Democrats are launching a new messaging push that seeks to remind voters of Republicans’ opposition to a number of popular policies, as Republicans try to rebrand in time for 2016.
{mosads}The new narrative was outlined on Wednesday in a Web video, shared exclusively with The Hill, from the Democratic National Committee that riffs off Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus’s weekend comments that “we’re going to be the party that is fresh and new in 2016.”
The video features news clips outlining the estimated $24 billion lost due to the government shutdown, the expected failure of a push for immigration reform this year and a new bill proposed by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) to restrict certain types of abortions.
“The GOP. Not fresh. Not new,” on-screen text reads at the end of the video.
It’s part of what will be an extended campaign, DNC spokesman Michael Czin told The Hill, to remind voters that “today’s GOP is the same extreme, ideological and out of touch party that turned voters away in droves in 2012, and again in last Tuesday’s elections in places like Virginia,” where Democrat Terry McAuliffe defeated Republican Ken Cuccinelli.
“Republicans are now saying that they won’t act on immigration reform this year, despite overwhelming support from the public to act. Republican leaders in the Senate are racing to introduce the most restrictive abortion bans in recent history, once again trying to put politicians between a woman and her doctor. And that’s all after the GOP shut down the government for 16 days last month, costing the economy $24 billion,” he said.
Democrats are also planning events with state parties in targeted states — like one planned for this Saturday, where Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is campaigning with GOP Gov. Terry Branstad — and a paid digital media component to the new attack.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) did confirm on Wednesday that the House won’t address immigration reform this year.
Graham’s bill, which bans abortions after the 20-week mark, is unlikely to get a hearing in the Senate.
Republicans were dismissive of the new message, with RNC spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski charging Democrats were looking to distract from issues with ObamaCare.
“Feels like the party of ObamaCare is looking desperately to talk about anything but the lie the President and key Democrats running in 2014 told Americans about keeping their healthcare plans,” she said.
But the new video marks a concerted effort by Democrats to refocus attention back on Republicans in the wake of a tough few weeks for the party, when the rocky ObamaCare rollout produced waves of bad press and Republican attacks — and erased Democrats’ generic ballot lead for 2014.
Democrats believe Republican efforts to obstruct Democratic policy priorities and what Democrats see as “an attack on women’s health,” as the video states, will be potent issues in 2014 and beyond, and could outweigh the troubles with ObamaCare in some voters’ minds.
Watch the video: