This article was listed on "The Saturday Roundup" at The Hill. According to the article, The Dems not only have a "messaging problem", even worse, they lack the entusiasm to try to fix the problem - even if they had sufficient time to do so, which they likely do not.
The Dems deserve what they get. Just as people blamed Bush for the Dem successes, they should blame Obama for the expected Republican success in November. Well, Nancy and Harry share some of the blame, as well. Let's give credit where it's due. What We Learned: Dems' Messaging Problems June 19, 2010 11:21 AM
Another week gone, another week closer to Aug., the effective end of the legislative year. Here's what this week taught us: -- Dems not only have an enthusiasm gap problem, they have a messaging problem. This week's NPR poll should be a wake-up for the party; it showed virtually every possible message matchup favors the GOP -- by double digits. But the news is so bad that the wake-up call may not be much good. At this point, Dems have to come up with new messages, and there's not a lot of time left to change the narrative. -- Dems suffered a setback this week when the DISCLOSE Act encountered opposition from just about every interest group on Capitol Hill. Aimed at reducing the financial influence of corporations on this year's midterms, chief sponsor Chris Van Hollen thought he'd overcome the final hurdle by making a deal with the NRA. But progressives, Blue Dogs and the CBC cried foul, and Dem leadership had to pull the bill on Friday. -- After chastising the Supreme Court in the now-infamous State of the Union showdown with Justice Samuel Alito, can Pres. Obama really back a campaign finance bill that's loaded up with backroom deals for special interest groups like the NRA? -- The GOP, which overwhelmingly opposes the new disclosure rules, didn't have to lift a finger to derail the bill -- Dem infighting did it for them. Now, joked one GOP strategist, the minority party just has to figure out how to get Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) to switch parties. -- This is how bad Dems have it these days: Some party strategists really think Barton's apology, and statements from Reps. Tom Price (R-GA) and Michele Bachmann (R-MN), will sustain them through Election Day. -- Credit where credit is due: House GOPers immediately recognized Barton's boneheaded gaffe and rolled him about as fast as they could. That insulated the party from the worst of the attacks. But only 2 members -- Reps. Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Jo Bonner (R-AL) -- have called for Barton's resignation from the Energy and Commerce Committee. If Barton keeps his job, we'll see his face, and his apology, in campaign ads this fall. -- Polling -- both public (NPR) and private (from nearly a dozen Dem-held CDs) -- show GOPers strongly positioned for the fall. But while those surveys are instructive, the relative silence from Dems may be even more telling: In many races where GOPers have released poll numbers, Dems haven't released their own polls pushing back. -- The ongoing feud between IN Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) and ex-AR Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) is good for both sides. Daniels is sticking to his "truce" proposal, and getting good ink in the Washington Post for it, while Huckabee has taken several opportunities to pick a fight -- and raise his profile among his socially conservative base. We're not sold on Daniels' candidacy, but if he wants to run, he's making the right early moves. -- Self-funders are in control in FL, CT and CA races, but they have to be careful. Their money lets them drive the conversation, but the way they earned it can ultimately prove more a burden than an asset. Their business background will be a main focus both for and against CT SEN's Linda McMahon, CA SEN's Carly Fiorina, FL GOV's Rick Scott and FL SEN's Jeff Greene. http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/06/what_we_learned_11.php
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It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony
It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.... Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less. ~Susan B. Anthony
