Aren't GOP Candidates Allowed To Court Democratic Votes?

Cassie DeYoung contends she is being unfairly maligned for courting Democratic votes, but she's missing the point.

Nobody faults her for trying to attract the votes of 5th District Democrats. It is the manner in which she does so.

The traditional way is communicating to Democratic voters -- in the mail, on the radio or TV -- positions on which the candidate and Democratic voters can find common ground (and vice versa for a Democratic candidate seeking GOP votes).

Cassie DeYoung has more than enough money to engage in the kind of voter outreach, and I have no doubt she's doing it.

What has put her in hot water with the OC GOP is attending meetings of dyed-in-the-wool Democratic activists and pitching for their votes by highlighting their shared antipathy for the OC GOP.

Ronald Reagan did the former when he reached out to what became Reagan Democrats. He appealed for the votes on the baisi of shared values and positions on issue -- but never at the expense of his party. Carrie DeYoung does the latter. Now that word of her activities has leaked out, she's suddenly appealing to the OC GOP Central Committee for party unity.

It's an appeal falsely made, and it ought to fall on deaf ears.

Comments

[Missy]

The traditional way is communicating to Democratic voters -- in the mail, on the radio or TV

That's right! Don't ever get close to them. They're dirty and usually smell bad. You might even catch something from them, like fleas or lice.

[redperegrine]

"You might even catch something from them, like fleas or lice"

Or even worse, you might get infected with the idea that the more government gets involved the better off everybody is; and that public employees are underpaid.

Quick! get innoculated!