The Democrats successfully beat Republicans over the head over the abortion issue and draw off women voters who believe Republicans want to end contraception. Putting “right to life” in the platform is not serving the candidates nor the people who oppose abortion. It would be better for Republicans to strike “right to life” from the platform and refuse to talk about abortion during campaigns. Take a page from the Democrats and use stealth measures to advance the agenda. Once in power vote for pro life legislation but don’t advertise it in the campaign.
Similarly, don’t talk about budget cuts. Talk about the federal budget as the family budget and the need to prioritize spending so we as a country can live within our means. Challenge the Democrats to meet after the election in a bipartisan way to bring spending in line with revenue. Romney came close to articulating this concept during one of the debates. He failed to capitalize on it by repeating it daily on the stump. It would sound good to all of the “feel good” voters who profess to value bipartisanship.