CRAWFORD, Texas — Some Republican candidates are distancing themselves from President Bush in fear of voter discontent with the war in Iraq. But a new GOP strategy memo argues that the war could prove to be an advantage for many Republican candidates, citing it as one of the most effective issues that will excite the party base in November.
The memo, based on a Republican National Committee poll of GOP voters and obtained by the Los Angeles Times, lists Bush's handling of "foreign threats" as the No. 1 motivator of the Republican base, specifically citing his leadership on Iraq.
"Large majorities report satisfaction with the president's commitment to defeat the terrorists in Iraq and his leadership in the war on terror, in general," according to the memo sent Wednesday to Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman from GOP pollster Fred Steeper.
The memo suggested that Republicans could motivate their base in the upcoming elections by talking about foreign threats and national security issues, including Iraq and the potential nuclear threat from Iran, and by drawing contrasts with Democrats in those areas. It said "a huge 87% of the base expresses extremely strong feelings" about national security issues.
The memo underscores the belief among top White House and GOP strategists that the war, despite the rising death toll and mounting public anxiety, could be the party's biggest advantage in the fight to retain control of Congress in the November elections.
Focusing on Iraq is risky at a time when candidates in both parties are struggling to deal with the politics of the war. Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) is facing a stiff primary challenge today based on his support for the war, and Republicans from Minnesota to Maryland are casting themselves as independent thinkers who will not serve as rubber stamps for the White House.
Mehlman, in an interview Monday, said the GOP survey demonstrated that the base became motivated when it heard that Democrats supported policies of "isolationism and defeatism," words that the GOP had attached to Democratic proposals to withdraw troops in Iraq. He said the challenge to Lieberman by war critic Ned Lamont suggested Democrats were following a Vietnam War-era path of nominating antiwar activists like George S. McGovern who failed to win the general election.
