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4 tweets,
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I know it makes people feel terribly knowing, to jump into a story occupying twitter, touch the side of their nose and say “dead cat strategy”, thereby suggesting they (clever as they are) didn’t fall for it, but mostly they seem to not know what a “dead cat strategy”is. 1/4
A “dead cat strategy” is usually employed when news is full of something you don’t want there and you break the news cycle with a “dead cat” - effectively getting them talking about something else. Press was very positive about Johnson. Last thing he wanted was a “dead cat”. 2/4
I may be wrong, of course, but it’s not enough to just say “dead cat”; basically suggesting the poster fell for something clever-ole-you didn’t. You have to, at least, make a reasonable hypothesis of what the “dead cat” was trying to displace or distract from. 3/4
Reason I raise this is that I see a tendency to lionize Johnson/Cummings; to look at anything that comes from their camp as part of some elaborate 4-D chess strategy. Some of it is conspiracy, but most of it is just cock-up. Let’s not uncritically award them legendary status. 4/4
