Stand for Something, Dammit!

Too many Republicans have left the campaign field open to domination by slimeballs and slime hurled at them. Not having earned trust, they are more vulnerable to character attacks, even false or exaggerated.

In November, I’ll vote for Republican candidates, although my heart is hurt by many in the Party’s fiscal or personal irresponsibility. I’ll do so, not out of trust but because on most other issues I agree more with them than their Democrat opponents and because I sincerely more fear for our national and financial security under Democrats. That’s hardly a stirring campaign advisory, and some ordinarily Republican voters may feel otherwise, feeling their trust has been abused.

Democrat political consultant Daniel Nelson offers his party good advice, that Republicans should also hear: “It’s not about the issues – it’s about earning trust.”

You'd think that elections this November and in 2008 would yield Democratic victories, hands down. It won't happen. Not, at least, until Democrats understand the fundamentals of political behavior. … It's not enough for Democrats to repeat: "We have had enough." They have to tell people what they'd get if elected. And they have to create trust in their ability to make Americans more secure.

Part of that feeling of trust is trust in integrity and probity. Instead, even trumped up by hostile politicians and press, there’s too much evidence of too many incumbent Republicans more interested in feeding at the trough instead of feeding our needs and confidence, and too many incumbent Republicans weaseling away from supporting our brave, resolute and honest President because they’re too timid to stand for anything.

The Washington Post reports that, in the Democrats' absence of a platform, or at least one they’re willing to share with voters or come clean about, they’re peddling personal attacks upon Republicans, hoping that something may marginally stick.

In the wake of the Mark Foley page scandal, Democrats are targeting the personal lives of Republicans in numerous key House races as part of a campaign to capitalize on voter disgust with the messy personal lives and alleged character defects among elected officials.
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Former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie said Democrats are dangerously close "to overreaching" in their attacks, risking a political backlash like the one that damaged Republicans after they pushed for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton over the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal in 1998. Democratic operatives said they are aware of this possibility but are calculating that, as long as the attacks are at the local level, they will not backfire.
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A big part of the Democratic strategy in Pryce's district and elsewhere is to suppress turnout among Christian conservatives, a pillar of the GOP coalition.

Republicans, so far, mostly act like deer stuck in the headlights. There will be some return mud-slinging, but the core Republican message of security abroad, and future economic prosperity, is not trusted by many normally sympathetic who, instead, see just another Washington BS’er.

Republican candidates have only a few weeks to restore trust, and probably won’t. But, sinking deeper into Democrats’ mudpit won’t be very beneficial either. Better to stand or fall on integrity and trust than slime that will make the road back more slippery and populated by slippery characters and records in campaigning.