Keep it Simple
Dick Morris’ latest column has some great advice for Republican candidates. Here’s his advice:
Republican negative ad writers always delight in describing the Stimulus package as bloated, wasteful, government-growing, and useless. The adjectives get in the way. The polling we’ve done indicates that the simple words “stimulus package” convey all that and more.
There is no need to call Obama’s health care legislation “a government attempt to take over our health care” or a bill to “slash medical care for the elderly” or an “attempt to force rationing of care.” The simple word Obamacare conveys the same meanings.
Why describe cap and trade as “job killing” or “driving jobs overseas” when the words cap and trade say these same things to voters?
Less is more. Why use words that clutter? It isn’t like the people don’t know what Obamacare is. It isn’t like they don’t already have a negative view of it. Ditto with Cap and Trade. Ditto with the stimulus.
Vice President Biden got his nickers in a knot Tuesday when John Boehner gave a major economic address in which he said that the stimulus failed. Miserably. Biden can whine all he wants but defending President Obama’s stimulus plan is a losing fight. Here’s Morris’ suggestion for an ad that works:
A simple ad along these lines will be far more effective for a Republican challenger to a Democratic incumbent than any elaborately conceived negative commercial:
“Do you support the $850 billion stimulus package Obama passed last year? Joe Democrat voted yes. Harry Republican says no.
The TARP bailout? Democrat voted in favor. Republican is opposed.
Obamacare? Joe Democrat supported it. Harry Republican would have voted no.
Cap and Trade? Democrat yes, again. Republican, no.
Vote for the one that agrees with you.”
People aren’t in a live-and-let-live mood these days. They’re unemployed or underemployed, possibly in danger of losing their home to foreclosure and worrying about their kids’ future. If that isn’t enough, and it is, people feel like the government isn’t listening to them.
Never in my lifetime have I seen a group of people so motivated to throw the liberal bums out, not even in 1994. They’re well-informed, too. Most have done their due diligence and just need to be pointed in the right direction. If that’s the case, just point them in the right direction, then get out of their way. Don’t overcomplicate things.
Most troubling to Democrat strategists is that these voters can’t wait to get to the polls. Either that or it’s that the worst is yet to come. What we’re seeing now is voters expressing their digust with the Obama administration and the Reid/Pelosi regime. We haven’t seen the partisan trend yet and we haven’t seen the new Contract-like document yet.
Republicans are witholding those documents until everyone is fully tuned in. It’s like a distance runner holding a little back until the final half-lap. Think of the races where the favorite is setting a strong pace, then the last half-lap arrives and suddenly he pulls away.
That’s what I predict will happen this year. Call it a crystallizing moment or the moment of realization or whatever. It’s coming and it will break the conservatives’ way.
If Republicans keep working hard and enunciating clear messages, in the manner that Dick Morris said, this election will be a powerful repudiation of President Obama’s and Speaker Pelosi’s agenda.
Technorati Tags: Dick Morris, Stimulus, Obamacare, Cap And Tax, Negative Ads, Job-Killing, Tax Increases, Messaging, TARP, Bailouts, Economy, TEA Party, Republicans, Democrats, Election 2010
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
August 25th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
I’d rather have the GOP show Pelosi saing “you have to pass the bill before you know what’s in it” or the usual suspects saying we can do anything we wish, damn the Constitution and full speed ahead. Combine that with Obama’s “the US is not a Christian nation, people bitterly clinging to their religion and guns, how the police are stupid” and the people will be more motivated to get to the polls.
Oh yes I love him reading from his book where he states in a dispute between Christians and Muslims he stands with muslims. The show the twin towers.
August 25th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
Show the twin towers and the people jumping to their deaths.
August 25th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Stand by. With little to brag about with voters, except more socialism, bad economics higher taxes, and a debt the size of Jupiter, the Dems are going to turn on the sleaze machine.
August 26th, 2010 at 6:40 am
It’s not as fertile as some would believe. McCain just won the party nomination in AZ again, and he’s as close to a jackass as anyone in D.C., especially considering his flip-flops on such targeted issues as TARP and criminal invasion.
August 26th, 2010 at 8:35 am
Carlos, Ive been saying it all along, and Ill say it again.
These rumors of a conservative/Republican/anti-incumbent/whatever you want to call it, sweep in November are over exaggerated; the numbers simply aren’t there, yet! All the hell you have top do is look at them, pick any poll and read it. With a few exceptions, the numbers are any thing but a landslide; 5, 7, maybe 10% leads. Hell that’s within the margin of error!!!
Too many people in this country are either still asleep, too damned dumb to save themselves, or simply don’t give a s—!
August 27th, 2010 at 8:38 am
Give me a 62/30-something split in the Senate and I really don’t care about the rest, especially if the 62 doesn’t include John-boy, Collins or Snowe, who are, for all intents and purposes, jackasses.
Gary’s next post talks of Republicans winning up to 74 additional seats in the House. That ain’t gonna happen, but they MAY take the majority back.
And few things would make me happier than to see a split legislative/presidential government, where neither can do anything because of the other.
Now, if we could only figure out how to nullify the legislative judiciary…
August 29th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Yeah, that’s one way to put a stop to it I suppose.
The less ANY Congress does, the safer Id feel.
As for the courts, all we need is a President with the guts to do what Jefferson and Madison, a President and who actually knew something about the constitution, and another one who knew quite a lot did; simply abolish the ones he didn’t want and start over.
Boy would that pop some corks!