Akin In the Districts -- anti-abortion dog whistling neutralized

[phantom power]

Tangentially, I finally put my finger on something that's been bugging me about Democratic campaign strategery. The GOP has used dog whistling to enormous advantage over the last 20 years or so(*). It's a huge advantage because they get to have it both ways in all their campaigns. Dog whistling on topics like race, abortion, guns and religion solidifies their batshit hardcore base, but allows them to do it while not alienating the low-information "center" voters (and often not even alienating left voters who aren't privy to the technique).

While it's infuriating that the Fourth Estate fails to call them on this, it's also the case that Democratic campaigns aren't powerless against it. The way to neutralize it is to force the hand of GOP candidates, by running ads (correctly) claiming that "Candidate X believes that you should have to have your rapists baby" or "Candidate X is a racist". This forces them to either deny their base (3 times before the cock crows!) or like Akin throw their hand in with their base without dog-whistling, and sacrifice the low-information center.

It took Akin going off the reservation to do it for us this time around. But we don't really have to wait for rogue GOP or the press to do this for us.

In my House district (the new NY-25), the trick for a Republican is to be pro-life on the down low – keep it off the website, don’t discuss it in the campaign, but put out the word to the pro-lifers that you’re one of them. Akin is forcing Maggie Brooks, who’s a serious challenger to Louise Slaughter, out of the closet, and it’s interesting to watch. I wrote a couple of posts about it on my sadly neglected race blog (here and here) if you want more detail, but the net of it is that Slaughter is beating Brooks over the head with Ryan, Akin, and all the Republicans who signed on to the forcible rape bill and gave Brooks money.

Brooks was caught flat-footed, because pro-life lite™—a rape and incest exemption to abortion and acceptance of contraception—has worked for Republicans around here for decades. Now the tubes are spastic, and the usual “keep your mouth shut and your bowels open” strategy on abortion just ain’t gonna cut it. One of the factors in this race is that Slaughter is a hard core, true believing choice advocate who doesn’t mince words about her support of the right to an abortion. Her abortion talking points are hard-edged and well-practiced. Last she was asked, Brooks was still making up her mind on Planned Parenthood, and now she’s got to tell us what kinds of rape are really rape rape, and which ones are non-abortion slut rape.

This is even more important over in the new NY-27, where Kathy Hochul is running to keep the seat she won in a special election by running on the Ryan plan. Her opponent is the white, male asshole Chris Collins, and I’m going to love seeing him explain reproductive biology the next time he emerges from whatever bunker he’s hiding in.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/08/22/akin-in-the-districts/

(*) or, arguably since the inception of the southern strategy

[msongs]

1. too many democrats are cowards and will not confront repubs (think "bipartisanship") nt

[phantom power]

2. ...and here's a great example from the exemplary Elizabeth Warren:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021179865