| To some extent the parties are like companies, competing in the marketplace. They have to win in order to accomplish any thing, and therefore have to figure the best ways to position themselves and market their policies. Like companies, there is a point past which they must have a good product. Unlike companies, there is no easy way to test each policy before buying it, and therefore they have to rely even more on marketing. Well, it so happens that whichever party is more savvy about state of the art marketing tends to win, all things being equal. For awhile, the Democrats had the advantage, and were more alive to the possibilities of radio and television. Increasingly, the real savvy is on the Republican side, and we are getting better at it. That is what amuses me about the Democrats who run through and taunt us as if we are a bunch of know- nothings. We have been kicking their butts a lot in the last 20 years, and have a fine roster of pollsters and campaign consultants, as well as regular politicians and "wise men", to improve our position in the years to come. We have let the fact of the Clinton wins blind us to how remarkable it has been to regain the Congress, and how formidable our opportunity is to control all areas of the federal government. |
