GOP sets up Ministry Of Truth. Yes, Really.

[SirNitram]

Link

In an alley behind a non-descript row of brick buildings on North Speer Boulevard, and on the other side of a large metal gate with armed guards standing in front, Republicans have set up a "war room" in Denver.

In this west side location that is not far from the Pepsi Center yet out of sight from Democratic delegates and protesters walking downtown, Republicans will be crafting anti-Barack Obama messages nearly round the clock this week.

Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan said the team of nearly two dozen staffers at the opposition headquarters will be "fact-checking" statements made by the Obama campaign and by speakers during the convention.

"Just consider this the Ministry of Truth," quipped Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party.

The interior of the 30,000-square foot building is marked by trendy light fixtures and concrete floors. A press conference area is equipped with a podium and framed by a background that repeats the oppo center's message, "Not Ready '08: A mile high, an inch deep."

A satellite truck Republicans have rented sits in the alley, ready to link up prominent GOP leaders who will be at the center this week with TV stations around the country.

Republicans said a surprise VIP will be at their headquarters on Monday, while Massachussetts Gov. Mitt Romney is scheduled to appear Tuesday. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is expected there Wednesday, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is set to appear Thursday.

In the center of the ground floor and behind glass-and-metal doors is the space Republicans actually call the "war room." Television monitors throughout the room keep watch on news coverage, and staffers sitting around a large table work on laptop computers.

The war room looks a little like the set of the "Counter Terrorist Unit" headquarters on the TV series "24."

"We chose this for the space available," said Duncan, who added that price was no small consideration, either.

Duncan said the party had its first real war room at the 2004 Democratic convention in Boston, but he said the Denver space is much better than the party's digs in Bean Town were.

Liz Maier, the Republican National Committee's online communications director and one of the war room operatives, coordinates the party's main blog, gop.com/blog.

Part of her job involves sending opposition information to other bloggers, some of which she said are on the left.

The party has set up a special anti-Obama blog: NotReady08.org

Alex Conant, the Republican National Committee's press secretary, gave an example of the day's work. pointing to Obama's appearance at a barbecue in Eau Claire, Wisc., earlier Sunday.

"He made a couple of gaffes that we were about to pick up and put on YouTube," Conant said. "The advantage of this (war room) is that we're all going to be in the same room."

Duncan and Wadhams said the choice of the location, with its alley entrance, metal gate and armed guards, had nothing to do with avoiding protesters. The protesters will find their way to the building if they want, Republicans said.

Besides, Wadhams said, "They're busy elsewhere."

"The Ministry of Peace concerns itself with war, the Ministry of Truth with lies, the Ministry of Love with torture and the Ministry of Plenty with starvation," Orwell wrote. "These contradictions are not accidental, nor do they result from ordinary hypocrisy; they are deliberate exercises in doublethink."

[Admiral Valdemar]

They're not even attempting to cover up their motives any more, are they?

[Darth Wong]

I would have been stunned if they did not have such an operation. Americans have really showed the world how it's done, in terms of merging the concepts of Marketing and Politics. And marketing is all about finding cheap, deceptive slogans to get the public to buy your product. In most cases, they use Pavlovian association rather than any kind of reasoning.

[Patrick Degan]

In the center of the ground floor and behind glass-and-metal doors is the space Republicans actually call the "war room." Television monitors throughout the room keep watch on news coverage, and staffers sitting around a large table work on laptop computers.

The war room looks a little like the set of the "Counter Terrorist Unit" headquarters on the TV series "24."

"We chose this for the space available," said Duncan, who added that price was no small consideration, either

How cute. They've set up their little clubhouse just the way they want it for their make-believe fun time.

[Axis Kast]

Seriously, now. You find boogiemen in so many places, how do you sleep at night?

"Oh, no! Politicians politicking! Honey! Get into the RV!"

[Gandalf]

Axi, I think it's viewed more as a piece of hilarity.

How on Earth can the Republicans of all people set up a minitrue?

[Sea Skimmer]

Its been a downward spiral ever since some damn fool idiot got the idea to rename the War Department

[Axis Kast]

Gandi, I begin to question it when people act like this is news. It isn't news. It's a regular day. In the land of politics.

Anybody who's been through senior year of high school knows the value of fact-checking an opponent. And, if you've done debate, you also know that any message is constrained by the set preferences of the audience.

[Keevan_Colton]

Seriously, now. You find boogiemen in so many places, how do you sleep at night?

"Oh, no! Politicians politicking! Honey! Get into the RV!"

I think you're missing the sheer hilarity of them openly declaring it to be their "Ministry of Truth", something so Orwellian it's impossible not to smile. Heck, the next thing you know they'll be telling you the party is always right, even when they're wrong...and that we've always been at war with Iran.

[Kanastrous]

In the center of the ground floor and behind glass-and-metal doors is the space Republicans actually call the "war room." Television monitors throughout the room keep watch on news coverage, and staffers sitting around a large table work on laptop computers.

The war room looks a little like the set of the "Counter Terrorist Unit" headquarters on the TV series "24."

"We chose this for the space available," said Duncan, who added that price was no small consideration, either

How cute. They've set up their little clubhouse just the way they want it for their make-believe fun time.

It wouldn't surprise me, if they had hired a film/tv designer, to lay it out for them.

Actually, I'd be a little surprised, if they didn't.

[Gandalf]

Gandi, I begin to question it when people act like this is news. It isn't news. It's a regular day. In the land of politics.

Anybody who's been through senior year of high school knows the value of fact-checking an opponent. And, if you've done debate, you also know that any message is constrained by the set preferences of the audience.

Methinks you've missed my point entirely.

I expect them to be monitoring news feeds for every piece of information they can with regards to what the Democrats might be doing. I expect them to be ready to hold their own press conferences every time Obama farts.

What makes this article so amusing is that they've referred to it as the Ministry of Truth.

[Pelranius]

Typical unpatriotic behavior from the GOP.

Every true American knows that we only have Departments, we don't have effing ministries in our nation (except for those televangelist frauds).

[SirNitram]

Gandi, I begin to question it when people act like this is news. It isn't news. It's a regular day. In the land of politics.

Anybody who's been through senior year of high school knows the value of fact-checking an opponent. And, if you've done debate, you also know that any message is constrained by the set preferences of the audience.

Methinks you've missed my point entirely.

I expect them to be monitoring news feeds for every piece of information they can with regards to what the Democrats might be doing. I expect them to be ready to hold their own press conferences every time Obama farts.

What makes this article so amusing is that they've referred to it as the Ministry of Truth.

It's the ever-more-blatant authoritarianism they've been peddling, but this time, with a hilariously appropriate name.

Of course, Kast cannot bring himself to admit the GOP is this blatantly incompetent and deserve to be mocked for the choice of names, so he tries to pretend we're all paranoid.

[Rye]

I find it incredibly odd that they're proud to call themselves an Orwellian organisation even in jest. I suppose they're banking on illiteracy of the masses and an attempt to poison the well against Orwell-related criticisms. After all, how can they be acting Orwellian if they mention Orwell first? How can they be so bad if they use self-deprecating humour, bringing us in on the gag?

It's weird from a PR point of view, well, it would be if the population were educated.

[Ohma]

I find it incredibly odd that they're proud to call themselves an Orwellian organisation even in jest. I suppose they're banking on illiteracy of the masses and an attempt to poison the well against Orwell-related criticisms. After all, how can they be acting Orwellian if they mention Orwell first? How can they be so bad if they use self-deprecating humour, bringing us in on the gag?

It's weird from a PR point of view, well, it would be if the population were educated.

I'm tempted to say that that's giving them too much credit. After all, they'd have had to read one of that commiepinkolieberul Orwell's books to be thinking about that.

[Kanastrous]

Orwell was a socialist all right, but he had a pretty startling authoritarian streak himself, sometimes.

[Axis Kast]

It's the ever-more-blatant authoritarianism they've been peddling, but this time, with a hilariously appropriate name.

Of course, Kast cannot bring himself to admit the GOP is this blatantly incompetent and deserve to be mocked for the choice of names, so he tries to pretend we're all paranoid.

As I read the quote, a single individual made a joke that, on second glance, only made him look quite silly. The end.

I find it incredibly odd that they're proud to call themselves an Orwellian organisation even in jest. I suppose they're banking on illiteracy of the masses and an attempt to poison the well against Orwell-related criticisms. After all, how can they be acting Orwellian if they mention Orwell first? How can they be so bad if they use self-deprecating humour, bringing us in on the gag?

Is this another joke, or are you being honest?

The GOP, preparing to dodge accusations of conspiracy by making preemptive reference to Orwell?! Do you wear a tin-foil hat, too?

[SirNitram]

What conspiracy, precisely, exists in someone deflecting criticism pre-emptively? Or are we now expanding 'conspiracy' so you can fling it around like a simian with his defecate?

[Pablo Sanchez]

Orwell was a socialist all right, but he had a pretty startling authoritarian streak himself, sometimes.

How so?

[Axis Kast]

What conspiracy, precisely, exists in someone deflecting criticism pre-emptively? Or are we now expanding 'conspiracy' so you can fling it around like a simian with his defecate?

You want us to believe that the Republican Party has come up with this shiny new plan whereby, if it is accused of playing the authoritarian card, McCain will stand up and shout, "But we've already been joking about that! If we really meant to be authoritarian, we'd never say it!"? Far as I can tell, the only one with the underdeveloped intellect here is you.

[Pablo Sanchez]

You want us to believe that the Republican Party has come up with this shiny new plan whereby, if it is accused of playing the authoritarian card, McCain will stand up and shout, "But we've already been joking about that! If we really meant to be authoritarian, we'd never say it!"?

This principle is actually well understood and it functions in practice. Perhaps you've heard of self-deprecating humor?

[Axis Kast]

This principle is actually well understood and it functions in practice. Perhaps you've heard of self-deprecating humor?

The attention span and basic comprehension of the typical voter, engaged through the thirty-second sound byte, is insufficient to allow him or her to appreciate the kind of argument Nitram suggests that the Republicans might make. "But we're the people who brought you jokes about this issue!" is not good political hay. Much more likely would be, "But we're fighting terrorism!"

As some of the other posters have been only too happy to point out, Orwell is actually somewhat obtuse.

[Pablo Sanchez]

The attention span and basic comprehension of the typical voter, engaged through the thirty-second sound byte, is insufficient to allow him or her to appreciate the kind of argument Nitram suggests that the Republicans might make. "But we're the people who brought you jokes about this issue!" is not good political hay. Much more likely would be, "But we're fighting terrorism!"

They don't even have to refer back to a specific instance of a joke because the point is establishing a facetious atmosphere around an issue. For example, during the early Republican primary debates the candidates were asked leading questions about torture (e.g. "what if there was a nuke in NYC and you only had ONE HOUR?"), and Tom Tancredo said that he'd be looking for Jack Bauer in that situation.

As some of the other posters have been only too happy to point out, Orwell is actually somewhat obtuse.

Again, because Orwell is one of my favorite authors, I'd prefer it if you and "some of the other posters" would actually make clear on what grounds they form this opinion--not because I disagree (his public stance on pacifism was, as you say, obtuse), but because I'm genuinely curious about how one comes to that view.

[Axis Kast]

They don't even have to refer back to a specific instance of a joke because the point is establishing a facetious atmosphere around an issue. For example, during the early Republican primary debates the candidates were asked leading questions about torture (e.g. "what if there was a nuke in NYC and you only had ONE HOUR?"), and Tom Tancredo said that he'd be looking for Jack Bauer in that situation.

Those who believe in this idea of a Republican strategy have yet to deliver any evidence that the Colorado party head spoke for anyone but himself in making that joke.

I'd also bet that Tancredo spoke off-hand and that bringing up Jack Bauer wasn't part of a well-crafted plan.

Again, because Orwell is one of my favorite authors, I'd prefer it if you and "some of the other posters" would actually make clear on what grounds they form this opinion--not because I disagree (his public stance on pacifism was, as you say, obtuse), but because I'm genuinely curious about how one comes to that view.

Do you think, "How can you accuse us of authoritarianism when we're the ones who originally brought out the Orwell jokes?" is going to run well?

[SirNitram]

What conspiracy, precisely, exists in someone deflecting criticism pre-emptively? Or are we now expanding 'conspiracy' so you can fling it around like a simian with his defecate?

You want us to believe that the Republican Party has come up with this shiny new plan whereby, if it is accused of playing the authoritarian card, McCain will stand up and shout, "But we've already been joking about that! If we really meant to be authoritarian, we'd never say it!"? Far as I can tell, the only one with the underdeveloped intellect here is you.

What do you find so outrageous, so impossible, so inconceivable, about the incredibly simple tactic of pre-emptive deflecting of criticism? Jesus Christ, you keep Appealing to Incredulity here, and that's a fallacy, or do you forget that?