My Bill Halter Messaging Manifesto

I left this comment over at The Plum Line explaining how Bill Halter can win the messaging war with Blanche Lincoln. There is no other Democrat I would love to see get kicked to the curb this cycle than Lincoln and I for one want to see her go down in glorious fashion.

Aye, Bill Halter or Bill Halter’s people. If you are reading this let me give you some free advice to beat Blanche Lincoln. I know you might ask why you should follow my advice, but hey I have been right about messaging if not policy most of the last year. So here’s what you do.

Use Republican tactics to paint Lincoln as a Republican.

You see she is basically overlooking the primary right now and already going for the center for the general election. That could and should be a fatal flaw for her but only if you exploit it. In her web ad Blanche Lincoln just, say it with me, “disparaged all the Democrats in Arkansas” and you should DEMAND an apology. Every time Blanche Lincoln says something bad about Democrats in Congress or President Lincoln, what YOU want to do is conflate that with every day hard working blue collar Democrats in Arkansas. And when I say every time, I mean every time. Hit her so many times with this that she ends up having to either stop bashing President Obama and his agenda OR declare her intentions to switch parties. In point of fact you should ask, over and over and over again, what makes her different from any Republican. Point to President Obama’s words at the Senate Democratic caucus a few weeks ago when he said voters are going to start asking why should they vote for a Democrat over a Republican if they vote exactly the same.

Stay on the offensive. Always always punch first. No matter what she says in public find a way to make it a bad thing. If she sides with Republicans point that out and say thats who she really is anyway. If she sides with Democrats say she is a flip flopper just running to the left to try to get the nomination only to have 6 more years of standing against her party. Get big bold signs printed up that have quotes of her bashing the Democratic Party and especially Democratic issues like health care reform and the clean air act. Remember hunters and fisherman don’t much like pollution in Arkansas.

Lastly turn the big tent around on Blanche Lincoln. In order to keep her from pigeon holing you has an ideologue which is what she is now going to try to do, paint HER as the ideologuy who only wants conservatives in the Democratic party. Say you will work with Democrats of all stripes but at the end of the day being a Democrat should come with some unity on big issues. Lincoln on the other hand throws tantrums when people disagree in her party and she has nothing but disdain for Democrats who aren’t conservative. Say that maybe somebody as rigid ideologically as her would fit in better with Republicans.

Again, link her to Republicans over and over again especially against big issues like Health Care.

Every shot she is going to try to take at you anticipate and turn it back on her. She will try to link you to outside interest groups. Instead of responding and defending yourself like you have in recent days, turn it around on her and say she is bought and paid for by special interests. Point out the small average size of your donations with out denoting where they are coming from and point out that your views on stuff like health care and the public option coincide with the people of Arkansas, while Blanche Lincoln takes special interest money and votes against the will of her constituents. So who should the people of Arkansas believe? A guy who gets small donations and runs on issues that enjoy an overwhelming majority of support, or a woman who gets big donations and finds every opportunity to bash the Democrats and vote against the will of the people of Arkansas?

Offense offense offense.

Oh and to keep from getting accused of being too rough with Lincoln because she’s a woman, and yes they are going to try to do that once you gain ground, don’t always attack her directly. Instead say something to the effect of “Its not so much Blanche Lincoln I have a problem with, but the special interests that continue to influence her votes.

ATTENTION do not in anyway say anything that could be construed as her taking money for favors or being a “whor*”

Welp that’s it. If you follow that plan you win going away and you still haven’t gone too far left for the general. Lincoln’s mistake is her hubris in thinking she won’t have to go left at all until its too late.

Thank me later

Righteous indignation should be the buzz word every day for the Halter campaign in my opinion. Turn Democratic voters off to Blanche Lincoln in such a way that they can't wait for election day to get her ass out of there. Drive voter turnout by saying that if Lincoln wins the primary its guaranteed a Republican will represent Arkansas whether she wins the general or not.