Well stated My Fair Lady!

ToddPA on November 15, 2012 at 12:34 PM

Chin up, Brave Todd! It seems easy to lose heart in here lately…

Go full-on Atwater on the Democratic nom from day one.

And, fight the media just as hard as you fight the Democrats.

The media’s postelection narrative is that Democrats won because of a demographic shift. There is some truth to that, but a more accurate description is that Democrats won in a smaller turnout by getting out more of their vote.

But this advice:

In the first place, activists can withhold support from candidates who make reckless assaults on competitors, which happened too often this time.

Instead of stacking the primaries with strawmen to dilute the vote, run honest candidates only. That would have eliminated McCain, the loser’s loser. Same game this time.

Most people know they are being jacked by the time the primary is over, if they cared to watch

Strategically, Republicans will need to frame economic issues to better resonate with middle-class families. Mr. Romney had solid views on jobs, spending, deficits, health care and energy. But even among the 59% of voters for whom the economy was their top concern, he prevailed by only four points (51% to 47%). …

Romney had solid empathy and kindly manner. However, he assumed people understand lowering taxes boosts economy. The ones he did not convince, did not vote.

This segment assumes politicians are crooks. Should this voter help rich people get lower taxes on the honor system in hopes the rich guy hires him after the election and it is too late to retract, or should he vote for the phoney in return for bogus health care promises and longer unemployment

The people who should have been on stage at the convention were not Christie, or Newt, but a Businessman who could show with a chart how X taxes and expenses left Y for jobs. How removing a certain tax will allow so many new hires. etc Why they are going bankrupt right now. Forget the weeping and family photos. The lost voter needed more than promises on this one. They needed education at the micro level.

Republicans need not jettison their principles. But they must avoid appearing judgmental and callous on social issues. Offensive comments about rape by GOP Senate candidates in Missouri and Indiana gave the media an excuse to put social issues at the election’s center in a way that badly hurt the entire party, as well as costing Republicans two Senate seats.

The GOP must reduce the destructiveness of the presidential primaries. In the first place, activists can withhold support from candidates who make reckless assaults on competitors, which happened too often this time. Also, the Republican National Committee should limit the number of debates and, by showing wisdom in picking debate moderators, limit the media’s ability to depict the party as a fringe group.

Another idea: Holding the convention in late August made sense when candidates relied on public financing for the general election. That will never happen again. The Romney campaign had tens of millions it couldn’t spend for months until he was officially nominated on Aug. 28. Future conventions should be held as early as late June.

And hold the primaries in the swing states that voted Republican – in order of support.

deepdiver on November 15, 2012 at 12:55 PM

Interesting point..

deepdiver on November 15, 2012 at 12:55 PM

Time for a third party.

As a local business owner I attempt to correspond with my gov reps on a not irregular basis. Here’s how their responses break down over the last decade:
Kit Bond – never a single response by email, fax, phone or mail. Not even a screw off we don’t care what your opinion is.
Jim Talent – every letter/email/fax was followed by a request for money and nothing else
Roy Blunt – nothing. Nada. Just like Bond. I know he uses much of the same staff which is probably why.
Carnahan/McCaskill – 100% response rate. Even if just a position email or mailing, every single email or correspondence led to some statement of position and McCaskill’s staff have engaged in numerous email long conversations about certain topics with me.
State Level: Our last senator emailed me personally and had numerous discussions with me via email and once by phone whether or not we were agreeing on a topic. House reps … nada. Not a single response except to put me on the crap monthly email newsletter list. The last House rep was just elected senator. I didn’t vote for him even though he ran unopposed. I won’t vote for him in the future.
(We have had the same House Rep the entire time and as I have had an ongoing personal relationship with their local office I always get a response from them so that is an outlier.)

So, my experience in my little corner of the world is that the (D) elected officials, even if I am apoplectic about some vote, always respond directly and on topic to my concerns even if a canned position statement. The (R) elected officials with 2 exceptions haven’t even had the courtesy to send me “go f-yourself email”. GOTV? Stay in touch with constituents?. Nope. Actually, several of Talent’s MO state level staff (yes, I talked to several personally after the election) blame his loss to Carnahan directly on this failure.

I don’t know how this would track nation wide but I have a feeling that it may not be much different elsewhere.

Yep. Moderate GOPers. That’s something none of you squishes have tackled yet: the fact that Obama won the moderate vote. It’s your 800-pound gorilla.

ddrintn on November 15, 2012 at 12:46 PM

Moderate GOPers that voted for your conservative congressman because he’s more conservative than a moderate presidential candidate. Makes all the sense in the world. What are you, 8?

ddrintn on November 15, 2012 at 12:38 PM

Hey, I’m as big of a Palin supporter as anyone….
BUT, all this speculation on how she would’ve fared in
the Primaries is just that-Speculation.

She has to run……with her, unlike other potential
candidates, I think we’ll know very quickly, if she has
enough support to win. IMO.

Also, IMO, her speech as CPAC was one of the best speeches
ever given at that event…she blew away every person running
who spoke there (Gingrich, Romney, Santorum, and a few others)
Unfortunately, she was not a candidate….