Crossposted at Just Plain Folk
This seems like a clear sign that the Republicans know they've screwed up any chance of being able to even run the pretense of a "moderate" or "centrist" campaign:
Protection of marriage amendment? Check. Anti-flag burning legislation? Check. New abortion limits? Check.
Between now and the November elections, Republicans are penciling in plans to take action on social issues important to religious conservatives, the foundation of the GOP base, as they defend their congressional majority.
What does this mean we should look for? What we always see when they know they've screwed up. In a nutshell, shrill, piercing appeals to social fear designed to fire up the base, and attacks designed to disgust everyone else enough that they won't vote.
Step inside for ideas about what to do
Knowing that, what do we do? First of all, forget the high road. We have all the evidence we need that that loses elections. If you haven't figured out by now that an ignored attack reinforces the attack, you need to find a new line of business. This should be very obvious, but spend time analyzing what you think they will see as your weakest points and make them strengths. At the very least, build your defenses now. Here is some insight into what people think when you ignore an attack - "if you can't defend yourself, how are you going to defend your country?"
Second, play your own fear card. All you have to do is point people to look out their front doors and they'll be scared to death. Don't worry about facts and figures; people don't need a chart to know that the economy they are living with stinks. They know that Iraq was a big mistake and has done nothing but make us weaker and less secure.
Here is the trump card - if we're paying $3.00 a gallon for gas at the beginning of summer, what's going to happen if there is another hurricane in the gulf, or if they pull off their plan to attack Iran, or both?
And here is a little script you can use:
GOP ATTACKER: Candidate X is for gay marriage so she/he hates American families.
CANDIDATE X: Which are you more afraid of - two guys getting married in California, or paying $6.00 a gallon for gas to get to your job that may be shipped overseas any day now forcing you to support your family by working at Taco Hut for a minimum wage that hasn't been increased in years?
Finally, give them some hope and a reason to go out to vote. Fancy plans are nice, but if you make them too complicated, people's eyes will glaze over and it will have the same effect as having no plan at all. Communicate your plan through simple language.
Another script:
CANDIDATE X: "Are you scared about your family's future? Then do something about it now. I promise to you that I will spend my time working on issues that affect your everyday life. My opponent will spend their time in strategy meetings. Planning what? Planning how to keep you scared about unimportant things so you're distracted from how much worse off you are. If you're tired of being afraid, I can do something about it"
Who am I to be giving advice to candidates? No one really. My only political credential is being an average voter who is tired of seeing the GOP circus come into town every 2 years and being screwed when the show is over.