There’s a foolish, foolish thing that Peter Shumlin has continued to do in debates; lament the fact that everyone thinks he’s “slick.” His pitch goes something to the effect of I’m not slick, I’m an overcompensating dyslexic, but all it does is reinforce putting the words “Shumlin” and “slick” into the same part of people’s minds. This is Shumlin breaking the first rule of Campaign Psy Ops 101 – if your opponent beats a drum that resonates in the back of people’s minds, don’t add to it.
Well, Brian Dubie has taken Shumlin’s annoying goof and made his own full blown act of Seppuku out of the same sort of thinking. His latest ad hits back at Peter Shumlin on the issue of abortion rights – an issue that Dubie is supremely vulnerable on – with a parade of actresses women indentifying themselves as pro-choice Dubie voters.
Dumb. Dumb dumb dumb. This ad guarantees once and for all the choice is the new big issue of the last stage of the campaign, and no two ways about it, choice is a loser for Dubie. In this – as with the nasty slash-and-burn campaign – Dubie becomes his own worst enemy.
But what’s better is the question of why Dubie would do something so foolish. Short of a total brain trust meltdown, the only answer can be that it’s an act of desperation – that despite the issue’s low resonance in recent polling, their own internal polls must be telling them they are losing women’s votes over this issue in the waning days, and they felt they had to do something to staunch the bleeding.
Wishful thinking? Maybe, but I don’t think so.
The logic of the women in the Dubie ad makes no sense — In essence saying “I support Brian Dubie because he’s OK on women’s reproductive freedom.”
Even if you conceded that point, it doesn’t matter in the big picture. The Republicans Dubie supports are not pro-choice. The Republicans who support him are not pro-choice.
In that context, HIS views alone are irrelevant, even if he is pro-choice (which I do not concede).
Now, where are the right wingers who decide to abandon Dubie on the grounds that he’s not conservative enough? (Hope, hope.)
The main point is being lost in the back and forth on abortion.
Fact is that Dubie is a very conservative candidate. His stand on abortion doesn’t matter much because nothing is likely to come across the governor’s plate on abortion during the next several years.
His stands on other issues do matter. Does Vermont want a governor that would oppose the Islamic center like Dubie does?
Do the majority of Vermonters want to give the wealthy tax breaks as we cut back on essential services for the poor and disadvantaged?
I don’t think so.
But many Vermonters seem to pass the key issues off as just a way to have some checks and balances in Montpelier.
So, we are back to the emotional issue of abortion.
He’s rolling his eyes right now.
DON’T THINK OF AN ELEPHANT!
“We’re looking for a few “soccer mom-y” types to play concerned, pro-choice women in a commercial for an anti-choice candidate,” sounds about right.
What? It really does matter after all?
Thanks for clarifying that, Brian.