Using Social Issues to Split the Independent Vote
Sorry for the delay in posting. Sometimes the activities of being an author interfere with being a blogger (and vice versa).
I just finished being on a Conference Call with a group founded by the late Aaron Russo called Restore the Republic. Their web site is www.RestoretheRepublic.com. Many thanks to Gary Franchi for having me on.
One of my points in my talk tonight is how the 43% of the electorate who considers themselves to be Independent is often split during elections over social issues like abortion, gay marriage, and stem cell research. I expect that strategy to be used in 2008, as well, unless Independent voters catch on and refuse to be manipulated by these issues. That means that those social issues must be regarded in the same way as drinking and prohibition are today.
Today, no American politician could run for office on the proposition that they were going to bring back Prohibition. Prohibition is an issue we have settled.
Someone asked me during the Q and A if we weren't always going to have the social issues I mentioned above. The answer is yes, we will have those issues, just as we have the issue of drinking today. The difference is that the issue is no longer meaningful politically. That's what we must do with those social issues. The way that gets done is by voters refusing to vote for candidates and parties who lead with those issues. Once parties and candidates go down to defeat over those issues they will no longer be issues that matter.
And yes, polls show there is a pretty definitive 70% position out there towards these issues.
Their elimination will enable voters to focus on higher priorities and allow us to make progress on a number of fronts.
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