Dem campaign chief wants 'birther' as 2010 wedge issue

[jefferson_dem]

Dem campaign chief wants 'birther' as 2010 issue
By Eric Zimmermann - 01/29/10 11:45 AM ET

The chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) wants his candidates to make "birthers" a campaign issue heading into 2010.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) is urging Democratic candidates to ask their Republican opponents a couple of key questions in order to "drive a wedge" between the GOP establishment and the Tea Party movement. He relayed that advice in an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow.

"Ask them, 'Do you believe Barack Obama as citizen of the United States?'" he said. "Ask them: Do you believe the Tenth Amendment doesn`t allow for health care for every citizen in the country? Do you believe that Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid is socialism?"

Menendez hopes that Republicans will be forced to either move hard to the right, or position themselves as moderates and risk losing support of conservative activists.

"I think these questions need to be driven to them," he said. "I'd get those candidates out there now defining these people as to where they stand."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/78697-dem-campaign-chief-wants-birther-as-2010-issue

[secondwind]

1. I'll take it. K&R

[Arkana]

2. It could work.

This isn't a Presidential cycle, so candidates have much smaller--and more rightwing--constituencies to pander to. They can't be swept in on the coattails of a popular POTUS candidate.

[Robb]

3. No brainer. Glad they thought of it. nt

[babylonsister]

4. Hmmm. I'm not sure about this. There are more valid issues, like

calling the rethugs out for the stonewallers they are. That's what Obama is doing, and I think that works. Why concentrate on a negative, even if it's only a perceived one?

Maybe doing this would prove the lie.

I still don't know. :shrug:

[eleny]

6. Because it will put them in disarray

They split = we win.

With corporations now participating in a huge way, this may not be the time to worry about being negative. The high road is a nice place when there's time to spare.

[Arkana]

8. Well, I'm sure this wouldn't be the OFFICIAL campaign strategy...

...but it would be something that strategists in campaigns across the country would encourage their candidates to do--casually prod their opponent into saying he believes Barack Obama is a natural-born citizen. Force them to either embrace the insanity or run screaming from it.

[FreakinDJ]

5. The TeaBagger Freak Show is officially "Dead"

Enough to where Guilt by Association is enough to sink RATpubliCON hopefuls

Will this work if FUX is out there ginning up the Corporate TeaBagger Movement

I would have thought the DEMs would force the Guilt By Association with the Corporations that Bankrupted the Country

[Clio the Leo]

7. Seriously ..... at THIS point....

.... even if he went on prime time TV and CONFESSED to be Kenyan-born, I'm fairly certain we could get an amendment to the Constitution reading "the President must be a natural born citizen ..... or from Kenya." passed within about three days.

[jillan]

9. I love it - show them for the fools that they are.

[applegrove]

10. I like it.

[LoZoccolo]

11. It would be more difficult than wedge issues usually are, but it might alienate their fringe enough.

Usually a wedge issue has people looking after their own interests, and aims together part of the opposition to vote for you. Here, you might get the moderate Republicans to start telling the teabaggers to shut up about the birth certificate and end up with the teabaggers getting upset at being told to be quiet and bailing. If that doesn't happen in large enough numbers, I'd say there would be a risk of alienating moderates who might swing (they would get insulted at our characterization of their entire party), but then again, there are a lot of independents who might wan to spare themselves the embarassment of voting for the party with all the birthers.

[kestrel91316]

12. The Dems will NEVER do the smart thing and take this approach. They are still spineless.

[JimboDem]

13. Do it. n/t

[JoeyT]

14. A wedge issue?

Are they kidding? As stupid as the Republican party has been over the last ten years, we have enough wedges to make each one of them ready to kick their own ass. We just have to be willing to drive them in.