Kevin Drum has some astute observations about the marketing of the Bush Administration’s Economic Plan (read them here), and about the difficulties the opposition is having rebutting them (read them here). The Administration is doing a good job of passing off a large tax break to the very wealthy as something that benefits seniors—- because a lot of rich people are old.

How to respond? Kevin’s reaction—- “You mean seniors like Martha Stewart and Ken Lay?"—- is an excellent start. Another one springs to mind. Yesterday Kevin complained that statements which conflated the effects of variables or got their causal sequence backwards made him want to “just scream at the entire profession of sociology”. (Bugs the living shite out of me, too, Kev.) The solution, for James Carville as for Sociologists, is to ask questions that separate the effects of those variables.

In this case, ask: If you wanted to maximize your chances of benefitting from the Bush plan, would you rather be old or rich? Take your pick. I know which I’d choose.

I don’t have much confidence that this will swing public opinion, but it’s the right way to think about the spin.