Posted on 10/12/2004 7:20:19 AM PDT by jmstein7
I've heard the word "but" referred to as "The Great Canceller." Linguistically, it ususally cancels out EVERYTHING that came before it, the subconcious effect is to say "forget all that, here's the real point."
We've all seen it: "You're doing a really great job, but...", "That's a really good point, but...".
Once someone pointed the phenomenon out to me years ago, it's like a red light flashing every time "but" pops up! If Bush could point it out clearly and with good humor, it would totally change every person's experience of listening to Kerry, because he does it constantly. Once you're conscious of it, it's very hard to miss.
Are you sure you want to begin by saying "Karl Rove and his ilk?" Rove is certainly unabashedly partisan, but "ilk" has REALLY negative connotations -- seems more like a word you'd use when speaking of Carville or Begala, LOL. How 'bout "Karl Rove and his like" or "and his team"?
It's just a minor quibble, this is a great thread and excellent work on your part.
Yeah... someone pointed that out.
A tactic to debates like this, in which both candidates are given several minutes to answer the question is to:
1 ALWAYS, end your response in an attack on your opponent.
That way, they must spend the first 20 or 30 seconds to respond to your own attack, instead of answering the question at hand. It puts them on the defensive already.
Then, when you get the chance to respond, you point out that your opponent DIDN'T EFFECTIVELY ANSWER THE QUESTION, in part because you forced them to hastily form a rebuttal to your own attack.
Absolutely true. I will be paying close attention to this in tomorrow's debate.
Nice job of analysis!
Thanks!
Yeah, and every time he says "I have a plan..." the cynical voice in my head sneers "Yeah, Plan 9 from Outer Space!" I would give anything for Bush to zing him with something like that, LOL!
We learned conclusively in the streets during the 2000 recounts that leftists CANNOT handle ridicule. We could very correctly and righteously cite chapter and verse of election fraud, but accusations of felonies just rolled off their backs like water. No, what devastated them was a simple re-working of their own logo into "Sore Loserman," and people's laughter in response to the sign--they would literally froth at the mouth in response to that. Laughing at them gets their goat like NOTHING else.
Kerry seems especially susceptible to it, witness his campaign's outraged reaction to any criticism of goofiness: the bunny suit, the skiing/biking spills, the ORANGE SKIN, for heaven's sake!
Bush fell off his bike and scraped his face, and like any of us would, he made some self-deprecating comment and shrugged it off. But Kerry's consistent response to embarassing incidents is to get angry and accuse others of dirty tricks for pointing out his own normal, essentially-inconsequential human mis-steps.
If Bush can get off a zinger that has the audience laughing AT Kerry, effin' John will lose it, or at the least give a response so unnatural it'll paint him as a programmed space alien to regular folks.
Let's hear your plan, John -- Plan 9 from Outer Space!
no you do use the "liberal" word, but judiciously
the Rasmussen poll showed a big jump in people who saw Kerry as liberal after the 2nd debate and I believe that is part of the RNC plan to roll that out for October.....why else are the llamas getting so defensive about calling Kerry a liberal, that is a statement of fact.....
that Mass. liberal......because then you add in nightmares of Ted Kennedy
I wish there was some way the RNC could take advantage of the fact that Ed Koch, the Democratic former mayor of NYC is supporting him because Koch fears that Ted Kennedy will hijack the Kerry administration esp foreign policy and in particular Iraq as payback for the base getting Kerry elected and given Kennedy is Kerry's mentor.......that is frightening to me
If Dubya can get it in early....what we need is a quarterback on GAME DAY, the world is FULL of Monday morning quarterbacks!
ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!!!
Bush should use the Liberal word...gently. Maybe in conjunction with the "But" strategy---
In response to a Kerry answer:
"Did you notice what my opponent just did? He said favors [issue], BUT---note that "BUT"---then he gave all the qualifiers that makes one suspect he would never promote it. Everytime he says "but" you can bet he's about to cancel out everything that came before. The fact is, his 20-year record reflects exactly what one would expect from a Massachussetts Liberal. [and so on]".
Follow up in subsequent answers with "There's that 'but' again [shaking head]".
"You just keep planning Senator, I will keep doing"?
I agree this is a sure winner. It says it all.
Bush has to be PARTISAN. He has to go after Kerry early and often and counter every criticism Kerry makes. The thing that hurts Bush the most is that he never answers half of Kerry's criticism. Bush just tries to 'stay above the fray' and go off on his own talking points. He needs to say, "my oponnent just said, "X, Y, Z" and that is just plain foolish and here's why..."
don't know why he doens't do that.
Wow! I really like that...
"You just keep planning, and I'll keep DOING!"
Par excellence!
It's the first thing that jumped out at me as well ... "ilk". Otherwise, a fine job. Thanks for the effort, it was well rewarded.
Also Bush has never used the statistic that 12% of all jobs in America are employed by small business owners who would have their taxes raised by Kerry.
http://www.neoperspectives.com/smallbusiness.htm
You are one smart cookie.
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