"How many times do we charge up the hill and run straight into enemy
fire before we figure this shit out?"
I remember an angry Republican asking that question to no one in
particular in a crowded GOP conference. The government was shut down,
the public was testy and Bill Clinton was once again pounding a GOP
Congress more interested in ideological purity than practical results.
This week's Moveon.org dust-up reminded me of that time when we
Republicans led with our hearts and got pounded in our faces. We loved
bathing in self-righteous indignation. Our base loved it too. But the
practical results were always the same: we scared little children,
household pets and crossover voters. It was a really great way to
alienate the voters we needed the most.
Whoever dreamed up the ad questioning the loyalty of Iraq's top
soldier would have fit in great with those of us who drove the
political agenda in 1995 -- and guaranteed Bill Clinton's re-election
in 1996. While I'm sure Move On's ad locked down the base in Manhattan
and Madison, Democrats need to be more concerned with wooing voters in
Tampa and Toledo.
I know this post will generate nasty emails. Every time I dare to tell
Democrats how they can avoid the mistakes we Republicans made in the
past, I am told to mind my own business. To those who are so offended,
my apologies. Go ahead and spend the next year kicking around Generals
and God. While you're at it, attack the Boy Scouts and burn a few
flags for the hell of it.
You're right. Great election strategy. What was I thinking?
But for those who who actually want to win the White House in 2008,
call your friends in liberal organizations and tell them to take a
deep breath before they decide again to attack soldiers in a war zone.
Come on. This really shouldn't be that hard. The White House is the
Democrats' to lose.
The president and his war are overwhelmingly unpopular.
The social issues that used to pull conservatives to the polls (guns,
gays and God) are now so overshadowed by Mr. Bush's war that a
pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay New York mayor is running away
with the GOP primary.
Add in the fact that Republican senators are getting caught in
bathroom stalls and whorehouses and one wonders what the Democrats
could possibly do to give George Bush the upper hand with swing
voters.
Oh yeah. They could attack a highly decorated general.
Ugh. It's deja vu all over again.