This Time, Rove's Tactics Failed

In politics--as the sophisticated analysts say--it is better to win than lose. So Democrats can be happy about their triumphs in New Jersey and Virginia, where their candidates won contests for governor, and they can crow about terminating California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's ballot propositions (particularly the one that would have weakened the political clout of unions). Are these results a bad omen for Republicans in 2006? As several poli-sci experts have pointed out, if you look at recent off-year elections, they predict the outcome of the next election in only two of four cases. That's as good as flipping a coin. But what was notable about these elections is that Rove-style politics did not succeed.

In Virginia and New Jersey, the Republicans campaigned mainly by hurling slash-and-burn ads at the Democrats. In New Jersey, the Republicans even went after Senator Jon Corzine, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, by putting up an ad in which Corzine's ex-wife dumped on him. Despite this woman-scorned strategy, Corzine won.

In Virginia, GOP candidate Jerry Kilgore aired harsh spots that accused Democrat--and eventual winner--Timothy Kaine--of being a wimp on the death penalty. Kaine, a Catholic, explained that he opposed capital punishment due to his moral values but he said he would abide by state law, which allows for executions. Kilgore mercilessly bashed Kaine for holding this view; one Kilgore ad had a murder victim's relative bitterly saying that Kaine could not be trusted on this issue. Kilgore's campaign devoted more resources to anti-Kaine ads than spots celebrating Kilgore's own assets.

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