Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Marketing Bush

As we sit here today at the dawn of the month of July, we are looking at an uncertain election still. There is still a lot that will happen in the next 4 months, but I'm growing concerned about Bush-Cheney 2004's inability to break Bush out to a solid lead. I therefore propose a few, simple ideas that hopefully can help create a strong Bush-Cheney brand with the public.

1. Enter positive phrases into the popular lexicon. The less thought it takes to come up with these phrases, the better, because they have to stick in people's mind without them thinking about it too much. Example: "The Bush Boom". Starting attaching Bush's name to this economy. If the Democrats wanted to brand your name on it when it was bad, then you damn well better have your name all over it now that it is on fire. "The Bush Boom" is simple and it says a lot about the economy. Those three words do more to take the economy off the table for Kerry than all the stats in the world. Like it or not, many American elections are settled by a combination of two things: which party has the most motivated base, and who the impulsive voters decide to vote for once they enter that voting booth. These phrases win or lose the impulsive voter. Think "Willie Horton", "No new taxes" as examples of what phrases can do to propel you or sink you. I'd give more examples, but I need a few more Long Island iced teas to get my brain in a simple enough mode.
2. Start branding Bush very similarly to how he was branded in 2000 using his record. Convincing people that he is the tough, principled Bush that was promised in 2000 should be easy. Convincing them that he truly is the 'compassionate conservative' promised will be more difficult. Now I'm sure the Bush campaign is very sensitive about the compassionate conservative tag because they fear alienating the aforementioned party base. In my opinion, they have no choice but to go back to it, though. Bush proposed, supported, pushed through, and signed a lot of legislation that is to the left of conservatives. Because they backed off the compassionate conservative stance, though, the liberals of the Democratic Party were able to assail Bush as ultra conservative, despite his giving them legislation that was probably more aligned with there positions than they would have gotten if Gore had won. If they do not emphasize his record and how truly moderate most of it was, he loses a portion of his conservative base who is already unhappy with said legislation, and he allows liberals to fool the impulsive voter into thinking his legislation was oppressive, when in reality it was anything but.
3. Bring faces and human stories to Bush's successes. What do I mean by that? Well, we hear a lot about the anti-Bush 9-11 families, and we are beginning to hear about the anti-Bush military families. Don't give the Democrats the perceived support of these two groups, with whom the public has much sympathy. Let the public know of the 9-11 families who are thankful for the policies Bush has enacted, and how it is helping them get closure. Let the public meet the families of soldiers who are proud of their sons and daughters, and who are even prouder because they believe in what their children are sacrificing for. Give the public the names, faces, voices, and stories of these people. Do it now. Please.
4. We still have enemies out there that pose a threat to us, enemies that we haven't dealt with yet. Don't saber rattle, but don't let the American people get complacent about the threat that still faces them, either. If things in Iraq start to go extremely well, the War on Terror will begin to fall off the front page. Kerry has to be praying that this is what will happen, because Bush has such a commanding advantage over him on national defense. The Bush campaign needs to burn in the public's mind our successes to this point, but at the same time remind them that Iran, North Korea, al Qaeda, and Syria, are still very real threats to us, and that now is no time to change direction with a new President. I don't work for an ad agency, but it would seem that this would be a great area for a visual, 15 second spot that drives home a huge point.

That's my marketing advice. A jingle and some funky buttons would be pretty cool, too.

Monday, June 28, 2004

Snake Oil Peddlers

As I and my Right Wing, Christian Coalition friends sat up the other night, reading scripture and coming up with conspiracies with which to destroy the do good liberals, we realized that we could stick the label "Snake Oil Peddler" on them. After all, the party of the working man really seems to have the interests of the rich union heads in mind first and foremost. And, they are the party of the minority, right? Well, as long as the minority has got lots and lots of money. Well, they are the party of the poor, aren't they? Well, at least Soros will poor after November 2nd (wanna bet on that one?).

New FBI Warning

Kids, if you didn't know already, don't touch the floating crap on the Cuyahoga. Not only is it icky, it could hurt you.

Am I the only one for whom common sense says "Don't touch miscellaneous junk floating on the water"?

Crib Notes

*Today’s Crib Notes begins with a hearty congratulations to Iraq for its newly transferred sovereignty.
*Was it just me, or was Colin Powell noticeably not included in the Blair-Bush-Rumsfeld mini-celebration at the NATO Summit this morning. While those three were exchanging notes, smiles, and handshakes, Colin kept his gaze forward. If anything, he looked like he was receiving a rectal examine.
*I somehow missed this two weeks ago, but Michael Ledeen at NRO has a good article on Iran.
*Michael Reagan comes out in opposition to stem cell research. Why isn’t this getting little headlines all over like Ron Reagan’s opinions do?
*Opinion Journal asserts that the Democrats’ support of abortion has cost them voters and elections since 1992 because they are essentially extinguishing their political gene pool.
*Dick Cheney’s curse on the Senate Floor has been getting a lot of attention. People who were cool with John ‘F’ Kerry’s cursing are now up in arms, or talking about the loss of civility in today’s politics (tell that to Alexander Hamilton). Has cursing become more publicly acceptable over the years? Yes. Has the impact of curse words softened over the years? Yes. Have other curse words maintained their status as unutterable? Try saying the 'C' word in a room full of femi-fascists. Curse words are a product of their culture. Face it, over the years, with sexual liberation and a general loosening of mores (or, the liberal/baby boom agenda), some curse words just aren’t shocking anymore and thus more blue than a curse.
*"Let Freedom Reign". Tough to say it any better than that.

Friday, June 25, 2004

Toddle Inn

I walked into my favorite watering hole last night, a little place called Schell’s Toddle Inn. Some say old Schell named it the Toddle Inn because he’d serve anyone who could toddle in, stand at the bar on their own two feet and order a drink. I know for a fact the myth is untrue, because I’ve seen Schell serve people who could barely keep their own drool in their mouth, let alone stand. Just the same, I enjoy the Toddle Inn because there is no pretense in this pub, there is no meat market action (unless you count the regular’s hitting on Schell’s well endowed daughter who tends bar), it isn’t packed unless the local country western karaoke act is set up, and I can talk to a lot of normal, everyday people who don’t have the time to obsess about politics.

Last night I sat down, and from across the bar, I heard someone yell out at me.

“Hey, you. The guy with the funny looking yellow and blue hat.”

Yes, can I help you? And by the way, that’s an old Milwaukee Brewer hat.

“I think I know you. Ain’t you the guy who writes crap on the internet?”

Well, actually, yeah, I am. How did you know that? I didn’t think anybody read that but me.

“Oh no. Tons of us guys read it during our breaks down at the shop. I loved it when you broke the Monica story.”

Umm, thanks, but that wasn’t me.

“Too bad. That guy’s good. I still think I know you. From ‘round here?”

Yeah, I grew up around here. I’ve been gone a while.

“I’m Gordy Johanson. I work down at Stukie’s Body Shop.”

Nice to meet you Gordy, I’m Jib.

“Jib, huh? Anyway, you say you write. Do you write like that one guy on the internet.”

Sort of. He has a big audience. I influence the opinion of two people. Well, maybe not influence. They read my stuff. Sometimes. Actually, rarely. But I think…

“Intersting. Say, I got a question for you about that Kerry guy. Whatcha think of him?”

Well, I think he’s a self absorbed, wanna be elitist who wouldn’t be any good for this country as it’s Chief Exec…

“I’ll tell you. I heard that he wants to raise the minimum wage. That right?”

Yes, that’s right.

“I think that’s bunk. My wife’s been working down at the cardboard box plant here in town. Been there 4 years. She’s worked hard, and she just got a raise to $7.15 an hour. Now all that hard work she put in to get good reviews and raises is down the drain. They’ll be hiring kids right out of high school at $7.00. And her wages won’t raise any. Think that’s fair?”

No, I don’t.

“Me neither. I told her she should just do enough to get by. Every couple years some jerk is going to raise the minimum wage, anyway. Besides, they’ve been talking about closing the plant, anyway.”

Why?

“Well, I guess it is just too expensive to run. This is the only plant they have left here in America. The rest are in China and Mexico. I don’t get that Mexico plant. They pay less down there, so the Mexicans come up here in work in my wife’s plant. Anyway, they took her health care away to save her job. Good thing I can put her on mine. But now all these kids livin’ with their parents and illegal immigrants will be making about as much as my wife right off the bat. That ain’t fair.”

Do you think the plant will stay open?

“I don’t know. I doubt it. ‘Dem greedy corporate bastards will probably move it to get fatter wallets for themselves. Meanwhile, my wife will have to get a paper route or something until she gets a new job, iff’n they do close. She’s only got a GED.”

Would you blame Kerry for that?

“Nah. The minimum wage thing is unfair, but he’s for us little guys. He wants to protect our jobs. ‘Dem Democrats are for the little guy.”

I see. Are you voting for him, then?

“Hell no. I think all these guys are putzes, but I think he’s a dick. They all lie. I want a guy who tells lies to protect me though, not one who lies to get himself elected. I like what Bush did after 9-11, the way he got on that bullhorn and said what he said. I don’t like a lot of things he does, like that free pass for those illegals, but I think he’s lookin’ out for us more than himself.”

So you’re voting for Bush.

“Hell no. I said they’re all a bunch of lying putzes. I just like Bush better than that Kerry guy. My wife votes, though. Hopefully she’ll vote for Bush.”

Hopefully. Hopefully.

99 New Enemies for Stern

Hmmm.  Howard Stern has made President Bush his personal enemy because of the stricter enforcement of FCC regulations.  Well, does that mean he has 99 new enemies now that raising the indecency fines has been approved by the Senate?

Have we gone soft , or are we just dumb?

This may make me sound like a total nut case, but then again, if I said in 1998 that terrorists would destroy the WTC and attempt to destroy the Pentagon, I'd have sounded like a nut then, too.  I'm concerned that someplace, somewhere, probably here in the states, a terrorist will attempt to turn the center of a major city into a fireball with a nuclear weapon.  I'm concerned that this will occur between 2005-2008.
 
I honestly don't think John Kerry appreciates that possibility.  The guy is running too irresponsible of a campaign to even grasp it.  The only responsible position the opposition could have right now is that we are not prosecuting the war on terror to its fullest yet.  We've done nothing to mobilize this country for the war for survival that we are in right now.  Mentally and emotionally, we are back in 1996.  3 years since an attack on the WTC.  Lulled back into a false sense of security.  Apparently, we are too soft to handle 3 U.S. casualities in a battle where we kill 30 of the enemy, but in some weird way, too hard or ignorant to still be affected by 3000 of our fellow citizens dying a terrible, gruesome death.  Will it really take the deaths of 300,000 for people to get it?

Thursday, June 24, 2004

No Surprise Here

The media is loving Ron Reagan right now. After a week of adoration poured forth from Americans for his Presidential father, the media treats him as some sort of spokesperson for the late President Reagan. Suddenly, every little snort young Ron makes about the Bush administration is news. Hey, guess what morons of the news media? Ron was a nutcase during his father's presidency, and an embarrasement. That has not changed. Ron Reagan's opinions are that of a very angry, confused man who has never been been able to address that which he allows to torture him.

Crib Notes

*The Beebs is looking to start an Arabic competitor to al Jazeera. Well, at least they don’t have to worry about slanting their stories to interest the new audience.
*It sounds like Algore may have given another one of his fuhrer speeches. Do we need to worry about Al starting a beer gut putsch?
*Is it possible that Bill Clinton has an informal arrangement with the Bushes to defeat John Kerry? They’ve been awfully chummy of late, and in a recent interview, Clinton gave Kerry a real robust endorsement by saying that Kerry had fifty percent chance of winning.
*In re Jack Ryan: You were married to Jeri Ryan, and you managed to screw it up in such a monumentally dumb way, you fool. You’d have been perfect for Congress.
*Democrats and liberals have very little sense how bad Hitler and the Third Reich really were, or they are whores for power and campaign donations.
*Michael Moore is doing great harm to the categories documentary and non-fiction.
*Truth seems to be an inconvenience for the left this year, so their strategy would appear to be to obfuscate it.
*Republicans have been saying the McCain-Feingold act is a violation of the First Amendment because it is government restriction of the people’s right to free political speech. Now a conservative group, Citizens United, has asked the FEC to investigate whether ads for Fahrenheit 9/11 violates federal campaign finance law, and if they do, to ban the ads after July 31. Moore’s response? “…a blatant attempt on the part of a right-wing, Republican sponsored group to stop people from seeing my movie,” and “It’s a violation of my first Amendment rights that I cannot advertise my movie.” Sounds like they’re trying to violate your right to free speech, Michael. Legally. Thank your Democrat buddies for that one.
*Berkley is discussing legalizing prostitution in what is essentially a non-binding initiative on the ballot this fall. First, this does not surprise me. Second, as I’ve always said, legalized prostitution will drive down prices for most prostitutes, and it will make the unlicensed ones even more vulnerable than now (there will always be illegal prostitution unless you put no restrictions on it at all).

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

Link-No Link

Friday was an angry day for myself and a friend of mine. We started off on a bad note with the "no link between Iraq and al Qaeda" bunk, and then moved on to the beheading news of Paul Johnson. What terrible news that must have been for his family just before Father's Day. With all of this as a back drop, my friend was visited at his parent's home by a Kerry supporter canvassing the neighborhood. My friend read the ill kept young man the riot act, and told him he wouldn't talk with him until the kid screwed his head on straight. I could understand him venting on this (in my opinion) foolish young man. The lies that are being spun by the left side of the political spectrum are infuriating this year. Their prospective candidate for the Presidency is more about himself than the country (sounds like a previous Dem that occupied the White House for 8 years).

In regards to the 'no link' news, William Safire does a great job on it today.

Monday, June 21, 2004

Kerry is for the little guy, huh?

So, John Kerry believes that George Bush's policies sent jobs overseas. Well, ol' John must be looking to double the number of jobs sent over seas, as well as to destroy the small business, mom & pop shop in America. His proposal to increase the minimum wage is a terrible idea, unless you are a 16 year old looking to work at McDonald's.

By increasing the minimum wage, Kerry assures that many businesses that were teetering on the edge of outsourcing will now have to do so. Additionally, he is going to force a lot of mom & pop business out of business. This is a terrible idea in a recovering economy. If Kerry wants wages to increase, the best approach is to remove barriers to investment and regulation, thereby spurring economic growth. Look at the late 1990's. Places of business that typically pay the minimum wage increased the wages they offered because the job market was tight, and they were making enough money to do so. In addition, an increase in the minimum wage now will effectively wipe out the gains made by those in the $7.50-$9.00 who worked hard to earn their raises. Those individuals will also be hurt, as the pool available for raises will be generally reduced for them, as new $7.00 an hour minimum wagers are added, and employees in the $5.15-$6.99 range get bumped.

Typical Democratic initiative. It discounts hard work, and assumes money grows on trees.

Friday, June 18, 2004

Iraq & Terror on the U.S.

This would seem to a pretty strong piece of reasoning behind war in Iraq.

Thursday, June 17, 2004

Next up, laser guided walnuts

The squirrels are arming.

Yahoo Headlines

Report: Rodents may offer insight to monogamy

There are just too many jokes in that headline, and I'm just too damn classy to make them.

Kerry Aiming for Mediocrity

I don't know if you are familiar with Howard Fineman. He writes for Newsweek. I read his stuff on occasion if only to see the world through a liberal's eyes once in a while. He is now recommending that Kerry "wrap himself in Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak" in order to win the election. His thesis is that Kerry needs to keep a low profile until right before the election, stay out of the limelight, and let as few people know a lot about him as possible. In that scenario, the media will tee off on Bush almost exclusively, and the weight of many months of negative reporting will pile up on Bush and cost him the election. Is it just me, or does that seem like the most dishonest, back handed, back door way of winning the presidency that you've heard of?

I've read a number of other left of center sources say that Kerry's goal should be to become the least objectionable minimum alternative to Bush. They are saying he should be mediocre. Is your candidate really worth the presidency if you don't think he should go head to head with the incumbent?

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

In regards to the Clinton oil paintings that were unveiled at the Whitehouse earlier this week.  They were not good paintings.  Typical Clinton, though.  He found a black, self taught painter who came from a poor, rural background, was discovered, went to art school and college, and has made a minor name for himself (or a bigger name, if you are part of the cognoscenti).  The guy also has experience with abstract art, I believe.  Clinton, in the noble gesture way that is his style, commissioned the guy to do the official portraits, making him the first black artist commissioned to do the Presidential portrait.  Like most Clinton grand gestures, however, the results were a bit of a disappointment.

Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Costs of Immigration

Great post at Washington Dispatch

Opening Salvo

With the nuclear pandora's box open, and the needed technology cheaper and more readily available than ever, large scale nuclear proliferation is a given. Unfortunately, this means that it is no longer a matter of if there will ever be another use of a nuclear weapon, it is a matter of when it will occur again. Becuase of this, the best and brightest minds here and abroad need to be drawing up new strategies for keeping nuclear wars limited in scale, and for U.S. planners, new ways to ensure victory in the face of nuclear warfare.