Once more, politics seems ridiculously simple. Can it really be as easy it looks and is it possible that most political scribes don't even know the alphabet? Yes and yes. The big time players don't even know the rudiments of the game.
Positive messages work remarkably well. Let me clarify that in this context we are not defining positive as optimistic and inspiring and heart-warming. A lot can be said for the Cory and Cory school of smiling discourse but that's not what we are discussing here.
Light is a positive concept in that it defines something that can be measured. Darkness is a negative concept in that it defines an absence of light. Heat is a positive concept. Cold is an absence of heat.
Generally speaking, positive messages are easier to sell than negative messages. Free tuition is easier to sell than a proposal to abolish the Department of Education, or Constitutional constraint or balancing a budget. People like Rand Paul and Ted Cruz face obstacles right out of the starting gate. They have to demonstrate that "less is more." It can be done but it takes some sophistication.
The power of a positive message can be seen in the 1994 midterm elections where the GOP picked up 54 House Seats and 8 Senate seats. They submitted 8 promises to the voter that they called "Contract With America." Wave election.
Only two GOP candidates had a positive message, i.e., a promise or set of promises to capture the voter's attention. Ted Cruz has a laundry list of things that he will do on Day 1: Tear up the Iran deal, Kiss ISIS, Start repeal of Obamacare.
Donald Trump also has a positive message. "Make America Great Again" might seem a bit vague but as slogans go, it is a gem. It says:
America was once great.
America is not currently great.
America can be great again.
Electing Donald Trump is the path of recovered greatness.
Trump has other positive messages. He will build a wall. He will make Mexico pay for the wall. He will make good deals with foreign nations. He will "bomb the shit out of ISIS."
Vague. Crude. Sensational. Points well taken but do you recall Rick Perry's message? Scott Walker's? Chris Christie had some sort of entitlement plan that had potential but he didn't stay on message very well. Carson and Fiorina tried selling their brands based on background and experience and character but short on promise. And Jeb? He spent a fortune bashing others but never told the voter what he would get in return for his support.
The GOP Primaries have been disappointing. I was hoping for a new Contract With America or something like it. A positive message. Most of us could have come up with something like that but with 17 candidates, maybe one of the would be leaders could do some heavy lifting. In the meantime, a pledged wall carries the day. It's one of the few positive messages in this long campaigns.
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