A reader quotes me:
"But if your enemy brings an AK-47 to the fight, what's a man gonna do?" This is probably the most loathesome sentence you've ever written, at least that I've seen. So it's manly to generate propaganda about your political opponent? Oh, I'm sorry, you weren't even kind enough to write "political opponent" – they're the "enemy." And they're bringing an AK-47? It's good to know you've dumped advocating for more honest political discourse and have adopted the big swinging dick mentality of the Republican party. Goodbye to all that, indeed.
You will not find propaganda here. Opinion yes; but propaganda no. My point was about how to respond to an opponent willing to lie so brazenly, and spread those lies with a massive financial arsenal. I don't think you should lie. But I do think you can scare, using tactics the GOP and the Dems have honed for years. You think Bill Clinton got re-elected without scaring the elderly shitless about Medicare? I'm just asking for the same steely political skill. Another reader has it right:
I'm a Frank Rich fan but disagree with him on this one. Yes, hit the Republicans as hard as you can (ie. don't be a Dukakis, dude), but do it with the truth. The job losses Bain caused and its eye-popping profits are fair game, but the real silver bullet for Obama is the Romney/Ryan budget. Make it crystal clear that Romney has no plan to revive the economy other than massive tax cuts for the wealthy and slashing to the bone everything else the government does, and far, far fewer people will vote for him. Oh, and please mention he favors another war to deal with Iran.
With the current Republican party, you don't have to lie. The truth is damning enough.
The Dish 