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July 2007 Stats for The Big Picture.
Dick Morris points out that by having had success on their key issues, Conservatives have diminished the need for those issues to be dealt with. As a result, Conservatives need to set new goals for the country, on which to campaign:
The generic party ballot for Congress, for example, has now swollen to a 13-point Democratic edge ... A big part of the reason is the success the Bush administration has had in solving and hence diminishing the importance of the Republican agenda. Taxes have been cut, we have not had a terror attack since Sept. 11 and trial lawyers are on the defensive. The issues that remain - energy, environment, healthcare and Social Security - usually are Democratic and liberal.
Morris makes specific suggestions:
Since we have not had a terror attack in four and a half years, the homeland-security issue, the mother of all Republican issues, would seem likely to fade into the background. But by beating Bush over the head for his efforts to keep America safe, the liberals are helping Bush, raising the salience of one of his core issues. In his State of the Union speech, Bush should spend considerable time taking them to task on these grounds, since it will help him enormously.
Two new solid Republican issues are begging for attention from the White House: immigration and drugs.
The administration's guest-worker program is a good step in the right direction to appease Hispanic voters, but it must be accompanied by some red meat for the base - the border fence passed by the House. The fence without guest-worker rights will alienate the fastest growing bloc of voters, the Latinos. The guest workers without the fence will do nothing to move voters toward the GOP.
... Bush should urge drug testing, with parental consent, in schools in his State of the Union address and put drugs back in play as a domestic issue. Crime is down, but drug use is still a vital Republican issue. Put it back on the agenda.
Finally, the Republican Party had better consign itself to defeat in the next two elections unless it does more to elaborate an energy/environmental policy. It must go beyond nuclear power and Alaska drilling in policies to achieve more energy independence.
Terrorism and pump prices have made this issue the dominant one in our political matrix. Bush needs to make hydrogen and hybrid cars a key part of his program and needs to challenge America to switch and end our dependence on imported oil.
Can you imagine if GWB made a national commitment to hybrid cars, the way JFK did to putting a man on the moon? It would capture the imagination and enthusiasm of the nation.
