Calling Out a Skunk
2012-03-15 - by
Paul Coble reared up on his hind legs and slammed an evangelical, born again, Spirit moving Baptist by calling him a liberal gay marriage supporter – then added that’s the kind of no good varmint who’s supporting his opponent’s campaign and that’s all the reason anyone needs to know to vote against George Holding.
The unfortunate fellow Coble’s slamming is Joe Knott – who’s no more for gay marriage than Rick Santorum. Which Coble knows. But all those people seeing Coble’s ads don’t.
Which makes the question (if you’re standing in George Holding’s shoes): What do you do about it?
Do you take your opponent calling you the hand-picked candidate of the gay marriage crowd head on – or just ignore the whole thing as bad manners?
Here’s a fact: When a fellow goes on TV and calls you a skunk (or a liberal) in a Republican Primary sitting down is not the answer. Sticking your head in the sand works for ostriches. But not in politics. Folks just naturally figure when a fellow is called a polecat and says nothing – there must be something to it.
Beyond that, what happens next is simple: The fellow who just punched you once and got away with it is going to punch you again – harder and meaner.
Back in the ancient days in 1984 when Jim Hunt ran against Jesse Helms, Hunt started his Senate Campaign with his feet firmly planted on two bedrocks: He was sitting on a 25 point lead and he knew that negative attacks (and whatever Jesse said about him) wouldn’t work.
Jesse had his feet firmly planted on two pieces of bedrock too: That he trailed by 25 points and that there was not one thing – morally, spiritually or practically – wrong with calling a skunk a skunk. For a year Helms’ campaign pummeled Hunt for flip-flopping on everything from Reagan’s tax cuts to the length of the school year and Hunt sat grinning, sure it was all backfiring.
Then in the middle of 1984 Hunt discovered his 25 point lead vanished.
Next Hunt roared like a banshee – and made a negative attack on Jesse.
The moral of this story: When a fellow goes on TV and calls you a polecat you’d better get off your duff and tell folks who the real skunk is.
Calling Out a Skunk
2012-03-15/
Paul Coble reared up on his hind legs and slammed an evangelical, born again, Spirit moving Baptist by calling him a liberal gay marriage supporter – then added that’s the kind of no good varmint who’s supporting his opponent’s campaign and that’s all the reason anyone needs to know to vote against George Holding.
The unfortunate fellow Coble’s slamming is Joe Knott – who’s no more for gay marriage than Rick Santorum. Which Coble knows. But all those people seeing Coble’s ads don’t.
Which makes the question (if you’re standing in George Holding’s shoes): What do you do about it?
Do you take your opponent calling you the hand-picked candidate of the gay marriage crowd head on – or just ignore the whole thing as bad manners?
Here’s a fact: When a fellow goes on TV and calls you a skunk (or a liberal) in a Republican Primary sitting down is not the answer. Sticking your head in the sand works for ostriches. But not in politics. Folks just naturally figure when a fellow is called a polecat and says nothing – there must be something to it.
Beyond that, what happens next is simple: The fellow who just punched you once and got away with it is going to punch you again – harder and meaner.
Back in the ancient days in 1984 when Jim Hunt ran against Jesse Helms, Hunt started his Senate Campaign with his feet firmly planted on two bedrocks: He was sitting on a 25 point lead and he knew that negative attacks (and whatever Jesse said about him) wouldn’t work.
Jesse had his feet firmly planted on two pieces of bedrock too: That he trailed by 25 points and that there was not one thing – morally, spiritually or practically – wrong with calling a skunk a skunk. For a year Helms’ campaign pummeled Hunt for flip-flopping on everything from Reagan’s tax cuts to the length of the school year and Hunt sat grinning, sure it was all backfiring.
Then in the middle of 1984 Hunt discovered his 25 point lead vanished.
Next Hunt roared like a banshee – and made a negative attack on Jesse.
The moral of this story: When a fellow goes on TV and calls you a polecat you’d better get off your duff and tell folks who the real skunk is.