GOP tries to school candidates to avoid disaster

Associated Press ^ | Jan 27, 2014 4:40 PM EST | Thomas Beaumont

[Olog-hai]

Having watched several promising campaigns collapse in 2012 after candidates made catastrophic mistakes, national Republican leaders are leaving nothing to chance as they prepare for this year’s midterm elections.

They’re summoning contenders—especially those who seem inexperienced, unpredictable or inclined to provocative opinions—to first-of-a-kind training at the GOP’s Senate campaign headquarters to learn, in part, what not to say and how not to say it. […]

Since the GOP’s disappointing 2012 showing, party attention has focused on the mistakes made. In addition to the Indiana and Missouri meltdowns and presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s defeat, campaign problems contributed to unforeseen Senate losses in North Dakota and Montana.

Conservative fundraisers like Karl Rove have vowed full-scale efforts to recruit better contenders and sidetrack problematic ones. …

[Viennacon]

Which is why he’s already kneecapping conservative senate challengers

[Engedi]

Yeah like Rand Paul and the demonizing women response...using Bill Clinton and Monica as an example against the Dems...seriously, is this the best he could come up with?

I mean how about that article of women working for Dems in Congress and under Obama, how the men make more then they do???

How about calling women the c word like they do the conservative women? How about making fun of women with handicapped children, like conservative women have...etc

How about that article from a woman who berated stay home moms?

[Steve_Seattle]

"Republicans/conservatives have to run against Democrats AND the media/comedian complex. The media will magnify anything not stated exactly so and do so with the malicious intent of damaging Republican candidates. They do not do so with Democrats."

We saw that principle in action just last week. Andrew Cuomo's exclusionist comments about people who oppose abortion and gay marriage and support gun rights went virtually unnoticed by the mainstream press, whereas a deliberately distorted version of Huckabee's comments on women drew national comment and derision.

[Scotswife]

We already know those will be the questions! The dumb ones will insist on stepping in dog poo and say things like ... Well a woman’s body has a way of shutting down after a rape and naturally protects her from pregnancy.

If they can’t prepare a somewhat intelligent response - then it’s like Bill Murray in Groundhog’s Day.

[Scotswife]

Lol!
Reminds me of, “I am not a dictator!”

[Scotswife]

Wouldn’t it be nice if republican candidates had the guts to compile those things into campaign ads to highlight their hypocrisy?

[RitaOK]

Excellent points, all!

Rand threw a stink bomb at Bill Clinton, an easy target, low hanging fruit, but whom younger voters might see as a very thin, old man who has coronary heart disease and a homely wife.

[RitaOK]

:)

[RobbyS]

I see the hidden hand of the Bushes. Now they are running George P. for a state-wide office here in Texas. A small shrub, indeed, but they will try to promote him. I wish Reagan had persuaded Ford to serve under him in 1981, but then,it seems that Jerry was, under that bland exterior, an angry man.