Republican Strategy May Prevent Landslide Election

Red State ^ | 10 September 2014 | Erick Erickson

[Publius]

“The only thing the ‘prevent defense’ does it prevent you from winning,” quipped legendary NFL coach and broadcaster John Madden. Conservatives, therefore, should be terrified to read this week that the House Republican leadership’s goal for September is “to play prevent defense,” according to The Hill newspaper.

The Republican leadership’s logic is tempting at first glance: Conservatives have reason to be cautiously optimistic about the 2014 elections. Unfortunately, this initial temptation does not stand up to stricter scrutiny. The reason Republicans are in a good position for this election is because they created a favorable contrast between themselves and the President in 2013, the election is too close at this point to coast, and Republicans need more than just a narrow victory to feel confident about their chances after 2016.

Conservatives had an extremely successful year in 2013. Conservatives stymied President Obama’s gun control agenda, prevented major tax increases following on the fiscal cliff tax hikes, spent most of the year defending the sequester spending cuts before they were foolishly thrown away at the end of the year, and – most importantly – kept the country focused on the disaster that is Obamacare.

These were important policy goals and, as former House Majority Leader Dick Armey famously pointed out, “good policy is good politics.” President Obama started 2013 with a 53.4 percent approval rating in the RealClearPolitics average of polls. He ended the year at 42.6 percent. Similarly, Democrats started the year with a +7 percentage point advantage on the Generic Congressional Ballot. By year end, that lead had evaporated.

[Publius]

Interesting take. The author could have referenced the 1948 presidential election for a precedent.

[Uncle Miltie]

Snatching Defeat from the jaws of Victory, GOPe!

[FlingWingFlyer]

The “prevent defense” always used to drive me crazy too. Madden is right! BOOM!

[Vigilanteman]

. . . spent most of the year defending the sequester spending cuts before they were foolishly thrown away at the end of the year . . .

That's the moment I lost it with Paul Ryan: Snookered into this "compromise" by the dumbest member of the U.S. Senate, Particia Bin Murray.

This, after he lost a debate to Joe Biden in 2012.

[GeronL]

The GOPe are a bunch of idiots

[Logical me]

Who gives a damn anyway. America is almost finished and the next couple of years will finish destroying to a point that it would take generations to correct. And that depends if we do not elect more of the same rotten politicians that are so corrupt it make a bank robber look tame.

[Publius]

I'd like to see something like the 1994 "Contract with America", but we don't have anyone in the House with the brains, strategic thinking, communications skills and pure moxie that Gingrich had. Our bench is weak there.

In the Senate, we have Cruz, Lee and Paul, but we would need someone like Palin with the communications skills to put it across.

[Cementjungle]

If anyone can screw this up, the GOP can. They have a lot of practice in this area.

[VRW Conspirator]

The stupid party.

[Raycpa]

the prevent defense strategy is a huge improvement over the “give them what they want so they don’t say bad things about us” strategy used so far.

[JRandomFreeper]

Only when liberal republicans are utterly and completely politically destroyed, can the US have conservative governance.

You can get rid of the liberals from one party, and that party ain't the Dems.

/johnny

[laplata]

You’re right. Besides, the consensus among many people who should know is the economy will collapse in 2015. That will be a game changer.

[Vendome]

Just keep sending Mitt Romney on all the talk shows.

That won’t supress anything.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

"We aren't going to do anything because somebody will be pissed off at anything we do! Vote for us!"

[wagglebee]

It's the midterm election of a second term presidency, the party out of the White House is SUPPOSED to make considerable gains, but at the rate things a going the GOP won't even fair as well as the Democrats did in 1986 and that was against Reagan near the height of his popularity.

[Vendome]

Whahhhh?!?!???

Another thinker like me?

We’re crazies...

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Republican Stupidity May Prevent Landslide Election.

[taildragger]

Besides, the consensus among many people who should know is the economy will collapse in 2015. That will be a game changer.

Not in disagreement with you, however, your sources please?...

I agree with many of the posters, I so expect the GOP to muck it up and not take the Senate.

[JRandomFreeper]

You aren't crazy. America is starving for real conservative action, in word and deed.

Unfortunately, we only have Dems and Pubs.

/johnny

[Nifster]

snapping defeat from the jaws of victory since 1988