"Bush hatred" hits the road

It's now coming into focus that the "Bush hatred" meme is going to be the centerpiece of the Republican campaign. Check out their upcoming ad:

When Angry Democrats Attack!

Here's the e-mail, from Campaign Manager Ken Mahlman, sent out to people on the GOP's mailing list accompanying the release of this campaign ad:

Democrat candidates for President continue their angry, personal attacks while President Bush focuses on creating jobs, growing our economy, winning the war on terror and making sure our seniors have a prescription drug benefit.

How do Democrats respond to this historic record of accomplishment?

Howard Dean compares President Bush to the Taliban and calls him the "enemy" and "despicable." Dick Gephardt calls the President "a miserable failure." John Kerry compared President Bush to Saddam Hussein, called for "regime change" and accused him of fraud.

In order for you to see and hear for yourself the ugly things they say about President Bush we have created this video of just a few of these negative, personal comments by the Democrat presidential candidates.

President Bush's leadership has delivered the strongest economic growth in nearly twenty years that is creating jobs. On Monday he will sign into law historic health care reform that helps make prescription drugs more affordable for America's seniors and their families.

While President Bush is leading, Democrats are attacking and making this one of the nastiest, vicious and negative campaigns in American history.

As you see the angry, bitter Democrats smearing our President I hope you will choose to join this campaign and support our President by making your contribution today.

Sincerely,
Ken Mehlman
Campaign Manager

PS: In four weeks the election year will be upon us. Please watch your inbox because over the next four weeks I will send you additional emails outlining what we are up against and how with your help we plan to re-elect President Bush and continue his leadership, his values, and his character working for us for another term.

Of course, what is most deeply ironic about this strategy is that underlying it is the suggestion that the anger directed at Bush is somehow analogous to Republicans' own deeply irrational behavior during the 1990s -- when "Clinton hatred" not only dominated the airwaves but was the raison d'etre of Republicanism. Republicans are well aware that there is considerable public fatigue with this style of politics -- and hope to exploit that by making Democrats out to be nasty folk.

In the meantime, of course, Republicans have been relentlessly nasty in casting liberals (or anyone who opposes his policies) as treasonous bastards -- with the accompanying hints of the fate that awaits traitors. There are even hints of this in the new ad, when it refers to Bush's "positive agenda for a stronger, safer, more prosperous America." We already know, of course, that this rhetoric is part of a strategy to cast Democrats as "unpatriotic." A recent version of this meme appeared here.

There are two effective ways of countering this attack:

-- Bring out the tapes of Republican mouth frothers attacking liberals. Show Ann Coulter calling for Clinton's "impeachment or assassination." Show Bill O'Reilly screaming, "Shut up! Just shut up!" Let's see some footage of Jesse Helms telling Clinton to bring bodyguards to North Carolina. Show George W. Bush calling Adam Clymer a "major league asshole," and Dick Cheney chiming in. Show the Freepers marching outside of Al Gore's residence during the Florida debacle, and the rent-a-rioters breaking up the recount in Miami.

And then say: "We're tired of pessimism and angry protest too -- especially the kind based on personal attacks and not policies."

-- Put up the facts to go with the angry rhetoric. After Dean's remarks about "fundamentalist preachers," show Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell agreeing that gays, lesbians and amoral liberals were responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. Gephardt's "war on the American people" comments should be accompanied by the numbers of job losses since Bush took office. Kerry's "regime change" remarks should be countered with shots of the "Mission Accomplished" landing, followed by the death toll in Iraq since that photo op. Gephardt's "miserable failure" remark can be followed by the numbers on the transformation from a record budget surplus to record-breaking federal budget deficits.

And then say: "Angry? You bet. Is it justified? You bet."

Finally, when it comes time to articulating their own vision, Democrats should make it very simple: "An America like the one we had before George Bush took office. Peaceful, prosperous, and fair."