How Republicans Could Repel the Blue Wave

Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberly A. Strassel recently wrote on the battle for swing votes in her article entitled “How Republicans Could Still Win.” In light of the recent polls that suggest a Blue Wave is coming, Stassel insists that Republicans can keep the congressional majority, if they play their cards right.

Stassel’s suggestions to the GOP are as follows: build confidence, emphasize the appeal of current Republican policies to both Republicans and Democrats, and magnify the weakest Democrat policies.

These suggestions rely on following polling data closely—and not the “feel good” polling data, as the author notes. Rather, candidates running for election this season must track these polls carefully in order to tailor their campaigns directly to their constituents, and especially to the swing voters.

For example, the author states that most Republican polls show that base is deeply concerned with strictly partisan attacks on the president, amendment protections, and overregulation.

Furthermore, undecided voters are concerned with keeping the current tax cut in place, keeping the Immigration and Customs Enforcement intact, and abolishing sanctuary cities.

Candidates must monopolize on both of these takeaways from the data, and begin to target their messages to the appropriate audiences. Stassel insists that “the trick for Republicans is to target different microcosms of their districts, tailoring their messages via digital marketing, calls, mailings and events.” This cannot be a blanket campaign effort; rather, it must be carried out “block by block.”

This author is confident that this is the key to Republican wins this November. It won’t be easy; this method doesn’t follow the typical campaign style of “one thing or another.” But Republicans must be willing to take on the challenge, or risk the imminent Blue Wave.

  opinion