The House Republican freshmen ran for Congress as the ultimate outsiders determined to clean up Washington. But they’ve been here two years now; things are still a mess; and now, they want voters to send them back for another two years.
What to do?
The answer, based on their early campaigning: Don’t acknowledge you’re an incumbent. But if you have to, do it with your nose plugged.
As they kick off tough reelection battles, the GOP newbies are taking pains to distance themselves from a Capitol that remains toxic, casting themselves as the same insurgent forces that swept to power in 2010. Far from embracing the Congress that they promised to change, the freshmen are taking an ice pick to it.
Republican officials and strategists tasked with preserving the House GOP majority say the anti-Washington tack is designed to address a central conundrum for the historic 87-member freshman class as it faces its first reelection: how to convince voters it deserves a second shot.
Some of the first-termers are going to great lengths to distance themselves from their current employer. One strategy: talk about past jobs.
GOP Rep. Dan Benishek of Michigan dons his old surgical gear and a stethoscope in a new TV ad, noting that “people don’t trust politicians” without mentioning he is one.
“I never planned to run for office. I’m a doctor,” the physician says in the 30-second spot. “The career politicians won’t fix Washington, but together we can.”
If Obama can run away from his lack of accomplishments, why not first term Republicans? Freshman in both houses have very little power since most of the important committees are staffed according to seniority.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
:can't hear 8.3% unemployment! Record amount of Americans on food stamps. Record amounts on disability. Looks like Obama is concentrating on the wrong issues.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Not if you're a Republican. The only thing they have is "Obama isn't making it turn around as fast as we'd like (after being handed a steaming-pile-of-poo from Bush)."
But Mitt-the-Twit (who apparently has no plan, but a lot of generic gobbledy-gook with a lot of words and no specifics and no meaning), says he can do it better...(But he won't tell you HOW, or "he would lose".)
Yep.. Nothing to see here, folks... Move right along.
