Is This a Winning Strategy?

I saw this headline today:

Democrats Digging Harder Than Ever for Dirt on Republicans"--headline, Washington Post, July 7

So, tell me, are the Democrats devoid of ideas? Is the economy that bad? Is ObamaCare that bad? Are the Democrats so desperate that they have to scour for dirt so that when they run they can say, "We're bad, but not as bad as our opponents."?

This is not a winning strategy. It might be a difference in a close race. But overall it does not say to the American people, "We have a plan for peace and prosperity and this is our plan."

Of course the Republicans could run as bad a campaign. Can you see it now: "Vote for John Smith. He didn't vote for ObamaCare." Well, you have to have a plan to go forward. And that plan might include hard decisions, decisions groups like, oh, say union members and teachers might not like.

Paul Ryan, congressman from Wisconsin, has had a plan for several years. It is a start. Actually, Mr. Ryan's plan is well developed. This could be the ticket much like Newt Gingrich's "Contract with America."

Now, can any Democrat come up with a detailed plan? Or will they be the "party of 'No'" as they demonize Paul Ryan's plan?

Defining the GOP?

"The Republican party in Washington today is no different than the Republican party that ran the Congress before," Rep. Chris Van Hollen, head of the Democratic House campaign committee, told the liberal Talking Points Memo.



Labeling their GOP candidates as being part of the Sarah Palin or Tea Party wing of the GOP will be the key element.

There is a danger to this strategy. First, it is primarily negative which turns people off. Things have to be really bad for a negative campaign to work—and then usually only against those already in power. To be in power and run a negative campaign would be a tip-off that either one has no ideas or that the ideas are unpopular and they need a subterfuge.



Also, the Dems would be assuming people think the Bush/Republican years were abysmal. Take away the start and the finish and Bush presided over a strong economy. I can see the GOP running ads saying that before November 2008 the economy was fine, then tanked after Dems took Congress. Sound bites and images with Chris Dodd and Barney Frank and their mortgage shenanigans could help the elephants beat the jackasses. The electorate could also enter the polls thinking, “Well, we didn’t have 10% unemployment with these people and we didn’t have extremists shooting up our bases or trying to bomb planes over cities.”



And trying to tie the GOP with Sarah Palin as a negative? Has any Democratic strategist seen Ms. Palin’s book sales? If she were truly unpopular, I doubt she would have sold that many books or have long lines at her signing tour events.



Sorry, I don’t see this as a winning strategy for Dems. But if they have unpopular ideas and refuse to change their policies, well…..