Tell me something: Why do Republicans have talking points and Democrats don't?

If I were working in the Obama Campaign or Democratic Party, I would work to make day by day talking points that would be distributed to millions of people a day (or for people working in the media, talking points updates as much as every 3 hours.) The talking points would focus on simple yet effective points to talk about on issues, candidates, as well as attacking the Republicans and countering their Arguments.

I don't understand this, talking points are not anything complex yet are highly effective in getting the message out, yet noone in the Democratic Party or the Obama Campaign has thought about using them? Talking points have several advantages:

1. It's political ammo for everyone: everyone who gets the talking points would know how to attack the republicans effectively and counter their attacks. Many people here can counter Republicans but not everyone knows how to do it effectively, and most people out there don't have as much access to the facts as possible. Talking Points would close that gap and ensure that everyone has access to the best facts.

2. It keeps the message consistent and if several sources keep on repeating it, it gets attention not only by the media but also by viewers, since people remember things if they are repeated.

3. It allows us to fight back against the Republican Echo Machine that continually spews lies, relying on that people not only would not know the truth but that the truth won't get out to a wide amount of people. Such talking points would work to inform every Democratic party-friendly organization, the media, as well as as many people in the party and individuals as possible with truth in the form of fresh political ammunition to counter their spin and lies. This should be for as many people as possible, since we need to not only win the media wars but also the water cooler wars.

The Greatest thing about us is that we have truth on our side. The Republicans have to work so hard because they have truth AGAINST them, thus they have to work hard to spin the facts and lie just to even survive.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: we can and should use many of the GOP's tactics. This really is OK, because we can use them to tell the truth.

He's being drowned out by McCain's superior media game.

It's Rove's superior media game. Credit where credit is due.

Why is that so hard to get through the heads of DUers. The campaign does put out talking points. Kerry did fight back.

The Media DOESN'T TELL YOU.

Why am I not getting talking points from the Obama Camp?

The Media DOESN'T get talking points from the Democrats, only from Republicans, and thats why the Republicans get away with things and the Democrats don't.

or the media. And wouldn't listen to the people who DID have the talking points.

And even if, if the talking points aren't getting out, someone's not doing their job.

Its about effective "war room" opposition research and aggressive information dissemination. If it isn't aggressive, its not working.

I'm sure they are. I'm sure the media is ignoring them. And I'm sure you could get them shoved up your nose and you'd find something to rip apart anyway, because that's what you do. You're not interested in the talking points - you're interested in your own superiority complex.

And I get them, daily.

Otherwise they would all have to think.

Republicans show that if your too overconfident, you'll loose. How many DUers here thought before that this would be an easy election?

The theme was smug overconfidence.

alluding to the Superior Intelligence of Democrats that don't need talking points. This has worked out EXTREMELY well for many year now. Oh wait... Nope it hasn't worked since....... Bill Clinton a successful 2 term DEMOCRAT. Oh well too bad we are smarter than everyone.

because they are cunning and clever and capitalize on your foolishness. It was foolish to think that Al Gore would win in 2000, and Kerry would win in 2004, and that everyone in this country is a political junkie and would have access to all the facts, but thats being incredibly foolish, and in the real world you have to fight and fight hard because people out there don't have the information that they need to be informed in politics.

The reason is that Repugs all toe the line and take action when asked to take action. Dems can't agree on a damn thing. If you ask DU to take action on an issue, a good 40% or more will say "it won't make any difference, so why bother? Go do something else instead". So, getting Dems to use talking Points is equally hopeless. Many will argue about the point itself. Some will say that talking points are unfair, others might say that talking points aren't important-the ISSUES are what matter. Some will say that it's beneath our dignity to use talking points because they were used by the Right Wing first.Etc. Etc. It truly is like herding cats. When we win elections we do so in spite of ourselves. I wish that I could believe otherwise.

I suggest that we fight from now until election day: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3948237

In addition, certain republicans feel the need to keep the war drums beating. Don't let the flock stop and think for themselves. Appeal to their emotions not their intellect. It's a nonstop sales pitch, like walking into a car dealership and the sales rep never letting up on the pressure.

and I posted almost the same thing below - I even have Rogers' quote in my sign line, and have for years.

depending on who the Dem is countering the repukes.

and the point is that there can be times when it's OK to do that. Taking the opportunity to get a consistent, simple message out whenever Dems appear in the MSM would be helpful, NOT a sign that Dems are a bunch of sheep.

I've wondered for years why Dems couldn't get their shit together on this. Republicans have figured out what it takes - a simple message, repeated often. The problem with them is that their talking points are mostly lies and bullshit, but they make the most of their airtime.

Why does it seem that Barbara Boxer was the lone voice out there asserting that Palin is an extremist? Republicans would have had every one of their people on every show saying the same thing.

This is about supplying as many people as possible with THE TRUTH, in an easily digestible format, organized in simple but effective points so that even busy people (which is most working Americans) can know the facts and counter the RW arguments.

From a planning and execution standpoint, someone ought to be able to do it.

So why can't they? I don't know the answer. I don't know if these Dem surrogates aren't willing to stay on message or what - assuming that anyone's even tried to get it going.

Having a totally positive campaign doesn't work. Democrats need to realize that they need to fight for what they want because Republicans fight for what they want. The greatest thing once again is that we have truth on our side, so we don't need to be cunning like the Republicans, we just need to be mobilized and effective.

I think it is because Democrats are free thinkers and knowledge based, where Republicans like a chant they can use to root for the home team.
But it freaks me out every election cycle, when everyone from Senators, to talking heads, to radio hosts, to Hasselbitch, are repeating the same line over and over and over again like hitting a nail with a hammer.
Is is right? No. But it has been effective.
So, I'm torn....I just don't know?

BTW, I'm new here and can't post yet. But just wanted to put it out there that the McCain family will be featured TWICE this week on the View. Meaghan is going on to talk about her stupid book and McCain and Cindy are on tomorrow! This, after Hasselbitch, ran a nice little piece of propaganda on her trip to the convention last week. F'ing pathetic!

want to be linked to vicious negative attacks even indirectly.

It is a real disadvantage in the propaganda war.

Talking points are used to EFFECTIVELY DISSEMINATE INFORMATION, and to be quite honest they were probably thought up by people in marketing who study consumer psychology. Why not use the tactics that professional Marketing executives use? The Republicans get this because they are businesspeople who know how to market.

The closest thing that we've ever come to having a single talking point was when Obama said a few days ago, "They (Republicans) must think you're stupid." Hopefully, the Obama team will realize they have a gem in that one and will nurture it.

The stakes are high in this election, another 4 years of suffering. We do NOT need this. Thus, IMO, hope is not enough and effective action is what we need.


Now, I'm not saying that Obama has to go all out negative, but if he'd use talking points it would be great to make sure people have all the points needed about his own campaign and about McCain, to make sure everyone knows the facts.

Both of them are able to find up lots of dirt on the Right Wing and effectively counter their arguments. What they already do is great, the problem is that most Democrats and liberals don't hear their shows, let alone have the 6 hours to hear them.

Everyone here should contact Thom Hartmann and Randi Rhodes and ask them if either they alone or both of them can put together a list of talking points every day and start building mailing lists for them.

and then resume being ethical and nuanced

Just because the Republicans do it doesn't mean that its unethical. Please everyone, understand this!

over and over and over again...... like a goddamn parrot. i couldnt be a parrot for anything in the world. it is all about looking stupid, really stupid, beyond stupid, that there is not a thought in the head at all. that we are zombie

are you really suggesting we all be willing ot become THAT to win the election. cant be done

dems, you may hear the same theme but they are all said uniquely by person. cause there is self thought. cause we dont have a limbaugh or hannnity that say, repeat this..... alaska is near russia. and then a bunch of educated people go around saying it over and over and over again until the condition it into being something

that is what talking points are

that is what you are advocating?

for it to work, that is what we have to become

aint gonna happen
dont want it to happen

Trouble is MSM echoes their talking points more than ours, IMO. You mainly hear ours only when a Dem is actually on your tv screen. You hear theirs even when they're not there because the talking heads pick them up and run with them.

An example currently: Mcsame supported bush 95% of the time. We don't need another 4 years.

Another example from before: Mcsame wants us in Iraq for another 100 years.

For a while there most every time I saw a Dem on tv he worked the "100 years" thing in somehow whether they were talking about Iraq or not.

That and repugs are more obvious when they throw a talking point out. It can be real obvious they are not answering a question and instead just repeating a talking point.

Howard Dean I've noticed has gotten alot better at answering a question AND working a talking point into the answer.

is one. :shrug:

'John McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 years.'

what else? Everyone join in!

:hi:

:rofl: :yourock:

SO that people start believing them. So they have to give out talking points so all the talking heads know what to repeat.

We don't do that, because it is lying.

You imagine if they didn't have them? They'd forget what last week's lie was. So that's the main reason.

A close second is the need to repeat it so it becomes 'truth'.

for Dems we get all twisted out of shape and tell them not to try to dictate to us about what to say, think or believe. As a party we're way too impressed with our individual virtue and not nearly interested enough in winning the election.

Repug ideas are simple and easier to capture in a sound byte.

Every candidate/party has them.

Did you not see, after Palin's speech, every Dem talking about her reading a good speech written by Bush speechwriters?

I love this thread. There are a lot of great comments. I've tried to post this very subject before, and didn't do it justice.

I will say that we are not just focused on the ends. We also look at the means. These evil clowns would kill people to get their oil. We might consider a few things before going there. Like how killing people is, um, bad? Or that maybe our petroleum use is too high? Or that maybe we need to think about global warming?

But they just grab at the oil like monkeys with their hand caught in a coconut shell.

But yes, I have felt strongly that we absolutely must begin a concerted, coordinated effort to coin talking points. After all, we're up against a malicious "fourth estate", and an opponent that will go to no end to trip us up.

from Will Rogers in the 1920s.

Or, alternatively, you could also say that getting Democrats to consistently say the same talking points is probably tougher than herding cats.

Victim mentality DOESN'T win elections! You guys need to stop complaining that the media is corporate controlled, this and that, because SOMEONE WITH THE WILL WOULD FIND A WAY AROUND THE CORPORATE MEDIA TO GET THEIR MESSAGE ACROSS.