Comments on: Howell and Kilgore, crafting the message. http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:46:21 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1694 Anonymous Tue, 19 Jul 2005 10:57:14 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1694 Is that a case of "plausible deniability"? Is that a case of “plausible deniability”?

]]> By: Waldo Jaquith http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1690 Waldo Jaquith Tue, 19 Jul 2005 02:28:05 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1690 Clearly, you're not a blogger. We don't plan <em>anything</em>. Clearly, you’re not a blogger. We don’t plan anything.

]]> By: Anonymous http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1685 Anonymous Tue, 19 Jul 2005 01:19:21 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1685 This seems very much like when Lowell at Raising Kaine said: "Likewise, it appears that Virginia African Americans have given the Kilgore campaign’s supposed 'reaching out' the same exact sarcastic, angry 'groans and hoots.'?" Get it? Angry...Angry black man. He plans his posts very methodically and strategically. This couldn't have been unplanned. Perhaps he was trying to make a statement--they can't just "groan and hoot," they have to be angry about it. This seems very much like when Lowell at Raising Kaine said:
“Likewise, it appears that Virginia African Americans have given the Kilgore campaign’s supposed ‘reaching out’ the same exact sarcastic, angry ‘groans and hoots.’?”

Get it? Angry…Angry black man. He plans his posts very methodically and strategically. This couldn’t have been unplanned. Perhaps he was trying to make a statement–they can’t just “groan and hoot,” they have to be angry about it.

]]> By: Waldo Jaquith http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1666 Waldo Jaquith Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:56:48 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1666 <em>Any rebuttal seems as if we are listening to music backwards for hidden messages, which promptly backfires on us.</em> Absolutely, Duane -- the plausible deniability is what makes the whole affair so effective. Howell's approach certainly is powerful. <em>In both races, the ads certainly had an effect. But I think other things played more of a factor.</em> Certainly, as with all races, the candidates lost for a variety of reasons. The comparison that I generally hear is that Carson:"Black Hands"::Kerry:Swift Boat Vets. All other things being equal, it cost them the race...but all other things are <em>never</em> equal. :) Any rebuttal seems as if we are listening to music backwards for hidden messages, which promptly backfires on us.

Absolutely, Duane — the plausible deniability is what makes the whole affair so effective. Howell’s approach certainly is powerful.

In both races, the ads certainly had an effect. But I think other things played more of a factor.

Certainly, as with all races, the candidates lost for a variety of reasons. The comparison that I generally hear is that Carson:”Black Hands”::Kerry:Swift Boat Vets. All other things being equal, it cost them the race…but all other things are never equal. :)

]]> By: paul http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1665 paul Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:53:14 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1665 I agree with your analysis of racial priming. I'd take small issue with a couple of things, however: 1. Cleland lost that race because the Conferate Flag issue brought Republicans out in the Governor's race and because Republicans successfully tarred him as playing politics with security (the vote against hte Homeland security department because it didn't have federalized airport screeners. It was widely played up as a vote for unions and against security. 2. Carson lost because of Bush's coattails. He had to run 30 points ahead of Kerry to win that state. It proved to be too much. In both races, the ads certainly had an effect. But I think other things played more of a factor. I agree with your analysis of racial priming. I’d take small issue with a couple of things, however:

1. Cleland lost that race because the Conferate Flag issue brought Republicans out in the Governor’s race and because Republicans successfully tarred him as playing politics with security (the vote against hte Homeland security department because it didn’t have federalized airport screeners. It was widely played up as a vote for unions and against security.

2. Carson lost because of Bush’s coattails. He had to run 30 points ahead of Kerry to win that state. It proved to be too much.

In both races, the ads certainly had an effect. But I think other things played more of a factor.

]]> By: Raising Kaine » Waldo Jaquith Nails Kilgore and Howell for Racial Code Language http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1664 Raising Kaine » Waldo Jaquith Nails Kilgore and Howell for Racial Code Language Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:34:48 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1664 [...] Wow, Waldo Jaquith really has the Kilgore campaign team’s strategy nailed with his post on “crafting the message.” Great work, Waldo, in laying out a strong, well-documented case that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt — at least to any reasonable observer — what Kilgore and top advisor Scott Howell are up to in this campaign: appealing to white voters with a thinly veiled appeal to their worst fears and anxieties about minorities. For instance, Waldo says: Violent. That’s a Howell code word. There was nothing about the response [to criticism of the Kilgore campaign’s African American “steering committee” by Richmond’s leading black newspaper, the Free Press] that would make “violent” a reasonable description, but the phrase “react violently” is not so bizarre that the average Virginian would sit up and take notice. But, as with the “black hands” ad in Oklahoma, the use of this word established a connection between the sort of black people who support Tim Kaine (”violent”) and the sort who support Kilgore (implicitly not violent). The message wasn’t cluttered (no overt racism), and there remained plausible deniability (”react violently” isn’t an unheard-of expression) — standard Howell. [...] [...] Wow, Waldo Jaquith really has the Kilgore campaign team’s strategy nailed with his post on “crafting the message.” Great work, Waldo, in laying out a strong, well-documented case that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt — at least to any reasonable observer — what Kilgore and top advisor Scott Howell are up to in this campaign: appealing to white voters with a thinly veiled appeal to their worst fears and anxieties about minorities. For instance, Waldo says: Violent. That’s a Howell code word. There was nothing about the response [to criticism of the Kilgore campaign’s African American “steering committee” by Richmond’s leading black newspaper, the Free Press] that would make “violent” a reasonable description, but the phrase “react violently” is not so bizarre that the average Virginian would sit up and take notice. But, as with the “black hands” ad in Oklahoma, the use of this word established a connection between the sort of black people who support Tim Kaine (”violent”) and the sort who support Kilgore (implicitly not violent). The message wasn’t cluttered (no overt racism), and there remained plausible deniability (”react violently” isn’t an unheard-of expression) — standard Howell. [...]

]]> By: Duane Gran http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1663 Duane Gran Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:34:12 +0000 http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/07/howell-and-kilgore-crafting-the-message/#comment-1663 Thanks for shedding some clarity on something that rubbed me the wrong way, but I lacked words to describe. Possibly the most frustrating aspect of these carefully crafted messages is that they extinguish dialog by simultaneously speaking to people's prejudice yet not speaking overtly about them. Any rebuttal seems as if we are listening to music backwards for hidden messages, which promptly backfires on us. If I disassociate myself from these revolting tactics I can actually appreciate the intelligence and craft, but I really wish that the electorate would wise up -- a desire that is as old as elections. On a somewhat related note, I <a href="http://duanegran.com/blog/?p=187" rel="nofollow">wrote some reflections</a> about the crafty moves which lead to the demise of the estate tax because we weren't looking when someone renamed it to the death tax. Words matter, but the person who gets lead into arguing about the meaning of words has already lost. Thanks for shedding some clarity on something that rubbed me the wrong way, but I lacked words to describe. Possibly the most frustrating aspect of these carefully crafted messages is that they extinguish dialog by simultaneously speaking to people’s prejudice yet not speaking overtly about them. Any rebuttal seems as if we are listening to music backwards for hidden messages, which promptly backfires on us.

If I disassociate myself from these revolting tactics I can actually appreciate the intelligence and craft, but I really wish that the electorate would wise up — a desire that is as old as elections.

On a somewhat related note, I wrote some reflections about the crafty moves which lead to the demise of the estate tax because we weren’t looking when someone renamed it to the death tax. Words matter, but the person who gets lead into arguing about the meaning of words has already lost.

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