Electioneering 2012

Barry, My Liege:

With all your faults, you are the best hope to strengthen the National Security of the United States for the next four years.

Luckily and coincidentally, the Republicans are demonstrating unbelievable levels of political incompetence. Just about any public policy which has 70% approval from voters is opposed actively by Republicans.

It appears that your re-election is highly likely.

Perhaps you can extend your fortune to all the Democrat candidates this year.

I would suggest running for the Democratic principles shared by most voters and against the Republican principles abhored by most voters.

That way many Democrat candidates can share your popularity.

The opposite strategy is to run against the Republican Presidential candidate. That might be a mistake in a year where there is an opportunity to make gains in Congress and State Legislatures.

While none of this is a surprise, I hope you will consider it all seriously.

Here is a working list of issues on which the parties offer significant differences and on which most voters agree with the Democrat positions:

Job creation policies favoring tax cuts for high income people - voters want to tax high incomes and understand that Rep policies do not create jobs. It never hurts your campaign to remind voters of the recent history of failure for this policy.

Raising incomes for middle class workers - Republican policies of restricting union activity and undermining worker protections hurt middle class workers. Voters understand that Democrats have worker supportive policies. It is not as clear to voters - although indisputable - that raising middle class incomes is essential to a prolonged recovery and maximum job creation.

Birth Control and Planned Parenthood - Most voters want women to have choices about contraception and abortion. There is confusion about Planned Parenthood. Some voters think it supports abortion and don't understand its mission of women's health.

Social Security and Medicare - Voters are angry at Republican positions.

War and security - voters are repulsed by Republican bellicosity and want a mature approach to foreign policy and aggression.

Duplicity and betrayal - Many voters understand that several Republican office holders imposed a radical agenda on their state populations despite making no mention of their intentions while campaigning for office. This can correctly be described as backstabbing, backbiting, betrayal or double-cross. You can call out these office holders without fear voters will object.

Godspeed My Liege.

Your faithful servant.