Why Republicans lose PR battles.

A 5^th generation Oregon farmer, radio talk show host and retired legislator’s view of the world.

It is pretty simple really. They have no cojones!

Today I woke up in a foul mood as the rain has returned to western Oregon, (hurting yields of my ready to harvest grass seed crop laying on the ground) in addition to nearly universal analysis that Congressional Republicans had lost the debt limit debate.

I asked myself why they lost. Well, after thinking about and getting increasingly frustrated because of my conclusions, I decided I had had enough and had to say something. So, I went on the air today and on this blog to let loose at the Republican leaders who lost this PR battle.

Now before you ruling class types dismiss me as just another uniformed tea party type, I fully understand the situation in Congress. I served 8 years in the Oregon House of Representatives enduring Rinos, divided Senate and Democrat Governors grappling with the 9/11 recession and it’s aftermath. I get the seriousness of the debt limit issue and the necessity to find compromise.

Yet, the 5^th generation Oregon farmer in me is still mystified by Republican leader’s ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. With so many obvious opportunities Obama has given them to use his own words, policies and actions against him, I cannot believe they can screw up the messaging so badly as they  have, and lose the debate as polls are showing.

I offer these examples of Republican message incompetence;

Chicago style, bullying:

Republicans let Obama get away with Alinsky style tactics of seating Paul Ryan up font in his revised budget presser, then slamming Ryan’s plan with him sitting in the audience. Was there any retribution or outrage by Republican leaders for Obama’s crude, in your face Chicago thug style antics? No, not a word about this disgrace and because they didn’t push back, he continues that practice today, destroying trust and respect with Republicans.  

Rather, they should have fought fire with fire!

They should have marched out of that presser and blasted Obama for his hypocrisy pointing out that it was his overspending  that produced record deficits and the Senate for not passing a budget in nearly 800 days. That would have made the news on every network that evening and would have changed the public’s impression of the days events.

Un-statesman like you say?

Only if you like losing!

You see, Obama and the left continually count on this Republican attitude of not fighting fire with fire to “win the future”. They know that because R’s wont use the same tactic against them and the liberal press will dutifully report Obama’s line, making the evening news and headlines.

Yet, on that rare occasion when R’s get a “titanium spine” and stand up to him, they take Obama off message and put him on defense. The proof of this is when Cantor stood up to Obama in meetings, Obama gets huffy and storms out because he can’t stand being challenged. That was the news story the next day, complete with Obama’s “don’t call my bluff Eric” comment. Didn’t make the campaigner in chief look very Presidential did it?

It wouldn’t have happened if Cantor had not stood up to him, proving my point about fighting fire with fire.

It’s still Bush’s fault:

How about Obama continually blaming Bush for Obama’s failed economic policies? Why aren’t Republican leaders immediately accusing Obama of hypocrisy since he voted for the two last Pelosi/Reid budgets that Bush signed? Wouldn’t that resonate with the average person just getting home from work after picking up the kids from day care/soccer practice?

Corporate jet tax credit: Obama keeps hammering at this tax credit. Why aren’t Republicans holding a presser talking about Obama’s hypocrisy on this one also since it is his tax credit in the stimulus bill?

80% of people support taxes increases to lower debt:

The response to this should have been within minutes if Republicans had their act together, but because they didn’t immediately come out and passionately destroy it with poll after poll that says the opposite, this myth made the evening news and is now the perceived truth.

The Social Security checks may not go out:

This one should have been the most vociferous of all the responses that Republicans should have staged with the press. Republicans should have held several pressers to clearly state, with passion that they have mothers/grandmothers that depend on their SS checks and the only way that their mother/grandmother wont get their checks is if Obama doesn’t send them. Again, the public’s impression is that the dastardly Republicans are willing to risk people’s social security checks to protect their fat cat rich friends because R’s didn’t come out swinging hard at the Prez on this one.

I can go on and on here, but you get the point. A loud, factual and passionate defense is critically important when Obama is using the bully pulpit beat up Republicans to divert attention from his failed agenda. Republicans must respond with passion and not with weakness, otherwise their response is not credible. Weakness does not inspire confidence.

This isn’t rocket science friends, but rather is pretty basic understanding of human nature. The average person who hears a 5 second sound bite on an issue without the proper response from the opposition is left with the impression that it must be the truth. While the press is somewhat complicit here, if Republicans said the right words with the right tone immediately in opposition to Obama’s statements, they wouldn’t be losing this PR battle.

It is a truth that if someone accuses you and you remain silent, your silence is an admission of guilt. If Republicans remain silent when Obama accuses them of things they aren’t guilty of, then the average person assumes it is true. They must push back vigorously, passionately and immediately.

What Republicans really need to do, is put Obama on the defensive by going on offense. In sports, the only way you win is to score points and that means having an offensive strategy. Games are rarely won on defense, yet that simple truth is lost on the Republicans leadership in Congress

 Let me share with you some farmer’s wisdom. In farming, if you want to be successful, you do what successful farmers do. The same is true in the politics of human nature.

If Republicans are losing the PR battle, then they need to do what those are doing that are winning the PR battle. Namely, fight fire with fire! Republicans need to use the same successful tactics that Obama uses against them and in doing so will take him off message, causing him to make mistakes and look un Presidential amateur he really is. Then they will win the battle for the hearts and minds of the average voter.

But, not unless they grow a pair of cahones and take the gloves off!