Chuck Speak

In an interview with Ben Smith:

"I would not be afraid to attack back," Schumer, who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said in an interview with Politico.

"I thought the Britney Spears commercial was powerful," Schumer said, referring to McCain's television ad casting Obama as a vapid "celebrity."

"They're trying to say, 'He's not one of us,'" Schumer said.

"I would answer back hard. What do you mean he's not one of us? It's John McCain who wears $500 shoes, has six houses and comes from one of the richest families in his state," Schumer said. "It's Barack Obama who climbed up the hard way, and that's why he wants middle-class tax cuts and better schools for our kids."

Already looks like Franken took the same (good) advice.



Display:


I heart chuck (none / 0)


vote blue in 2008
by sepulvedaj3 on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 09:47:20 PM EST

Re: Chuck Speak (2.00 / 1)

Dear Chuck,

You can manage any democratic campaign you ever want in any district as far as I am concerned. Should you ever retire you could make Rove, Carville, and yes, David Axelrod look foolish by comparison.

P.S. Please take over and start managing some of our long shot US House races, we'd really appreciate it!

Cordially yours,

Democratic Voter


by Trowaman on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:08:05 PM EST

Re: Chuck Speak (2.00 / 1)

Now, those sound like great lines for Bill Clinton in his convention speech!!


We care about politics because we know politics matters for people's lives and opportunities.
by politicsmatters on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:16:02 PM EST

Schumer for veep (none / 0)

or somebody who knows how to play it tough.


by Thaddeus on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:16:49 PM EST

Re: Chuck Speak (2.00 / 1)

I disagree....not with letting charges go unanswered, but with getting into a mudfight over who has nicer clothes or a nicer house. Obama's whole brand is getting away from politics like this, and while I appreciate Schumer's "hit 'em back harder" approach I don't think this is the road that Obama's campaign should go down. Most importantly, the more time Obama spends fending off the "elitist" attacks the less time he is discussing the issues, which is exactly what the Republicans are trying to lure the Obama campaign into.


by GrahamCracker on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:22:26 PM EST

Re: Chuck Speak (2.00 / 2)

Kerry tried that tact and it didn't work out well...


by zerosumgame on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:26:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

NO, NO, NO, NO! (2.00 / 2)

Obama needs to humiliate McCain, smack him back in the chops and let the world see what faker and hypocrite he is.  

The high road leads nowhere in American politics, I'm sorry to say.


by Radiowalla on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 11:23:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: NO, NO, NO, NO! (none / 0)

I don't think Graham Cracker is arguing passivity, but he is saying that you can hit hard and strong without getting into the gutter with McCain.  If Obama falls into gutter politics, he's done.. he has to hit hard on the issues and McCain's history... and he can do it well... look at how well he shamed McCain after that ridiculous tire gauge attack.  I've never in my lifetime seen a democrat do anything like that!  

Hit hard, hit fast, hit clean, and he'll win...


It profits a PUMA nothing to give their soul for the whole world... but for McCain? --Sir Thomas More (if he were here now)
by LordMike on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 11:46:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: NO, NO, NO, NO! (none / 0)

It's been well documented on this site that Obama is not only hitting back, but taking the fight to McDesperate on the issues -- except for today when he had to explain what The Clintons have been saying.

McSmear's attacks du jour aren't helping him and emulating them wouldn't help Obama.


by Glaurung on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:10:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Chuck Speak (2.00 / 1)

we need Al as a Senator, imagine intentional comedy on the Hill!


by zerosumgame on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:28:18 PM EST

Re: Chuck Speak (none / 0)

Kerry didn't respond to a direct assult on his military record (or at least fast enough). He was branded as an elitist as well, but Obama has been saying that his policies will help 95% of Americans while McCain is looking to keep tax breaks for millionaires (latest TV ad Obama is running).


by GrahamCracker on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:30:20 PM EST

Re: The angry black man (none / 0)

If Obama would have repeated what Schumer called McCain, they would have called Obama the angry black man.  There's a double standard at play.


by nzubechukwu on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:45:22 PM EST

Re: The angry black man (none / 0)

Well, regardless of race issues, you never want that kind of personal attack to come directly from the candidate's mouth.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Steve M on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:49:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The angry black man (none / 0)

Your right that's what the v.p's for!


by nzubechukwu on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 10:53:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Nonsense (none / 0)

No one wants a president who can't respond, who can't fight back, who hasn't the self-respect to stand up for him/herself.


by Radiowalla on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 11:24:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Do you think Obama doesn't stand up for (none / 0)

himself?  He has fended off every single attack but he does it with grace, wit, style and pinache.  Obama responds to attacks by pointing out the flaws in McCain's smears and engaging the audience in laughing at the absurdity of them.  He uses this as comedy relief before talking about serious subjects.  Much more effective than getting all riled up.


That One is the Right One for 2008.
by GFORD on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 03:26:45 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Chuck Speak (2.00 / 2)

McCain's attacks have generally have been wildly clumsy shotgun blasts into the fog but the media courtiers do have fun with them.

The production quality is odd and stilted too like something from a late nite UHF channel infomercial on robotic kitty litter pans.

There has been much hew and cry for fighting back in the barroom brawl metaphors so beloved in America but I sense that there is a supple subtlety to the Obama ripostes that almost resemble John Stewart or Steven Colbert toned down a few notches.

Obama does a great Bugs Bunny to the Elmer Fuddness of McCain and it is more like something from The Art Of War by Sun Tzu or the theories of Sir Basil Liddell Hart.

It is not the cavalry charge that shapes our idea of hitting back hard.

I suspect the many comparisons with Kerry and other failed candidacies are unhelpful. Kerry acted like a jacklit dear after the fusillade of smears and Gore fought with a hand tied over distance from Clinton.

This is a very different battlefield, more like Patton's overrun after Falaise than the mess at Fredericksberg.

Obama is generally moving faster and more deftly than stumbling John and his flabby crew of Rove retreads.


by chris rich on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 11:13:50 PM EST

Re: Chuck Speak (none / 0)

I think McCain is crazy like a fox.  The key to understanding McCain is that he makes trade-offs in his media plays.  He will do something that superficially looks clumsy to keep the debate on the topics he wants.

What's that? Iran helping Sunni's? Ho! Ho! Now we are talking about Iraq instead of health care for another week.

McCain will also make a false accusation so that the other party will hit back - thinking they have a clean shot - but in doing so they keep the debate on the topic McCain wants.  

McCain has been doing this since the primary. It is amazing that nobody picks up on it.

The Paris Hilton add was a new twist but the overall strategy was classic McCain.


by dMarx on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 01:57:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Unfortunately for McCain Obama is foxier. (none / 0)

McCain (and the RNC) has made these dump and run smears against Obama on pretty much every topic.  Obama can pick and choose which ones he brings up and mocks at town hall meetings tying them in to his topic of the day.  McCain is providing huge amounts of comedic material for Obama to weave into his narrative.


That One is the Right One for 2008.
by GFORD on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 03:32:58 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Chuck the Schmuck (1.00 / 1)

Hit back hard like Chuck hit back after the US Attorney scandal made him look like the world's most impotent wimp? Hit back hard like single handedly ramrodding through Michael Mukasey, the most disgusting traitor since Benedict Arnold?

Take your advice and shove it, Schumer - resign your seat and let Paterson appoint a real democrat. You make me sick.


McCain housing policy shaped by lobbyist.
by obsessed on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 11:47:52 PM EST

Re: Chuck the Schmuck (2.00 / 0)

I'm not saying that THIS advice is bad. It's just that every time I see Chuck Schumer's name I get physically ill.


McCain housing policy shaped by lobbyist.
by obsessed on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 11:49:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Chuck the Schmuck (none / 0)

Michael Mukasey is worse than the guy who took the nation to war based on lies?  He's worse than the guy who outed a covert CIA operative for political gain?  Really?

I mean, in my book, he's not even worse than the guy who had the job before him.


"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman
by Steve M on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 01:44:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Chuck Speak (2.00 / 2)

In McCain's defense, it's not six houses, it's nine.

And they're not his houses, they're his wife's houses.


by Bush Bites on Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 11:51:46 PM EST

Re: Chuck Speak (2.00 / 1)

Schumer has a peculiar idea of 'powerful'.

McCain's ill fated Celebrity backfire is sucking the oxygen out of his smear extravaganza. Hilton's counter thrust has become the talk of the networks and is going viral passing 4 million hits and media saturation. She is, after all, fairly appealing.

And if that isn't bad enough, the McCain bumbling is becoming amazing material for a host of other spoofs practically making a McCain spoofing cottage industry. Below find an example.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd0Kb2SnD _Q&eurl=http://www.gigwise.com/news/ 45148/britney-spears-kisses-john-mccain- in-unofficial-election-campaign-video


by chris rich on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:12:06 AM EST

there WAS no backfire (none / 0)

McCain got a bounce in the polls because of his ads. Negative ads do not backfire. They didn't against Bush II in both 2000 and 2004, Bush I in 1988, Nixon in 1972, or LBJ in 1964.


by Lakrosse on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 12:39:50 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The wrinkly white guy got a bounce from this? (none / 0)

What polls are you looking at?  Must be Gallup with their flawed model.


That One is the Right One for 2008.
by GFORD on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 03:35:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: there WAS no backfire (none / 0)

The constant reiteration of what worked in the past may not be useful or applicable in this unusual time of looming depression and terrifying dislocation growing from a housing and credit bubble burst.

While I'll acknowledge the usual utility of dung tossing I'm hoping someone more acute than I will have time one day to look at the context correlations in all these moments of well flung dung to see why it worked and what about the times when it didn't, if any?

Phenomena rarely repeats itself exactly and there may even over time be a growing indifference to dung toss contests in the way tolerances for booze and recreational substances eventually increase and impact lessens.

Or look at the diminished efficacy of antibiotics from overuse. Maybe the people are getting 'dung toss fatigue' and are wondering when the useful stuff is going to be discussed.


by chris rich on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 06:28:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Calm down (2.00 / 1)

Chuckie, its only the beginning of August and we have a long way to go.  The majority of the public is not paying attention to all this hoopla.

Wait till after the convention before we pull out
all our secrets, I am glad Obama didn't fall for it.

I can't wait for the Rev. Wright shit to come up, that is when the Keating Five and leaving his crippled wife will come to blow up on McCain's face.


by hocuspocus on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 01:01:15 AM EST

Re: Calm down (none / 0)

also, the truth about his service in Vietnam.


by dMarx on Fri Aug 08, 2008 at 01:59:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]


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