WaPo: Republican message tired, evident in MS-01

David Broder came down to Tupelo this past Tuesday to speak at the Lee County Library. While the rest of us were glued to the coverage of MS-01 and Pennsylvania, Broder spoke on presidential politics and the state of the race.

Today in the Washington Post, Broder writes about the MS-01 race and its implications for the national scene. The old republican message of social issues and personal attacks is not working anymore, even in the heart of GOP territory. Voters are responding to real issues, such as the war and the economy. Kitchen table issues are winning for the Democrats.

Broder had this to say:

As a mayor and former state representative from the district's most populous county, Davis was the early favorite. He had the endorsements of Gov. Haley Barbour, Sen. Thad Cochran, Wicker and the man Wicker replaced, Trent Lott. Davis also outspent Childers by almost 2 to 1 and pummeled his opponent with a flood of negative ads, emphasizing the standard GOP menu of social issues and adding a vivid recital of alleged scandals in Childers's nursing home business.

But Childers exploited resentment in 23 other counties against Davis's reliance on his home base in the populous suburbs south of Memphis. Beyond that, he relied on the same issues that produced a surprise Democratic win in a special election this year in the Illinois district vacated by former House speaker Dennis Hastert. High gas prices, shaky job prospects and a grinding war in Iraq have fueled a call for change.

The message to Republicans could not be more plain: At a time when the public has soured on President Bush and the GOP, the old appeals are just not enough. To have a chance, Republican candidates have to expand their reach and reframe their message.