Mid terms and special elections are about turnout. The part out of power is motivated to show up, and there is no doubt Democrats and Trump haters will be crawling over glass to vote against Trump... that’s a given. The enthusiasm gap is VERY VERY REAL.
I do think the message has to be the MAGA agenda, there may be some individual races that may be different, but at least in my part of the country, Rust Belt, you better motivate those non traditional R voters to show up and vote Republican like they did for Trump... if they don’t, you are going to see close districts swing.. and 23 districts nationally is not that many.. (if Saccone loses, its only 22 needed to swing the house).
I dont think there is a one size fits all answer to how you need to message your campaign. The type of messaging being used by Saccone, will probably be a safe bet in deep red states and deep red districts.... but its not going to get the MAGA I and D voters a reason to come to the polls IMHO.
But I do agree, as I stated on another post here, the messaging has to be about the voter and the MAGA agenda, and recognizing what 2016 was, and that the candidates are explicitly and expressly on board with it for the VOTERS.. For America.... These voters have to know you aren’t just another GOPe guy that came before, that you GET what they voted for and will fight for it...otherwise they will not show up.
I dont’ know the exact post number, but I believe its up int he 70s somewhere that I post what I think the messaging needs to be, at least in this part of the country... Because the old bread and butter R issues didn’t get these people to vote for you in the past, they aren’t going to get them to vote for you now...
The core message has to be I understand, am on board and will fight for MAGA and Trump... period... At least in this neck of the woods IMHO.
Standard republican Red meat is fine for the base, but I really don’t think its going to work for these Trump voters who are not traditional R voters.
Well, that would do it for me, FWIW. I am in a rust belt state as well and I can see a lot of Ind and non-liberal D voters taking well to such a message. It's what pushed me over to Trump to begin with. He certainly did not have a "traditional" R message. Our Governor hates him for it, but that still didn't stop Trump from copping an eight-point win statewide and 18 EVs to boot.