This is why I am fearful...

..."But if there's one indisputable lesson from the last eight years, it's that political propaganda works exceedingly well -- not despite an aggressively adversarial press but precisely because we don't have one."

I do take exception to one Greenwald summation. I don't think Palin is "extremely intelligent," I think she has average smarts.

I'm soooooo sick of the fearmongering around here. It's extremely unhelpful.

behind why Rovian tactics sometimes work is important to counter-strategizing. If we were practical to run on merits alone, there would never have been a President Bush (I or II).

ETA: Interesting article; thanks for the link. A totally plausible scenario:

"When they decide in a couple of weeks that Palin is ready to do so, she'll go and sit down with Brit Hume or Larry King or Charlie Gibson or some other pleasant, accommodating person who plays a journalist on TV and have a nice, amiable, entertaining chat about topics that are easily anticipated. Having been preceded by all sorts of campaign drama about her first interview and the excitement that she's not up to the task, her TV appearance will be widely touted, score big ratings, and will be nice entertainment for the network that presents it. It will achieve many things. Undermining propaganda isn't one of them."

Feel good, safe and hopeful:loveya:

I also feel he is observant, intelligent and prepared. He isn't oblivious to what has come before and I doubt he would have gone through this entire process without having thought through how he was going to deal with all the tripe coming at him from the Repugnantcon slime machine.

are why I feel so good about Obama. If he weren't observant, intelligent and prepared I certainly wouldn't be feeling as hopeful as I do.

Day in and day out, he nails the failed US news media on their incompetence and dishonesty. In fact, I've been refreshing the page every hour or so, hoping for today's column. If I could put together a fantasy newspaper, he would be the front page almost every day.

I'm nervous about the election, but I think we'll make it, despite the idiots in masquerading as "news" on the tv.

Kerry played nice and was swift boated. Obama could ask Oprah to invite Palin to appear on her show and grill her. If Palin refuses there is political hay there as well. It sounds silly even as I suggest it but Oprah has a huge appeal with women.
Honesty is embarrassing for the GOP. Jon Stewart and Bill Maher are fantastic at dragging Republicans into uncomfortable embarrassing conversation. Oprah is an Obama fan and could do the same if she chose too.

..."They don't have to play the game but they have to counter it."

Of course, I think it's more effective if you anticipate it and deflate it before they have a chance to use it, but I'm just being proactive.

And relying on "good feelings" you get from a candidate is a sure path to defeat. To paraphrase a far better journalist than most we have today, "No one ever lost an election by underestimating the intelligence of the American voter."