In 2012 the GOP lost to one of the worst presidential incumbents in US History. The Democrats proceeded to benefit Democrat insiders to the detriment of all others. African-Americans, Millenials, senior citizens, Californians, New Yorkers....they have all fared poorly under Democratic rule. So has just about everyone else.
Georgia should not be close. North Carolina should not be close. New Hampshire should not be close. Kentucky should be a McConnell landslide. Al Franken should be a notch on the GOP belt. Virginia should be in play. Kansas? Alaska? Colorado? These should be slam dunks. Super majority should be the goal. 60 Congressional seats should be in play.
In the words of another writer (and I would give him credit if I was using the machine with the bookmarked browser) Romney was called out on strikes. I think he also said Newr would have gone down swinging. I would rather win with Romney/Rove/Priebus than lose with Gingrich. But if I'm going to lose I would rather back a Palin or a Gingrich or an Allen West who will mount some kind of fight.
The passive run out the clock/hope for a walk/rope-a-dope/race to finish/prevent defense/McClellan on steroids strategy is clearly a failure. Romney lost in 2012 because millions of likely GOP voters stayed home. He did not give them a reason to turn out. Every independent saw Obama as a cancer but Romney did not make the case that he was the cure. Something very similar could happen next week. If Priebus chokes on this one, if he cannot even make the case that his party is the lesser evil, it is time to kill the elephant and sell its ivory on ebay.
Showing posts with label Priebus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Priebus. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
GOP Strategy
With less than four weeks to go before the midterms, the Republican strategy is coming into focus. They want their candidates to be seen and not heard and they want to go negative with their opponents.
Second point first. Negative campaigns are effective. The Obama 2012 campaign was nothing but smears and character assassinations leveled against Mitt Romney. One of the worst--possibly the very worst--incumbents in history maintained the levers of power because they turned their opponent into a caricature of himself. The Republicans should have taken notes.
The brains of the GOP, for lack of a better term, need to realize that what works for their opponents might not work for them. They expect the news media to connect the dots and to be impartial. Keeping one's silence--i.e. refusing to define oneself or tell the public what they will do if elected, or to discuss core values even when the stated core values are wildly popular--can be a deadly passive strategy. Define or be defined.
It's not as if the Republicans do not have some memory of success. 1994 and 2010 were two campaigns where the Elephants shouted the concerns of the silent majority. In 2012 the Republicans nominated a presidential candidate who was absurdly combative in the primaries but chose to play nice and go on the defensive and run out the clock. The GOP establishment likes to blame uberbuffoon Todd Akin who stupidly declared that a woman could not be impregnated by rape. They don't lay any blame on Romney who had an opportunity to drill the disgraceful president for his flagrant dereliction of duty and subsequent lies surrounding the Benghazi tragedy and chose to punt.
The problem with advancing undefined candidates is that the fourth estate is greater than 99% pro-Democrat. They cannot be expected to remind the public of the horrors of Obamacare, the still-growing national debt, the decline in median income, the loss of jobs, the real dangers of ISIS/jihad/workplace safety, the porous southern border that spews terrorists, gangsters and disease vectors, institutionalized corruption, abuses of power...things that used to be considered political fodder. Don't expect APMSNBC to call attention to a Democrat's deficiencies. We are left with two machines slinging mud. What is lacking is product differentiation.
We have a half dozen Senate races that were favoring the Republicans that are now too close to call. Same with gubernatorial races. In New Hampshire the Republicans grabbed both congressional seats in 2010 with a vocal strategy and lost both of them in 2012 with a strategy of silence. Both races are too close to call in 2014.
Maybe Priebus will run the tables and surprise us all. Doesn't look that way now. The Republican establishment is much more fearful of its grass roots (the tea party before it got hijacked) than of their friendly rival Democrats. Shut up and let us do the talking. We will soon see how this game plan works. I am not optimistic.
Second point first. Negative campaigns are effective. The Obama 2012 campaign was nothing but smears and character assassinations leveled against Mitt Romney. One of the worst--possibly the very worst--incumbents in history maintained the levers of power because they turned their opponent into a caricature of himself. The Republicans should have taken notes.
The brains of the GOP, for lack of a better term, need to realize that what works for their opponents might not work for them. They expect the news media to connect the dots and to be impartial. Keeping one's silence--i.e. refusing to define oneself or tell the public what they will do if elected, or to discuss core values even when the stated core values are wildly popular--can be a deadly passive strategy. Define or be defined.
It's not as if the Republicans do not have some memory of success. 1994 and 2010 were two campaigns where the Elephants shouted the concerns of the silent majority. In 2012 the Republicans nominated a presidential candidate who was absurdly combative in the primaries but chose to play nice and go on the defensive and run out the clock. The GOP establishment likes to blame uberbuffoon Todd Akin who stupidly declared that a woman could not be impregnated by rape. They don't lay any blame on Romney who had an opportunity to drill the disgraceful president for his flagrant dereliction of duty and subsequent lies surrounding the Benghazi tragedy and chose to punt.
The problem with advancing undefined candidates is that the fourth estate is greater than 99% pro-Democrat. They cannot be expected to remind the public of the horrors of Obamacare, the still-growing national debt, the decline in median income, the loss of jobs, the real dangers of ISIS/jihad/workplace safety, the porous southern border that spews terrorists, gangsters and disease vectors, institutionalized corruption, abuses of power...things that used to be considered political fodder. Don't expect APMSNBC to call attention to a Democrat's deficiencies. We are left with two machines slinging mud. What is lacking is product differentiation.
We have a half dozen Senate races that were favoring the Republicans that are now too close to call. Same with gubernatorial races. In New Hampshire the Republicans grabbed both congressional seats in 2010 with a vocal strategy and lost both of them in 2012 with a strategy of silence. Both races are too close to call in 2014.
Maybe Priebus will run the tables and surprise us all. Doesn't look that way now. The Republican establishment is much more fearful of its grass roots (the tea party before it got hijacked) than of their friendly rival Democrats. Shut up and let us do the talking. We will soon see how this game plan works. I am not optimistic.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Why Not Another Contract With America?
Running a political party is probably harder than it looks but why don't the Republicans do what has worked for them in the past? In 1994 the GOP picked up 54 seats in an atmosphere that was not half as rancorous as it is today. They did this by promoting eight reforms and ten bills that were market-tested and hard to oppose. They called this The Contract With America.
It seems like a simple strategy. On most issues most of the time the Republican position lines up with the will of the people. They don't have to pass 3,000 page bills with fine print and a lot of horse trading to get their way. Unlike the Democrats, they don't have to deceive. (That is not to say that they are above deception but just that it is optional for Republicans.)
The GOP tried something like The Contract in 2010. It was a muddled document that was pretty much unreadable. The Republicans picked up 63 seats in November but they could have done even better. Dick Morris said that one hundred seats were in contention. Maybe with something a vision a little more concise...
Just six to ten bullet points that are already focus-group approved. Can you do that, Mr. Priebus? I didn''t think so.
It seems like a simple strategy. On most issues most of the time the Republican position lines up with the will of the people. They don't have to pass 3,000 page bills with fine print and a lot of horse trading to get their way. Unlike the Democrats, they don't have to deceive. (That is not to say that they are above deception but just that it is optional for Republicans.)
The GOP tried something like The Contract in 2010. It was a muddled document that was pretty much unreadable. The Republicans picked up 63 seats in November but they could have done even better. Dick Morris said that one hundred seats were in contention. Maybe with something a vision a little more concise...
Just six to ten bullet points that are already focus-group approved. Can you do that, Mr. Priebus? I didn''t think so.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
An Open Letter To The Republican National Commitee
An Open Letter To The Republican National Commitee
Take this with a grain of salt. I am not a registered Republican and I don't plan to be one anytime soon. But given the state of affairs in this country, I recognize that your party can lay claim to the "lesser of two evils." With all of your sins, you are downright saintly compared to your corrupt, destructive, Anti-American rivals.
I have four general suggestions that are so obvious that I don't think anyone would disagree with them.
1. Establish a fighter as Chairman of The Republican National Commitee.
2. Establish a fighter as Speaker of the House.
3. Don't just acknowledge voter fraud, fight it.
4. Permanently change your relationship with the national media.
I am going out of order as I am wont to do (I told you I am not a Republican.) Fight voter fraud! If James O'Keefe can find repeated efforts at voter fraud on his ramen noodle budget, why can't an organization with a $50 million operating budget find an act of impropriety when it is right under your nose?
If you stated that henceforth 10% or 20% of your budget would be devoted to fighting voter fraud, your donations would increase sufficiently to offset this new expenditure. Try holding just one anti-fraud money bomb. Ron Paul generated over $10 million in 24 hours in 2007 during the first-ever money bomb. Try it! You might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
Your party still controls the House. Why is there not a permanent committee on voter integrity? Cleveland, Ohio had precincts that voted one hundred per cent for Obama. In the real world such things do not happen if for no other reason, people inadvertently fill in the wrong name or scribble in the wrong circle. No human error in Cleveland.
What is frustrating about Cleveland is that Ohio has a Republican governor. He did have the resources at his disposal to prevent voter fraud. Did he deploy the State Police or the Attorney General to disrupt these crimes?
Did Port Saint Lucie County, Florida really have a 141% voter turnout? If yes, the FBI should be descending into the Sunshine State in droves. Maybe that number is wrong. But if the number is only 101%, there needs to be a criminal investigation. If the White House has the DOJ handcuffed, there is still Congress and yes, there is still the State of Florida.
Again, Florida is frustrating because Republicans control the Governor's Office and the Republican AG is all over the national news shows. They were in a position to prevent this from happening. They are now in a position to make sure it never happens again. Voter fraud must be stopped, priority numbers one through one hundred.
Jumping back to the first suggestion. You need a fighter as Chairman of RNC. I don't think Priebus is that guy. If his chairmanship is challenged, maybe it will light a fire under his ass, even if he is not successfully deposed.
What is needed is someone like Newt Gingrich. I say someone like Gingrich because Newt is a loose cannon and he would turn off some donors. But Newt does know how to win elections. He is never afraid to speak the truth and he will call voter fraud, voter fraud. Newt will not be intimidated by a false charge of racism or misogyny. You need his pugnacious spirit if not his physical presence. Newt? Palin? You need a heavyweight in this position.
Now let us focus on The Speaker of The House. We will know real soon if Boehner is the right choice. I think he might be if only because it does not serve his own future to cave on the "fiscal cliff" or Benghazi or Fast and Furious. Oh and if we are making a Christmas list we could add voter fraud investigations, illegal campaign financing investigations, and defunding NPR, PBS and anything related to General Electric to our already long string of requests.
We will know soon if Boehner is our guy. If not, a new candidate should challenge the incumbent.
Lastly, change forever your relationship with the press. Do not talk to the national press. Let it be known that you will not fund any candidate who talks to the national media. If they want to talk to the media from their home district, they should do so at their own discretion.
As long as your candidates talk with the national press, they are putting their seal of legitimacy on the pro-Obama media. Why, oh why, oh why would you allow your candidates to subject themselves to Gregory or Stephanopolos and to pummel them with "do you still wage war on women?" kinds of questions. Furthermore, do not allow the national media to moderate your primary debates! Duhhh.
There was a time when it was essential to converse with the national media. That day has passed. Twitter and Facebook changed the rules forever. You and your candidates and your office holders can communicate with an audience unimpeded by charges of racism, misogyny, fraud or murder. You cannot win with the pro-Obama media. They must be shunned!
Shunning is the first step. With the rise of cable and satellite and Internet delivery, local network affiliates struggle. However, they have benefited nicely from election commercials. The affiliates are now dependent on this revenue stream. Let it be known that the GOP will not spend a penny with NBC affiliates in either 2014 or 2016.
The GOP candidates will not suffer by boycotting NBC affiliates. The GOP will continue to buy air time from ABC and CBS and Fox affiliates as well as independent channels and cable outlets. But NBC is 86. Of course, everything NBC (The Weather Channel, Telemundo, NBC Entertainment, NBC News) will also be cut off. And as previously suggested, if Congress defunded General Electric's lucrative government contracts, I bet we would see a greater respect for truth at every NBC venue.
There you have it. I am no genius but I can point out the obvious, something your brain trust has failed to do. Then again, I am not a Republican.
Take this with a grain of salt. I am not a registered Republican and I don't plan to be one anytime soon. But given the state of affairs in this country, I recognize that your party can lay claim to the "lesser of two evils." With all of your sins, you are downright saintly compared to your corrupt, destructive, Anti-American rivals.
I have four general suggestions that are so obvious that I don't think anyone would disagree with them.
1. Establish a fighter as Chairman of The Republican National Commitee.
2. Establish a fighter as Speaker of the House.
3. Don't just acknowledge voter fraud, fight it.
4. Permanently change your relationship with the national media.
I am going out of order as I am wont to do (I told you I am not a Republican.) Fight voter fraud! If James O'Keefe can find repeated efforts at voter fraud on his ramen noodle budget, why can't an organization with a $50 million operating budget find an act of impropriety when it is right under your nose?
If you stated that henceforth 10% or 20% of your budget would be devoted to fighting voter fraud, your donations would increase sufficiently to offset this new expenditure. Try holding just one anti-fraud money bomb. Ron Paul generated over $10 million in 24 hours in 2007 during the first-ever money bomb. Try it! You might be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
Your party still controls the House. Why is there not a permanent committee on voter integrity? Cleveland, Ohio had precincts that voted one hundred per cent for Obama. In the real world such things do not happen if for no other reason, people inadvertently fill in the wrong name or scribble in the wrong circle. No human error in Cleveland.
What is frustrating about Cleveland is that Ohio has a Republican governor. He did have the resources at his disposal to prevent voter fraud. Did he deploy the State Police or the Attorney General to disrupt these crimes?
Did Port Saint Lucie County, Florida really have a 141% voter turnout? If yes, the FBI should be descending into the Sunshine State in droves. Maybe that number is wrong. But if the number is only 101%, there needs to be a criminal investigation. If the White House has the DOJ handcuffed, there is still Congress and yes, there is still the State of Florida.
Again, Florida is frustrating because Republicans control the Governor's Office and the Republican AG is all over the national news shows. They were in a position to prevent this from happening. They are now in a position to make sure it never happens again. Voter fraud must be stopped, priority numbers one through one hundred.
Jumping back to the first suggestion. You need a fighter as Chairman of RNC. I don't think Priebus is that guy. If his chairmanship is challenged, maybe it will light a fire under his ass, even if he is not successfully deposed.
What is needed is someone like Newt Gingrich. I say someone like Gingrich because Newt is a loose cannon and he would turn off some donors. But Newt does know how to win elections. He is never afraid to speak the truth and he will call voter fraud, voter fraud. Newt will not be intimidated by a false charge of racism or misogyny. You need his pugnacious spirit if not his physical presence. Newt? Palin? You need a heavyweight in this position.
Now let us focus on The Speaker of The House. We will know real soon if Boehner is the right choice. I think he might be if only because it does not serve his own future to cave on the "fiscal cliff" or Benghazi or Fast and Furious. Oh and if we are making a Christmas list we could add voter fraud investigations, illegal campaign financing investigations, and defunding NPR, PBS and anything related to General Electric to our already long string of requests.
We will know soon if Boehner is our guy. If not, a new candidate should challenge the incumbent.
Lastly, change forever your relationship with the press. Do not talk to the national press. Let it be known that you will not fund any candidate who talks to the national media. If they want to talk to the media from their home district, they should do so at their own discretion.
As long as your candidates talk with the national press, they are putting their seal of legitimacy on the pro-Obama media. Why, oh why, oh why would you allow your candidates to subject themselves to Gregory or Stephanopolos and to pummel them with "do you still wage war on women?" kinds of questions. Furthermore, do not allow the national media to moderate your primary debates! Duhhh.
There was a time when it was essential to converse with the national media. That day has passed. Twitter and Facebook changed the rules forever. You and your candidates and your office holders can communicate with an audience unimpeded by charges of racism, misogyny, fraud or murder. You cannot win with the pro-Obama media. They must be shunned!
Shunning is the first step. With the rise of cable and satellite and Internet delivery, local network affiliates struggle. However, they have benefited nicely from election commercials. The affiliates are now dependent on this revenue stream. Let it be known that the GOP will not spend a penny with NBC affiliates in either 2014 or 2016.
The GOP candidates will not suffer by boycotting NBC affiliates. The GOP will continue to buy air time from ABC and CBS and Fox affiliates as well as independent channels and cable outlets. But NBC is 86. Of course, everything NBC (The Weather Channel, Telemundo, NBC Entertainment, NBC News) will also be cut off. And as previously suggested, if Congress defunded General Electric's lucrative government contracts, I bet we would see a greater respect for truth at every NBC venue.
There you have it. I am no genius but I can point out the obvious, something your brain trust has failed to do. Then again, I am not a Republican.
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