Dems Hurting, Clinton 'Has Stolen Their Soul,' Says GOP Strategist

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 12/13/02 | Christine Hall

[kattracks]

(CNSNews.com) - If Democrats want to point fingers for their dismal showing in the 2002 elections, they should start with former President Bill Clinton, according to Republican consultant Alex Castellanos.

Despite Clinton's fundraising prowess, Democrats are reeling because the former president has "stolen their soul," attempting to be on both sides of every issue, Castellanos said. Democrats are currently lurching left, he added, evidenced by Al Gore's surprise advocacy for universal health care.

Castellanos spoke at a Washington, D.C. conference hosted by the University of Virginia's Center for Politics and the National Journal publication, The Hotline .

Andy Grossman, political director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, warned that Republicans will have many campaign promises to fulfill before they can count on future victories.

Republicans succeeded by making themselves, "less harmful" in the past election, campaigning in favor of Medicare prescription drugs and against Social Security privatization, said Grossman.

Michael Matthews, political director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Democrats were placed at a disadvantage by superior GOP fundraising (outspending Democrats by $10 million) and by issues surrounding national defense and homeland security in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Ken Mehlman, White House director of political affairs, credited the statewide appeal of Republican candidates, demographic shifts, GOP issue positions, grassroots efforts and the president's popularity for the outcome of the "incredibly historic" mid-term election.

Forty percent of the electorate this year was conservative, the highest percentage since the Republican sweep in 1994, said Mehlman, quoting a Democracy Corps study. And swing voters like senior citizens, women and union workers were more favorable towards the GOP this year.

Mehlman noted that 2002 marked the first time the president's party has won back the Senate in a mid-term and only the second time the party in charge of the White House has gained seats in the House in the middle of a term. Republicans also gained almost 300 seats in state legislatures, rather than losing the usual average of 360 seats, Mehlman said.

He added that congressional redistricting after the 2000 census helped Republican candidates. And Mehlman marveled at the large number of "Bush Democrats" during the just concluded election campaign - candidates, he said, who portrayed themselves as supporters of the president but who didn't campaign in concert with Democratic leaders like Al Gore, Dick Gephardt or Tom Daschle.

That's "particularly unusual for an off-year election," said Mehlman.

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[doosee]

Republicans succeeded by making themselves, "less harmful" in the past election, campaigning in favor of Medicare prescription drugs and against Social Security privatization, said Grossman.


This hits the ultimate winning strategy perfectly. As long as Republicans can be painted as being against improved medical care and coverage, the electorate will sustain a measure of distrust to conservatives. Republican leadership should move toward a bold strategy to phase in some form of guaranteed medical care in exchange for a new tax strategy that eliminates the IRS and moves us to a national sales tax. Income tax should be eliminated. Very simple, people love the idea of removing health care worries while most abhor the income tax and the IRS.

[Rain-maker]

Enraged, the masses turn on Bubba and Hitlery this week. The mob burned down the Clinton library and exiled them to a remote Alabama swamp district...

[nightdriver]

"Very simple, people love the idea of removing health care worries while most abhor the income tax and the IRS."

Of course. The sheeple labor under the delusion that if the gubmint provides it, it doesn't cost us anything.

Any politician can get elected if he says "Give me your vote and I will take care of you." FDR called it "New Deal," JFK called it "New Frontier," LBJ called it "Great Society." It's still socialism, creeping or otherwise.

[Mr. Bird]

Republicans succeeded by making themselves, "less harmful" in the past election, campaigning in favor of Medicare prescription drugs and against Social Security privatization, said Grossman.

NOT true. Two prominent Senate winners, Dole and Sununu, campaigned heavily on versions of Social Security "privatization". Long term, it's a winner.

[PGalt]

Good point. Throw in Carter's MISERY INDEX and the Clinton Criminals CRIME SPREE, and your always left with a mess to clean up from ANTI-FREEDOM SOCIALISTS.

[OldFriend]

There is a false assumption that democrats have a soul. From what I have seen they have no honor, integrity, or a love for our republic.

They attract others of the same ilk to join their party. To assume they are honorable is to imperil our country.

[dyed_in_the_wool]

It's funny, but in his article the other day, E.J. Dionned cited Mary Landrieu for running AGAINST Bush and very independantly.
He completely ignored her conservative positions (like being pro-Life) and the fact that clinton essentially had to call blacks in the middle of the night to help her.
Can't let those facts get out there.

[lavrenti]

They may have no soul, but that doesn't stop them from winning elections.

It's all about the ends, never the means.

[Cincinatus]

Dems Hurting, Clinton 'Has Stolen Their Soul,'

Isn't that what Satan does?

[GOPJ]

bump for a great headline...

[mewzilla]

What soul?

[friendly]

Are you kidding me? The Clintons are the best thing for the Republicans since the Civil War.

May they reign over the democrats for a generation!!

[txoilman]

Democrats do have a soul. The problem is that some have sold their souls to the devil in exchange for political power.

[caprock]

. . .the former president has "stolen their soul,"

Also, those Dims who haven't lost their souls by theft have willingly given their souls to beelzebubba and his boss (Hitlery) and his boss' boss (Beelzebub).

[N. Theknow]

Saying Clinton stole Democrats' soul is like me saying I stole a homeless couple Mercedes.

How can something that doesn't exist be stolen?

[oyez]

They would be safe in the swamps. Aligators, skunks and copperheads would extend profesional courtesy.

[OldFriend]

Mary even ran campaign ads showing her with the president. How convenient to ignore the fact that she wouldn't have bubba or any of his minions anywhere near her campaign and even slid Marxine Waters in under the radar screen.

The left can lie but no longer get away with their lies......WE ARE HERE WATCHING

[victim soul]

You are correct when you said:

" The left can lie but no longer get away with their lies......WE ARE HERE WATCHING"

" Forty percent of the electorate this year was conservative, the highest percentage since the Republican sweep in 1994, said Mehlman, quoting a Democracy Corps study. And swing voters like senior citizens, women and union workers were more favorable towards the GOP this year."

[OldFriend]

Those 36 days of dem shenanagans showed the country what the dems and their cohorts in the media were all about. It was over the Christmas holidays and many people were home watching the events live on CSPAN......then at night they would watch the mainstream media outright lie about events the people had seen for themselves. That was the beginning of the end of the lefts power to lie and get away with it.