Here we go again.
Via Guy Benson:
Democratic messaging gurus and pollsters have warned embattled incumbents not to defend Obamacare. It’s too toxic. They’ve also admonished their party against touting the economic recovery. It’s too weak; the idea that America’s economy is roaring back to life isn’t resonating with voters. Democrats have virtually zero chance of winning back the House, so their primary concern is retaining the Senate — which the GOP can reclaim by netting six seats in November. Some losses are expected, but Team Blue believes it can use political triage to save their majority. In order to do so, they’ll need relatively strong turnout from the voting blocs that were instrumental to re-electing President Obama in 2012, so strategists are dialing up every play in the book to galvanize specific constituencies. Colorado Senator Mark Udall’s first ad of the cycle hews to this strategy. It attacks Udall’s Republican opponent — Rep. Cory Gardner — for wanting to “outlaw” birth control, an outlandish claim. [see video above]
A friend snarks that Udall’s facial expression near the end of the spot is eerily reminiscent of “blue steel.” As preposterous as the attack seems, setting the record straight on this sort of issue is important. So important, in fact, that I’d recommend that Gardner push back forcefully in an on-air ad of his own. Democrats got a lot of mileage out of the “Republicans want to take away your birth control” garbage in the 2012 cycle, and Terry McAuliffe used the issue to define Ken Cuccinelli early in last year’s gubernatorial race in Virginia. Cuccinelli ended up closing a large gap because of Obamacare, but fell short. Perhaps the biggest reason? Unmarried women, who overwhelmingly backed McAuliffe. This narrative needs to be nipped in the bud — or else, like a mendacious weed, it could take root with just enough potential voters to make a difference.