Fred Barnes Reveals 2006 Strategy For Republicans

[Dr Ron]

From The Democratic Daily--See Original Post For Links

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2344

Republicans Hope to Win in 2006 By Repeating 2004

George Bush ran for reelection by avoiding discussion of his own dismal record and demonizing John Kerry. Republicans find it much easier to campaign against straw men than to campaign on their record or the issues. They realize that if the 2006 elections are a referendum on their own record they will lose.Fred Barnes writes in 2006 they will try to return to the strategy which worked in 2004:

"For 2006, the Republican National Committee, the White House, and most Senate and House Republicans are on board with the choice strategy. In fact, some members of Congress are already repeating a phrase first used by Bush in meetings with congressional allies. It’s an assertion that Democrats would “raise your taxes and raise the white flag” in Iraq."

Rather than trying to pick up support from the middle, they will concentrate on increasing polarization and winning with heavy turn out from their fringe groups (which recently have been wavering):

"House Republicans, for their part, intend to seek votes on measures such as the Bush-backed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a bill allowing more public expression of religion, another requiring parental consent for women under 18 to get an abortion, legislation to bar all federal courts except the Supreme Court from ruling on the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance, a bill to outlaw human cloning, and another that would require doctors to consider fetal pain before performing an abortion."

One clue as to whether Republicans are really all on board with this strategy is whether they continue to distance themselves from Bush or rally around him:

"Dave Sackett of the Tarrance Group said, in a memo to Mehlman, that distancing oneself from the president is a “flawed strategy” and would not protect a Republican candidate “from the generic backlash against the administration or the congressional leadership.” Rather, it would turn the campaign into “a national referendum on President Bush and the policies of the administration and the congressional leadership”–just what Republicans fear in 2006. Jan van Lohuizen of Voter/Consumer Research said a campaign that becomes a referendum on Bush could also chill Republican voter turnout. “Anything we do to depress turnout, by not running as a unified party, for instance, could very well lead to serious consequences in November.”"

After laying out the plan, Barnes is not sure as to whether it will be successful:

"Mehlman’s confidence notwithstanding, will Republican efforts to keep the election debate from focusing on Bush really work? The media undoubtedly won’t play along. Some Republicans are bound to trash Bush, figuring that it will give them the best chance of winning. Worse, if Bush falters badly, a referendum on him may be unavoidable. Still, is there a better strategy for Republicans in what looks like an unfriendly year for them? If there is, I haven’t heard of it."

Can this strategy based upon avoiding discussion of their own record work? For another view of the flaws in continuing to win based upon the politics of deceit I will turn to another Republican (who would not be very comfortable in the party today):

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
–Abraham Lincoln

[NanceGreggs]

1. They can run ...

... but they can't hide.

All roads lead back to this Administration and its policies, no matter how hard they try to spin it. The faltering economy, loss of jobs, the debacle in Iraq, gutting of social programs, under-funding of schools, skyrocketing health care costs - they're all anchors welded firmly around the GOP's neck.

So go ahead, boys, and jump into the election waters. Let's see how well you can swim.

[rodeodance]

2. uga uga--and it may just work again, I fear!

[rhombus]

3. In 2004 it worked well for them. Why try something different?

That's all they got. Wedge issues. Unfortuntely, too many people fall for it. Emotions trump reasoning.

[NVMojo]

4. demonizing them won't be hard ...they've been crooks, liars and assholes

I'm talking about the GOP

[iconoclastNYC]

18. No no no no

The DLC says we must never play dirty. We have to run on optomism and sweetness and light.

The DLC cut the balls off the donkey.

[Lexingtonian]

5. doesn't matter

They don't have a unified party. By November they will have lost their moderates almost completely and they can't make up those lost votes in the swing states and swing districts by having more wackos turning out in Mississippi and Texas.

As it is, they're in denial. Bush and the hardline conservative 'base' are completely coidentified by other voters, that's what polling says.

Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, that's what's going on.

[Dr Ron]

7. That's the big question

Sooner or later they will run out of enough people who either are on the far right or who can be conned to vote for candidates of the far right.

I suspect 2006 may be when it happens, but its a long time until November.

[Poiuyt]

6. Republicans don't need a strategy. They just make up a new enemy

It looks like it's Iran this time.

[Cosmocat]

8. hypocritical sack of manure ...

This guy has parroted the R talking point of "Ds have no plan, all they do is complain" a thousand times ... Maybe more ...

[Dr Ron]

9. He knows the talking points

and he sticks to them.

That's why I think it is useful to read what he has to say when he is actually laying out the Republcan strategy. He could be correct that this is what they plan. No doubt he'll be talking along these lines the next several months.

[Yavin4]

10. They Don't Have That Much Room On The Far Right

They already have the anti-Gay, anti-choice votes. Any further and they will be in the fringe-right whacko branch. Also, I just don't think that the Gay marriage issue will carry that much weight this time around. People are hip to that, and they won't get suckered again.

[Dr Ron]

11. Also limit to number of times

Having an anti-gay marriage proposal on the ballot worked once. Once it has passed they can't get people out in the same state as easily. They either have to motivate them based upon a national proposal to do the same, or come up with a different wedge issue. I suspect that a state constitutional ammendment to ban gay marriage was one of the most effective ways they could do this and subsequent proposals will help Republicans but not as much.

[emulatorloo]

12. kick and nominating n/t

[Canuckistanian]

13. Voting Republican means voting for more war

Voting Republican means voting for more Congressional corruption
Voting Republican means voting for taking away your freedoms
Voting Republican means voting for selling off the country a piece at a time
Voting Republican means voting for less protection for the environment
Voting Republican means voting for more coporate control over your lives
Voting Republican means voting for eliminating the social safety net
Voting Republican means voting for more religious fanatics seeking to control your personal life

And, finally,
Voting Republican means voting for more George Bush and his disastrous policies.

Can that fit on a campaign button?

[meow2u3]

16. Voting Republican means voting for criminals

Be tough on crime--vote Democratic!

[DesertRat]

14. kicked and nominated. n/t

[Imagevision]

15. Repugs counter accusations with making accusations...!

[Justice Is Comin]

17. And I want to hang the label around them

them that they have been running the House of Preventatives, not Representatives. Prevented everything we proposed on security, health care and programs for the middle class.

Shove that up your ass and smoke it.