Never overestimate the intelligence of the average voter. Going negative can work. The GOP's real vulnerability are normally dependable Republicans who stay home. The GOP depends on an energized base. In the past, abortion, God and guns were the fuel that sent these folks to the polls. But the tank is running a little dry this time around, because the base is falling out of love with Dubya. If going negative works, it will be because the GOP scares complacent voters into turning back the liberal tide or some such crap. Dems still need to give voters a reason to get excited about voting, which I haven't seen yet. I wonder if it's too late to roll out our own Contract for America?
4:48 PM, September 11, 2006
I'm not sure how this dovetails with what Sullivan's been saying, but Singer at MyDD is saying that according to this Washington Post article, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) plans to go highly negative: Republicans are planning to spend the vast majority of their sizable financial war chest over the final 60 days of the campaign attacking Democratic House and Senate candidates over personal issues and local controversies, GOP officials said.The National Republican Congressional Committee, which this year dispatched a half-dozen operatives to comb through tax, court and other records looking for damaging information on Democratic candidates, plans to spend more than 90 percent of its $50 million-plus advertising budget on what officials described as negative ads.Of course, the big question is: will it work? I doubt it. And I think Democrats could and should hit twice as hard. Republicans: the party of Katrina, Iraq, and Bush. Want more of that?
posted by Zachary Drake at 10:20 PM on Sep 10, 2006
"GOP desperation watch: goin' negative"
1 Comment -
Never overestimate the intelligence of the average voter. Going negative can work. The GOP's real vulnerability are normally dependable Republicans who stay home. The GOP depends on an energized base. In the past, abortion, God and guns were the fuel that sent these folks to the polls. But the tank is running a little dry this time around, because the base is falling out of love with Dubya. If going negative works, it will be because the GOP scares complacent voters into turning back the liberal tide or some such crap. Dems still need to give voters a reason to get excited about voting, which I haven't seen yet. I wonder if it's too late to roll out our own Contract for America?
4:48 PM, September 11, 2006