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Edited on Fri Dec-02-05 11:37 AM by darboy
The key to winning back Congress is to be able to knock off Repug Congresspeople who have been in their districts forever. This may seem impossible (considering a 96% reelection rate).
But, when you can't beat the person you are running against, run against someone else.
This was done very well in New Hampshire Senate race(sadly by now-senator John Sununu) in 2002. He ran against the sitting governor, Democrat Jeanne Shaheen. She was relatively popular.
One of Sununu's TV ads criticized Jeanne Shaheen's endorsement of the Democratic Nominee for governor, Mark Fernald. Mark Fernald supported an income tax, which is anathema in New Hampshire. John Sununu's ad criticized Shaheen for supporting Fernald and mentioned how he supported the income tax.
This ad was brilliant because it tied a relatively moderate and popular Shaheen with an "extreme" candidate. When I saw the ad, I thought "It's like he's running against Mark Fernald."
I think that the Democrats, as a party should do the same kind of thing in 2006. Don't run against the popular incumbent in the Repug district, run against Bush. Run against the guy with 35% popularity as opposed to the guy with 75% popularity.
I live in NYC now and I saw ads for the NJ governors race from now-Gov. Corzine. They attacked "The Bush-Forrester plan" and called Forrester "Bush's choice for NJ".
The Dem candidates for Congress should talk about Delay, "Duke" Cunningham and Bush, and tie their opponents to those people.
If we present ourselves as the alternative to the corruption and incompetence of Delay and Bush we will attract votes and force the popular incumbents to explain their support for such corruption and incompetence.
I think it is the best chance we have of making a sea-change in Congress.
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