Republican leadership is encouraging candidates to shore up their messaging game to sway swing voters their way with the midterm elections under two months away.
A Republican National Committee memo issued Monday for GOP campaigns across the country stressed the need for Republicans to “finish their sentences” and keep the focus on presenting solutions for economic struggles and crime plaguing the public.
RNC TO STOP COVERING TRUMP LEGAL BILLS IF HE ANNOUNCES 2024 BID TOO EARLY: REPORT
“While Biden and out-of-touch Democrats refuse to address the economic peril they created, voters have made it abundantly clear that this election is about the economy and crime,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. “Meanwhile, Republican candidates are meeting voters where they are and discussing the issues they care about.”
Buried in the analysis appears to be a tacit acknowledgment that cultural war topics, such as critical race theory and abortion, have the potential to fire up the base but might not be the most effective strategy for winning over independents.
Additionally, the memo concludes that Democrats are trying to make the election a referendum on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision that scrapped precedents first set in Roe v. Wade and relegated abortion back to Congress and the states. Republicans are stronger on other topics, such as the economy and crime, the memo suggests.
“Democrats and the national media are determined to try and make abortion the top issue ahead of the midterms, however, the media is not on our side, and we do not answer to them but to voters. Voters have made clear this election is largely about the economy and crime,” the memo said.
Here are the key takeaways from the memo:
Abortion
Prior to the Dobbs decision, Republicans were widely expected to cruise to victory in the House and Senate, but the strength of the so-called wave has greatly diminished since. The memo acknowledges that Dobbs “could shift the electorate,” citing a poll that found 20% of voters were pleased with Dobbs, 43% were not pleased but disagreed with Democrats, and 37% were not pleased but agreed with Democrats. Republicans need to maneuver themselves so that they are not constantly on defense and should instead put Democrats in the hot seat by focusing on their “extreme position,” the memo added.
“When comparing a Democrat who supports abortion at any time for any reason, against a Pro-life Republican who supports exceptions for instances of rape, incest, or the life of the mother, the GOP candidate holds a +22% advantage,” the memo said. “Put your opponent on defense and force them to answer for their extreme position.”
BIDEN SAYS IT WILL BE A ‘DIFFICULT TWO YEARS’ IF DEMOCRATS LOSE CONGRESS
Education
Republicans have been gaining considerable ground on education, narrowing the traditional double-digit lead Democrats have “to just low single digits,” according to the memo.
During the pandemic, many conservative activists rose up in protest of restrictive COVID-19 suppression measures and critical race theory, which stipulates that U.S. institutions are systemically racist. However, the memo advises Republicans that independent voters are more concerned with “parental rights and quality education.”
“Focusing on CRT and masks excites the GOP base, but parental rights and quality education drive independents,” the memo says. “Voters are most concerned with kids not learning enough basic life skills AND the long-term effects of COVID on emotional and educational development. While masks on seven-year-olds and CRT is a concern, it is not the driving force.”
Economy
A majority of voters trust Republicans to manage the economy more than Democrats, according to the memo. But Democrats can make inroads with voters by blaming corporate greed for unbridled inflation, per the memo. Republicans win the votes of 66% of people who blame Biden for economic woes, the document noted.
“While a vast majority of voters trust the GOP to fix the economy, a majority have yet to blame Biden and Democrats,” the memo said. “Republicans need to finish their sentences to bring along the 20 million voters who are unsure who to blame and the 52 million who blame corporate greed and pent-up demand.”
Crime
Crime is one of the top two concerns for voters, and Republicans have a 16-point edge over Democrats on the matter, according to the memo. Democrats have recently taken steps to cut at the GOP advantage by harping on gun control measures, but the GOP analysis found that most voters pin the blame for soaring crime on soft-on-crime policies. However, Republicans need to tie Democrats to soaring crime in the minds of voters and make the issue personal, the memo advises.
Environment and Energy
Republicans should focus on an “all-of-the-above approach to domestic energy production while protecting the environment” in their pitch to voters, rather than simply harping on the need to drill more oil, the memo advises.
“A Republican who supports that type of approach wins independents by 27-points compared to a Democrat who supports transitioning away from domestic fossil fuels and moving the economy toward green sources,” the memo said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
During the midterm election cycle, the RNC used multiple research methods, including “dozens of state and district specific projects” and “three national polls conducted by KAConsulting & The Tarrance Group,” to assess how the party can best drive home its message to voters.
That research was the underlying basis for the memo, which is being shared with Republican campaigns across the country.
