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The Hotline Insiders Circle: Money Talks
The "Insiders' Circle" interviews smart campaign professionals each week and asks them to weigh in on the issues that will impact candidates and campaigns. If you want to know what to look for in '10, pay attention to these guys. After all, they're the ones reading the polls, crafting the ads, and advising the candidates.
This week we asked GOP consultants to weigh in on this question: "How would you advise your candidate to talk about the economy? Is beating up on Wall Street or AIG the answer? Is it focusing on specific solutions?" Dems get their shot next week.
Linda DiVall
American Viewpoint
Pollster
- Show empathy with voters' uncertainty about the economy. College and retirement savings have diminished considerably. Voters are furious about being unable to plan for a secure future and show limited -- if any trust -- in key institutions like Congress, banks, government leaders, the stock market. Their quality of life is changing to deal with the consequences of the economy. They are clipping coupons, foregoing the movies, eating out, not taking family vacations, buying groceries in bulk, cutting cable and landline phones and thus have no sympathy with members of Congress with gold-plated pensions who voted to increase their salary. Those who still have jobs are probably taking on more responsibility at work with less pay and benefits and more stress.
- Tone and tenor are important - particularly for Republicans. Nobody wants to listen to doom and gloom - they want to hear a bit of optimism and that is where a GOP vision is imperative.
- Republicans should aggressively trumpet the fact that small businesses create the opportunities for job development and professional growth. It isn't about Wall Street vs. Main Street as both of these streets intersect and are at the core of the American spirit, and both need to have confidence restored.
- Government doesn't create wealth, it diminishes wealth. Take Obama's budget and Pelosi, Reid, Dodd and Frank's policies and describe the impact they will have on people from various walks of life. Examples: the young woman graduating from college and looking for her first job, now paying taxes and paying down student loans; the young couple just starting a family facing the uncertainty of planning their life goals as they succeed in their business careers; and the pre-retirement couple desperately holding on to both jobs, with five kids -- two in college and three in high school who have now been told they earn too much money and will have to pay more in taxes and not be able to send their youngest daughter to the college they had saved money for the last 10 years while they have scrimped on themselves.
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