Laura Berman: Political fear not so scary these days

Laura Berman speaks to the fact that political fear is losing its punch in this year's political campaigns. Joe Knollenberg is slipping in the polls and will suffer the same fate as John McGrumpy (McCain).

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Laura Berman: Commentary

Political fear not so scary these days

Even in times when there's nothing to fear but the throb of that emotion itself, you can't factor out the political value of fear.

For several election cycles, campaigns have profited by scaring voters about the dangers of change, exploiting the insecurity of Americans in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and mounting worries about the economy.

In 2004, Americans re-elected George W. Bush, despite a hugely unpopular war, in part because the incumbent president's campaign pushed the "too scary" button so effectively.

But in Michigan, where we're increasingly haunted by mounting evidence of unpleasantness -- unemployment, bankruptcy, foreclosures and a collapsing national economy -- the tried-and-true scare tactics of previous campaigns are now resonating with the effectiveness of a blow-up ghost at Halloween.

'Extreme' goes both ways

In Oakland County, incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, once indomitable, is slipping in polls to challenger Gary Peters.

In response, Knollenberg's campaign is painting Peters, a mainstream Democrat whose most recent position was lottery commissioner, as a liberal wild guy.

Knollenberg is using the boilerplate language that worked in the last election against Nancy Skinner.

"When Gary says 'change,' you better watch out. Gary Peters' plan for change is too 'extreme' and 'wrong' for Michigan's families," warned Knollenberg's campaign manager, Mike Brownfield, in a campaign piece this week.

Democrat Bruce Fealk, in an online anti-Knollenberg blog, uses the same "too extreme" language against Knollenberg.

At this point, the words are field tested and shopworn. Click here for the rest of the story.

Knollenberg, Republicans, want lightweight Palin back in state

Republicans, stunned by John McCain pulling out of Michigan, held a press conference yesterday in Pontiac trying to rally the troops. Joe Knollenberg, has written a letter to the McCain campaign, asking them to let Sarah Failin campaign here, but they haven't received a response to Joe's letter. They seem to be going through the grief process. First they were in denial, then they were angry and on November 4 they will be forced to get to acceptance of the huge losses they are facing in the state of Michigan.

ENOUGH!!!!

Chicken Joe Won't Attend Republican Convention

In a stunning piece of news, Chicken Congressman Joe Knollenberg, will not be attending the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minneapolis. Perhaps he's afraid nature will call while he's in the Minneapolis airport and he will need to use the same facility that Senator Larry Craig was arrested in last fall. Maybe he just can't afford to be seen with fellow Republican rubber stamps for President Bush, or worse yet, get caught in a frame with John McCain, who he has endorsed. You'd think if Joe had endorsed John McCain, he'd at least show up at the convention.

And news has still not come from the Knollenberg campaign that Joe has accepted any of the invitations to debate Democrat Gary Peters, nor has Knollenberg held any town hall meetings with his constituents.

John McCain - Maverick or Scoundrel? You decide

Here's a great ad pointing out the hypocrisy of John McCain running as a "maverick." John McCain is no maverick. He should be in jail along side Jack Abramoff and this is the candidate Joe Knollenberg has endorsed?

If John McCain is elected President and Joe Knollenberg isn't Defeated in November

This is what will happen, guaranteed. Please help this video go viral. Put this link in an e-mail to your e-mail list. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdJUCU1UH2w&eurl=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/10/153314/656/229/565225

Tell Joe Knollenberg to Tell John McCain to Clean Up His Campaign

Click here to sign the petition.

Joe, you really need to have a talk with John McCain

I thought George W. Bush was stupid. But I think John McCain has him beat by a country mile in that department. Yesterday, speaking to a group of autoworkers McCain actually proposed letting each state determine their own mileage standards. I can't think of anything that would kill the auto industry faster than that. Can you imagine trying to build vehicles that meet 50 different standards? WOW! If I were a Republican, I'd be really worried about the mental capacity of John McCain based on this one idea alone.

States should set fuel efficiency, McCain says

BY KATHLEEN GRAY AND KATIE MERX • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS • July 18, 2008

Sen. John McCain said this morning that states should be able to determine their own fuel efficiency standards.

The policy, which a dozen states are pushing, is strongly opposed by the domestic auto industry as a job-killing proposal that would seriously harm the industry.

McCain made his remarks before an audience of about 500 General Motors employees in Warren.

"It's hard for me to tell states that they can't impose whatever standards they decide to impose," McCain said. "I want to see Rick (Wagoner, GM’s CEO) sit down with the governor's and ask them what they need."

Wagoner said after the meeting that the company would prefer a national standard rather than state-by-state standards.

“We think the current CAFÉ standards are challenging and we’d like to focus on working on them,” he said

Ad Targets McCain's stance on war and free trade

Joe Knollenberg and John McCain have been in favor of free trade and more war in Iraq and McCain has long threatened war with Iran. This ad addresses those issues.

McCain asked about Viagara and birth control parity

So, let's see, John McCain is 71 years old and he doesn't have an opinion about whether insurance companies should have to cover birth control the same way they cover Viagara. Surely at 71 years old, McCain has heard of Viagara, even if it was from his friend Bob Dole in one of his Viagar commercials. This video is priceless. I wonder if Joe has an opinion on Viagara/birth control parity.

John McBush and Joe Knollenberg, you can't have Alex

This is a really powerful ad that MoveOn just released. I think it says all that's necessary to say about John McCain and Joe Knollenberg's message to the American people. Since Joe has endorsed McCain and McCain has said when we get our troops out of Iraq is "not too important," maybe watching this ad will change their minds.

McCain says to treat wives with respect

Now, this is just kind of sad. Apparently John McCain is trying to make a statement about how the press and other media should be respectful of the candidates' wives. This is kind of ironic, especially since it has been reported in Cliff Schecter's book, The Real John McCain an occasion where apparently Cindy, McCain's wife, was tossling his hair and commented that he was getting a little thin and he angrily responded by calling her a c*unt and a trollop. I wonder if he would consider that respectful. This clip is a segment from The Young Turks discussing the incident. CLICK HERE for the rest of the story.

John McCain may regret using a green screen

Stephen Colbert has issued a challenge to his viewers, to take the speech John McBush gave in front of a green screen and remake the speech with creative flair and try to make John McBush interesting. Here's my favorite.

Will Joe Knollenberg Distance Himself from John McBush

In an interview with Brian Williams, John McBush again commits to keeping troops in Iraq basically forever. He still thinks we're winning in Iraq. I say he's delusional. What say you?

Administering the Bush/McCain Challenge in Rochester at the Heritage Festival

We had a great time talking to people at the Heritage Festival in Rochester. Most people already knew the only difference, McCain is older.

George Bush, John McBush and Joe NOllenberg at the Heritage Festival in Rochester

Here's something I'd never do with the real McCain and Bush. But I think the T-shirt says it all.

Joe NOllenberg made a visit to the Heritage Festival in Rochester on Saturday. I think Joe feels America has had enough of his brand of Republican, as you can see from his t-shirt. Enough of George Bush, John McCain and Joe Knollenberg. Joe is pretty tight with George and John. Joe's voted with George W. Bush 94% of the time and most people couldn't tell the difference between George and John McBush when the took the Bush/McCain Challenge. My favorite question was who finished 894 out a class of 899 in college? Answer: John McCain.

Mike Smith of Clawson joins Joe, John and George for a photo op.

Will Joe Knollenberg Call John McBush and Demand McBush Denounce Hagee?

Some more inflammatory audio has turned up. Now Hagee is outright saying that God sent Hitler and that the Holocaust was a good thing because it forced the Jews to move to Israel. Being raised Jewish, I can't even begin to tell you how offensive I find Hagee's comments. These comments by Hagee and McBush's refusal so far to denounce Hagee is a story that the corporate media needs to bring to the fore. Joe Knollenberg has substantial support among the Jewish population in Oakland County. Will his Jewish support dwindle by his being affiliated with John McBush and McBush's refusal to disassociate himself from Hagee?
Here's the audio of Hagee's comments.

John McBush, Joe Knollenberg and the Republicans are the real Elitists

I found this video today and it points out what a crock of hooey it is when John McBush refers to Barack Obama as an elitist. Obama just recently, with proceeds from his book paid off his student loans. On the other hand, John McBush dumped his first wife for a rich heiress and they own 8 homes across the country. Cindy McCain just divested her portfolio of investments in the Sudan. Apparently she thought that they might be a problem in the campaign and she refuses to ever release her tax returns.

Joe Knollenberg is also wealthy from his prior involvement in his insurance business. Maybe that's why he is so opposed to universal, single-payer health care for all Americans.

I Wonder if Joe Knollenberg's Jewish Supporters Will Tell Joe to Denounce Hagee and McCain After Hearing This

Audio Recording of McCain's Political Endorser John Hagee Preaching Jews Are Cursed and Subhuman
By Bruce Wilson Thu May 15, 2008 at 02:15:20 PM EST printable version print story
Review it on NewsTrust
Yesterday I discovered an astonishing audio recording of a sermon, by controversial McCain endorser Pastor John Hagee, in which Hagee elaborates on his view that Hitler and the Nazis were divine agents sent by God to (with gruesome inefficiency it would seem) chase Europe's Jews towards Palestine. In his 2006 book "Jerusalem Countdown", Hagee proposed that anti-Semitism, and thus the Holocaust, was the fault of Jews themselves - the result of an age old divine curse incurred by the ancient Hebrews through worshiping idols and passed, down the ages, to all Jews now alive. In the sermon Hagee also clarifies a point, on his theological views, that has long concerned me. I might have used any number of titles to describe this sermon by Pastor John Hagee, given in the late 1990's and then mass marketed as part of a book Hagee published in 2001 and republished in 2003, "The Battle For Jerusalem".

How Would You Punish John McBush for Wanting to Talk to Hamas?

Joe Knollenberg gave this interview to Fox News regarding Jimmy Carter's visit to talk with the leaders of Hamas, saying we should never negotiate with terrorists. Two years ago, John McBush said that we should talk to Hamas because they were now the elected government.

Here's John McBush's Interview from two years ago on talking to Hamas