Message Misery

2010-02-22 - byGary Pearce

The best message in politics is always: “It’s Time for a Change.”

That worked like a charm for Democrats in 2006 and 2008. Voters were anxious, angry and ready to throw out the bums in power in Washington.

Nothing has changed this year – except Democrats are now the bums in power.

Democratic governors – many of them up for election this year – worried this weekend that President Obama’s message hasn’t connected.

It hasn’t. People still like Obama. But he’s reduced to arguing that his stimulus bill saved jobs and the economy.

Unlike Ronald Reagan, who also took office in tough economic times, Obama isn’t selling a popular cure. Reagan was selling lower taxes. Obama, when you get down to it, is selling more spending.

Republicans believe they’re on the right side of the winning message this year. So why should they do anything responsible – like solving the debt crisis or protecting millions of Americans from ruinous medical bills?

Likely as not, Republicans will win big enough this fall to once again become part of the bums in power in Washington.

Once they do, they’ll have a choice the next two years: Do something responsible – or just try to beat Obama in 2012. They’ll pick the latter.

Once Obama wins reelection against Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty or whatever loser the GOP nominates (it won’t be Sarah Palin, though she or Ron Paul may be the Ross Perot of 2012), maybe something will get done.

Until then, Americans apparently will just have to hang on and hope for the best.

Posted in General, National Democrats, National Republicans

Gary Pearce

Message Misery

2010-02-22/Gary Pearce