Monday, November 5, 2007

Blueprints for a Clinton Victory

If the GOP doesn't read Soren Dayton by now, they'd best start reading now:

Romney is classing this election up by attacking Hillary Clinton over sex with his "internship" line. I want to be clear about something.

We will lose with this kind of behavior. We will get crushed with this kind of behavior. Attacking Bill on sex in the 90s didn’t work. He left office with twice President Bush’s approval rating.

Emphasis in the original.

Dayton says the more advisable tack is to start portraying Clinton as a crook by virtue of her numerous fund-raising issues (and Patrick Hynes agrees). That makes much more sense to me, but I don't think it will stick if Republicans jump out of the gate screaming "Oral sex!" Financing ethics just isn't as, well, sexy as bygone Oval Office trysts.

I would personally love to see some Democratic message-crafter take these reminders of events that occurred ten years ago and turn it into evidence that the GOP is stuck with a "pre-9/11 mindset." I don't know how to do that with a legitimate-sounding rhetorical flourish, but it would be amusing to see such superficial episode be the fulcrum on which the tables are turned.

3 comments:

CJ said...

"That makes much more sense to me, but I don't think it will stick if Republicans jump out of the gate screaming "Oral sex!"

If they do, everyone will think they are talking about their own closeted members. You know- the "I'm not gay" crowd.....

Jb said...

Good point. That's one of the reasons why Romney's "Hillary's Presidency will be an internship" line is rather devilishly clever. It's essentially a subliminal rhetorical trick. But ultimately it's too cute by half.

CJ said...

The Republicans would be wise to strongly advise Mitt to "stifle it".

It would be far too easy to reverse the spot light towards his his party and that light will not be flattering. Interns, congressional pages (Mark Foley), prostitutes, gigalos etc....you get my drift.

And then there's Rudy & Judy. Does marrying your mistress make it legit?

The whole subject is just so smarmy and ripe. If I were him, I'd let it be and stick to the real issues.