A remarkable statement from National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, on Democrat Travis Childers win in a special election last night in Mississippi's first district. Childers is now the third Democrat this year to pick up a congressional seat long held by Republicans.
Cole writes:
Tonight's election highlights two significant challenges Republicans must overcome this November. First, Republicans must be prepared to campaign against Democrat challengers who are running as conservatives, even as they try to join a liberal Democrat majority. Though the Democrats' task will be more difficult in a November election, the fact is they have pulled off two special election victories with this strategy, and it should be a concern to all Republicans.
Second, the political environment is such that voters remain pessimistic about the direction of the country and the Republican Party in general. Therefore, Republicans must undertake bold efforts to define a forward looking agenda that offers the kind of positive change voters are looking for. This is something we can do in cooperation with our Presidential nominee, but time is short.
I encourage all Republican candidates, whether incumbents or challengers, to take stock of their campaigns and position themselves for challenging campaigns this fall by building the financial resources and grassroots networks that offer them the opportunity and ability to communicate, energize and turn out voters this election.
Republican Greg Davis in MS-1 and Woody Jenkins in LA-6, most recently, sought to tie Childers and Don Cazayoux, respectively, to Obama and Nancy Pelosi, even though the two are a distinctly "blue dog" brand of conservative southern Dem. The strategy seems not to have worked, which Cole acknowledges. Taken as a whole Cole seems to be warning Republicans must develop a new strategy.
