Democrats have gotten into the habit of running against George W. Bush. They won majorities in both houses of Congress in 2006 by running against Bush, and won a presidential election in 2008 with that strategy despite the fact that Bush wasn’t able to run. Barack Obama has spent most of the past year blaming his own ineffectiveness on his predecessor. So when the special election to replace Ted Kennedy got unexpectedly tight, Democrats figured that a healthy dose of Boogeyman Bush would send Democrats flocking to the polls. Instead, it demonstrated the emptiness of Democratic arguments for leadership:
After three consecutive losses in statewide races, some top Democrats are questioning a tactic aimed at boosting the party’s candidates in each of those contests: Bush-bashing. …
Yet when Democratic nominees for governor in Virginia and New Jersey and for Senate in Massachusetts sought to tie their GOP opponents to the still-unpopular former president, the strategy didn’t resonate. Voters were more focused on the current administration or local political issues — and the onetime Democratic magic formula seemed yesterday’s news.
“Voters are pretty tired of the blame game,” said longtime Democratic strategist Steve Hildebrand, a top aide on Obama’s presidential campaign. “What a stupid strategy that was.” …
Another well-respected Democratic consultant put it simply: “Need a new game plan!” READ MORE...
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