What do Republicans campaign on in your state?

[TheFarseer]

I’m talking about campaigns for offices like Governor, Senator and Representative. For example, in my state, they campaign on lower taxes almost exclusively. Some of them also campaign on pro-death penalty, anti-gambling and of course ethanol (which every politician claims to love) Some of them also mix in a vague concept of family values which amounts to cleaning up porn on the internet and TV. Other’s make no mention of family values that I’ve heard. Perhaps it is to be assumed by NE voters. So, that’s it. That’s all the ideas they’ve got on my state level. I want to hear about your state. It will be interesting to see how the campaign themes change depending on how red or blue your state is.

[mduffy31]

In our last election

The Repub canidate for house in our area ran on "homeland security." Now mind you this is in Northern Minnesota. Our current Rep is James Oberstar, and at the last debate he started to list all of the things that he got accomplished in his last term for our region, and the R canidate's statement was priceless, it started off: "9/11 changed our world..." and you can figure out where it went from there.

[Burma Jones]

1. That they're nice, regular guys

that's all they got here in Maryland - the "we're not eliitist, we're just like you" approach

[aden_nak]

2. In Jersey, everyone is against taxes, no matter what they wanna spend.

Though in the race for Governor this year, Doug Forrester (R-Douche) has been shithammering the concept that all Democrats are corrupt, and the only way to save NJ from corruption is to vote Republican. Now, don't get me wrong, most of the Dems in NJ's state Government are up to their eyeballs in pork. However, the local Republicans are just as bad.

He's running against Senator John Corzine, who has the distinction of being one of the few Senators to vote against giving Bush the authority to declare war in Iraq. NJ is a pretty blue state on a national level, and Bush is outrageously unpopular around here, so even though Corzine isn't hitting that point on his own much, people generally know about it.

[Nite Owl]

3. Locally it's taxes

Statewide they really don't have much to say lately. But then this is NY and Spitzer is running for gov so what can they really say? Last I heard he was well over 50% and that was just with NY repukes. Hillary is polling well, Chuck got in with something like 70% of the vote. NYC surprisingly is where Bloomie is doing real well against Ferrar but the city dems have a lot of infighting so I guess that gives him the edge.

[aldian159]

4. They nominate guys named Ryan

who are either corrupt and on trial, or take their wives to sex clubs when they run on "family values."

They also run on "we're not as corrupt as Democrats" but the ship has sailed on that one.

That's statewide. Locally, Republicans don't exist. I live in the second wealthiest neighborhood of Chicago (Lincoln Park) and went went Kerry by over 70%.

I love politics in the land of Lincoln...

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. ROFL!!!

You've nailed it! (I'm out here in the far west suburbs but grew up in central Illinois)

And don't you also just love the schmucks like Oberweis? That ad of him flying in the helicopter talking about illegal immigration was soooo lame. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that he has firsthand knowledge of illegals just from shaking hands with employees at his plant out here! :rofl:

[Chipper Chat]

5. The Republican playbook in Indiana is simple.

There are tons of fundies here. Bombard them in church with messages about how un-godly and corrupt ALL democrats are. It has worked since 1959 when the GOP spread stories about Kennedy, if elected, taking orders directly from the Pope.
(Ironic, since religion is now part of the Pub platform)

[LostInAnomie]

18. Yeah, that pretty much nails it.

That's Hostettler's platform every two years.

[hippiegranny]

6. AZ- Border issues

and illegal immigration.

[stop the bleeding]

7. They don't need to campaign in my state of Florida, between Jeb,

Katherine Harris, Tom Feeney, I'm surprised that anyone even bothers when they know that the machines are counting the votes based on the program that was put in there. sorry to be cynic but that is the reality here.

[The Witch]

8. In VA it's immigrants and the death penalty.

...go kaine...

[WeRQ4U]

9. Usually things like farm aid, trade with canada, big pharm........

But this last election also through in some gay marriage, abortion, stem cell and other stuff. It was neat.

North Dakota is odd. The people are predominately republican but have voted Democrats for all three Capital Hill members for quite a long time now. I guess they realize where all their farm subsidies come from.

[mmonk]

11. same

old sh*t. Lower taxes and ending big guv'ment.

[kick-ass-bob]

12. mostly just callling all Dems "liberal"

they have no imagination.

[CottonBear]

13. In Georgia:

Lower taxes, more highways, no more money for public transportation, pro-business, anti-environment (i.e. pro-river, stream and wetland destruction), more jails, pro-voter ID (i.e. poll tax), anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion.
:( :cry: :( :cry: :( :cry: :( :cry: :( :cry: :( :cry: :( :cry: :( :cry:

[TheFarseer]

21. I guess at least that counts as a new idea

the voter ID thing, I mean. More jails and less public transportation are ideas. Wouldn't a voter ID cost tax money?

on edit: and don't forget shutting down schools to save on gas money. That's the kind of bold new 21st century vision we need in government! :sarcasm:

[CottonBear]

24. A Fed court temporarily barred GA from enforcing the voter ID law

The voter ID will cost the taxpayer money. You have to pay to get a drivers license. There are only a few more than 50 counties with places to get a license in a state with more than 150 counties.

Link: A Fed court temporarily barred GA from enforcing the voter ID law
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1858552&mesg_id=1858552

A quote from a NYT editorial on the poll tax:

"In 1966, the Supreme Court held that the poll tax was unconstitutional. Nearly 40 years later, Georgia is still charging people to vote, this time with a new voter ID law that requires many people without driver's licenses - a group that is disproportionately poor, black and elderly - to pay $20 or more for a state ID card. Georgia went ahead with this even though there is not a single place in the entire city of Atlanta where the cards are sold. The law is a national disgrace."

[meganmonkey]

14. Fucked up Ponzi schemes

Yay Amway! Go Dick DeVos!! :puke: :puke:

[leftofthedial]

15. money and gawd

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. The usual rightwing crap: God, Guns, and Taxes.

[devilgrrl]

17. Blaming the weakest/poorest for all of society's ills...

kind of like Arnie and his stupid special election.

[Jed Dilligan]

19. Abs, pects, lats, and glutes eom

[MissMarple]

20. Taxes are evil, any regulation is from hell, government is greedy.

You can spend your money better than the government can. And government is the spawn of corrupt socialist liberals who want to destroy America, spend your money, and enslave your children.

Is that an exaggeration? Not by much.

I'm in Colorado. And today we are experiencing damaging winds brought on no doubt by global warming. I just lost a 60 year old spruce tree. :cry:

[John Q. Citizen]

22. Our Republicans have been running on the imaginary benefits

supposedly derived for the economy by cutting business taxes and privatizing everything .

Message is strong on guns, jobs, Ag, extraction industry and hazy "Montana values,"

[AlCzervik]

23. They campaign against nurses, cops, teachers and firefighters--unions

[CottonBear]

25. In Georgia: the Confederate flag, god, guns and gays. n/t

[tinfoilinfor2005]

26. Here in Florida the seniors don't want to pay taxes that

will benefit children and schools. Their kids are grown and now any tax dollars should only go for things that will benefit them. Family values are no longer a concern.

[bluedog]

29. from the florida GOP site

Over time the Republican Party of Florida has worked to limit state government, lower taxes, improve public education, provide affordable and quality healthcare and strengthen our families. With your help, we can continue to build on these and many other successes down the road for the state of Florida.

http://www.rpof.org/action/

they forgot to add ........siding with the phone cos to raise rates...not obey the taxpayers for smaller class size...not to fund the super train.even though voted on......on and on..

[freestyle]

27. Taxes, "family values", please give us a chance.

With help from the most inept campaign since Dukakis, Maryland did elect a republican governor. Funny thing though, he has raised taxes (of course they are called fees), has spent his whole term trying and failing to bring in slot machines, and has been throughly ineffective otherwise. He has already had a veto overridden, and faces more overrides when the legislature reconvenes in January.

There are parts of Maryland that are extremely conservative, so there is a chance of them winning statewide office occassionally.

[Blue_In_AK]

28. ANWR, ANWR, ANWR...

All-Alaska natural gas pipeline. Blah, blah, blah.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

30. I'm from Texas

The Republicans here pretty much just say "I'm a Republican," and that usually suffices. :)