Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Democrats Conflicted on Playing Rough
Washington Post ^ | Aug. 13, 2005 | Dana Millbank

Posted on 08/13/2005 7:09:32 AM PDT by chiller

The decision by the abortion rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America to pull an incendiary ad attacking President Bush's nominee to the Supreme Court has produced a fresh round of recriminations within the Democratic Party and a return to a nagging question: Has the opposition lost its nerve?

....some choice pieces:

"Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false, but Democrats have never learned, and I'm not sure many of them want to learn, how to play that kind of politics," said Robert Shrum, an adviser to several Democratic presidential campaigns. NARAL had to pull the ad, he said, because "they weren't getting support from any substantial quarter."

Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, who like Shrum favors hardball politics, protested that "we Democrats bring a well-thumbed copy of Marquess of Queensberry Rules while the other side unsheaths their bloody knives, with a predictable outcome." Lehane said the NARAL ad "was great, and exactly the type of offensive that breaks through in the modern age."


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abortion; brownshirtsforkerry; byanymeansnecessary; chrislehane; despotism; goebbelswouldbeproud; liecheatandsteal; lyingliars; mediabias; naral; negativecampaigning; propaganda; rattricks; roberts; thebiglie; unamerican
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-5051-61 next last
Linked via RealClearPolitics...no registration required.

More confirmation that they've lost their mind. Using the Marquess of Queensberry rules? BBBBWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHAAAAAA !!

1 posted on 08/13/2005 7:09:32 AM PDT by chiller
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: chiller

2 posted on 08/13/2005 7:11:28 AM PDT by prairiebreeze (We are grateful to our fine military. God bless them and their families.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller
D-E-L-U-S-I-O-N

Its kinda sad, and kinda fun to watch :-)

3 posted on 08/13/2005 7:11:57 AM PDT by keithtoo (Howard Dean's Democratic Party: Traitors, Haters, and Vacillators)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller
When did we eyer before see ads for or against a SCOTUS nominee? The whole thing is quite odd.
4 posted on 08/13/2005 7:12:18 AM PDT by CasearianDaoist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller
Bob Shrum and Chris Lehane.

Both pot and kettle. A twofer.

5 posted on 08/13/2005 7:13:13 AM PDT by CaptRon (Pedecaris alive or Raisuli dead)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller
Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, who like Shrum favors hardball politics, protested that "we Democrats bring a well-thumbed copy of Marquess of Queensberry Rules while the other side unsheaths their bloody knives, with a predictable outcome."

Naw, Democrats aren't elitists....

...what in the heck does this even mean, anyway?

6 posted on 08/13/2005 7:13:53 AM PDT by TBarnett34 (Hillary Clinton IS the Great Satan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller
?...Democrats Conflicted on Playing Rough...plan annual,..."DNC Blue Dress Ball"?

/Oil the Oiled?

7 posted on 08/13/2005 7:14:21 AM PDT by maestro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CasearianDaoist

Demwits get there Butts kicked again.


8 posted on 08/13/2005 7:15:27 AM PDT by jocko12
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: TBarnett34
Naw, Democrats aren't elitists.... ?

since when?

/Stalin and gang

9 posted on 08/13/2005 7:16:10 AM PDT by maestro
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: chiller

Don't you wonder sometimes how a party that is so out of touch with reality even survives as well as it does? I swear, you have to have deep-seated emotional problems to be a Rat these days.


10 posted on 08/13/2005 7:17:05 AM PDT by speedy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller
"Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false, but Democrats have never learned, and I'm not sure many of them want to learn, how to play that kind of politics," said Robert Shrum, an adviser to several Democratic presidential campaigns all of them failures, by the way

Where are the examples of Republican ads that are entirely false, Shrum?

11 posted on 08/13/2005 7:17:57 AM PDT by Bahbah (Air America: kids-for-kilowatts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TBarnett34

It means that we are better at it than they are. And they keep getting caught lying.


12 posted on 08/13/2005 7:19:02 AM PDT by Thebaddog (How's yer dawgs?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: chiller
"Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false, but Democrats have never learned, and I'm not sure many of them want to learn, how to play that kind of politics," said Robert Shrum

And most Democrats are nodding their heads in agreement upon reading this, no doubt.

13 posted on 08/13/2005 7:19:25 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jocko12
I would like to know just what in the swift boat add were untrue. If this is the case let kerry sue them. I bet that the truth is that NARAL's legal epople told them to pull the ads for fear of slander litigation.

It is rediculous to compare the two.

In fact, given the amount of lawyers in the Dem party, the GOP cannot get away with the level of slander that the Rats get away with on a daily basis.

14 posted on 08/13/2005 7:20:42 AM PDT by CasearianDaoist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Bahbah
I think he's referring to a Willie Horton add that ran ten million years ago. Now that I think about it, Algore broke that story. Didn't Shrum do that one?
15 posted on 08/13/2005 7:20:46 AM PDT by Thebaddog (How's yer dawgs?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: chiller

"Democrats Conflicted on Playing Rough"

But the Democrats are in full agreement in playing with themselves.


16 posted on 08/13/2005 7:21:29 AM PDT by NathanBookman (Will this hurt Bush's re-election chances?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
Democrats Conflicted on Playing Rough

We ain't seen nothin' yet. Wait til they sense how threatening the Gorelick thing is for their Party. Gorelick's wall doomed all.

Lies, half-truths, contradictions, malevolence, obfuscation -- Mau-Mauing in other words. The only way to deflect the flak.

The usual leftist shenanigans. Expect heavy outpouring from the MSM's Democrat activists until the public is sick of it. Republicans to bail out first, I bet.

Cue the families who blame Bush for 9/11 -- off to join Ms Sheehan at Crawford. Opening soon, Michael Moore's "disAble Danger". This is serious. Hillary could be exposed. (Relax! Not literally exposed, I meant. . . .)

17 posted on 08/13/2005 7:21:50 AM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (Hillary is the she in shenanigans.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller

Robert Shrum is Monica to the KKK (Jack, Bobby, Teddy) and a failure as a democrat strategist.


18 posted on 08/13/2005 7:21:52 AM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: speedy
Don't you wonder sometimes how a party that is so out of touch with reality even survives as well as it does? I


I suspect the people that vote democrat every four years don't follow politics closely the other 3 years, and don't really care to.
19 posted on 08/13/2005 7:23:22 AM PDT by CAWats (I will bless those that bless thee and curse those that curse thee)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: TBarnett34

This from the party that hoaxed negative National Guard memos and the media establishment that promoted the story without mentioning the controversy of the authenticity for a week.

This from the party that destroyed National Security documents from the National Archives before an investigation into the failures in procedure that permitted the 9-11 attacks to occur and the media establishment that downplayed the scandal.

This from the party that pushed the lie that President Bush was behind legislation to draft young Americans into "his" wars even though the only legislation in the House and Senate was authored by hard left Democrats and the story was pushed 24-7 (especially on Viacommie/SeeBS' MTV) by the media establishment.

Can't these fools just **** off?


20 posted on 08/13/2005 7:25:21 AM PDT by weegee (The Rovebaiting by DUAC must stop. It is nothing but a partisan witchhunt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: chiller

Things have reached the point where it just doesn't matter what the Democrats choose to do, "return to sanity" not being one of the options under consideration. After decades of abusing truth, of hysterical and completely inappropriate behavior, of the sleaziest political attacks ever seen in this country (and we've seen some real nastiness), nobody is listening anymore. They've lost the media monopoly that was the glue that held their delusional worldview together, and all the MSM's reporters and all the MSM's womyn can't put the Democrat party back together again.


21 posted on 08/13/2005 7:25:57 AM PDT by thoughtomator (Free Michael Graham!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CAWats

They were brought up to vote like their grandpappy and told that Republicans were the party of the rich and that Republicans are racists.

Democrats spend much every year beating that drum. Wouldn't want their voters to question the party.


22 posted on 08/13/2005 7:26:57 AM PDT by weegee (The Rovebaiting by DUAC must stop. It is nothing but a partisan witchhunt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: CasearianDaoist
When did we eyer before see ads for or against a SCOTUS nominee? The whole thing is quite odd.

You may not recall the media assault on Robert Bork, but I distinctly remember an ad with Gregory Peck claiming that Bork was a throwback racist.

23 posted on 08/13/2005 7:29:21 AM PDT by DeFault User
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: CasearianDaoist

Campaign ads are exempt from the truth in advertising rules. Not sure if one can charge libel or slander.

These aren't campaign ads. John Roberts is not seeking election. He is seeking appointment by elected officials.

DUAC must be exposed.


24 posted on 08/13/2005 7:30:02 AM PDT by weegee (The Rovebaiting by DUAC must stop. It is nothing but a partisan witchhunt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: chiller
"Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false, but Democrats have never learned, and I'm not sure many of them want to learn, how to play that kind of politics,..."

The real version of the truth is what eventually gets trhough to the people. No matter how many ways the truth is spun, if a viewer/listener is paying attention to the news and the issues, the truth will be found out. The democrats will never learn that there is only one version of the truth, no matter how many different ways it's presented.

The products that the democrats are trying to sell to the American people are aged and tried and out of style. People don't buy defectivee products and don't want to take chances on products that failed them in the past. The public is not buying their positions on the issues and the democrats feel they have to lie to the people in order to get accepted. It works sometimes. But, like they say .... you can fool some of the people all of the time, you can fool all of the people some of the time, but, you can't fool all of the people all of the time.
25 posted on 08/13/2005 7:31:06 AM PDT by adorno (The democrats are the best recruiting tool the terrorists could ever have.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeFault User

If Bork is some kind of "throwback" racist, why haven't the Democrats ever "thrown" Robert Sheets Byrd, former Grand Kleegle of the KKK, back?

He still uses the n-word and defends the practice by saying that there are white niggers as well.

The left doesn't care, they will say anything to anyone to push forth the agenda they already have decided on. Expect absolutely no consistency from Rats.


26 posted on 08/13/2005 7:32:15 AM PDT by weegee (The Rovebaiting by DUAC must stop. It is nothing but a partisan witchhunt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: adorno

Marxism is only "accepted" by the masses when those in power can kill or imprison the dissenters.

This explains the failure of the Democrat business model.


27 posted on 08/13/2005 7:33:53 AM PDT by weegee (The Rovebaiting by DUAC must stop. It is nothing but a partisan witchhunt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: weegee
You cannot commit outright slander. The Naral ads might be a grey area, though, I admit. Has anyone seen them?

I still say the country would be better off with slabder laws olong the lines of the UK.

28 posted on 08/13/2005 7:34:05 AM PDT by CasearianDaoist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: chiller
After the James Byrd "dragging incident" ad, during the 2000 election cycle, I don't know how anyone can take them seriously about going rough.

SIC
29 posted on 08/13/2005 7:36:12 AM PDT by SICSEMPERTYRANNUS ("Our responses to terrorist acts should make the world gasp." - When Devils Walk the Earth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DeFault User
I quess I don't. I was out of the country at the time. I am sure you are fight and I stand ocerrected.

I do , however, still think it is odd to have ads like this.

30 posted on 08/13/2005 7:37:50 AM PDT by CasearianDaoist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: CasearianDaoist

For the record, Bill Clinton (and his lawyers, editors, and ghostwriter) had to trim down "My LIfE" for the British edition. There was some agreement that some things in his book about Ken Starr violated British libel laws.


31 posted on 08/13/2005 7:38:45 AM PDT by weegee (The Rovebaiting by DUAC must stop. It is nothing but a partisan witchhunt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: weegee

Imagine my surprise.


32 posted on 08/13/2005 7:40:53 AM PDT by CasearianDaoist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: TBarnett34; cardinal4

At the risk of appearing pedantic, Mr. Lehane, it is the MARQUIS not the MARQUESS of Queensbury. Get your facts straight.


33 posted on 08/13/2005 7:41:17 AM PDT by Ax
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: DeFault User

fight=right


34 posted on 08/13/2005 7:41:35 AM PDT by CasearianDaoist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: weegee

You're exactly right. I Never voted in my life till my TV broke down in Jan '89 and I started listening to Rush at the young and tender age of 47.


35 posted on 08/13/2005 7:45:36 AM PDT by CAWats (I will bless those that bless thee and curse those that curse thee)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: CAWats
You've made a great observation. When I talk to friends who vote/voted for democrats, I'm stunned by the lack of knowledge they have of the issues. They hear a soundbite from the liberal MSM and assume its true.

When I get into the details they look at me like a deer caught in headlights.


36 posted on 08/13/2005 7:49:22 AM PDT by Toadman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: WilliamofCarmichael
The usual leftist shenanigans.

Mac: But our shenanigans are cheeky and fun.
Thorny: Yeah, his shenanigans are cruel and tragic.
Foster: Which wouldn't make them shenanigans, at all, really.
Mac: (Irish voice) Evil shenanigans!
O'Hagen: I swear to G_d, i'll pistol whip the next guy that says shenanigans!
Mac: Hey Farva. Whats the name of that restaurant you like with all the goofy sh!t on the walls and the mozzarella sticks?
Farva: You mean Shenanigans?

37 posted on 08/13/2005 7:50:05 AM PDT by numberonepal (Don't Even Think About Treading On Me)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: chiller
Shame on the WAPO. They should never publish quotes from Democrats without a link to the required "Democrat to English Dictionary"

  1. "Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false, but Democrats have never learned, and I'm not sure many of them want to learn, how to play that kind of politics," said Robert Shrum...

    Translation into English..

    "Republicans run ads that repeat actual quotations of what Democrats have said and that isn't nice as they use our own words against us. But we Democrats haven't learned and continue to spew outright lies and the dam sheeple ain't buying it but we keep trying anyway. We need a new 'hook'."

  2. "Chris Lehane, who like Shrum favors hardball politics, protested that "we Democrats bring a well-thumbed copy of Marquess of Queensberry Rules while the other side unsheathes their bloody knives, with a predictable outcome." Lehane said the NARAL ad "was great, and exactly the type of offensive that breaks through in the modern age."

    Translation into English...

    "Lehane, who like Shrum depends on gutter ball filth and lies to trick the voters, whined that even with Democrats relying heavily on lies and vote fraud - which always worked in the past, the stoo-pid voters appear to be smartening up and in order to win again they must go even lower, like the recent NARAL ad did. Even though it contained not one iota of truth and was utterly repulsive, it could still sway a few moronic fence sitters, err 'undecided voters'."
There, hope that helps :-)
38 posted on 08/13/2005 7:50:48 AM PDT by Condor51 (Leftists are moral and intellectual parasites - Standing Wolf)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller

bttt


39 posted on 08/13/2005 7:51:48 AM PDT by meema
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Condor51

I ran this through Bafflefish(TM) to distill the essence of the statement:

"Republicans run ads that repeat actual quotations of what Democrats have said and that isn't nice as they use our own words against us. But we Democrats haven't learned and continue to spew outright lies and the dam sheeple ain't buying it but we keep trying anyway. We need a new 'hook'."

and got:
"Republicans hold us to things we've said in the past. Things that our comrades in the media supress. Times are changing and leftist journalistic fraud has been exposed in virtually every newsroom. The pesants are revolting. Damn Al Gore and his internet!"


40 posted on 08/13/2005 7:56:40 AM PDT by weegee (The Rovebaiting by DUAC must stop. It is nothing but a partisan witchhunt.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: CasearianDaoist
Peck had "racial" credibility from his role as Atticus Finch in "To Kill a Mockingbird". His voice carried an authoritative tone to it much like Charlton Heston. As far as "dirty tricks" go, the ad was brilliant. It was if God were telling you that Bork was not fit to live much less serve on the Supreme Court.
41 posted on 08/13/2005 7:58:02 AM PDT by DeFault User
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Condor51
...and another classic I don't want any to miss:

Some Democratic operatives say their trouble is congenital. "The problem is our politically impractical insistence on always residing on the moral high ground," said Jim Jordan, who was a longtime adviser to Kerry. "A large part of our ethos goes to what we perceive to be moral superiority and the sad truth is in politics that's sometimes inconvenient."

42 posted on 08/13/2005 7:58:56 AM PDT by chiller (DONE: Gore, taxes, terrorism,Kerry, Old Media. TO DO: Judges, Tort, IRS, Soc.Sec.,borders..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: chiller
It is starting to sink in to some of the hard core:

A number of Democrats still say the party's best hopes are on the high road. "We have to define the reckless left of our party and differentiate ourselves," said former Clinton aide Lanny Davis, who denounced the NARAL ad. He said such "smear and innuendo" has caused his party to lose recent elections.

I'm one who thinks we need a legitimate 2nd party. Competition makes everyone better, but now we haven't got any.

43 posted on 08/13/2005 8:02:59 AM PDT by chiller (DONE: Gore, taxes, terrorism,Kerry, Old Media. TO DO: Judges, Tort, IRS, Soc.Sec.,borders..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: speedy
"Don't you wonder sometimes how a party that is so out of touch with reality even survives as well as it does? I swear, you have to have deep-seated emotional problems to be a Rat these days."

Because the people they attract are just as out of touch as their leaders . Think about it, of the people you know that believe the Democrat leaders, what are they like?

44 posted on 08/13/2005 8:15:35 AM PDT by depenzz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: CasearianDaoist

You can find them at www.rushlimbaugh.com.


45 posted on 08/13/2005 8:18:18 AM PDT by libstripper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: TBarnett34
Democratic strategist Chris Lehane, who like Shrum favors hardball politics, protested that "we Democrats bring a well-thumbed copy of Marquess of Queensberry Rules while the other side unsheaths their bloody knives, with a predictable outcome." ...what in the heck does this even mean, anyway?

It means pay no attention to those ads about James Byrd.

46 posted on 08/13/2005 8:23:02 AM PDT by Maceman (Pro Se Defendant from Hell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Bahbah
""Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false, but Democrats have never learned, and I'm not sure many of them want to learn, how to play that kind of politics," said Robert Shrum, an adviser to several Democratic presidential campaigns all of them failures, by the way"

To make a statement such as this is EXACTLY the reason why the Democrats have a problem, They actually believe such statements to be true and factual.

47 posted on 08/13/2005 8:24:15 AM PDT by depenzz
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: chiller
If it comes from the NY Times or Washington Post or Time or Vanity Fair etal it is just Dem propaganda. Conflicted on Playing Rough. Give me abreak. Can you say Barry Goldwater ad? I can.
48 posted on 08/13/2005 8:28:59 AM PDT by Phlap (REDNECK@LIBARTS.EDU)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller

49 posted on 08/13/2005 9:11:20 AM PDT by Anti-MSM (Conservatives wish 9/11 never happened. Liberals pretend it didn't!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chiller
Republicans don't mind running an ad that's entirely false

Yeah, those anti-Breyer and anti-Ginsburg ads by pro-life groups were disgusting.

50 posted on 08/13/2005 9:13:11 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-5051-61 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson