Branding Bites Jim Moran in the Keister
[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here.]
So this morning Jim Moran is taking heat because he described his opponent, Patrick Murray, as having no record of public service. An edited video is here; it is not edited unfairly, but you can see a longer version, here. The problem with that statement is that Col. Murray actually served for 24 years in the Army, including in live-fire combat situations. And Moran knew that because a minute later he weirdly argues that since Murray worked for the military and therefore drew a government salary, it is somehow hypocritical to want to reduce government spending (trust me, it doesn’t make more sense when he says it).
So some are saying that Moron Moran is saying that serving in the military is not “public service.”
Well, look I don’t like the guy, given his anti-Semitism but fair is fair, and I think when he said “public service” he seemed to be using the term as a euphemism for service in elective office. The giveaway was that this was cited to support the claim that Murray is a “stealth candidate”—meaning he had little record to run on. It’s a bit of “branding” bullhocky that apparently has bitten him in the tukis.
I mean you almost can hear his discussion with staffers:
Moran: So what do we say about this guy? He has no record to run against.
Staffer: Use that. Call him a stealth candidate, who has never held elective office before.
Moran: But if I say he has never held elective office before, that might help him. This is not a good year for incumbents and career politicians. I mean Gerry Connolly and I are not even putting the word “re-elect” or anything else indicating we are the incumbents, on our yard signs. We simply put the phrase “for congress” hoping that people will forget we are currently holding that office.
Staffer: Then don’t say “elective office.” Say “public service.” It sounds better.
Moran: But isn’t it risky to use a euphemism instead of saying exactly what you mean? There could be unintended implications.
Staffer: Nah, you worry too much.
So, in my opinion, I don’t think he meant to imply that service in the military was not “public service.” He just used a B.S. euphemism and was a victim of the law of unintended consequences. But if this flub costs him the election, I won’t cry for him.
[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing. See also: When Political Correctness Distorts the Story (how calling illegal immigrants “undocumented” leads to similar incorrect impressions.]
We can only hope that, when the dust settles on 11/3, we find that the Morons of the Dem Party have been seriously thinned, Moran is one of them that is high on that list. I would have included Bob Wexler of FL, but he had the good sense to Get Out of Dodge to head a putative Mid-East think tank (I wonder what he was running from?).
AD-RtR/OS! (89a0a7) — 10/22/2010 @ 10:41 amWhy are you wasting your time with this defense of Moran’s wording? A primary rule of politics: When your enemy is digging himself into a hole, do NOT hand him a ladder.
Allen Edwards (b544e9) — 10/22/2010 @ 10:58 amI would quibble that this is a defense…
AD-RtR/OS! (89a0a7) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:05 ammore of a defenestration.
The smear in the Carnahan race is a doozie.
JD (4aa811) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:13 am“Well, look I don’t like the guy, given his anti-Semitism ”
Cute that you find him anti-semitic based on his statements to… Tikkun.
imdw (095c5d) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:24 amAllen
It’s a fair question to ask why I post what I post. But in truth what drives me to write is well, very idiosyncratic. The story struck me as something I wanted to talk about, so I did. coming up I plan to have updates on geert wilders, barney frank and anita hill, if time allows. And sockpuppets. I mean there is no plan, its just whatever strikes me as interesting to write about. On balance I think democrats will look bad, but mainly I just want to keep things interesting.
If it was all “dems are bad” all the time, it would be tedious and not very credible. But since sometimes I defend even a complete tool like Moran, when I do go after a dem I have more credibility.
JD
What smear in that one?
AD
Well, you might not think it is much of a defense. I think insulting our troops is worse than my defense, but that is purely a matter of personal opinion.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:29 amMoran, in the words of a Ghostbuster, is a “really nasty one.” He needs a new job if he can find one.
Mike K (d6b02c) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:29 amI read it at dailycaller, AW. One of Carnahan’s “consultants” put up a website claiming their opponent was complicit in aiding, abetting, and harboring pedophile priests.
JD (4aa811) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:35 amJD
nice. sigh. the old johnson pigf–ker tactic.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:39 amI used to run into this issue, too. To me, there are two benefits that come from blogging — choosing the topic and expressing an opinion about it. I was always more interested in the former than the latter.
DRJ (d43dcd) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:40 amMike
i prefer a different ghostbusters quote to apply to Moran. “Its true. He has no d–k.”
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:46 amAW…What Moran did is indefensible, and I think you pointed that out quite accurately in your post…hence, my comment of “defenestration”.
AD-RtR/OS! (89a0a7) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:51 amAW – This one is especially vile, no?
Moran has always been an idiot. Plus, he likes to get his joooooooo hate on.
JD (4aa811) — 10/22/2010 @ 11:52 amJD
one of IMAO’s most ingenious bits was coming up with that Joooo routine. Its like the manbearpig of anti-semitism, an easy way to mock them.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 10/22/2010 @ 12:04 pmIf this story gets more widely dispersed, Moran’s comments will go over about as well as when Howard Metzenbaum, running in the 1974 Democratic primary for the Senate against John Glenn, said that Glenn had “never worked for a living.” But so far, there’s been hardly any coverage according to Google News.
Joshua (9ede0e) — 10/22/2010 @ 12:39 pmI don’t think being in the military for 20-some years is no record to run on, Mr. Moran.
Lucchesi (a78b16) — 10/22/2010 @ 8:46 pmI doubt this was on purpose. Clowns like Moran don’t seem like the type to actually consider that service. To his type, running for elective office is good and pure and noble.
Willie Yelverton (eb1dfe) — 10/22/2010 @ 8:51 pmClearly that last comment was not Yelverton. It was honest and lucid.
JD (eb1dfe) — 10/22/2010 @ 8:53 pmJD, be nice. 🙂
Aaron Worthing (f97997) — 10/22/2010 @ 9:51 pmJoshua, as a 44-year resident of Ohio (and new resident of my hereditary home of Texas), I hate being reminded of those two leftist Senators and my only errant vote. 1984, I was 18 and voting for the first time. I voted for Ronnie Raygun and a bunch of Republicans, but only one Dummycrat — whichever of those two was up for re-election at the time. Sigh.
John Hitchcock (9e8ad9) — 10/22/2010 @ 10:11 pm