Last Week, a Glimpse of Things to Come From the Bush Campaign

The Austin [TX] American-Statesman ^ | March 21, 2003 | Ken Herman

[quidnunc]

President's re-election campaign moves fast and hard in an effort to keep Kerry on the defensive

Last Sunday, the Bush-Cheney folks whose job it is to stay a step ahead of the John Kerry campaign got wind of the opposition's plan to launch a national defense-related attack on the president during a Tuesday speech in West Virginia.

By the time Kerry got to that state, which has five crucial electoral votes in play this year, he was greeted by a Bush television spot, custom-tailored for the day, aimed at making Kerry play defense on defense.

At Bush headquarters in Virginia, the spot, which aired only in West Virginia, was scored as a clean kill and touted as a hint of tactics to come. The incumbent team's quick-hit strategy is aimed at filling in what it sees as blanks in Kerry's public image.

"Troops," as the rush-job ad was called, went from concept to in-the-can in just over 24 hours.

"John Kerry. Wrong on defense," was the closing image in an ad featuring a quick retelling of Kerry votes construed by the Bush campaign as being against body armor and higher combat pay for troops as well as better health care for reservists. The ad stepped on Kerry's message as he held a West Virginia town hall meeting on military issues.

Saturday, Bush visited Florida and used the first rally of his re-election campaign to keep up the attack on Kerry, hitting his Democratic rival as favoring higher taxes.

"This is a time to inform the public about us and him. At some time, relatively soon, that window is going to close," said Matthew Dowd, the Bush campaign's chief strategist. "It's not going to be in the next few days, but the window will close by June.

"It's not going to always be ads," he said of how Bush will attack. "It could be rallies. It could be a whole bunch of things."

Last week, Bush surrogates, right up to Vice President Dick Cheney, mounted concentrated attacks.

And satisfaction at Bush headquarters grew exponentially when Kerry, asked about a section of the "Troops" ad noting he voted against the $87 billion supplemental funding for U.S. troops in Iraq — which included the body armor money — said, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it."

For the Bush campaign, ever-eager to paint Kerry as a waffler, it was a thank-you-God moment. As quickly as they ginned up the ad that elicited the response, Bush aides retooled it to include the Kerry comment.

By Thursday, the original West Virginia ad was running in an updated version on cable TV around the nation, adding Kerry's comment just before the "wrong on defense" tag line.

-snip-

[Pukin Dog]

I'm still waiting for all the Chicken-Little Republicans who thought that Bush was waiting too long to attack John Kerry. Where did those folks go?

The time is now, and Bush has clocked Kerry with the first punch. The knockout blow is coming.

[Democratshavenobrains]

Democrats are outraged that Bush dares to respond to their lies!

[deport]

Where did those folks go?

---

They'll show back up with another song of something different...... They bitch and moan but when something is done they run and hid and not a compliment to be heard from them.... I wonder if they are even 'chicken little republicans' but rather democrats or 3rd party wannabees?

[Betaille]

"thought that Bush was waiting too long to attack John Kerry. Where did those folks go?"
I was one of those. I was saying that the Bush campaign should start attacking Kerry. Now that Bush has listened to us, and attacked Kerry... Bush is winning. Bush camp. took our advice, and now he is winning. What do we have to be ashamed of?

[Betaille]

Did you not notice that WE WERE RIGHT? When Bush came out with the first "feel-good" ads, they didn't help him one bit. Now that Bush has taken our advice and started attacking Kerry... Bush is kicking Butt. I compliment the Bush camp on what they have done.

[Reactionary]

That's how it is. If you ask people if they like negative ads they will, of course, say no. If you ask them if they like postive ads, they'll say yes.

Negative ads simply work. People don't want to say that they like them, but they certainly do listen to them.

[Miss Marple]

The positive ads had two purposes:

1. To present a positive mesage to the elecotrate.

2. To lull the democrats into thinking that he wouldn't respond.

All in all, they were successful ads.

[Betaille]

"All in all, they were successful ads."
I think they were a waste of money, and the most successful thing about them is that they have been forgotten already. The New ads that attack Kerry have been tremendously successful, even with alot less money behind them and alot less airplay.

[Fiddlstix]

Face It Folks!
Bush will have a rough time of it!
After all, just take a look at what he's up against!

[gswilder]

I think Bush needs to mix and balance his ads. Run the positive ones on an ongoing basis. Hit Kerry along the way with the negative ones. Gotta do both...

[Betaille]

"Negative ads simply work. People don't want to say that they like them, but they certainly do listen to them."
Absolutely, and the thing is... Bush's ads aren't even that negative. He has given a fairly straightforward explanation of Kerry's views and positions thus far. If Bush can keep this up, it will be very hard for Kerry to not get ridiculed the way dukakis was come october.

[Betaille]

"I think Bush needs to mix and balance his ads."
Oh I absolutely agree. My problem with Bush's first positive ads were that
1. I felt he needs to be defining Kerry at this stage of the campaign
2. I didn't feel that they were very good ads in general. They had a very negative tone to them even though they were supposed to be positive ads about Bush.
Positive ads can work... my only argument at the time was that for Bush to get back on his feet, he needed to go negative. And I feel that I have been vindicated by Bush's current success.

[MEG33]

I have seen positive and negative on cable here in Texas.I agree,positive touting successes..then let Kerry speak and we have more negative material than we can use!

[Luke21]

Yahahaha. Great one.

[Warrant]

Hopefully, it'll be an early knockout so we can see the real plan to have Hildebeast stepup and take the nomination so we can have time to beat up on her a little.

[deport]

I have seen positive and negative on cable here in Texas.

---

That's about the only way we'll see any here in Texas.... There won't be much spent here except maybe for another fundraiser or two or some congressional critter's race.

This campaign has a plan and will use it regardless of what the malcontents, democrats or 3rd party wannabees have to say about it. President Bush doesn't stray too far from the messages he wants to send.

[q_an_a]

the poll information is right, but the voter comes out after voting and says, "I voted for the most positive guy, because the other guy was a jerk."

[Betaille]

"Hopefully, it'll be an early knockout so we can see the real plan to have Hildebeast"
This may sound a little chauvenist.. but I don't think a Woman challenger would do well during wartime. People would just have the natural inclination for a strong leader.. Hillary is no Margaret Thatcher. She's no Condi either.

[EQAndyBuzz]

I think the positive ads at first were important. They defined who George Bush is. That was the intention. Because once he went negative on Kerry, you now had a contrast between the candidates.

This Clarke thing bothers me because now it will play to 9/11. Bush should stay on message and the attack machine should denounce Clarke as a Kerry appointee wannabe right off the bat like they did about the treasury RAT.