The Republicans should look to past elections to hone their campaign message. Leaning solely on the economy can backfire in a big way.
Looking back, the Republicans found themselves in relatively good shape to face the Democrats in 2006. It ended up an epic collapse, even though the economy fared well the preceding two years. What sunk the GOP was a series of disasters.
President Bush authored a series of blunders that included an attempt to institute private Social Security accounts, Hurricane Katrina foul-ups, his appointment of Harriett Miers to the Supreme Court, Tom Delay, Donald Rumsfeld, immigration - but not the economy particularly.
The Democrat's met their economic buzz saw in the 2010 elections largely from growing concern over expanding government, the stimulus, cap and trade and Obamacare. The attacks were led by the upstart Tea Party movement.
It was not particularly about the economy.
“It's the economy stupid” was the war cry of the Clinton campaign in 1992. Although not a flattering slogan that could easily be construed as an insult to the electorate, it resonated down to the grass roots Clinton sought. It turned a George H.W. Bush from a popular president who had just won a war into a defensive sad sack seeking political enemies under his bed.
Focusing a campaign on the economy is risky. If a candidate pounds away endlessly on that theme, he faces the distinct chance the incumbent will pull a timely rabbit out of his many hats available to him preventing a torches and rope scenario from the electorate.
The economy can even tongue tie a learned candidate with deep ties to private industry and broad knowledge of economic challenges. Even if every poll shows voters are most concerned with the economy, that doesn't negate the need to address other issues important to Americans.
Over the last few weeks we have seen how Obamacare threatens religion. We've been reminded attorney general Holder's sad and pathetic attempts to distance himself from the growing Fast and Furious scandal. We're witnessed Obama's glaring weaknesses in foreign policy and looming budget and entitlement bankruptcy.
A successful Republican candidate sees the broader spectrum of national issues suggesting potential remedies. The economy should be a part of the overall mix.
Candidate Ronald Reagan famously asked the American people in 1980 if they were better off than they had been four years previously. It didn't come out of the blue as some tired political slogan. Reagan had spent his entire campaign painting that moment indelibly in the voter's mind.
It was the final nail in incumbent Jimmy Carter's dream of a second term.
The Republicans need to predicate that question with a host of Obama mishaps both foreign and domestic. Ronald Reagan spent an entire campaign hammering this opponent on the entirety of his administration - not just the sole issue of the economy.
He never lost America's attention span. There was no time to simply dwell on the the last few quarters of bad numbers. Reagan left voters fully aware that the core of the rotten apple was the White House.
It was arrogant destructiveness and wrongheaded recklessness of modern liberalism.
Convey that message to at least 50.1 percent of voters in November or face four more years stemming Obama's vision of a new America.
* If you have enjoyed this column, may I suggest you scroll to the top of this page and press the SUBSCRIBE box? It's FREE. Thank you for your patronage.
** Send your comments to: dwight.schwab@yahoo.com
Comments