See #11, by Mind-numbed Robot, for your answer.
We're not going to win by playing political games. We're going to win by winning the electorate. And Slickster recognizes that. He's not maneuvering over legislation or positions--he's aiming for what's behind it all--the voters.
And he knows it's those mushy moderates who swing things, not the liberals or conservatives (who provide the anchored base or let go, but don't swing things).
Putting aside my basic disagreement that the hugely overrated “independents/moderates” decide elections, what part SPECIFICALLY of the Tea Party platform should we compromise to please this amorphous group of apathetic, rudderless voters.
It is much better to educate them on what REAL conservatism means.
True to some degree. But you don’t need to use ideology to get the votes of the nonideological.
1) Keep base happy. They’re happy, they turnout.
2) Appeal to others some other way. Christine. Pretty young female appeals to people.
You don’t change your positions. That only pisses off the base. They stay home, you lose. You get the nomination by pleasing the base, proving you’re a good conservative. Then, you can stop talking about conservative stuff. You can talk about yourself then. Or whatever you think will appeal to certain demographics. Or whatever. Conservative is an ideology. Liberal is an ideology. That’s it. Moderate and Independent is code for “huh?”
I talked to a lot of people last night. I don’t think anyone volunteered the word liberal or conservative. But hate politicians, definitely. These are gettable 18-29s.
We think that 18-29s are liberal because they vote for a guy who is younger than their grandpa.
We think that the Northeast is Liberal because they don’t really like cowboys.