In 1992, towards the end of the presidential campaign, then-VP Dan Quayle acknowledged what all the polls were saying: people were unsatisfied with the status quo. Responding to the public’s desire for something different, Quayle told reporters, “Republicans are the party of change.”
It was a pretty weak sales pitch. The Reagan-Bush years had spanned 12 years at that point, and by conceding that the electorate was anxious for change, Quayle’s defense simply didn’t make a lot of sense — people want something different, so they should for more of the same.
Oddly enough, it’s happening again.
On Saturday, Minnesota Senate candidate Rep. Mark Kennedy announced his “Plan to Bring the Right Kind of Change to Washington,” a 14-page manifesto of the differences he hopes to effect in the Senate.
Last week, Iowa House candidate Jeff Lamberti called for “real change in Congress” and blamed Republicans for what’s wrong with Washington.
And in his campaign ads, Nebraska Senate candidate Pete Ricketts decries Washington politicians’ “erosion of our values,” pleading, “If you’re tired of what’s going on in Washington, I hope you’ll listen.”
These candidates — all of whom emphasize the need for “change” as often as they can — are Republicans. They’re in the untenable position of telling voters that the country will see a real difference if the party that’s controlled every branch of government for the last six years stays in power for at least two more.
No, I don’t understand the strategy either.
Republicans are supposed to defend the status quo. They’ve been running the show for a while now; if voters feel unsatisfied, it’s the GOP’s job to a) tell them not to believe their lying eyes; things are better than they seem; and b) tell them Dems would be worse.
Instead, plenty of Republicans are trying to thread an invisible needle — promising change by sticking with what we already have.
For GOP challengers, the “change” pitch might make some sense. They’re talking about more of a micro-change (different leadership for an individual district or state, not the nation). But as The Hill noted, incumbents — including Sen. James Talent (R-Mo.) and Rep. Mark Kennedy (R-Minn.) — are running on a change platform, too. It’s almost as if the Republicans are hoping that the electorate forgets who’s been in the majority since 2000.
In perhaps the most amusing example, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairwoman Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), hoping to boost GOP hopeful Mike Bouchard’s chances in Michigan, declared that Michigan voters “are looking for a change in direction.” I think that’s true, but it’s not the kind of trend that helps Dole.
Far be it for me to complain. If Republican leaders and candidates want to reinforce the Dems’ message, it’s fine by me. I just didn’t expect it; that’s all.