GOP reps. advised to avoid party brand

[LTR]

A new playbook for House Republicans urges them to run essentially as independents, showing empathy for voters, emphasizing local issues and ignoring many traditional party campaign practices.

The advice for House candidates is part of an effort to minimize Republican losses in a year when voters are exasperated by the economy, the Iraq war and President Bush:

(snip)

The assessment was provided by the NRCC Audit Committee, formed at the behest of House Republican leader John A. Boehner of Ohio.

The review found that the losing Republicans failed to successfully establish “themselves and their local brand in contrast to the negative perception of the national GOP.”

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080627/pl_politico/11402

[Gman]

1. Second election in a row they're doing this

2004 and before they were all too proud to announce they were Republican...

and that was a time when Democrats didn't put "Democrat" on their stuff.

[tanyev]

2. What local brand?

The GOP is a top-down authoritarian organization. All they've got are the daily talking points faxed to them by party leaders, and those aren't working so well anymore.

Case in point: "A new playbook for House Republicans urges them to run essentially as independents".

They have to be told to run as independents.