Recent postings here, especially today's touting of the Busby ad running in CA-50 slagging her GOPer opponent on his "lax stand on border security" plus the numerous stories on conservatives quitting on Republicans show me we are inching toward the theory I've had for a long time: To regain power, Democrats should court the
REAL conservatives. Here's why and how:
I think it's safe to say that the radical right is not made up so much of "one issue voters" as they are "one ideology voters." Fail any of their litmus tests and you don't get their votes--abortion, guns, gays, death penalty, end-stages of life (i.e., Schiavo--odd how they can be pro-death penalty yet anti-death with dignity, and not to mention anti-choice), intelligent design, "kill the infidels," flag-burning, and government censorship of "objectionable" materials come quickly to mind. On the other hand,
REAL fiscal conservatives saw our money in vastly better order under Clinton.
REAL foreign policy conservatives opposed Clinton's intervention in Bosnia, though it ultimately worked, and oppose "nation building" (Remember when Bushie Boy said that during the first Gore debate? How right he was).
REAL Constitutional conservatives oppose amendments on gay marriage as violative of the 10th Amendment and see domestic spying for the rampant violation that it is.
REAL law and order conservatives must be aghast at what the Republicans in Washington have done.
REAL judicial conservatives know that judges must rule on the laws that are passed--or not passed--rather than on what they think the social agenda should be.
EVERYONE wants secure borders no matter how they come out on the treatment of illegals in-country.
ANYONE who just leans conservative on one or more of these issues, it stands to reason is probably closer to center or left-of-center on some of the others.
You don't have to get all of them. Just convince a special few that they've backed the wrong horse on the issue nearest and dearest to them. Attack the opponent's strength and diminish, or even neutralize it. Nibble at their base while taking away some of the issues that might have brought the swing voters over to the dark side. The GOP base is angry, divided, struggling and disillusioned. Now is the time to sow doubts, if not win converts. At worst, make the rich bastards spend money keeping "their own."
Then, treat your own base well and let it do the rest. This would be just like the GOP courted splinters away from the Dems' "FDR-LBJ coalition" to win their majorities in recent years.
When it works, we can send a fruit basket to Karl Rove thanking him for the idea ... if those are allowed in Cell Block H.