Boehner Unveils Election Strategy
House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio.) believes growing divisions within the Democratic Party will be the key to his own party's success this fall, telling colleagues during a presentation Wednesday at the Capitol Hill Club that a hard-fought nominating contest between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois will inflict lasting damage on the eventual nominee.
Boehner unveiled his fall election strategy Wednesday to his fellow House Republicans in a presentation entitled "Why We Can Win." The presentation, which included a Power Point slide show, focused primarily on the other party's contentious presidential nominating contest.
But the Republican leader also acknowledged the many hurdles his party faces in trying to regain the majority - or simply failing to lose more seats. He included a slide entitled "It's an Uphill Battle, But" that referred to the 29 Republican retirements and the Democrats' steady fundraising advantage this entire cycle.
"Our brand is under repair," the presentation read, "but better to be a conservative or moderate than a liberal." To that end, Boehner aides suggested this presentation precedes a much more specific policy and messaging memo that will guide congressional Republicans and GOP candidates this year and beyond.
But expect the "liberal" line to be a standard attack against the Democrats' eventual nominee or any incumbent, challenger or open-seat candidate who votes regularly with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Republicans hope to target some of the 60 seats held by members of the majority in which President Bush won a plurality of the votes in 2004. Boehner and others are already tailoring that attack for Obama, who holds a sturdy lead in pledged delegates.
"By November, it will be clear that Obama's appeal is limited to arugula eating college professors, hard-core liberal Democrats and the residents of Nancy Pelosi's Congressional district," the presentation stated.
During his remarks, Boehner urged Republicans to aggressively raise money for themselves and other candidates and travel as much as possible this campaign year to assist colleagues and other GOP candidates on the trail.
He also highlighted the quality candidates who are running to replace some of his Republican colleagues who are heading to the exits. But many of these recruits - such as Steve Austria, who is running to replace Rep. Dave Hobson, or Bill Posey, who is running to replace Florida Rep. Dave Weldon - are running in solidly Republican seats that the party would not have trouble holding. But a series of special elections - including upcoming contests in Louisiana and Mississippi - have proved that historically Republican seats are harder to hold after the bloodbath in 2006.
Afterward, Boehner's colleagues trumpeted the presidential contest as the perfect platform for congressional Republicans.
"The presidential dynamic is probably as great as any presidential election in recent history in its potential to impact what happens on the rest of the ticket," said House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). "We are seeing Democrats in polling…constantly disaffected with whoever they are not supporting in the presidential contest and many of them will likely to vote for Sen. McCain."