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GOP’s New Message: Vote For Us Because We Could Lose
What do you do to get voters to the polls? If you’re the ruling party do you point to your record? To how you handled the nation’s finances, security, border security, or your perception of your foreign policy accomplishments?
You’d think so, but this year the GOP’s slogan to other GOPers apparently is “Vote For Us — Because Otherwise We Could Lose.”
It’s apparently the pitch being made to Republicans in Congress by party bigwigs and to party partisans by the party.
First, there’s this item by Bob Novak which indicates how Republican National Chairman Kenneth Mehlman is inspiring the Republican Congressional troops:
Republican National Chairman Kenneth Mehlman went to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to warn the party’s House and Senate campaign staffers of dire consequences unless Republicans break the current legislative deadlock.Mehlman emphasized the necessity to pass a budget resolution and an immigration reform bill, two issues that seriously concern the Republican base.
Word circulated around Capitol Hill that Mehlman warned that 45 seats could be lost in the House on Nov. 7.
He told me that he did not mention that figure and, in fact, thinks Republicans would retain control of the House if elections were held today.
So…then: why is it that word is circulating that Mehlman warned of a possible Republican debacle on Nov. 7? Is he lying or are the people spreading the word lying? Before you decide, ponder this paragraph from Novak:
High-level party sources close to Mehlman estimate the GOP loss could be 25 seats under a worst-case scenario. A 15-seat gain would gve the Democrats House control.
So it does sound as if Mehlman has been sounding the alarm that GOPers in Congress better do the White House’s bidding — and fast — if they want to hold onto their seats.
Meanwhile,a variation of this message is what Karl Rove & Co. are planning to use to whip the party’s base in line, The Washington Post reports:
The prospect of the administration spending its last two years being grilled by angry Democrats under the heat of partisan spotlights has added urgency to the efforts by Karl Rove and Mr. Bush’s political team to hang on to the Republican majorities in Congress.Newly shorn of the daily policymaking duties he took on after the 2004 campaign and now refocused on his role as Mr. Bush’s chief strategist, Mr. Rove is facing an increasingly difficult climate for Republicans, and an increasingly assertive Democratic Party.
The ambitious second-term agenda he helped develop has faltered even with a Republican Congress. His once-grand plans for creating a broadened and permanent Republican majority have given way to a goal of clinging to control of the House and Senate.
The prospect of Democrats capturing either, however, may be one of the best weapons Mr. Rove has as he turns to what he has traditionally done best: motivating his party’s conservative base to turn out on Election Day….
The motivation seemingly involves two increasingly strong motivators of 21st Century American politics: the “sports team’ mentality that no matter what you can’t let the other “team” win (even if you conclude you like it better in a lot of ways) because it isn’t YOUR team — and the persistence use of demonization of the other side to get people out and vote. Demonization makes it so much easier to run a campaign: you don’t have to explain what you’ve done or what you will do, just go on the offensive. And Democrats take note: Karl Rove does that exceedingly well.
6 Responses to “GOP’s New Message: Vote For Us Because We Could Lose”
If his lips were moving, you have your answer.
I followed Mehlman’s 2004 pronouncements on CNN closely. He alternated between spin and outright lying with such regularity and ease, there was a Twilight Zone quality to his many appearances.
It’s called Anything to Win for short and it’s a big reason Rove and his party deserve to lose big in the coming election.
Anything to Win means lying, cheating, stealing, sliming and, well, anything, no matter how lowdown and dirty.
It’s perfectly in line with a notion decent people learned is wrong when they were children: the ends justify the means.
I’d like to think Anything to Win is a way of winning that most American voters find unacceptable and don’t want to encourage or reward.
I’m sorry to say I’ve been proven wrong more than once.
“… this year the GOP’s slogan to other GOPers apparently is “Vote For Us — Because Otherwise We Could Lose.”
It’s apparently the pitch being made to Republicans in Congress by party bigwigs and to party partisans by the party. ….”
Joe, my dad, a (formerly) dedicated Republican, got a similar letter in the mail, and he’s never volunteered for the GOP for anything. He showed it to me and I laughed my butt off, and what surpised me more than anything, even HE was saying he was going to vote against incumbents, vote against the Republicans, etc. THIS, coming from a lifelong Republican. Over the last few years, my father and I have argued and argued over politics; him favoring the GOP, me favoring third parties and Dems mostly, but this was the very FIRST TIME EVER that we bonded on an anti-GOP rant.
First time for everything, I suppose…
There are many decent life-long Republicans out there who are getting a bad taste in their mouth for this administration and its never-ending spin and anything to win tactics.
Even Bush’s so-called victories—tax cuts and medicare prescription plan have severe consequences for this country. His constituency has shrunk to the fundamentalist non-thinkers who supply the endless loyalty he craves, and those who are profiting from his tax cut mania, and don’t give a damn about looming deficits, a burgeoning national debt,Social Security shortfalls, Medicare going broke in 18 years, and the shrinking middle class.
He also hasn’t governed according to the rule of law. Why bother to raise your kids to play by the rules, and win and lose with grace, if adults don’t do so?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The overall numbers don’t matter as much as WHO is no longer there. Right now a few of the leaders of the far-right portion of the party will not return or may not be returning. Delay and Santorum are good examples. Ney is another. There are plenty of good politicians up there who have been lumped in w/ the republican party of Delay/Ney/Santorum. That of bribery and Pay to play politics all spurred on by the K Street project. Returning to a balanced house/senate without the polarizing figures would be the best thing for the American public in general.
The fact that Mehlman appears to be involved w/ numerous shady characters, and the phone jamming case in New Hampshire should make repubs think long and hard about who is leading their party.
God Forbid the opposition party actually have an opportunity to investigate something. We can’t have that!!