Comments on: McDonnell’s Pollster Speaks… http://www.frumforum.com/mcdonnells-pollster-speaks Building a conservatism that can win again Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: DFL http://www.frumforum.com/mcdonnells-pollster-speaks/comment-page-1#comment-70937 DFL Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:52:22 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=15147#comment-70937 McDonnell may have a vigorous agenda but it is hard to fathom him "solving" the Northern Virginia traffic problems without getting at the source- suburban mass sprawl. More roads will only encourage more sprawl creating a cycle where traffic problems can not be solved. Northern Virginia needs a building moratorium, not new roads. McDonnell may have a vigorous agenda but it is hard to fathom him “solving” the Northern Virginia traffic problems without getting at the source- suburban mass sprawl. More roads will only encourage more sprawl creating a cycle where traffic problems can not be solved. Northern Virginia needs a building moratorium, not new roads.

]]> By: mlindroo http://www.frumforum.com/mcdonnells-pollster-speaks/comment-page-1#comment-70841 mlindroo Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:51:45 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=15147#comment-70841 As an aside, Ramesh Ponnuru has a smart comment over at the NRO Corner. A Republican strategist tells Ramesh that 'Republican candidates have to "finish the sentence." Instead of just saying that we have to keep taxes and spending low, and thus pleasing conservatives, he said, McDonnell explain how these policies would create jobs and "plug the hole in Richmond." Too many Republican candidates, he says, forget to do that." [...] "I don't think that Republicans should come away from this and think that all that we have to do in 2010 is run against Obama. McDonnell had a very vigorous policy agenda." Again, it's worth emphasizing that McDonnell had to avoid culture-war appeals because of his controversial graduate thesis from decades ago. He instead focused on meat-and-potatoes issues while touting his Fairfax roots. He wasn't a divide-and-conquer base-oriented Rovian politician. MARCU$ As an aside, Ramesh Ponnuru has a smart comment over at the NRO Corner. A Republican strategist tells Ramesh that ‘Republican candidates have to “finish the sentence.” Instead of just saying that we have to keep taxes and spending low, and thus pleasing conservatives, he said, McDonnell explain how these policies would create jobs and “plug the hole in Richmond.” Too many Republican candidates, he says, forget to do that.” [...] “I don’t think that Republicans should come away from this and think that all that we have to do in 2010 is run against Obama. McDonnell had a very vigorous policy agenda.”

Again, it’s worth emphasizing that McDonnell had to avoid culture-war appeals because of his controversial graduate thesis from decades ago. He instead focused on meat-and-potatoes issues while touting his Fairfax roots. He wasn’t a divide-and-conquer base-oriented Rovian politician.

MARCU$

]]> By: mlindroo http://www.frumforum.com/mcdonnells-pollster-speaks/comment-page-1#comment-70840 mlindroo Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:20:40 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=15147#comment-70840 > ... set out early to establish Bob as different than Republicans have been in the past > few elections – strong on issues that matter most to people. Seems about right to me. McDonnell is a conservative, but he is also from North Virginia and he frequently campaigned on pragmatic issues that matter to pragmatic voters rather than the usual fire-and-brimstone stuff. --- The Dems fielded two weak candidates in NJ and VA, true, but I would still argue that this result (combined with the Hoffman fiasco in NY-23 which received lots of pre-election attention/interference from the WingNutRoots such as Erick Erickson) vindicates the NewMajority position. Christie and McDonnell did not plunge deeper into doctrinaire conservatism, instead they managed to widen their political appeal. MARCU$ > … set out early to establish Bob as different than Republicans have been in the past
> few elections – strong on issues that matter most to people.

Seems about right to me. McDonnell is a conservative, but he is also from North Virginia and he frequently campaigned on pragmatic issues that matter to pragmatic voters rather than the usual fire-and-brimstone stuff.
—
The Dems fielded two weak candidates in NJ and VA, true, but I would still argue that this result (combined with the Hoffman fiasco in NY-23 which received lots of pre-election attention/interference from the WingNutRoots such as Erick Erickson) vindicates the NewMajority position. Christie and McDonnell did not plunge deeper into doctrinaire conservatism, instead they managed to widen their political appeal.

MARCU$

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