Posted on 10/02/2018 8:54:27 AM PDT by SMGFan
me too.
Apparently no one in this party except Trump knows how to campaign, and he’s too busy being POTUS to run their campaigns for them.
Too many “consultants” who actually think guys like Jeb! are the ticket. Need to fire them all.
> Casey always coasts, his MO is to not campaign because he has ZERO people or campaign skills... But the GOP just keep running non starters against him. <
Very true. The GOP should run a fiery, gutsy Palin-type candidate. But instead they keep running bland, interchangeable nobodies.
To be fair, I think Barletta seems good enough, certainly better than that last yutz they ran against Casey... But you never see him.... one ad once a week or something isn’t going to push out even a non discript incumbent.
He rode into office because Santorum had burned so many bridges, and just keeps getting a pass by the GOP.
He’s a Canadian last I heard.
He is popular in Western PA, I've donated several times, but I don't see much on tv and there are no live spots, like debates with casey.
Casey is an empty suit, but his ad are on 24/7 and if you don't know better, they sound good.
I think the pubbies abandoned PA in 2018.
I have been seeing ads with Casey and steel workers where he is taking credit for tariffs on American Steel. If Wagner and Barletta are short on cash they should team up and hold events with each other rather than whining that their opponents won’t debate. Do several a day... Make some news. Come to central PA and shake it up... The local radio in Harrisburg would Let them call in every day and have a bully pulpit. Use it - If that doesn’t work call the little stations in Chambersburg and similar towns, - Anything to show that they actually care.
Again the problem isn’t just lack of money, its there is honestly NO INTEREST... no motivation, no enthusiasm no nothing....
Honestly If I was Barletta, I wouldn’t want to be seen with Wagner, he’s a dead fish... And I don’t mean that he’s a literal dead fish, but that he probably competes with Bob Casey when it comes to being a non presence even when he’s in the room.
Honestly I don’t see anything going on that remotely looks like the GOP wants this at all.. no fight no nothing...
At least during the PA-18 race, as bad as the messaging was, the GOP was fighting... there is no evidence of any fighting going on at all... You ridea might get something going, but unless they can penetrate the airwaves in some fashion I don’t see it changing.
I expect they will get the GOP vote, but frankly, there is no anger, at least not organized anger of any measurable significance at Wolf or Casey... and with no anger at the incumbents and no excitement for the alternative... you get a status quo election.
I can’t speak for the details of the other senate campaigns across the upper midwest as I am not in those states, but I can tell you the polling for them is all showing terrible support for the GOP, which tells you this isn’t simply Barletta is bad, its that the problem is larger, and I have been saying it since PA18, and that’s messaging.
The few Barletta Ads I have seen have been reasonable, I don’t think they are going to radically change things, but the fact you see no more than one a day or maybe a week, it sure as heck isn’t going to change anything.
We are a little over a month out now, if the GOP can’t put up an honest effort, they certainly aren’t going to win.
I do expect that you will see the Kavanaugh thing to affect polling in all these senate races, but the margins are so big by the D’s that that alone is not going to change any of the outcomes.
I think with the right message, and with the right media Barletta could make a good solid run... But its clear that both are not there... The GOP honestly needs to COMPLETELY rethink its messaging...
I understand the red state democrats are the most likely pick ups, and I understand that prioritizing money there is good... perhaps once its obvious those races are locked up, cash will flow into the upper midwest states ... but if it doesn’t show up soon, and the GOP doesn’t change its messaging to WHAT THEY STAND FOR AND WILL DO FOR THE VOTERS, THAT THEY GET 2016, AND THEY WILL FIGHT FOR MAGA AND THEM... over just attacking their opponent for being a liberal or a tax and spend democrat... even money and airtime won’t win it.
This part of the country is full of multi generational democrats... they didn’t suddenly become hard right republicans, their party marched left away from them and left them behind... They will vote for a Republican if you give them a reason to... Trump Did... but the current set of Senatoral Candidates up here are offering these voters nothing...
You can’t run a campaign here like you would in the deep south, or plain states, or southwest.
The GOP needs to play “LARGE BALL”... not focus on the direct opponent, but give a message for what you believe in and stand for, and why you will be the better choice for them.... Show that you get MAGA, and that you will fight for it..
Ads, like this:
http://www.politicspa.com/pa-sen-barletta-paints-casey-as-ineffective-in-new-ads/88958/
Are the wrong message... this is great if all you wamd is your typical republican mid termers to show up... but that’s NOT going to do it in states where Democrats have greater registrations and are highly motivated... LIKE THE UPPER MID WEST!!!
Its not that this sort of ad has no place... but it can’t be the backbone of your campaign... and given that the campaign is purchasing very little airtime to begin with due to financial constraints, this ISN’T the type of messaging that should be getting the limited funding.
BORDERS, TRADE, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, RULE OF LAW!!!!
Somehthing along the lines of this:
“For too long PA was being left behind, free trade deals and illegal immigration destroyed our cities and towns, drugs ruined our neighborhoods and families and no one cared...
(YOu can take a swipe at your opponent her by name if you like for doing nothing about it)
But you have to OFFER them an alternative!! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO DIFFERENT?
IN 2016 people like you changed the world, you demanded your country back.. you deserved better....
I will be better... I will work for YOU... I will fight to help make this nation great, I will put security, trade, and Pennsylvanians first...
Trump and the republicans have done great things to seal the border, stop the flow of drugs, improve the economy.. etc etc etc... point out the things the opponent stood and voted against (in this context.. voted down the tax cuts, voted down Kavanaugh, Voted down abc.. show their quote talking down the President..
I’m XYZ and I will never ever forget who I represent, and always fight for what is right for [INSERT YOUR STATE HERE], I will work hard to keep this momentum going, and make our state great...
etc, etc etc..
That’s the message that NEEDS to be running across the upper midwest.. not this sort of garbage my opponent is.. small ball...stupid.. WHAT DO REPUBLICANS STAND FOR? WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? AND WHY!?? Its for YOU... YOU the Voter, not ME...
Stop playing small ball stupid crap! Learn from Trump!
Grass Roots can’t overcome piss poor messaging!
This is literally the type of ads they are running, when they can scrounge up some cash to run them..
http://www.politicspa.com/pa-sen-barletta-paints-casey-as-ineffective-in-new-ads/88958/
These are PATHETIC and WHOLEY INEFFECTIVE! See my previous post...
They don’t want to win... because this sure as hell is not the type of messaging that is going to win you a statewide campaign in the upper midwest...
You need to motivate and excite folks outside your base and core, and this sort of small ball crap, will do none of it.
There is TIME to try to salvage this, but with this sort of messaging there is NO CHANCE IN HELL, none that this will be a race... Against CASEY for crying out loud! Who’s only thing going is his fathers name... He literally HIDES during campaigns because he does better when he’s not seen or heard...
Its not just Barletta... its EVERY GOP SENATE CANDIDATE in the UPPER MID WEST!
They are all using garbage small ball messaging that is worthless and ineffective and as such EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM (with the exception of MN) is down by 11-18 points!!!!
ANd while I haven’t followed the MN campaign, my bet is that campaign isn’t using this sort of stupid messaging.. its still behind but only by 5-6 and MN is EASILY the most liberal of the upper midwest states!
Grass Roots can’t overcome electoral incompetence and malpractice and that’s what the GOP has been engaging in up here ... period.
From what I’ve read it could have been worse. Trebek could have brought up Joe Paterno.
Boy, someone should make you a campaign manager. You seem to know everything. :-/
You can not like what I have to say, but that sort of ad is exactly why the GOP lost pa-18 and why OH 12 which should have been a slam dunk barely eeked out.
His sort of CRAP, and it is crap, is why not a single republican senate candidate sans the MN one is polling more than 10+ points down.
The GOP seems incapable of running an effective campaign in any part of the country where they are not the majority. Trump targeted this part of the country right out of the gate in 2016 and, effectively took it... and the GOP, even after being shown how to win here, has learned NOTHING.
In this part of the country, with a motivated democratic base, and they are motivated, you can’t win a statewide race simply by calling the democrat names... democrats outnumber republicans... you have to attract the disenfranchised D’s, independents and crossover voters... if you want to win... and this sort of ad, while a good sell for you base is NOT going to reach any of those people and move them to vote for you.
If all the GOP turns out is their typical mid term base they lose... statewide anyway in these states and that’s exactly what is going on. Trump took every one of these states and here we are at the mid terms and not a single state that he won is the Republican senate candidate polling within 10!!!! If you refuse to recognize something is grossly wrong the you are in denial.
There will be a Kavanaugh bump they make make a few of these less embarrassing at the end of the day, but without the GOP changing it’s messaging and tactics quickly none of PA, MI, OH or WI are going to elect and R to th Senate this fall.
Don’t have to like what I have to say, and frankly I wish I didn’t have to say it because there is NO EXCUSE for the GOP doing as badly as they are here other than complete ineptitude and incompetence.
Did you see it?
How are things going? Barletta never took off and Wolf seems to be way behind too.
“...Did you see it?...”
The “debate”? I saw some of it. Not much of a debate; it was more like liberal Trebek giving cover to Tom Wolf by going off his own little tangents and running out the clock.
At one point, Trebek cut Wagner off in mid sentence, and the audience BOOED him; he got pissed at the audience.
“..How are things going?..”
It’s Pennsy, brother. Anything is possible. I know some Dems in the neighborhood who are not voting for Casey. They’re pissed at the Kavanaugh affair. They’re old-school types. Retired, worked all their lives, etc.
As I said - anything is possible.
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