The Republican Marketing Machine

Have you ever wondered why the Democrats always seem to be in a muddle? Even when they are fighting for issues close to the hearts of many Americans, they seem to flub it up. The party best known for representing the working class has become almost useless to us, since everything they try to do seems to get turned around. Even with a majority, they can't bring home the bacon. What is wrong with them?

The primary problem, of course, is the Republican Party. Despite having a congressional majority for thirty years and the White House for eight, they are now managing to blame all the ill-considered and lame-brained decisions that came out of those years on the Democrats. And what are the Dems doing against this onslaught? Well, nothing. They're "negotiating". They're "conceding". The one thing they are not doing is standing up for themselves.

While "negative campaigning" always seems to irk the voting public, there is no doubt that it works. People will believe nearly everything you choose to tell them, as long as you say it often enough. Ridiculous assertions like "death panels" becoming part of Medicare and health reform become gospel truth to the minions incapable of thinking past the end of their noses. That is the strength of the Republican party: They know their audience, and they know how to market themselves. It doesn't hurt, either, that they don't mind being rude and obnoxious, and taking credit where it is not due.

Take the "Tea Party" example. They are using the Internet as a primary tool to get the word out (whatever that is) and organize. Who originally came up with this idea? The Democrats, of course. Howard Dean pioneered this concept and Barack Obama used it to much greater effect. The conservatives don't mind hijacking others' ideas, even if they profess to despise them. And how about that Scott Brown? The Republicans pulled off a real marketing coup with that one. Getting a Republican elected to Ted Kennedy's old seat is like having both sides of your Democratic face slapped. Where were the Democrats while all this maneuvering was going on?

If the Democrats want to regain what they have lost, they need to fight fire with fire. Voters who should know better are letting themselves be swayed by lies, and the party of the people should be stepping up to shout down these unscrupulous pols. The conservatives don't mind copying from the other side whatever strategy works; neither should the Dems. They'd better hurry, though, because they've got a lot of catching up to do.

Who is the "Tea Party" Coalition?

More than 200 years after the famous "tea party" revolt, the term is popping up everywhere: Newspapers, magazines and of course, the Internet. A somewhat loose, but evolving movement, the common thread holding it together appears to be voter anger. White, middle-class anger, but real and boisterous. Too many taxes, too much government and the erosion of individual rights seem to be the primary concerns of those who profess to be deeply involved in this coalition. These are not new complaints; what is new is that they are being loudly voiced so early into a new administration. Does anyone really believe that all these issues came about within the last year?

While it is apparent that this movement is gaining ground, it is unclear which party they will eventually align with. Both Democrats and Republicans have been trying to harness this "energy", with the GOP coming out on top. At the recent "Tea Party Convention" in Nashville, Sarah Palin was the featured speaker. So, this must mean that the Partyers are rallying around the Republicans, right?

Well, maybe. An AP article by Liz Sidoti notes that, although the Partyers don't consider themselves a "third party", it has been mostly Independents running for office who have attached themselves to this movement. Additionally, members themselves profess not to really know where this new coalition is going. The McClatchy News Service quotes Rebecca Wales, spokesperson for SmartgirlPolitics.org as saying that it has been difficult to boil down the coalition's message to any one issue, but that, "we're unified in the fact that we do get out. We mobilize quickly and it's powerful when we do." Well, that certainly clears things up.

It is understandable that many of us are upset by the way our tax dollars have been used: Unwinnable wars, bailouts for financial institutions who refuse to follow the rules and turn around and hand out tax money to their friends in the form of bonuses. But blaming a new administration is not going to solve the problem. Top-down changes in government need to occur, and big money and corporate influence need to butt out. Okay, "Tea Party" members--get to work. Any group that can manage that gargantuan task will certainly earn my vote.