Scorched Earth

I like this man's thinking:

From: Barry R.
Hometown: The Big Picture
Hey Doc,

I’m an economics kind a guy.  I study markets and investment strategy, not politics.  But I cannot help but notice that the GOP is very good at what they do, and the Dems should rip a page out of their playbook.

To protect Social Security, they should use the same strategy that was so successfully applied to Tom Daschle in 2004.  Some 15+ GOP Senators are up for re-election in 2006.  Pick the most vulnerable, target them, and let them know that whoever is voting for this phony “reform” will be targeted for defeat Daschle style -- with “whatever it takes.”  Treat the campaign like a Presidential election, hook up with MoveOn.org, raise 200+ million dollars -- and slaughter them politically.  Start NOW, not in 2006.  Bury their states with ads, push polls, and every sleazy GOP trick in the book, the whole 9 yards.

This is a fight for the survival of the Dems as a party, and I suspect that’s what motivated Karl Rove to go after S.S. in the first place -- to once and for all, utterly destroy the opponent, setting the stage for GOP dominance.  4 more years?  Try 4 score more years.  (Scared yet?)

My mom always had good advice for aspiring Wall Streeters: Dress British, Think Yiddish.  That meant maintaining an impeccable set of manners and business etiquette as well as professional appearance, but still being creative and innovative in clever, outside the box thinking. 

The Dems need a variation on that: Think Progressive, Campaign Regressive.  To save the most important Democratic program, use the Republicans’ hard knuckled campaign techniques.  No holds barred, salted earth.  If the Dems go limp over this, and lose, they are done, finished, kaput.  

Time to go to the mat.

(via Altercation -- no permalinks, sadly)