November 08, 2006
And Let The Spinning Begin!
NRCC is first out of the gate, ignoring two of the chief culprits (Pres Bush and Iraq), but admirably not holding back fire at their own members.
Full memo after the jump:
To: Interested Parties
From: Carl Forti, Communications Director
Re: Election Results Talking Points
Date: November 8, 2006
________________________________________________________________________
Democrats needed to pick up 15 seats to win a majority in the House, and based on unofficial results, they have achieved that goal. With some votes still being counted, House GOPers have lost at least 28 seats.
The following analysis may be helpful to you as you unravel the results of these midterm elections:
Despite a Challenging Environment, Good Republican Campaigns Won. Even in an environment as challenging as this one, all politics can still be local, and those candidates who ran solid campaigns and defined their opponents early were successful. Examples include Deborah Pryce, Jon Porter, Jim Gerlach, Steve Chabot, Geoff Davis, Thelma Drake, and Heather Wilson.
Incumbents Who Were Unprepared Lost. While some incumbents lost tough, perennially competitive seats - i.e., CT-05, FL-22, and KY-03 - others who had not had a tough race in years and did not get their campaign up and running early simply waited too long to disqualify their opponent. As a result, they were swallowed up by the sour national environment.
The Scandal Factor Was Costly. We lost several seats by the self-inflicted route: AZ-05, CA-11, FL-16, NY-20, NC-11, OH-18, PA-07, PA-10, and TX-22. Note that with the exception of PA-07, all of these are fairly reliable Republican districts.
Retirements Were Also Damaging. Several members in swing districts either retired or decided to run for higher office: AZ-08, CO-07, IA-01, NY-24, and WI-08.
Sixth-Year Elections Are The Toughest For The President's Party. In the six of its kind that have occurred after the Civil War and prior to this one, the President's party suffered average losses of 41 House seats in his sixth year in office.
The Erosion in the Environment Suppressed Discussion of Local Issues. The mood of the electorate grew increasingly sour over the course of the campaign, which made it difficult for GOP candidates - especially those who were not as battle-tested - to gain traction on local issues.
Despite the fact that these races were about local issues and the NRCC devoted significant resources to making sure that was the case, several campaigns simply could not overcome the challenges of running in an environment that had significantly eroded.
The NRCC Engaged In Its Most Extensive Voter Contact Program to Date. The committee spent over $80 million on House races and did independent expenditures in 59 districts.
This Was a Team Effort.
The White House was of great help in supporting and raising money for our candidates. The President, First Lady, and Vice President traveled to over 75 districts this cycle.
Chairman Ken Mehlman and his team at the RNC were also a great asset in our efforts.
201 Members of the House Republican Conference -- in addition to three incoming freshmen -- contributed to the NRCC's signature Battleground Program, which raised over $25 million, resources that went directly into House races.
Posted at 09:54 AM
Comments
THEY LOST! HA!
RB-Chicago | 11.08.06 04:19 PM
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