Dem House Strategy: Go Negative Early
As we turn toward the general election, Democrats are revealing a key component of their strategy for trying to retain their House majority: Going negative.
Already, there are 8 incumbent House Dems who have gone on the air with negative ads against their GOP opponents. The ads show that Dems -- and the DCCC -- view these next few weeks as critical. They want to define -- or smear, depending on how you look at it -- their Republican opponents immediately after they emerge from their primaries.
For Republicans, the ads highlight a tenuous position. These next few weeks will show whether GOP nominees with depleted resources following competitive primaries can keep control over their images while under fire.
Most recently, Reps. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and Ron Klein (D-FL) went up with ads on Wednesday, the day after their opponents -- Jesse Kelly and Allen West, respectively -- emerged from Republican primaries. Giffords' ad hits Kelly hard over previous statements on phasing out Social Security - a go-to for Dems this year - and the Klein ad focuses on West's personal financial problems.
Kelly is a perfect GOP target for Dems. He is a Tea Party favorite who beat establishment candidate Jonathan Paton on Tuesday and heads into the general election at a significant CoH disadvantage to Giffords. If Dems are successful in attacking candidates like Kelly and cause their negative ratings to rise, national Republicans may have to abandon them.
"Democrats will frame the race on their terms," said a Dem strategist. "Republicans will have to answer for their flawed backgrounds." Another Dem strategist noted that Dems are seeking to frame the election as a choice. To do that, they are trying to define the GOP alternative early.
Republicans acknowledge the strategy, but note that they played the same card in '06. "Post-Labor Day is when the voters will start paying attention and that is when campaigns on both sides will be fully engaged," said a GOP strategist. "This same strategy didn't work for Republicans in 2006 and while it might have some effect, it won't be enough."
The strategy also indicates -- albeit implicitly -- that Dems are looking to shift the focus away from Washington, DC, and their national profile, which is struggling . The negative ads show an intention to frame the competitive races locally and on the Republican challengers.
The NRCC went so far as to call the strategy desperate. "If you're the Democrats you're probably thinking that desperate times call for desperate measures," said Ken Spain, the NRCC's communications director. "When you have nothing in common with the voters anymore and you're record is wildly out-of-touch with the people you claim to represent, the only thing you can do is to lob bombs and pray."
In addition to Giffords and Klein, the following Dem incumbents have gone up with negative ads against their GOP opponents.
Zack Space who faces Bob Gibbs in OH 18. AD
Travis Childers who faces Alan Nunnelee in MS 01. AD
Joe Donnelly who faces Jackie Walorski in IN 02. AD
Tom Perriello who faces Robert Hurt in VA 05. AD
Earl Pomeroy who faces Rick Berg in ND AL. AD
Baron Hill who faces Todd Young in IN 09. AD
Once these incumbents are defeated, America will go positive.
And what will they do when they realize that it isn't working? What is plan B....they better have one......it just sounds like an admission that they have failed for the past 2 years and voters won't forget it.
1) Cram unwise and unpopular legislation like "health care reform" down people's throats by whatever arm twisting or crooked kickback deal you can get away with.
2) If the people you are supposed to serve object, attack the people themselves as "astroturf," "racists" or ignorant "bitter clingers."
3) If the people raise up candidates from among their ranks to challenge your arrogance, attack these unprofessional political opponents as "crazy" while you run the debt up to $13 Trillion with no good for the economy, and rob us blind.
This is the kind, gentle, "liberal" plan to
progressive control of our country.
Wake up America. Out with every last one of these reprehensible insects.
After looking back on what little they have done for the last two years (other than bend over blindly as pelosi-obamites), they realize the only way to possibly come out on top is to take the low road... again...
I'm a Democrat and I'm disgusted with this.
Where's the Dem. party's vision for the next few years?
This strategy seems to suggest they have none
or don't care to provide it to the voters.
If they don't care voters won't care for them.
I'm going to sit on my hands this fall.
The Dem Senate strategy is exactly the same. Here in Colorado the only political ads on TV now are national Dem campaign ads smearing the Republicans with lie after lie, negative smear attacks.
But this is a two-prong strategy the Dems are using, don't ignore the other one that worked for them in the special elections in NY and PA. The Dems are also attempting to put all kinds of distance between them and their agenda, even attacking Pelosi/Obama as a way to pretend they'll be more independent D's. Republicans have to be nimble and quick to knock those claims down, unlike in NY and PA.
Fact is, and the public needs to be reminded, that no matter how independent they claim to be they'll all provide the needed final vote, just like Stupak on Obamacare. When push comes to shove EVERY SINGLE Dem will give Obama THE vote if called upon to fall on the sword. The public must be reminded not to be fooled, even if their Dem Rep/Sen voted against Dems it was only because his/her vote wasn't deemed THE vote and they were given a political pass because THE vote had been secured elsewhere. But have no doubt, ANY Dem will provide THE vote if called upon. And Reps must not let Dem candidates get away with pretending otherwise!!!
Sickofpantywastes, your party (DEMOCRATS)HAVE HAD CONTROL OF the nation's purse strings (CONGRESS) FOR FOUR YEARS!!
You've fired all your shells, paid off the unions and government employees, nationalized as much the private sector as you possibly could, doubled the national deficit not once but twice and this economy is the result of those four years of Democrats' crony socialism.
Had enough?
Maybe in your angst against the GOP and Tea Party, you want two more years of double digit unemployment, historically high bankruptcies and mortgage defaults?
Better to feel good about your vote than to actually vote for free enterprise and "the little guy" who's been looking for a job the last two years.
That's why you voted for the BIG ZERO. Right?
I believe that the people will be making the deciding factor when it comes to the midterm elections in November. The people need to remember that the people who PROMISED change when Democrats took control of Congress and again with the presidential elections in 2008, have broken their promise and have created an agenda that solely increases the deficit and creates a further gap with jobs. If Republicans remember to focus on the jobs and the economy the American people will vote Republican. This happened in the elections in 2006 and 2008. No matter how much the Republicans tried to smear Democrat campaigns and biographies, in the end, the people remembered the party in control did NOT keep to their promise. In the end if the party in control does not keep to the promises they made, the American voter will keep to their promise and vote them out of power. This, I believe, will happen in Novemeber when the American electorate is given a choice to vote either Republican or Democrat!!!
and negative campaigning isnt happening on the republican side? see fl republican governor primary for details........funny!!!.
please, who are we kidding here..republicans have been negative for 18 months.any quesses what emphasis the will take for the election?
I know..there's a mosque in every voting district..my guess each one of them is in too close to something...
Oh, these leftards have no idea what is about to hit them. The Supremes have unshackled us with Citizens United. Cash on hand? Heh. I got your cash on hand. And the votes over the past 19 months are going to figure prominently.
What Democrats fear isn't the loss of a majority; what they fear is the emergence of the Tea Party movement; its success is the death-knell for, what has been to date, the cyclical business of Government, Inc., the ebb and flow of Republicans and Democrats who, together, have created our political class (and their sycophantic dependents.)
With our nation bankrupt, and the re-distribution net worth in full swing, it will be interesting to see if our nation survives. Given the effectiveness of dividing our nation with bilingualism, the direct result of deliberately ignoring our southern boarder for 40 years, I suspect the game is already over.
Too bad the citizens (wards) of our nation are, by in large, more concerned with sports scores than whether or not congressman actually read a bill before they vote on it.
Yeah, a wonderful strategy!! That'll keep them in office! All the Repub candidate has to do FROM NOW TO NOVEMBER 2 is keep asking the voters:
How many of you are unemployed - or know someone who is?
Where have the jobs gone - AND WHY AREN'T THEY COMING BACK?
How many of you have had your mortgage foreclosed, or know someone who has?
How many of you now have 'upside down' mortgages (i.e more owed on the mortgage than the house is worth)?
In the last 19 months the Federal Government has increased our national debt by another $13 trillion(!!!) HAVE WE ANYTHING TO SHOW FOR IT??? And that's not even counting HealthCare 'Reform' costs.
Now, I'd like to introduce you to my opponent - the present Democratic incumbent. Perhaps you'd like to ask HIM a question:
WHY DID YOU SPEND THE PAST 19 MONTHS BLINDLY VOTING IN FAVOR OF ALL THIS CRAP???
@ Alwyr
I have heard some whoppers in my day but you my friend must have failed very basic math.
On January 21, 2009 the day Obama took office the national debt was $10.6 Trillion.
Today we are at $13.4 Trillion. That amount includes Republican unfunded liabilities of the Iraq War, Afghan War and Medicare Part D. Not saying that the Dems are totally innocent of the debt but it is laughable how you say that in 19 months we have added $13 Trillion in debt.
Where did you get your math degree from buddy?
Check out the facts for yourself.
http://www.treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np
Since @alwyr can't answer my question I am opening up the solution to anyone.
How does $13.4 Trillion - $10.6 Trillion = $13 Trillion?