How to Lose an Election: Insult Your Voter Base.
Julie Fanselow, Larry Grant's formidable blogging guru, is not doing Mr. Grant any favors.
Idahoans (around 80%) largely identify themselves as religious. Of those claiming some sort of religious identity, 79% of them align themselves with some form of Christianity. These are among the voters who will show up to vote in November.
In a district like the 1st Congressional District, which has been a Republican stronghold since Chenoweth trounced LaRocco, Democrats have to be cautious about maligning voters' religious values. One of the primary ways to win votes is by persuading voters that your values align with their values. You lose voters by insinuating that they are simple-minded and dangerous.
The Grant campaign seems to think that it will win this election with posts like this one:
And the Religious Right is accused of developing conspiracy theories.
It strikes me that the religiously devout, to Julie and the Grant campaign, are petty hypocrites worthy of elementary name-calling. And based on my reading of Red State Rebels, the religiously devout are simply politically active Christians who disagree with Julie.
It doesn't bother me that Ms. Fanselow may be alienating Grant's voter base. It's just too bad she's doing it in the name of secularism.
Idahoans (around 80%) largely identify themselves as religious. Of those claiming some sort of religious identity, 79% of them align themselves with some form of Christianity. These are among the voters who will show up to vote in November.
In a district like the 1st Congressional District, which has been a Republican stronghold since Chenoweth trounced LaRocco, Democrats have to be cautious about maligning voters' religious values. One of the primary ways to win votes is by persuading voters that your values align with their values. You lose voters by insinuating that they are simple-minded and dangerous.
The Grant campaign seems to think that it will win this election with posts like this one:
Meanwhile, the Bible thumpers have obviously been stuffing the ballot box in an online poll at the Idaho Statesman. Go have your say. Then get back to the real work you are doing - you know, whatever it is you do to really make the world a truly godlike place, instead of wasting government's time, money, and energy on heresies like this.In July I referenced a separate post of Ms. Fanselow's where she suggested that "radical fundamentalists appear eager to remake the United States into a theocracy" because she hypothesized that Christian radio stations may be trying to secure radio frequencies proximate to those where NPR is traditionally found. Christians are stealing listeners!
And the Religious Right is accused of developing conspiracy theories.
It strikes me that the religiously devout, to Julie and the Grant campaign, are petty hypocrites worthy of elementary name-calling. And based on my reading of Red State Rebels, the religiously devout are simply politically active Christians who disagree with Julie.
It doesn't bother me that Ms. Fanselow may be alienating Grant's voter base. It's just too bad she's doing it in the name of secularism.
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1 Comments:
Pardon the late reply ... I have been in Yellowstone with my daughter.
Those posts were both on my personal blog, Red State Rebels. I am sure Larry Grant does not share my views on everything I say therein.
I also am positive most Idaho Christians do not share the radical fundamentalism of Mr. Grant's opponent nor of Mr Sali's key supporters (Fischer, Swindell, Graham) in that community.
Cheers!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
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