Now that Labor Day has come and gone, we have arrived at the traditional starting gateof the fall campaign. After consulting with a slew of Republican Party establishment consultants, otherwise known as the brightest political minds in America, I have come up with a list of the top 10 campaign slogans for the 2014 election.
10. McConnell for Senate Majority Leader: Hey, at least he's not a Marxist.
9. All the policies you don't want, no matter who wins.
8. Winning by default: GOP victory 2014!
7. Elections have consequences, except for this one.
6. Watch John Boehner negotiate with himself another two years.
5. Vote Republican: Find out how many lawless executive orders one president can sign
that he won't be held accountable for.
4. Common Core make I smrt!
3. Re-arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic: Vote November 4th!
2. Contract on America: Vote Democrat 2014.
1. You ever been to a Turkish prison?
With "inspirational" catch phrases like this all the rage, is it any wonder why voter enthusiasm for this fall is the lowest it's ever been? I believe there is a simple, yet powerful message Republicans running for office this fall can win with — whether they’re running for U.S. Senate or a state/local race.
Strategically, the Republicans should nationalize this election no matter what office they’re running for. Polls show people hate Congress, but almost always re-elect their own incumbents. The same is true on a state level, too. Often the larger narrative in these contests gets lost amid more parochial concerns, such as “so-and-so” is a nice guy, do-gooder, etc. To cut through that, Republicans need to provide voters a sharp contrast that prompts (demands) their response. Here it is:
“My opponent, brought to you by the same people that gave you Obamacare, Common Core, ISIS, and the border crisis.”
That’s it. Simple, yet powerful. Easy for voters to remember, but not so easy for Democrats to insulate themselves from. A new ad in the Arkansas U.S. Senate race is an example of exactly how to do this: This is what it looks like when conservatives actually want to win. If Republicans don’t receive a mandate on November 4th from voters who are clearly angry/disappointed with Obummer, they’ll only have themselves to blame (again).