Comments on: On Negative Campaigning http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/ Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:09:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Nurse Shirley http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1970 Nurse Shirley Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:44:04 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1970 It may have helped the GOP raise money, but how many people did it cause to say, "The NC GOP is a nice party that I'd like to be a part of?" Money doesn't count if you lose voters. I didn't like McCain condemning the ad, but I didn't really like the ad, either. I support the right of the NC GOP to say what they want to say, but the ad just didn't seem to make sense. Democrats and independents who like either of these candidates are probably deciding right now whether to vote for Obama or Hillary. We need those people to come to our side in November. Is this going to help that? I have long heard Democrats say that this conservative or that conservative is a radical because he spoke at a certain university or appeared at an event with a radical evangelical pastor with ideas most Americans wouldn't agree with. I always disagreed with those criticisms, and I still agree with those as we are trying to use it against the "enemy." Perdue and Moore didn't know that pastor or associate with him, it just seems silly to try to connect him to their campaigns. Does every Republican who supports McCain now also support amnesty for illegal immigrants as he has for so many years? Certainly not. In the same way, Perdue and Moore don't necessarily support Obama's choice of church or pastor if they endorse him for the presidency. It may have helped the GOP raise money, but how many people did it cause to say, “The NC GOP is a nice party that I’d like to be a part of?” Money doesn’t count if you lose voters.

I didn’t like McCain condemning the ad, but I didn’t really like the ad, either. I support the right of the NC GOP to say what they want to say, but the ad just didn’t seem to make sense. Democrats and independents who like either of these candidates are probably deciding right now whether to vote for Obama or Hillary. We need those people to come to our side in November. Is this going to help that?

I have long heard Democrats say that this conservative or that conservative is a radical because he spoke at a certain university or appeared at an event with a radical evangelical pastor with ideas most Americans wouldn’t agree with. I always disagreed with those criticisms, and I still agree with those as we are trying to use it against the “enemy.” Perdue and Moore didn’t know that pastor or associate with him, it just seems silly to try to connect him to their campaigns.

Does every Republican who supports McCain now also support amnesty for illegal immigrants as he has for so many years? Certainly not. In the same way, Perdue and Moore don’t necessarily support Obama’s choice of church or pastor if they endorse him for the presidency.

]]> By: Duke Cheston http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1960 Duke Cheston Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:25:13 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1960 Pastor McKinnon, the ad in question is not "sullied with race filled politics," unless you consider the politics of Jeremiah Wright. Linda Daves, the soft-spoken NC-GOP chairwoman, has said if the situation had been reversed, and Hillary had long been associating with a paranoid racist hate monger and the Dems had endorsed her, she would have done the same thing. The ad may not be very effective (it's a double bank shot), but it has helped the GOP raise money for the Fall. Pastor McKinnon, the ad in question is not “sullied with race filled politics,” unless you consider the politics of Jeremiah Wright. Linda Daves, the soft-spoken NC-GOP chairwoman, has said if the situation had been reversed, and Hillary had long been associating with a paranoid racist hate monger and the Dems had endorsed her, she would have done the same thing. The ad may not be very effective (it’s a double bank shot), but it has helped the GOP raise money for the Fall.

]]> By: Pastor Ray McKinnon http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1956 Pastor Ray McKinnon Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:52:45 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1956 BJ, you are right! This ad does nothing than show that the NC GOP is anything more than an group of people who brand people guilty by association. It furthers the opinion that the Republican Party cannot get elected (especially in southern states) without sullied race filled politics. This ad is despicable! Thank you BJ for your leadership and fortitude. You are incredible and as you persevere and remain positive the end will prove worth it all. Bless you, my friend! BJ, you are right! This ad does nothing than show that the NC GOP is anything more than an group of people who brand people guilty by association. It furthers the opinion that the Republican Party cannot get elected (especially in southern states) without sullied race filled politics. This ad is despicable! Thank you BJ for your leadership and fortitude. You are incredible and as you persevere and remain positive the end will prove worth it all. Bless you, my friend!

]]> By: Pastor Ray McKinnon http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1952 Pastor Ray McKinnon Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:32:43 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1952 BJ, you are right! This ad does nothing to show that the NC GOP is anything more than an group of people who brand people guilty by association. It furthers the opinion that the Republican Party cannot get elected (especially in southern states) without sullied race filled politics. This ad is despicable! Thank you BJ for your leadership and fortitude. You are incredible and as you persevere and remain positive the end will prove worth it all. Bless you, my friend! BJ, you are right! This ad does nothing to show that the NC GOP is anything more than an group of people who brand people guilty by association. It furthers the opinion that the Republican Party cannot get elected (especially in southern states) without sullied race filled politics. This ad is despicable! Thank you BJ for your leadership and fortitude. You are incredible and as you persevere and remain positive the end will prove worth it all. Bless you, my friend!

]]> By: Ben http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1900 Ben Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:41:12 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1900 "..and is actually trying to win." Well, this is the problem and I think it's what BJ is speaking to. The GOP needs moderates (of both parties) and independents if it's going to win. These ads fire up an already loyal and partisan base, but they turn off everyone else. The point isn't how YOU, an committed Republican voter, reacts to the ad, it's how independents react to it. This kind of politics is cheap and ugly and it turns people off to the whole process. The GOP should be focusing on ways to bring people IN to the party, not drive people away from it. We can't win without building coalitions, and this style of politics only acts as a barrier to that goal. “..and is actually trying to win.”

Well, this is the problem and I think it’s what BJ is speaking to. The GOP needs moderates (of both parties) and independents if it’s going to win. These ads fire up an already loyal and partisan base, but they turn off everyone else. The point isn’t how YOU, an committed Republican voter, reacts to the ad, it’s how independents react to it.

This kind of politics is cheap and ugly and it turns people off to the whole process. The GOP should be focusing on ways to bring people IN to the party, not drive people away from it. We can’t win without building coalitions, and this style of politics only acts as a barrier to that goal.

]]> By: Duke Cheston http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1894 Duke Cheston Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:10:23 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1894 Sorry, BJ, but I'm with Laura on this one. This shows that the NC GOP has guts, is not afraid of being politically incorrect, and is actually trying to win. This may reflect poorly on the uninspiring quality of the GOP candidates, but politics is not about playing nice. It's about advancing our ideas and our agenda and, without a spectacularly inspiring candidate, we are right to publicize the flaws of the other side. As Bill Buckley once said, let us engage in "honest intellectual combat." This healthy dose of mud-slinging might be provocative, but it's not dishonest. We are unequivocally right on the issues and that should be enough to sway voters, but sometimes it helps to point out how wrong the other side is. Sorry, BJ, but I’m with Laura on this one. This shows that the NC GOP has guts, is not afraid of being politically incorrect, and is actually trying to win. This may reflect poorly on the uninspiring quality of the GOP candidates, but politics is not about playing nice. It’s about advancing our ideas and our agenda and, without a spectacularly inspiring candidate, we are right to publicize the flaws of the other side.

As Bill Buckley once said, let us engage in “honest intellectual combat.” This healthy dose of mud-slinging might be provocative, but it’s not dishonest. We are unequivocally right on the issues and that should be enough to sway voters, but sometimes it helps to point out how wrong the other side is.

]]> By: Laura http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1890 Laura Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:24:26 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1890 The ad focuses on the issue of the beliefs of persons that the leading Democrat candidate surrounds himself with. That leading candidate would very likely appoint these persons as well as persons with similar opinions to high positions were he to win because the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Those Democrats who support him will legitimately share the successes or defeats of their lead candidate, and will be encouraged to share the outlooks of their leaders. For that reason, it is very, very important that North Carolinians understand the positions that are accepted by the Democrat Party, and consider those issues when voting. Sorry, BJ, but I am in complete support of running this ad. The ad focuses on the issue of the beliefs of persons that the leading Democrat candidate surrounds himself with. That leading candidate would very likely appoint these persons as well as persons with similar opinions to high positions were he to win because the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Those Democrats who support him will legitimately share the successes or defeats of their lead candidate, and will be encouraged to share the outlooks of their leaders. For that reason, it is very, very important that North Carolinians understand the positions that are accepted by the Democrat Party, and consider those issues when voting. Sorry, BJ, but I am in complete support of running this ad.

]]> By: Jeremy http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1889 Jeremy Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:42:55 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1889 They think they're helping but they're really just making people lose trust in the NC GOP and making it harder for Republicans to be elected in NC. They think they’re helping but they’re really just making people lose trust in the NC GOP and making it harder for Republicans to be elected in NC.

]]> By: Justin B. Clark http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1886 Justin B. Clark Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:20:52 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1886 This is amazing stuff BJ. Thank you for staying above the fray in all of this, for staying above reproach. It will pay off in the end. This is amazing stuff BJ. Thank you for staying above the fray in all of this, for staying above reproach. It will pay off in the end.

]]> By: mike http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1879 mike Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:11:11 +0000 http://blog.lawsonforcongress.com/2008/04/25/on-negative-campaigning/#comment-1879 The ad is solely to aid McCain. He's above the fray. The NC GOP should be ashamed of themselves - they've been used. I'm glad to see you aren't falling for it, and also glad to see that Bob Orr isn't falling for it ( http://www.blogorr08.com/ ). The ad is solely to aid McCain. He’s above the fray. The NC GOP should be ashamed of themselves - they’ve been used. I’m glad to see you aren’t falling for it, and also glad to see that Bob Orr isn’t falling for it ( http://www.blogorr08.com/ ).

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