History Forum / General / British History / October 2007

Hilarius Magnus Cum Laude!

From Neil Abercrombie's  (D-Hawaii) staffer no less.

I haven't laughed so hard all month.

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas
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Internal Dem memo faults party message

By Mike Soraghan

October 26, 2007

           Democrats are losing the battle for voters’ hearts because the
party’s message lacks emotional appeal, according to a widely circulated
critique of House Democratic communications strategy.

Nancy Pelosi lacks EMOTIONAL APPEAL?  Hilarious!  How about INTELLECTUAL
HONESTY? -- DSH

           “Our message sounds like an audit report on defense logistics,”
wrote Dave Helfert, a former Appropriations spokesman who now works for Rep.
Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii). “Why are we defending [the State Children’s
Health Insurance Program] instead of advocating a ‘Healthy Kids’ plan?”

            Helfert sent the memo this week to an e-mail list of all
Democratic press secretaries and communications directors after staffers met
on Monday to discuss rolling out the Democrats’ latest message.

           He said the meeting left him cold because it focused on what
polling shows voters want rather than how to present persuasive messages.

Republicans have done a better job by developing poll data into focus
group-tested messages like “culture of life” and “defending marriage,” along
with attacks like “cut and run” and “plan for surrender” in Iraq, he argued.

           In particular, Helfert points to Republican pollster Frank
Luntz, who helped develop the 1994 “Contract with America” and is credited
with helping Republicans come up with terms for polices like “Healthy
Forests” and “Death Tax.”

           “Republicans have been kicking our rhetorical butt since about
1995,” Helfert wrote.

Oh, since long before that. -- DSH

           Democratic leadership aides were not impressed, and indicated
that the memo did not have a vast and immediate impact.

           “Everybody’s a message expert,” said one Democratic leadership
aide. “The fact of the matter is Democrats are working hard to communicate
our accomplishments. There is work to be done and that’s why Democrats are
working together and mounting an aggressive campaign to discuss the real
victories we have won for the American people.”

           On the record, they were a bit gentler, if not enthusiastic.

           “We appreciate input from those who have been on the front
lines, and we value their opinions,” said Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Hilarious! -- DSH

           But another Democratic aide said Helfert’s memo reflects the
frustration of many of those with a role in getting the message out. Several
hundred of them assembled for Monday’s meeting in the Ways and Means
Committee room.

           “I don’t agree with every point he’s making, but the sentiment
of exasperation I totally agree with,” said the aide.

DEMOCRAT EXASPERATION, AYE.  They are simply understanding the LIMITS OF
DEMAGOGUERY. -- DSH

           As a case in point, he cited Democrats’ frustration over the
likely showdown with President Bush over supplemental spending for the Iraq
war. Democrats are discussing not sending a supplemental spending bill to
the floor until Bush changes course on the war. But that makes many
Democrats nervous that Bush will use the tactic to say Democrats aren’t
supporting the troops.

Which is TRUE of course.  Harry Reid says the War In Iraq is already LOST --  
so does Pogue Gans. -- DSH

           “Are we any more prepared to deal with the threats that are
going to come about cutting off funds to the troops?” asked the aide.

            But he also noted that the number of the memo’s readers might
have been limited by the fact that the memo was a long attachment, which
makes it less likely to be read by BlackBerry-wielding aides.

"BlackBerry-wielding aides..."  I LOVE IT! -- DSH

           Republicans were amused. Brian Kennedy, spokesman for House
Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), said, “House GOP communicators would
take his remarks as a compliment.”

AMUSED, INDEED. -- DSH

           Helfert wrote a master’s thesis in 2004 on how the Bush
administration “sold” the Iraq war to the public. He was the Democratic
spokesman for House Appropriations from 2003 to 2006, when he left to teach
at American University for a semester. He returned to the Hill this year to
become Abercrombie’s spokesman.

           He said he did not send the memo to the media. He’s gotten about
30 e-mails applauding his sentiments, most of them short “attaboys.”

Staffers at the House Democratic Caucus, which is in charge of setting the
Democratic message, were “a little less than pleased.”

Hmmmmmm...  So they presumably sent "awsh_ts" rather than "attaboys". -- DSH

           “I’m not trying to stage a coup,” Helfert said. “I’m hoping
leadership and some of the members will embrace these principles.”

Staging a COUP would be even MORE ENTERTAINING. -- DSH

           His memo is sharply critical of Republican policies but also
suggests a neurological explanation for Republican message success: By using
emotional appeals and warning of dire threats, Republicans can trigger
neurons called “amygdalae” in the temporal lobe, which is the seat of the
“fight or flight” response in the brain.

Yep. the Republicans want to FIGHT and WIN the War -- whereas the Democrats
want to choose FLIGHT and LOSING the War. -- DSH

           “Almost every Republican message contains a simple and direct
moral imperative, a stark contrast between good and evil, right and wrong,
common sense and fuzzy liberal thinking,” Helfert wrote. “Meanwhile, we’re
trying to ignite passions with analyses of optimum pupil-teacher ratios.”

"FUZZY LIBERAL THINKING", AYE.  THAT'S THE TICKET.

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK....

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Veni, Vidi, Calcitravi Asinum