If anyone caught today's
roll call, but there's a fascinating article regarding the upcoming Vermont Senate race involving Bernie Saunders. An excerpt:
Republicans have decided that the usual tactic of branding their opponents as liberals will not work in the case of Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Instead, they are focusing on what they describe as his thin record in advance of next year's Senate race.
<sound of me snipping>
"Is Sanders someone who is liked in Vermont and been re-elected with ease? Of course," said NRSC spokesman Brian Nick. "So trying to tarnish him or telling the people of Vermont that he is a left-wing radical is not really going to turn heads because they already know that."
My conclusion on the flip...
So, what the NRSC is saying is that if you openly embrace yourself as a liberal and fully welcome any references to you being left of mainstream, you make it a non-issue and they will be forced to actually battle you on the topics?
(The article goes on to say that the NRSC is now portraying Saunders as ineffective at getting legislation passed, another sneaky trick, but one for another thread).
What I'm interested in is that this seems to confirm the belief by many on this site in particular that left is the way to go on the issues and that we all need to embrace our inner Teddy Kennedy. Now, I am not necessarily of that school of thought, as anyone who searches my comment history can tell. But I do have a robust inner-Kennedy, and its been pretty sick of the demonization of the word liberal.
On the other hand, we are looking at Vermont. Good ole quirky Vermont where Republicans win by splitting Democrats with Liberals. So it's a bit hard to see how this translates into greater victory or strategy for the party. Still, its interesting to see it publicly admitted by Republicans....and maybe, just maybe, sends the message that liberal ain't the bad word it used to be....but that's just me.
Read the article, its worth the time.