How the Red State/ Blue State Matrix Keeps the GOP on Defense.

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

If we are to believe the main stream media, the election is over, the swing states have spoken, the debates will have no impact. Prepare for four more years. They cite the polls and for further proof, their election maps showing Obama within reach of 271 electoral votes. The campaign strategists on both sides now furiously concentrating on the few remaining swing states.

The problem with all of this is that it puts on the GOP on the defensive, with many more small states to defend, while the Dems have a safe lock on California and New York as well as huge swath industrial midwestern and eastern states including Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Jersey plus a number of small states such as Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, Maine and others away from the region including New Mexico and Oregon which could theoretically flip under the right conditions. In 2008, Obama picked off three states which haven't voted for Dem presidential nominees in at least three decades: North Carolina, Virginia, and Indiana. Why then would be absolutely impossible for Romney to pick off a few states that haven't voted for Republican presidential candidates in recent years?

Under the current red state/blue state matrix, the campaign strategists and political talking heads in the media seem to have adopted the Brezhnev Doctrine with respects to the Dems and their blue states: What's mine is mine, what's yours is negotiable. The red state/blue state matrix puts the GOP at a distinct disadvantage and always playing on defense.

Why, for example, should a state like Illinois be off the map? True, it is Obama's home state. But Massachusetts is Romney's home state and no one gives him much of chance there even though he has won a victory there before running for governor. Illinois SHOULD be in play. The economy is terrible in that state, the Dems have done a terrible job governing, the state is facing huge debt, and the GOP made significant gains in that state in the 2010 midterm elections, picking up a US Senate seat, plus some house seats. True, Chicago remains one-party and safe for Obama, but the surrounding suburbs and counties are far more numerous and downstate Illinois outside of East St. Louis is fairly GOP and conservative. A state like Illinois should not be uncontested. Nor should a state like Michigan where Romney has deep roots or a state like Wisconsin where Paul Ryan is from and where the GOP made significant gains in 2010. The GOP also made very significant gains in Pennsylvania two years ago, picking up both the US Senate seat and the governor's mansion not to mention a number of House seats and the state legislature. I would think that New Jersey with Chris Christie in charge would also be at least receptive to other GOP candidates. I could go on and on with other examples as well. There are MILLIONS of Reagan Democrats that recide in these states. There should not be an iron curtain in this country prohibiting GOP presidential candidates from contesting them. It is a losing proposition for the GOP.

ADVICE FOR THE ROMNEY CAMPAIGN: Go on offense for a change. Turn the tables on Obama and start actively campaigning in these blue states. Remember the Dem's lost Ted Kennedy's senate seat in deep blue MA over voter anger about Obamacare. Romney should be actively and aggressively contesting these big industrial midwestern and eastern states. Explain what he will do once in office. Give a big speech in Philadelphia telling people he will repeal Obamacare and replace it with health savings accounts and giving consumers the ability to purchase health insurance policies across state lines.

The next day Romney should give another major speech in Chicago prmosing to REFORM our insane, byzantine, and counterproductive dysfunctional job killing tax code and replace it with a new tax code with lower marginal rates and fewer loopholes and deductions. Make it fair and understandable and most importantly pro-growth and pro job creation.

After that Romney should fly down to Albuquerque and deliver a major speech on making the US energy independent. Allow more oil drilling on federal lands, ANWR and offshore as well, develop oil shale resources, build the pipeline to Canada and increase natural gas production.

Following that day Romney should travel to eastern Ohio and the western Pennsylvania advocating increase coal production and oil production using fracking technology to recover oil in old deposits. This will put people bavk to work and make us more energy independent and lower fuel costs. People are outaged over high gasoline prices but we never hear about this on the campaign trail.

Go on offense, throw the Dems off kilter, discuss what you will do once in office and how your policies will lower health care costs, create more jobs, lower energy costs, grow the economy, and reform Washington. Campaign in the light blue states and force them Dems to defend their territory for a change. That is my advise to the Romney campaign, stay focused on jobs and the economy and economic growth, take fight to the Dems and tell the people what you will do once in office.

[pgyanke]

They did this with Reagan. The media put out the memo that Reagan was in trouble in CA in his reelection forcing him to put more resources there at the expense of Mondale’s home state. The result was a 49 state landslide instead of all 50.

The media is now trying to force Romney to spend his money in the small states and give up on CA and NY. I agree with the premise of that article. Go on offense and point out the weakness of the Dems on their accomplishments.