(Chuck Muth) – I get emails all the time from armchair campaign consultants saying this candidate should do this and that candidate should do that. Well, here’s a test…
I watched a video over the weekend of a presentation given by a presidential campaign strategist. The strategist’s candidate is a former president who many people just don’t like and is running against an opponent with popular appeal.
I’ve transcribed the presentation below – making only minor edits and deleting specific identifying information. Take a read and let me know who you think the candidates are and whether or not you agree with the strategist’s strategy…
“People forget what you say, but they remember how you make them feel (Warren Beatty). And right now you (strategist’s candidate) make people feel like you’re gonna shoot them. People don’t like you. But that’s OK.
“Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved (Machiavelli).
“Fear. Let’s talk about fear. The most effective political spot ever made – ‘Daisy’ – pretty much won the (1964 presidential) election for (Lyndon) Johnson, and it was shown once.
“Basically, this ad suggested that if (Barry) Goldwater got in instead of Johnson, the crazy bastard would unleash a nuclear holocaust that would just blow up the world.
“So now this became a choice between saving the world and dying. You see, when voters are looking for hope, they always go for the new guy. But when they’re scared, they look for a wartime leader.
“They look for a guy who, when you come at him, he doesn’t have time for fun and games. No, he’s gonna put you down and he’s gonna punch you in the face.
“So let me tell you what our little movie is going to be about. Our story is that our country is facing the worst period in its turbulent history. We are at a crossroads, and our people face a choice.
“They have (their candidate), a person of no substance. A person of no experience. An everyman opportunist who will stand by and watch as this nation falls apart. Or they can choose (our candidate).
“You might not like him. You might think he’s an arrogant son of a bitch. But he is a fighter. He has grit. He has experience. And he’s got balls. And he’s the only choice. The only choice to save the day. These are the stakes.
“We are trying to save people’s lives, okay. But this is no longer an election. This is a crisis. And our brand, what we are selling: crisis.”
OK, so what candidates and which campaign was the strategist talking about here?
Well, it’s kind of a trick question. You probably assumed it was the Trump-Kamala race, right? Nope.
Over the weekend, my good friend Jenna Lawrence recommended a movie to me – “Our Brand is Crisis” – which I’d never seen and, surprisingly, had never even heard of.
The strategist was played by Sandra Bullock – who I absolutely loved in “Miss Congeniality” and “The Blind Side.” And the fictional presidential race was being held in Bolivia.
Bullock, a controversial, hard-hitting political consultant, was brought in with just a few weeks to go before election day to help a candidate who was trailing by 28 points in polls.
And her opponent strategist was played by Billy Bob Thornton who, in the movie, bears a striking resemblance to James Carville.
Now here’s the kicker…
The movie was produced in 2015…BEFORE Donald Trump was first elected president! Talk about reality mirroring fiction.
And get this…
The executive producer of the film was Steve Mnuchin, who went on to become President Trump’s Treasury Secretary. Pull out the cash in your wallet and there’s a good chance you’ll see his signature at the bottom right.
Anyway, it was a highly entertaining movie. Lots of plot twists and dirty hardball political tricks.
If you haven’t seen it, dial it up on streaming video. And if Donald Trump hasn’t seen it (he probably has), someone on his campaign staff needs to play it during his next two-hour flight on Trump Force One.
And speaking of fiction, the Democrat National Convention starts today.
Laughter is Still the Best Medicine
I mowed the lawn today, and after doing so I sat down and had a cold beer. The day was really quite beautiful, and the drink facilitated some deep thinking.
My wife walked by and asked me what I was doing, and I said, “Nothing,” instead of saying “just thinking,” because she then would have asked, “About what?” At that point I would have had to explain that men are deep thinkers, which would lead to other questions.
Finally, I pondered an age-old question: “Is giving birth more painful than getting kicked in the groin?” Well, after another beer, and some more heavy thinking, I have come up with an answer.
Getting kicked in the groin is more painful than having a baby. Here is the reason for my conclusion…
A year or so after giving birth, a woman will often say, “It might be nice to have another child.” But you never hear a guy say, “You know, I think I would like another kick in the groin.” I rest my case.
Time for another beer. Then maybe a nap. (H/T @614clinton)
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
“Giving Kamala Harris control over inflation policy is like giving Jeffrey Epstein control over human trafficking policy.” – J.D. Vance
“The riot police outside the DNC (Democrat National Convention) aren’t there to protect Democrats from Trump supporters. They’re there to protect Democrats from other Democrats.” – @ericmmatheny
“It can’t be said enough! 45% of the country will vote Democrat no matter what. They could lose everything they own, and eventually, they will, and they still would vote Democrat. Dumbest people on earth.” – @RealHickory
Mr. Muth is president of Citizen Outreach, publisher of Nevada News & Views, and founder of CampaignDoctor.com. You can sign up for his conservative, Nevada-focused e-newsletter at MuthsTruths.com. His views are his own.