Republicans have been known, from time to time, to use the politics of fear to get ahead. That, of course, includes scaring the bejeezus out of their own rank-and-file supporters, in order to get them to open their checkbooks.
But former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) seems to have laid it on pretty thick in his latest email missive on behalf of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, sent this week. The subject line read, “Democrats Win Landslide Victory.”
I have a real fear of waking up to this headline after the elections this fall. Make no mistake about it: If our grassroots teams fail to come together and work as hard as they did in 2000, 2002 and 2004, that headline could very likely be the result!
In key states, news accounts indicate Democrats are outpacing Republicans registering voters. We also know Barack Obama’s campaign is utilizing the Internet to raise record amounts of money to support his campaign and Democrats nationally … all in the hope that new voters and record resources will produce a Democrat landslide victory this fall.
There’s so much at risk, and conservatives I talk with from all across the country are feeling the rumblings of “what could be.”
Now, I’m obviously not the target audience of Frist’s message, but if I were a DSCC donor, and Chuck Schumer sent me an email about John McCain doing a great job registering voters, raising money, and rallying legions of supporters, all of which points to a Republican “landslide,” I might feel a little discouraged.
The New Yorker’s Hendrick Hertzberg offered some psychoanalytic observations about the email’s author:
You sound wan. Clinically depressed, even. Where is your verve, your exuberance, your will to fight? It’s not enough to refer to Democratic landslides and Democratic senators as “Democrat landslides” and “Democrat senators.” They’re still landslides. They’re still senators.
Nor is it all that rousing to point out that people “all across the country are feeling the rumblings of “what could be.” I mean, that sounds more like something to hope for, not be scared of. Let’s face it—after eight years of our guys controlling the White House, including six when we had Congress, too, our program is still “reforming the tax code” (i.e., keeping income taxes low on people like us, abolishing inheritance taxes, cutting capital gains taxes), cutting “wasteful spending” (i.e., social programs), “securing our borders” (i.e., alienating Hispanics), and “national defense” (i.e., more war). No wonder we’re depressed.
Congratulations on not mentioning Bush, though. Denial is the first step in the grieving process.
I’m afraid our time is up.
Frist’s letter was so entertaining that the Obama campaign used it for it’s own fundraising letter this morning.
You’ll like this.
This morning someone forwarded me an email sent by the arm of the Republican Party that raises money for their Senate candidates.
The subject of the message was “Democrats Win Landslide Victory,” and the writer, Republican former Senator Bill Frist, admits: “I have a real fear of waking up to this headline after the elections this fall.”
He goes on to explain fears among Washington power brokers about Barack Obama’s grassroots support and voter registration efforts.
He’s right to be worried — we’re bringing new people into the process, and Obama supporters are organizing in communities across the country like never before.
Get the feeling it just might not be the Republicans’ year?