This Is How Dems Lose the Messaging Battle

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Jerry Costello is my representative. I know the guy. He'll be just fine in any election. So why Republicans are coming after him with Medicare messaging is odd. Maybe it's because the new Illinois map changes everything and John Shimkus is going to run against him. It's possible I suppose.

But what I want to highlight, in many of the same ways Greg Sargent has, is the content of the ad.  Republicans are trying to say that by voting against Rep. Ryan's budget plan that turns Medicare into a private voucher system, Costello is, by his no vote, allowing the social safety net of Medicare to collapse.

Yes Republicans running on the fact that America has a social safety net is monumental I know.  Agreeably, this is quite an odd ad for Republicans to run.  Not only did the GOP in both the House and Senate vote to pass the Ryan Plan, they voted to officially voucherize Medicare and end it as we know it.  So you would think the people who just voted to do away with Medicare wouldn't be bashing someone for supposedly ending Medicare, right?

But Republicans don't care.  They don't care about how ridiculous this looks.  They don't care about the facts supporting their ad.  They only care about the sensation their ad will produce with senior citizens-- you know the people who actually vote and use Medicare. Instead of being appalled that people who voted to do away with Medicare would try to bash someone for an insolvency that is decades down the road, create an ad just as sensational in response.

Create an ad talking about how Republicans want to back their cars over your grandma.  Sure it's not true but it will be on par with the crap the GOP is running.  It's either going to come to a point where both sides will agree to end the charade or all of our grandmas are going to be dead.  It's an easy game to play.  It's even easier when you want to win it.