It all comes full circle.
Last September, Elizabeth Warren explained the role of public institutions in creating a society that allows American businesses to thrive. A video of the comments went viral, and soon after, President Obama echoed the sentiment.
Last week, Mitt Romney's campaign, hoping that voters are fools, made the case that American businesses thrive on their own without public institutions, and to believe otherwise is to be "foreign" and hostile towards free enterprise. And this week, Scott Brown's campaign, hoping voters in Massachusetts are extremely dumb, brings the smear back around to Elizabeth Warren.
In his new web video, Brown reassures, "I will never demonize you as business leaders and business owners." Can he find anyone who actually demonizes business leaders? Well, no, but if you take rivals' comments out of context and cynically hope that voters are deeply ignorant, Brown and Romney -- who share campaign strategists -- hope the lie will stick anyway.
Greg Sargent calls the larger smear "ridiculous."
The Republican argument -- Romney's argument -- is partly that Obama's active ill will towards business owners and entrepreneurs is helping stall the recovery, so you should replace him with a president who wants people to succeed.
There is a separate policy dispute under way, too -- Republicans insist that deregulation and tax reform that will cut taxes for the rich further are the way to speed the recovery, while Obama says more government investment is necessary. But Republicans have decided the policy difference isn't enough. They also need to blame Obama's alleged intentions and hostility towards private enterprise and individual initiative, to give voters a narrative about the Obama presidency and an explanation for the sluggish recovery that will make them more receptive to GOP tax and deregulatory policies they might otherwise greet with skepticism.
I think that's absolutely right, but I'd add one related thought: shouldn't this be a lot easier for Romney if Obama (or Elizabeth Warren, for that matter) is as hostile towards business as the president's critics claim?
In other words, if Romney's hysterical, right-wing argument had any merit at all, this should be fairly easy. Obama's been in office for three-and-a-half years, and if the president were, in reality, actively opposed to the interests and needs of America's private sector, the evidence should be overwhelming and undeniable.
And yet, it's not. Romney -- and now, Scott Brown -- have to resort to garbage tactics that treat Americans voters like we're idiots. Instead of presenting credible evidence to bolster absurd claims, Romney and Brown have to rely on out-of-context nonsense to make a case that their rivals believe in an agenda that's pure fantasy.
If President Obama and Elizabeth Warren genuine oppose the free market -- they don't, but if they did -- why do Mitt Romney and Scott Brown have to lie? Shouldn't the truth be enough? If Democratic policy attitudes are so offensive, why not present them honestly to voters and let the public recoil?
Leave a Comment:
Here in Faux Nooze alt reality , things are as we say not as they are .
The Republican Party: Making our Own Reality since 1992.
Opposition candidate not bad enough? Make one up to run against.
It's easy when you have your own TEEVEE network.
Yeah, Obama is such a hostile socialist that companies are reaping record profits!
Wrong, the libs have been making their own reality since the 60s and now, finally, finally, the populace is catching up to the fact of just how much it has cost them. About time. You see, we really don't want to go the Greek route especially since we have exactly nobody to bail us out for our foolishness like the Greeks do with the responsible Germans.
And this has ... what? to do with this year's electoral issues?
Rampant tax avoidance and cronyism? Welcome to our side then. We don't want that either.
In short, they lie because that's what the GOP does. They don't offer any concrete proposals that people can evaluate, they won't flesh out the vague details they include in what they do propose, and they have no ideas to offer. They run "against" because they have nothing to run "for." Let's face it, running on a platform of "lower taxes for me and less services for you" isn't going to win a lot of votes. Even some of the Tea Party folks can see through that one. Instead they create...lies, more lies...and...lies. We're still looking for those Death Panels, just like we were looking (but finally gave up) the WMD's that justified Iraq.
We're still asking ourselves why Rmoney won't show us his tax returns, but we're pretty quickly believing it's because they're worse than the abuse he's taking for hiding them. In short, they lie because "the nail ladies" and "you people" simply don't understand how special the rich folks really believe they are. Unfortunately for the GOP we DO realize how special they THINK they are, and we also know they're not that special.
I still do not understand how the truth in advertising law exempts political advertisements ??
MSNBC = the anti-Faux News.
Two examples of wasted bandwidth.
I saw the video.
Why are they including Steve Jobs with the self-made men? Isn't using slave labor in China considered having help?
Didn't anyone read Isaacson's book? Steven Jobs wasn't a "self-made" man. He had lots of help!
By the way, are those the two whitest children ever?
My son was as blond as them when he was little. He tried to do a lemonade stand when he was six--but was cheated out his share of the profits by his business partner (who was another blond).
Yes. Phoebes. They are. And don't think for one minute the Robme campaign wasn't aware of that and of what message they are sending out.
Those children, while cute, do not even remotely look like my two children of color. I wonder where my kids and myself are in Robme's vision of America?
And judging by his speech at the NAACP and afterwards, I get a good idea of what his vision for people of color is.
If you're lucky, you're cleaning out one of the stables.
More likely, you're not in that vision at all.
Exactly, D.C.
Which is only one of the many, many, many, reasons I will not be voting for Robme.
Yes. They are lying.
We all know that the only reason anyone achieves success in this country is because of public infrastructure.Nothing at all to do with hard work and intelligence.
The people who aren't successful are only that way due to lack of roads an bridges.Nothing at all to do with lack of drive or ingenuity.
What we must do is raise taxes on those with access to roads and bridges and build more roads and bridges until we all have access!
Then everyone will be successful and earn an equal income.
That is completely absurd.
Or are we saying that the teachers who have already been paid to teach and the builders who have already been paid to build the road a business is located on now deserve a cut of its profits?
Equally absurd.
You know that infrastructure is not the only reason for success--but try succeeding without it.
I'm sorry,"evisok," what exactly was your point?
No, really; I am sorry . . .
Point is, if I build a successful business I don't owe anything to the person who built the road it sits on.
He did his job and was paid for it and I am doing mine and keeping the profits
evisok,you are so blind you wouldn't know the truth if someone stuck it in your big mouth.The truth is that it takes more than an idea to create a business It takes capital,internet,and phone service,and yes roads,bridges,ports,rail, delivery services etc. Most importantly it takes a dedicated hard working labor force.There's not a successful business in this country that could make it without us. But as usual we don't get any credit for our contribution.They always say I did it all by myself,and people like you buy into the lie. Do you work for a company? If so ,maybe you have given many years of service to said company,along with your co workers. you have put in hours of hard work and dedication,and yet you think that you deserve none of the credit for the success of the company. Maybe you should work on that self esteem problem of yours.I've put 24 years in with the company I work for and have made a lot of money for my boss,and also helped build a reputation that is respected and trusted in our community .Along with 40 other employees we helped our boss buildn his company.
And I assume your boss has paid you for that work.
What more do you want?
True, everybody plays a role and every role has a market value.
People are paid to build the infrastructure but once its built, some people use it to better affect than others.
Should they have to share their profits with the guy that paved the road?
Imagine if Steve Jobs had been born in N Korea instead of the US, do you think he would still have created Apple? Nope! Infastructure and a stable government are a HUGE piece of what allowed Steve and Steve to create their product and eventually take a huge slice of the computer industry.
Or do you think that entrepreneurs are only born in the US and other 1st world nations? There are geniuses of all stripes born in all nations across the globe. The ones who live in countries that encourage them, provide services for them so they can thrive, are the ones who can produce, innovate, and take the next steps into the future.
Yep. Infrastructure and a stable government is what did it.
Wish Steve Jobs were alive today so we can tell him he did not build that company.
Somebody else made that happen.
Infrastructure is a tiny part.
If he had to use a hamster on a wheel to power his products I'm sure he would have.
evisok
People call me an enterpeneur because I have helped start a couple of successful businesses, but I would never have been successful without the hard work of our employees. Every real business builder knows the truth. I am forever thankful for their hard work and dedicated service. I am also aware of everyone else who has helped make my businesses a success including our customers and the government who built and maintains the infrastructure and who protects us.
You know the hardest thing a real business owner can do? Lay off an employee. After a while they are like family. You want them to succeed. If they fail, you believe you have failed. If you lay one off because demand has fallen off you hurt for weeks.
I guess the difference between us is I have actually done it, and you don't give any indication of knowing what you are talking about.
evisok,
First of all, in the context of your comment, it's "effect," not "affect."
But more importantly, you seem to miss the point of Obama's words. The point is that without tax revenues, that road doesn't get built for all to use, and your business would have a much harder time receiving raw materials and delivering the finished products that you profit from. No, you don't owe those profits to the guy who built the road. He was paid through tax revenues, which we all chipped in for.
My question is this: If I drive my 3500-pound car on that road twice a day (once each direction), while your 20-ton trucks use it many times around the clock to deliver products to market, do you think I should pay as much to build and maintain that road as you do? I sure don't think so.
Do you think that the little girls that stand there holding a flag deserve $30. +, plus benefits an hour? And gee, how do they get those jobs? Know someone maybe?
Math teacher you write:
Imagine if Steve Jobs had been born in N Korea instead of the US, do you think he would still have created Apple? Nope! Infastructure and a stable government are a HUGE piece of what allowed Steve and Steve to create their product and eventually take a huge slice of the computer industry.
I do agree somewhat with the infrastructure, but the main reason he would not have created Apple in N. Korea is because he would not be rewarded for his hard work and long hours (profit). He would get a standard salary like everyone else along with matching clothes. Definetly no incentive to go the extra mile there...with or without infrastructure.
Capitalism may have it's flaws, but companies like Apple come out of it because of the chance for sucess. China never really comes up with new products, they just copy what companies in capitalist countries come up with and mass produce it - and usually crappier too.
It looks like Sh!tter has a sock puppet.
Why is it the gop argument has to be laid out to the gop all the time ? It is because they are disingenuous flip flopper's who make an argument , then claim they never ever made that argument
" government is a burden and the problem" , " get government out of the way " , " government is stealing my wealth "
" Infrastructure is a tiny part."
" We all know that the only reason anone achieves success in this country is because of public infrastructure.Nothing at all to do with hard work and intelligence. "
Try starting a business on a dirt road in Somalia then , until then your just another American who complains about being pampered and spoiled by the richness of our u s constitution and community values ,
Steve Jobs made $100 billion , he could have made $1 billion less by employing people in america and keeping his own nation strong , instead he employed slave labor in a nation that is protecting syria , while they kill unarmed woman and children , american exceptional ism , the gop are exceptionaly stupid
Did I miss the "lie"? Yes, small business is truly struggling. The "spread the wealth" mentality is preventing business investment/ growth. As for "demonizing" business owners, yes, developers are demonized for creating jobs, building houses, creating industry by extreme leftist "environmentalists" who favor saving bugs and flowers, not people. (It's odd that most of those who preach "save the whales" are predominantly anti-human / pro-abortion.)
Mr. Benen, do you really believe the rhetorical nonsense spewed forth in this article?
Did I miss the "lie"? Yes, small business is truly struggling. The "spread the wealth" mentality is preventing business investment/ growth. As for "demonizing" business owners, yes, developers are demonized for creating jobs, building houses, creating industry by extreme leftist "environmentalists" who favor saving bugs and flowers, not people. (It's odd that most of those who preach "save the whales" are predominantly anti-human / pro-abortion.)
Its funny how people on biased sites like MSNBC lambast Fox news. Yet ironically, NBC as a whole is clearly politically biased and clearly liberal. How else do you explain a comment like this: "In other words, if Romney's hysterical, right-wing argument had any merit at all,"
^ If that is not biased, what is? Face it -- when you're on a liberal site and you are liberal, you feel the site you're on is reputable...but then don't go bashing Fox news as being biased...when YOU yourself are ON a BIASED SITE!
NBC is done. Over. Too many scandals about manipulating the news. NBC = Nothing But Crap. MSNBC = Moronically Stupid National Biased Center. ;)
The fact is, the above article is so biased, it defies defense.
Bias is knowing the answer before the question is asked.
Is biased only if it presumes the answer (that the argument is judged "right-wing" and "hysterical") is independent of the argument. That, for instance, if Romney were running on the explicit claim that the best course for the American economy is to:
would also be "hysterical." (I might hope that this agenda would be considered pretty much "right-wing" even by those who agree with it.)
However, that's not what Steve is proposing. He's proposing that the argument is "hysterical" precisely because it's not about substantive differences on policy. In fact, on this there are no substantive differences on policy: both camps agree that business success depends both on individual effort and an environment largely created by the efforts of may others.
And yet, the Romney add is attacking that proposition. Which could be explained in several ways, but a rather charitable one is that it's not well-thought-out. In a word, "hysterical."
As a business owner, if I construed Obama or Warren's words as demonizing me and cared, I would need to close up shop. I have to deal with client's demands and contractor whining on a daily basis. I own the word "mean" and the unprintables.
If business owners feelings are really hurt by any of this, they should STFU and soldier on.
They should try doing business in Somalia if they don't like paying taxes.
Obviously you have thicker skin than that and wouldn't close up shop but how can you construe Obama's remarks as anything but an insult?
He may not be anti-business but he certainly has no problem getting in front of a crowd and telling them that business owners aren't so special.
As compared to standing up in front of a crowd of graduating scholars and telling them that they aren't so special?
Funny thing -- the America I grew up in didn't teach me that there were "special" people who deserved to be treated as better than the rest of us.
Evidently, Mr. Romney's America did tell him that.
I am not a special snowflake. I don't need others to validate my worth. I am fully aware of what I can and cannot do. There are other businesses in my line of work. We are not all special. I think quite a few of them are horrible at their job in my humble opinion.
I employ veterans who have been trained by the military. Thanks USA! I provide services to local governments. Austerity sucks! I drive to work on the interstate. Thanks Ike! The local river doesn't catch on fire. Thanks EPA!
Well it's can't be anymore obvious this is just another far left msnbc special meant to grab the attention of those buying into the Obama tactics. I find it funny that this article complains about Mitt attacking the obama when thats all obama has done for months. I mean let's face it does anyone think obama can run and win on his record? unemployment holding over 8%, record number of those applying for unemployment, controversial measures used on immigration and F&F and the failed ACA he lied to us about how it is not a tax only for it to be passed as a tax in the end. Hopefully people are smarter after the past 3.5 yrs and dont buy into the "obama charm" but instead look at his record and put him out. (maybe he can go back to IL i am sure they would love to hear how he plans to turn their economy around....)
You jerk President Obama didn't make this mess!!!He has tryed to clean it up but the republicans decided they would not do anything to help no matter how much it hurts the American people, And guess what? It is documented in congress!!! If you really cared about the truth you would know this.If the republcans have their way with deregulating it will be a hundred times worse and there won't be any unemployment checks to get you through it!!!! And it won't come back the way you know it. But the wealthy will have so much of your money they will survive.
President Obama is the President, whether you voted for him or not. The unemployment rate went up during Bush/Cheney. The economic collapse came about while taxes were low. Debt from Bush/Cheney-spending on contractors in Iraq, a country they DECIDED (Bush was the decider, don't you know) to have our troops leave OBL and go attack Iraq because of A LIE.
I want folks like you to listen to yourselves rewriting history. Admit these FACTS. Unemployment became even worse because of the ideology of cheap labor off shore. Allowing mergers and acquisitions. Allowing banks to invest in risky things while government (US) covers their @55es. Just let big business do its thing and look what results. Jobs offshored, Regulate banks! They can't expect us to cover their gambling debt.
Then when the jobs (those like Romney's pride and joy BAIN) are cut pensions decimated, health care costs rise. But those at the top are making out like bandits and have the audacity to whine about taxes.
All this causes people to stop buying things, then more economic problems, people not working, not buying anything, more layoffs. And your heroes are telling you Wall St. pension investment risks were the fault of the employees. so cut more jobs. Stupid idea. No job, no revenue, no buying cars, no hiring.
What is the solution Romney offers? Nobody is asking what can f-in venture capitalist do to get jobs back in this country? What? Attack more countries and put more contractors over there? Say cut taxes more (but what about the debt- that debt that got worse from jobs being cut, income cut, spending on contractors in foreign countries.
All you can think is to just blame the guy that has improved things AFTER the crash. When he asks for jobs bill, the Republicans pass more abortion and contraception banning. What was DOW when Obama was sworn in 7950 or so and today it is 12,500 or so, nearly doubled. What are rich people complaining about? They put their money offshore, not investing capital, so why capital gains tax low for them if they are hiding money elsewhere, not here? TAXES that are STILL at a lower rate, so where's all the jobs, then?
ACA was not "passed" as a tax (that is the post SCOTUS Republican anti Obama spin) it, the teeny tiny "tax penalty" was deemed Constitutional by Supreme Court (after a lawsuit). Even so, your man Rmoney thought it was all good when HE DID IT.
Actually, both the left and the right oppose a free market (which we have never had during the lifetime of anyone alive today), because the left and the right both support:
All of the above would not naturally arise within a free market. They are all creatures of government, and they all represent government-supported attacks on a free market.
So all you lefties who claim that Obama and Warren support a free market are lying just as much as Brown and the right when they claim they support a free market.
By the way, the politicians in the middle lie the most of all.
By free you mean unfettered. It's a good thing we've never had unfettered markets. Though we've come close, and Republicans want to continue getting closer so those that already control the majorities of them, can continue to garner more and more while other scrounge with diminishing crumbs.
Deregulation is a Republican idea and objective. And it's implementation for 30+ years ended up in a world-wide Great Recession.
Retire the phrase "free market." It is an advertising and branding scam. It is a phrase that doesn't deserve the beneficent connotation it carries. Unfettered markets are simply a way to decrease competition so that those currently enjoying the most continue enjoying even more.
Are you familiar with the term "Robber Baron"? All of what you describe happens naturally in a laissez-faire system of a totally free market
This is a chicken and egg thing to me. Infrastructure is paid in part by taxes - including business taxes AND various business fees. Infrastrucure obviously helps businesses with roads, etc, and for infratrucure to get built/maintained they need businesses to pay taxes. I prefer to look at it as a "pay as you go" proposition at this point.
This whole back and forth between the candidates about business success being independent/dependent on government is just silly. I do not understand how we tend to focus on these petty arguments and statements and the disecting of every word to try to get a "gotcha" moment on the other guy. I mean seriously, I understand that there are underlying principles on this stuff that does seperate the candidates and parties, but I think we get it now. Enough!
Dinosaurs laid eggs. Chickens evolved from Dinosaurs. Next?
Big businesses often don't pay taxes or anything close to their share. GE is the poster child for this, but Google and Apple also.
WOW! Obama and Steve and Greg Sargent are HITTING A GOP NERVE. I've never seen so many trolls.
They are out in force, and not a dram of sense or validity to share out among the horde.
Oh, we're out here sweetie and thanks to the internet, no thanks to the MSM, we have your numbers. So good to see the public finally wising up.
They are here, and as is typical, they think their s**t doesn't stink.
Oh yes, Kathy, the public is wising up... that's why Obama's percentages are going up, and Romney's are trickling down.
Actually Entropy, some of them think their farts are great oratory!
What's going on is that the wingnuts thought they had a winner with the lie Fox manufactured (and Romney picked up) by taking Obama out of context. Unfortunately for them, nobody's going to buy it except for the Fox-educated buffoons. When a campaign has to take its opponents words out of context, it doesn't have anything but a lie.
The woman is a liar and a fake. Anything she says is suspect now. And no, we don't have to make anything up.
Mr Benen.... feeling your pain in this I write, I can only say that you actually mentioned the causative reason behind the GOP/Ronmey deceptive spin. I quote "cynically hope that voters are deeply ignorant". The reality though is that the American voter is "Cynically Ignorant". Most vote from "emotion and prejudice" instead of FACT. Not sure if anyone knows how to fix that. Politicians and the 1% know that very well and use it all day long to achieve their objectives. Look, it is just like "funny money" promotions to the naive consumers (aka... it costs only $1.00 a day to join our program). $1.00 a day sounds a lot better than $30 per monh .. Don't it? So the politicians know that we the general population get thrilled with "phony proposals". Snake Oil deals, that's what the GOP is selling. Like it or not, that's what the general population buys. Especially in the rural bible belt.
I'd make book on the fact that the leftists posting here are union and government workers getting their pay checks and clueless in general about just how those paychecks came to be.
I'll take that bet!!!
Kathy,
You can't see what is RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. What is truly funny to me is that all my friends that are small business owners (and there are many!!) claim I am way too conservative!!! I live in the land of small business owners who were DEEPLY hurt by Bush policies.
Republicans ARE NOT FOR small businesses, they are for BIG BUSINESS - and if YOU can't see that - well, makes me wonder what kind of "businessperson" you are (or claim to be!)!
Oh, I have no doubt that she sees it, but like all those on the right, she has no use for objective reality. Ideological Soundness/Theological Soundness trump objective reality every time.
And of course (nobody knows you're a dog, after all) you have no reason to believe any of us to the contrary -- so your "book" is meaningless because you would never pay off.
For the record, this is my legal name. I'm not unknown in my field (semiconductor design) and easy enough to look up -- but you can always claim that I'm someone else impersonating the real D. C. Sessions, so your money is safe.
Because people like kathy are from another planet , they do not know the obamas are self made millionaires , and the majority of the dems in DC are also
Stay away from Vegas. 11.3% of the American workforce is union. <7% of the private sector is union. Even roulette odds don't suck that bad.
By the evidence of many of the posts here, I'd say a whole lot of American voters ARE idiots. Probably a majority in the South and Utah.
The tr0ll population around here has experienced a boom lately, and the heat has made them extra stupid. It'll probably get worse the closer we get to the election. I have a feeling that there's at least an element of rat@!$%#ing in the recent uptick in tr0ll activity.
Don't forget Minnesota and Texas!
How can we get people to ask "what was the actual full quote"?
Sound bytes are edited to make someone sound like puppy killers.
But really, think about it, a business requires customers, so no it can't be done alone, even if you don't add the stuff like schools,etc.
I read this just now:
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/magazine/104901/ex-mormon-romney-religion-kirn
It came out before Romney accused Obama of being anti-American for suggesting that businesses depend on the rest of us for essential infrastructure. It's beautifully written and thought-provoking; it has opened my mind somewhat to the whole Mormon thing. Kirn portrays Mormons as automatically looking out for each other, regardless of baggage (debt, divorce, and drug use, for example). On the one hand, it's heartwarming; on the other, it's frighteningly insular. Kirn says he's been "trying to see the Mormon" in Romney. I wonder how Kirn feels after Romney's latest attacks on Obama. Is it not okay to suggest we're all in this together? Is it only okay if "we" means just some Americans, but not others?
That is basically it for many people:
We can go on many different roads from that basic string of words. You are right to ask that in the form of a question "is it OK if "we" means just some Americans, but not others?
There are so many people in this country advocating for those words to be the standard.
There are so many people advocating for asking that question, or challenging that "notion" that … we should stick with the same conditions of slavery, poor have virtually no chance of getting out of that condition. We only let property owning men vote. No, that is no longer the case, yet there are people that long for that to be the case. That means no women and very few non caucasians could vote.
"You Olympians, however, know you didn't get here solely on your own power,” said Romney, “For most of you, loving parents, sisters or brothers, encouraged your hopes, coaches guided, communities built venues in order to organize competitions. All Olympians stand on the shoulders of those who lifted them. We’ve already cheered the Olympians, let’s also cheer the parents, coaches, and communities. All right!
That was some other Romney
I watched Elizabeth Warren's speech on YouTube. I was shocked by the anger and stridency of her tone toward business:
"You built a factory out there? Well, GOOD FOR YOU."
She sounded like she hates businessmen, absolutely hates them.
I can remember when liberals wooed the business community, especially small businesses. I never heard any candidate for the Senate--from either party--talk to business the way Warren is doing it.
I don't know why you think that is hateful of business. She has said God bless, which seems more like encouragement.
I think folks are looking for something that sounds like Democrats are anti business, when the truth is very big business has been working to undercut working people. We have a large variety of people in this country. We could step back from looking for rhetoric to support our personal situation. The truth is, employees work very hard for success of a company, then they become customers. This is all very symbiotic and we need to stop blaming U.S. workers and customers for businesses that are merging and seem to be turning toward empowering themselves and undermining the people that work together and make everyone successful.
The facts show that the top incomes have gained and the middle and lower incomes have lost ground. Recession hit everyone hard, so cutting jobs and incomes does not help to restore economy. Tax cuts have not led to more jobs, so that is a fallacy. Not hating businessmen )or businesswomen, for that matter). She is talking about taxes, not hate.
Scott Brown plans to celebrate Columbus Day by "discovering" Elizabeth Warren and putting her on a reservation.
Seriously, though, the unproven statement (possibly a lie) that Elizabeth Warren is not part Cherokee (despite the fact that her facial structure is similar to Cher, who is known to be of that ancestry, and millions of Americans with part Native ancestry look as "white" as any Scandinavian), but a claim to that effect was allegedly used by her to obtain affirmative action, is the only point upon which the Senator seems to be basing his re-election campaign.
I see an analogy to the character Stephen Byerley in the chapter Evidence of Asimov's novel I, Robot. As a reform candidate opposed by the corrupt establishment in his bid to become Mayor of New York, he was rumored to be an illegally constructed robot by the opposition. They could not prove him to be a robot without violating his civil rights, but they started the rumor, and ignored all the other issues in the campaign. Rather than fighting the rumor, Stephen allowed it to consume the dialogue, then at the last public rally, he decked a heckler in the crowd who dared him to swing a punch -- thus violating the First Law of Robotics and proving himself to be a human being! He won by a landslide amidst public ridicule of the old guard.
If Scott Brown insists on ignoring the other issues, such as his bought-and-paid-for status by the banking lobby, his support of the obstructionist GOP that blocked most of the President's stimulus efforts (as well as reasonable regulation of the banking, credit and investment industries), his anti-women's health voting record, he may find himself with nothing to say when Ms. Warren produces the records of her ancestry!