Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Posted by:
Kevin McCullough
at
10:00 AM
I have several very good friends, one of which who wrote a great read of a book on the matter, who argued long and loud that the key to the GOP in 2006 was to nationalize the campaign - centering in large part around the war.
We can now say - that strategy was a disaster in nearly every measure.
If the GOP wasn't going to do a better job of connecting the War on Islamic Fascism and why we have to win in Iraq - then making the clouded issue the centerpiece for candidates nationally, espcially in an atmosphere in which the souring of the public curdled so harshly, was a kiss of death in hotly contested regions.
The quasi-nationalization of the war pretty much worked in one direction only - like an anchor, attached to a thousand pound chain tied around the neck of every supporter of the War on Terror.
On local issues some GOP seats - perhaps George Allan's most significantly - could have been rallied and possibly saved. The fact that the marriage amendment won by such a large margin, and that Allan embraced so nominally can not be overlooked.