Drive By Media. The general public don't know it if the media won't tell it and tell it often. John Q. Public likes catchy slogans like "Its time for a change" or "throw the bums out!"
the one thing Rove supposedly taught everyone was that the secret to winning elections was to energize the base. Hannity, Limbaugh, etc. would have been glad to have helped energize that segment that would have voted on this theme that sat home instead because they weren't as energized by the war in Iraq as they are by the WOT.