With the presidential debates now behind us, the struggle for the White House will tilt even more toward decentralized media battles for electoral votes. Between now and Election Day, vast resources will go toward spinning local news coverage in swing states while launching carefully targeted commercials on radio and television.
For the Bush campaign and its allies, the media endgame will include these components:
* Smearing John Kerry
For months already, paid advertisements and interviews with pro-Bush operatives have portrayed Kerry as a betrayer of American troops in Vietnam. President Bush gained a temporary lead in the polls thanks largely to deceptive commercials aimed at discrediting Kerry’s bravery under fire. Next came a fierce propaganda assault on the most laudable actions of Kerry’s life — his antiwar efforts as a Vietnam veteran…
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