Nixon's Challenge: John Combest
By David Catanese, KY3 Political Reporter
By
Brian Vandenberg
Story Published:
Jan 12, 2009 at 12:48 AM CDT
Story Updated:
Jan 12, 2009 at 12:48 AM CDT
Combest runs the political headline site, www.johncombest.com.
Nixon's Biggest Challenge: "Passing a budget that reconciles the ideological demands of his Democratic base with the economic and legislative realities before him."
Top Issues of Concern: "Understandably, Nixon's early messaging focuses upon "fixing" Missouri's problems in a short period of time. Still, he knows a broader view – say, four to eight years – gives him a better chance to leave the governor's office with a longer list of accomplishments. With an eye toward 2012, his policy agenda must be centered upon three pillars: 1.) Convincing his base of liberal- to moderate-Democrats that he shares their values and is fighting for them; 2.) Demonstrating to independents that he is an improvement upon ex-Gov. Matt Blunt, and 3.) Fostering a perception among Republicans that he is the "lesser of evils" as compared to the Democrats with whom he'll be sharing a ticket in 2012"
Advice For Nixon: "Regarding the three pillars above: 1.) Democrats: Both symbolism and substance are required for the care and feeding of the Democratic party grassroots. On the symbolic side, Nixon should create long-term task forces to study pet projects of the left – death penalty discrimination, gay/lesbian/transgender rights and labor issues. If/when these task forces actually submit a final report, Nixon can either choose to put his political capital behind worthy suggestions or – more likely – blame the Republican Legislature for lack of implementation. On the substance side, Nixon's reputation in the nuts-and-bolts Democratic party trenches would be bolstered by investing in a youthful, aggressive party-building strategy. By convening a diverse group of young Democratic leaders with different temperaments and talents – Nixon's communications director Jack Cardetti, Sen. Jeff Smith (D-St. Louis) and Rep. Rachel Storch (D-St. Louis) come to mind – and providing seed money to ambitious groups like the College Democrats and Young Democrats of Missouri, Nixon could bolster the grassroots army he didn't need to rely upon in 2008. 2.) Independents: In a state represented by a bi-partisan Congressional delegation, Nixon knows that true independents are critical to his electoral prospects. Whether right or wrong, the countless inches of newsprint dedicated to Democratic allegations against Blunt made lack of transparency a dominant narrative, and one still fresh in the minds of independents. Nixon's rhetoric regarding the reform of the fee office system is consistent with that narrative, and other ethics reforms should echo the theme as well. 3.) Republicans: No matter how deep the GOP war chest in 2012, Republicans must prioritize their targets and save their powder for the high-percentage shots. Obama's narrow 2008 defeat in the Show-Me State ensures that the Republican National Committee (RNC) will be spending even more money in Missouri the next time around; as a freshman senator, Claire McCaskill will have her most controversial votes scrutinized by a massive National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) television campaign. Nixon's challenge, then, is not to hide from the GOP, but to make himself a more sympathetic target. At the least, this means subtly persuading Republican voters, donors and potential challengers that he is not quite so bad as Obama and McCaskill. At best, this means using the aforementioned GOP advertising campaigns to his messaging benefit. Picture an October 2012 television commercial break featuring three consecutive campaign ads: First an RNC ad hammering Obama for being soft on immigration, then an NRSC spot attacking McCaskill for allegedly voting to raise taxes, palling around with Beltway insiders and forgetting her Missouri roots. Then picture a third ad featuring Nixon himself (driving his pickup truck around his hometown of De Soto, naturally) touting his work to curb illegal immigration, foster economic development and keep Missourians' taxes low. Which Democrat are Republicans least likely to curse? "
More Good Stuff
Advertisement
|
|
Ask KY3 module
OzarksHomeHunter Open House Widget
|
