The RNC's first attack ad appeared this week in Iowa, and Bush's GOP strategists have let it be known that they intend to portray the eventual Democratic nominee as unpatriotic and soft on terror while playing up the neo-con doctrine of preemptive interventionism as one of Bush's strengths. I certainly hope this tactic will boomerang, but it seems clear that they are already trying to frame next year's policy debate.
Whoever emerges from the primaries as our nominee will have to:
- ) respond to Bush's attacks tit-for-tat, poking holes in his perceived strengths
- ) reframe the policy debate by speaking loudly and passionately about issues the GOP will try to ignore
- ) present an alternative vision for the country that is viable, realistic, and preferable in the eyes of most Americans to Bush's status quo
Here are some issues that we can use to shape the debate over the country's future in 2004:
Job loss and corporate governance
Scandals: Enron, Wall St., Plame, etc.
Fiscal irresponsibility and skyrocketing deficits
The environment: EPA, public lands & private contracts, Cheney's Pollution Task Force, etc.
Oil and war profiteering by GOP campaign donors
The economy: too little, too late
Lies and false promises (Iraq, No Child Left Behind, anything that comes out of his mouth)
The "Patriot" Act and its abuse of civil liberties
Bush's unilaterism and the alienation of our "allies"
Taxpayers subsidizing the pharmaceutical companies with NIH research (Senior attack ad: We paid for the research, why don't we reap the benefits when NIH gives it away to pharmaceutical companies? No wonder are our drugs so expensive...)
The list goes on and on...
Feel free to add your comments, as this is by no means a comprehensive list.