") which is more powerful than truth.  Thus the Mighty Wurlitzer at work.

So it has been extremely encouraging to this observer how well the Democrats seem to be doing in sticking with the "Culture of Corruption" theme in this election year.   (John Kerry's remarks on This Week are the latest example.)  The Democratic Party even has an entire (well-designed) page on their website about it.   Unlike most of the GOP's truthy lies, it is based on fundamental truths, and if repeated enough, it might be that rarest of beasts, both true and truthy.

The various organs of the Rightwing Wurlitzer have taken notice and are already attempting to use their bizzarro world reflectors to turn it around on us (google news "culture of corruption" to see what I mean).  This, as Atrios notes, is why it is critical that the truthy claim that Abramoff is a "bipartisan" scandal, put forth by GOP propagandists and faithfully parrotted in certain sectors of the SCLM, be put out of its misery.

My unusally optimistic feeling is that the concerted effort has already made an impact, that the Right's usual attempts to muddy the waters won't work in this case, and that the Democrats have done an unusally good job of setting up their central election-year theme, and one with very strong potential (and, given what the GOP is, one that will almost certainly be the gift that keeps on giving.)

-- Stu


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Staying on Message | 3 comments (3 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
About time! (none / 0)
The "Culture of Corruption" was such a natural progression from the right's claim of "Culture of life" back in the days of Schiavo.

I'm glad to see that the Democrats are sticking together and staying on message. I just wish they would do it more often and would have started long ago.

by Embolden on 01/22/2006 04:36:47 PM EST

It's the first time (none / 0)
I've seen the Republicans on the defense in the framing wars in a very, VERY long time!

It is refreshing!

Now who's planning for the next assault? If anyone deserves to be kicked when they're down...well, you get my drift.

Political Cortex -- Brain Food for the Body Politic

by Tom Ball on 01/22/2006 04:41:44 PM EST

Great Start (none / 0)
but those folks are not going to sit around while this all goes against them. They are no doubt busy crafting new "hook lines" to be used over the next few months. We must all be diligent in stomping the shit out of them as quickly as they arise. ahem

Common Sense is not Common

by RustyBrown on 01/23/2006 11:13:01 PM EST

Staying on Message | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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