I put Middle Earth Journal in hiatus in May of 2008 and moved to Newshoggers.
I temporarily reopened Middle Earth Journal when Newshoggers shut it's doors but I was invited to Participate at The Moderate Voice so Middle Earth Journal is once again in hiatus.

Monday, August 15, 2005

Cindy Sheehan VS the late Lee Atwater

The late Lee Atwater knew that the Republicans could not win based on their policy so among other things he developed the "personal destruction" strategy. We reported Cindy Sheehan's real threat to the Bush Republicans yesterday and that it goes beyond the war in Iraq. Over at Running Scared Jazz reports on the latest attacks of Sheehan. These attacks are not surprising but for the first time may not be effective. After a hiatus of several days Billmon takes up the subject.
But it's way too hot to get angry and the whole mise-en-scene is way too absurd for despair. I mean, what could be more preposterous than the sight of the mighty GOP propaganda war machine -- built up with such effort and at such great cost -- aiming all its guns at one bereaved, 48year-old mother camped by the side of the road in Crawford, Texas? The same massive tank that once crushed Senators and presidential candidates with such effortless ease is now practically busting a tread trying to turn this face into an enemy of the people:

There's a kind of comical desperation about it -- like watching cartoon elephants dance in hysterical fear at the sight of a cartoon mouse. I said recently that the Rovians attack what they fear most. And when your greatest fear is the mother of a combat soldier who wants to ask the president why her son had to die in Iraq, you know you've got some serious PR problems.
Cindy is being described as a "radical". The Republican attack machine's definition of "radical" is anyone who disagrees with George W. Bush. Unfortunately for the Rovian Bushites that makes about 60% of US citizens "radicals". Bilmon points out an important point:
There's more going on here, though, than just the usual seasonal news drought and a bunch of bored-out-their-skulls reporters marooned in the Texas outback. Cindy Sheehan has touched a raw nerve (both with the media and with the GOP propaganda machine) less because of who she is than because of who she isn't -- Jane Fonda.
It's easy to attack Jane Fonda from Hollywood but really difficult to attack a grieving mother from Vacaville. While Cindy should be careful not to shoot herself in the foot, up to this point the Republican attack machine has been the only one doing the shooting and all they have hit are their own feet.

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