Argghhh! The Home Of Two Of Jonah's Military Guys..

May 8, 2008

Heh. Keep this in mind as you watch the political ads this silly season.

See how many of them (from both sides) follow this recipe:

1. Simplify: Reduce all to a confrontation between Good and Evil.
2. Smear the opposition.

3. Manipulate the central values of the target audience to one's own purpose.

4. Use star performers to present one's views as the right thinking.

5. Repeat - endlessly repeat - the same message in different variations.

Mind you, as Don Marquis noted, "An idea isn't responsible for the people who believe in it." but it's instructive nonetheless. So, go off snipe-hunting and figure out who gets credit for that recipe.

John | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) | Politics

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Comments on Heh. Keep this in mind as you watch the political ads this silly season.

fdcol63 briefed on May 8, 2008 8:41 AM

John, you forgot these 2:

6. Promise "change".

7. Promise to "clean up Washington".

#7 will only happen if the jihadists are successful in nuking DC someday.

John of Argghhh! briefed on May 8, 2008 2:46 PM

Hmmmm. The Usual Suspects seem to be on vacation this week.

Maggie briefed on May 8, 2008 5:48 PM

1. Simplify: Reduce all to a confrontation between Good and Evil.

****************** This is supposed to be a cheap tactic, but in McCain's case, his central issue is as simple as *good vs. evil

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