START TALKING ABOUT WHAT MATTERS.
they aren't gonna start talking about those things because they have an election to win. The two don't go together.
from a post I made while back:
Most elections are decided by the undecided (uninformed) voter. Most these folks can't name their congressman or senators. Pollsters find that if you ask them a political question and get an answer, then rephrase the questions and you subsequently then get an inconsitent or contradictory answer---shows that most folks don't have well thought out ideas on issues or any underlying political theory.
Gut feelings about pocketbook, country, corruption and such is the reasoning most use. This is influenced heavily by candidate slogans, packaging, name recognition, character attacks, colors used in ads, gaffes like eating tamales with the corn husk on----these are what decide most elections---not positions on issues. See ?Winning Elections: Political Campaign Management, Strategy & Tactics? ....a very informative and influential book.
Heck, in this paper ("Blind Retrospection. Electoral Responses to Drought, Flu, and Shark Attacks", warning, pdf file) written by some Princeton profs, they estimate that ?2.8 million people voted against Al Gore in 2000 because their states were too dry or too wet? due to weather that year. Authors figger these folks cost Gore 7 states (just need one more to win)
Repuplicans just turning to what has helped in many (tho not all) elections.
