CT-05: Murphy Rebuffs DCCC Calls For Negative Ads: "I Want To Sleep At Night"
Dem Chris Murphy, who's battling to unseat GOP Rep. Nancy Johnson, claims he's rejecting calls from the DCCC to run more negative ads. The Greater Danbury News-Times reports that Murphy addressed the DCCC's purported demand as follows (emphasis added): "Have we run ads critical of Nancy Johnson? Absolutely. But I am proud of the tone our campaign has taken...I want to sleep at night." The DCCC, of course, may be pressing Murphy out of unease about Johnson's ads, which are somewhat less than restrained. Recent polls show the race is too close to call.
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He can sleep at night in Connecticut after he loses the race...!
October 18, 2006 7:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
For one thing, he has no control over what DCCC says or does. He can't, legally. Many many candidates claim to "hate" what the national party does. That way they reap the benefits while avoiding the blame. This is old playbook stuff. Trust me, privately he's rooting them on, because he's a good politician and he knows what it takes to win. If someone else does it, so much the better.
October 18, 2006 7:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Someone needs to tell Murphy that winners sleep better at night than losers
October 19, 2006 7:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's that kind of prima donna attitude that has been losing elections for Denicrats now for a generation. Has anyone told him that losing is cold comfort not to mention that perhaps winning and wresting control of Congress from Republican hands is far more important than anything he wants, including his desire for feeling good about losing? Was this guy born yesterday?
October 19, 2006 9:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
This isn't necessarily the same kind of "milquetoast" behavior that caused Kerry and Gore to almost-but-not-quite make it. This may actually be about making a principled point.
Remember, the current cycle is a lot about motivating the base on the Left, something that the Dems haven't tried in many years, and something that the Beltway consultants don't seem to "get." A lot of Leftcore voters (the ones who went for Nader in 2000, and who didn't turn out at all in 2004) desparately want to see someone who stands by their principles, rather than doing whatever seems the most expedient at the moment.
There's a rising notion that swinging the mainstream voter doesn't work in modern politics. It may work again in some distant future, but the last six years tells us that the mainstream doesn't win elections. As such, turning out the base is done by wearing your principles on your sleeve. Remember how excited everyone was by Dean before the character assassins got to him? The Democratic base doesn't need attack ads to not vote for Johnson - they're not going to vote for her anyway. However, what they do need is to see Murphy demonstrate some character in order to actually turn out for him.
It's always nice to find ways in which Doing The Right Thing can intersect with an effective strategy. I'm not saying it's easy, just possible. Here's hoping he makes it.
However, in order for this approach to actually work, he's got to make a really big deal about taking the high road. The "sleep at night" quote is good - it indicates what kind of a legislator he'd be. But he needs to expand on it from here on out.
Of course, having somebody else go for Johnson's throat on his behalf (and over his condemnations) wouldn't hurt either.
October 19, 2006 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink