Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Mike Duncan believes Republicans can beat either of the two top Democrats racing for their party’s nomination.
For Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), Duncan says it comes down to trust. Sen. Barack Obama’s (Ill.) weakness, on the other hand, is his experience, according to Duncan.
{mosads}Duncan continually brought up Clinton and Obama during a Wednesday morning breakfast with reporters sponsored by The Christian Science Monitor. Pointing to internal poll numbers, the RNC chairman repeatedly insisted that no matter who Republicans nominate, the Democratic candidate can be defeated in November.
Internal RNC polls show Clinton has significant trust issues with voters, who also worry Obama has too little experience to be president.
“With Sen. Clinton, it comes down to trust,” Duncan said. “She’s a lifelong liberal politician with some political baggage.”
The RNC’s polling on Clinton found that less than 50 percent of respondents see her as “honest and trustworthy.”
Sixty-five percent say she “will say or do anything to get elected” and 68 percent “agree that Sen. Clinton will raise their taxes.”
The polling on Obama is not quite as damaging on its face. Only 40 percent of respondents to the RNC’s survey agree that Obama “has the experience necessary to be Commander-in-Chief.” Forty-nine percent said Obama has a “record of accomplishment,” but only 19 percent say they are “very familiar” with the senator’s positions. Forty-four percent of respondents in the RNC poll view Obama as a uniter of Democrats and Republicans.
“His rhetoric is very good. He’s a great speaker. But at the end of the speech, people go, ‘Where’s the beef?’ ” Duncan said.
Previewing potential GOP attacks, Duncan referenced criticisms of Obama’s “present” votes during his time in the Illinois state Senate, something the Clinton campaign has also raised. Duncan also made an indirect reference to what he called Obama’s questionable ties to indicted businessman Antoin Rezko, who has contributed to Obama campaigns.
The chairman repeatedly mentioned that his communications and opposition research teams are building up strong cases against the candidacies of both Obama and Clinton.
Asked about Clinton’s claims that she is the only candidate who has been thoroughly “vetted,” Duncan smiled before complaining that his opposition research team’s efforts have been thwarted because the Clinton Library has not released certain documents related to Bill Clinton’s presidency.
“I’m not sure that anyone at this point has been thoroughly vetted,” Duncan said.
Duncan said the RNC’s “first level” of attacks mirror those the Democratic candidates have made on one another.
“Are there more arguments to come? Yes,” he said.
Duncan seemed to have trouble concealing his joy when asked whether the intense back-and-forth between Obama and Clinton meant the Republican nominee would eventually face a divided Democratic Party.
Duncan said he knew all along the Democrats were more divided than was being written, and the committee was preparing all along for any of the top-tier candidates as the nominee.
“I’m watching with great interest what they’re doing on the other side,” he said.
Duncan was careful not to comment specifically on his own party’s field. The GOP race remains cloudy, as several candidates have split the opening primaries and caucuses.
As the referee, Duncan said it’s not his place to comment on the individual campaigns. He did say the GOP nominee’s strategy for winning the general election would depend on the nominee.
For example, he said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani would have different strategies, although he sought to portray both as candidates the GOP could rally around.
“It’s a different emphasis. It’s not a different coalition,” he said. The GOP has “a lot of great choices” in its presidential field, Duncan added.
Those hoping for a brokered convention this summer are likely to be disappointed, Duncan said. He said he is convinced there will be a consensus nominee before the RNC convention.
That said, the chairman did say he is reading up on the nomination battles of 1944 and 1952, both years that saw the GOP nomination fight decided at the Republican National Convention.
“My job is not to be surprised,” Duncan said.
The chairman said the committee’s voter file and 72-hour program are both better than they have ever been, and the RNC will continue to enjoy a technological advantage over its Democratic counterpart.