Campaign Strategy Essay
Ed Rendell PO 231
Every election has a winner and a loser. And every election has reasons for why one candidate won over the other. Based on the readings of David Frum’s book Comeback and Carville/Bergala’s Take it Back, and the 2008 Presidential and Congressional elections, the Democratic and Republicans have taken different strategies in order to be successful.
The Republican Party seized power during the Reagan administration. Troubles existed during the period and change was a mission. As Frum points out, oil and natural gas were being regulated by the federal government. Discontent occurred and America was desperate to change their identity. Reagan came in and most of America’s problems were fixed, particularly domestic. This model of change was refreshing and prosperous. To the modern period, George W. Bush has run for eight years and lost popularity among the American people. For example, the Iraq War was strongly opposed by a majority of people. Bush has lost touch with the American people. As Frum points out, “Americans preferred Democrats to Republicans on virtually every issue” (Frum 9). In essence, Bush has alienated his party and led to the perception that the Republican Party’s beliefs and strategies are outdated.
The upper class tends to favor the Republican Party while the middle class supports the Democrats. Most of American society is middle class. One of the issues surrounding the middle class is improved education. Frum documents Bush’s “No Child Left Behind,” as all children at the same age have to be proficient in reading and math. But most U.S. schools have failed to meet the requirements mainly because students with disabilities placed in regular classes can’t keep up with the requirements. The public outrage for Bush’s campaign strategy is evident as they rally around Barack Obama’s criticism for Bush’s No Child Left Behind Strategy. Unlike John McCain, Obama wants to alter the Strategy by offering more...