Nice Obama story, example of defending against gotcha tactics 

Good longish story in the Washington Post today about Obama's tenure in the Illinois state legislature. Way at the end, page three, a colleague describes something similar to what I was talking about earlier this morning here. Obama was criticized for neutral votes on late-term abortions, but the fellow lawmaker says it was a strategy to thwart the Republican propoganda system:

"Sutherland said the votes were part of a strategy designed with Obama's help to deny Republicans easy campaign sound bites.

"'The Republicans loved to put out legislation all the time that would put their opponents in a trick box during the elections,' Sutherland said. 'It was a strong statement to those who promoted bad legislation that we're not going to take this; you can't use this against us.'"

Clip(s) of the Week: week 4 bonus clip answer 

Did you know it was CNET's Gadgettes?

- Clip

- Answer

I didn't do a longer clip to show the context of the short clue clip this time. Now I'm thinking I sort of have to. Otherwise, iTunes just ignores the feed item, since it doesn't have an enclosure, and people who subscribe only through iTunes will never get the answer post.

Emboldening the enemy 

I thought it was awesome to hear the defense secretary and chairman of the joint chiefs tell a House committee that public debate doesn't undermine missions or embolden enemies, and in fact makes a good democracy lesson.

When I heard it on All Things Considered on Wednesday on my way home from work, I couldn't help but wonder how pro-war politicians could reconcile the statements with one of their favorite emotional ploys -- the one that tries to make us and Democratic candidates feel sheepish or disloyal for questioning what we're doing in Iraq.

Nah. They can't give up that one; it's just too good. Yesterday Lindsey Graham and others stuck to their guns.

They know emotional and guilt-inducing ploys work, and make nice little setpieces for conservative pundits to trot out. What would they be without them?

Then there's the taunting strategy Dick Cheney has modeled for the right, which borrows a time-honored schoolyard tactic -- call your adversary a chicken. Cheney likes to riff on the phrase "stomach for the fight." As in: do you want to show the enemy we don't have the stomach for the fight; and real Americans have the stomach for the fight.

I don't think it's working as well as it did just a few months ago. Like Marty McFly, people eventually come to understand that's just what bullies say, and that it's pretty easy -- once you choose to be rational instead of emotional -- to dismiss the taunts and be the grownup.

Does the left do this too? Seize on psychological ploys like that? Try to make opposition politicians afraid to appear disloyal or afraid to speak their minds in other ways? It's hard for me to see it objectively, but I don't think so, not to that extent, and not in that smarmy insinuating way.