Posted on 09/10/2006 12:31:01 PM PDT by wjersey
Republicans are planning to spend the vast majority of their sizable financial war chest over the final 60 days of the campaign attacking Democratic House and Senate candidates over personal issues and local controversies, GOP officials said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee, which this year dispatched a half-dozen operatives to comb through tax, court and other records looking for damaging information on Democratic candidates, plans to spend more than 90 percent of its $50 million-plus advertising budget on what officials described as negative ads.
The hope is that a vigorous effort to "define" opponents, in the parlance of GOP operatives, can help Republicans shift the midterm debate away from Iraq and limit losses this fall. The first round of attacks includes an ad that labeled a Democratic candidate in Wisconsin "Dr. Millionaire" and noted that he has sued 80 patients.
"Opposition research is power," said Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (N.Y.), the NRCC chairman. "Opposition research is the key to defining untested opponents."
The Republican National Committee, meanwhile, has enlisted veteran party strategist Terry Nelson to run a campaign that will coordinate with Senate Republicans on ads that similarly will rely on the best of the worst that researchers have dug up on Democrats. The first ad run by the new RNC effort criticizes Ohio Rep. Sherrod Brown (D) for voting against proposals designed to toughen border protection and deport illegal immigrants.
Because challengers tend to be little-known compared with incumbents, they are more vulnerable to having their public image framed by the opposition through attacks and unflattering personal revelations.
And with polls showing the Republicans' House and Senate majorities in jeopardy, party strategists said they have concluded that their best chance to prevent big Democratic gains is a television and direct-mail blitz over the next eight weeks
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
But that right, it only an attack when the GOP does it in the Junk Media's wacko world.
Bringing up a candidate's voting record is hardly getting personal.
It's about time we fight back!
Last Sunday the post covered was all about the democrats, and it was all positive for them.
This is the 'balance' week, and so they have several stories about republicans, all negative.
Why officials in the RNC make the comments attributed to them, I don't know.
But I read the story, and it's not about getting "personal", in the sense people will understand that word. It's about finding out who the democrats are, what their records are, and making sure the voters know about it.
When you are being attacked by opponents who have no plans, what else are you doing to do? You can't really point out that their proposals will harm the country, because they don't have any proposals.
for writing that Republicans have bad hair and haircuts and bad taste in clothing (even in dressing their children)
while Democrats have good hair and haircuts and good taste in clothes.
Otherwise know as the Helms-Method. Generally it involves telling the uncomfortable truth about your opponent. I'll never forget Harvey Gantt's lips muttering "sex selection" in slow motion.
And why not show the opposition for the "empty suits" they really are? In addition to having no alternative agenda other than Bush Hate and Cut 'N Run from Iraq why not show them up for their sliminess?
There's still a breed of lame brain that espouses a "Let's get rid of the Rebublicans cuz they have f'd everything up so bad,... ANYTHING would be better."
Actually nothing could be worse than that moronic bit of self deception...these types are actually aiding and abetting America's enemies...aiming at total government collapse.
Who is that man in the dark blue rainhat?
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