SEPTEMBER 21, 2006 – Aware that they are out of line with the values of working Americans, many Republican gubernatorial candidates are falsely campaigning on highly selective but liberal sounding issues heading into the November elections.
An article recently published in the New York Times looks at the increasingly popular Republican technique of governing Republican and campaigning Democratic.
In California Governor Arnold Scwharzenegger has done a sudden about face after organized labor turned out in force last summer to block his ballot initiatives designed to take power from nurses and teachers.
Now he has turned to issues like Medicare and the minimum wage to appeal to democratic voters despite the fact he has twice vetoed measures to increase California’s minimum wage.
In other tight races around the country including Massachusetts, Illinois and Connecticut, Republican candidates are turning to issues such as stem cell research and same-sex civil unions in order to “APPEAR” moderate.
President Bush has also factored heavily in Republican campaign strategy.
In many contests, Republicans are distancing themselves from the extremely unpopular President by either shifting directions on an issue to oppose the President or doing their best to avoid being linked with the President in any way.
Whether this bait and switch tactic will work is up for the voters to decide. But one thing is certain, if Democratic candidates fail to focus on jobs, utility rates, insurance premiums, commuter woes and educational equity, they deserve to lose to these “bait and switch” campaigns.
