GOP focusing on Democrats' most dangerous vote

WSJ:

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In a recent Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll, 44% of respondents had negative feelings about Ms. Pelosi and 27% had positive ones, with the remaining 29% either neutral or not sure. Among independents, 53% viewed her negatively and just 20% positively.

The NRCC aired about a dozen television and radio ads during Congress's August break linking Democrats in conservative or centrist districts to Ms. Pelosi, often noting how often the lawmaker voted with her. The NRCC plans a similar run of ads over the Thanksgiving break.

In between, the Republicans are issuing a stream of statements mocking the speaker as "General Pelosi" or as an unethical puppet-master. The NRCC is now running an anti-Pelosi television spot in an upstate New York district where a campaign is under way for a special House election on Nov. 3. It features an animated gift box, complete with a yellow bow, dancing around the screen while a narrator describes Democrat Bill Owens as Ms. Pelosi's "gift" to central New York. The NRCC also has a radio ad in that district telling voters, "What this campaign is really about is keeping Nancy Pelosi in charge in Washington."

Mr. Owens declined to address the Pelosi connection directly. "My first obligation, priority, is to act in the best interests of my district and the people who live here," he said in an interview.

The Republican strategy is aimed at retaking centrist districts where Democrats have sometimes won election by persuading voters that they aren't beholden to liberals such as Ms. Pelosi.

"These campaigns have become national," said Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), who heads the recruiting of Republican House candidates. "Some people say, 'I personally like my current Congress member, but I don't like the way Congress is going.' Then they find out someone voted with Nancy Pelosi 97% of the time."

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I think this is a smart strategy. When Democrats vote for Pelosi for speaker they are voting for liberalism with all its inherent evils. Reminding voters of that is certainly a fair strategy.