Day 3: Attack Dogs

Bad Newz for the Republicans?

Tonight was not the night for playing nice at the DNC. In addition to Joe Biden relishing his attack dog role, saying that while John McCain may have been "a good soldier," Barack Obama was the one who could be "a wise leader" and accusing the Bush administration of causing America to be less respected abroad.

But in addition to Biden, John Kerry (Yeah, John Kerry) came to the stage with lasers in his eyes and roasted the Republicans for trying to make another election a referendum on a man's patriotism (now doubt releasing four years of frustration on the GOP) and Bill Clinton said with no mincing of words that not only did he believe Obama was ready to be president, but also dropped the line of the night.

"People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than the example of our power."

After two nights that were filled with highs (Michelle Obama's speech, Teddy K's reaction, that crazily hilarious Montana governor) and questionable lows (Hill Dawg's speech, Mark Warner) the Democrats came through tonight with some smashmouth politics.

Smashmouth politics, by the way, are not dirty politics. It's not calling your opponent a psychopath (like Johnson in 64) or saying your opponent has an illegitimate black child before the South Carolina primary (Bush in 2000) or calling your Vietnam veteran opponent a traitor who would let his entire swift boat of men die in a fire (guess,) it's something different. It's being hit and hitting back. Not trying to be above the fray, or taking some imaginary high road (it's politics, that road hasn't been open to you in years,) but trying to keep your opponents on the defensive, never ceding ground, and tugging on their jersey a bit if you need to (but not blatant enough to get caught.)

This is what wins elections, and if the Democrats want to win in November, they need to keep it up. They can't wait forever when they get swift-boated, and if they have an opportunity (like, say, if your opponent says he doesn't know how many homes he has,) they need to jump on it. The last Democratic candidate to be willing to do this was Clinton. If Team Blue sticks to it this year, they just might win this thing.