The consistency of the message indicates that this is a focus group tested appeal being trotted out at the last moment as a late hit. The subtext of the message for Democrats all over the country, ignore the spiraling downward course we've put the country on, those Republicans are working for a bunch of foreigners!
The coordination started at the very top, from that man who ran for office claiming to be a new voice for cooperation with the rest of the world, Barack Obama:
President Obama this afternoon joined the gang of Democrats and liberal groups alleging that the US Chamber of Commerce is using foreign funds to influence American elections.
... the President said, "just this week, we learned that one of the largest groups paying for these ads regularly takes in money from foreign corporations."
The president then took this step, saying, "groups that receive foreign money are spending huge sums to influence American elections, and they won’t tell you where the money for their ads come from."
The allegation was preposterous and widely mocked by all objective observers. But here's the thing with last ditch, Hail Mary passes, there's no plan B. So moving boldly forward with this destructive, polarizing strategy, these Minnesota stalwarts of tolerance and independence.
Tarryl Clark:
Michele Bachmann has done nothing in her Congressional career to create a job or help her constituents, but she's got a solid record of standing up for powerful special interests and companies that ship jobs overseas," said Zach Rodvold, Clark's Campaign Manager.
As the Congresswoman from the district with some of the highest unemployment rates in the state, Michele Bachmann's first priority should be getting people back to work - in Minnesota, not in China, India or Vietnam.
Jim Oberstar:
Chip Cravaack has good things to say about Malaysia, and Congressman Jim Oberstar wants you to know about it.
New campaign ads airing today on TV and cable criticize Cravaack for wanting The U.S. to mimic Malaysia's economic policies.
This strategy even seeps down to a race for the Minnesota legislature. Our good friend King Banaian, candidate in District 15B was the subject of perhaps the most scurrilous example of this xenophobic appeal. From a last minute flyer crafted by the Democrats:
King Banaian: More interested in Egypt and Macedonia than St. Cloud
King Banaian certainly has a résumé -- jetting across the glob to consult the governments of Egypt, Macedonia, Armenia, Ukraine, and Indonesia. But what does all his international travel tell him about the needs of families here in St. Cloud?
As with the Oberstar attack on Chip Cravaack, the citation of King's expertise in international economics should serve as an endorsement of his qualifications, to any reasonable voter. Except of course if that voter isn't reasonable. And instead they just don't like them foreigners. Why does the DFL think voters in their districts are anti-foreigner, rather than reasonable?
As we ponder that question, as a service to the readers, here's a current list of countries that Republican candidates aren't allowed to travel to, understand, or learn from:
China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, Egypt, Macedonia, Armenia, Ukraine and Indonesia.
Get out your world atlases and black markers and cross them off today! Updated roster of banned countries as developments warrant.
The Elder Adds: The Wall Street Journal had a story on October 22nd about how the Democrats attacks on outsourcing and fear mongering about jobs going overseas have alienated voters with connections to India (sub req):
Indian-Americans who work in multinationals with South Asian operations say attacks on outsourcing ignore that U.S. companies outsource certain services because it is profitable for them to do so. More generally, they find the ads offensive and racist, Mr. Puri says.
Most of these donors supported Barack Obama in his 2008 campaign, said the Illinois group's organizer, Shalabh Kumar, founder of AVG Automation, a Chicago-area maker of computerized automation systems. "The rhetoric [Democrats] use on outsourcing doesn't make a lot of sense, particularly with respect to India," he said. "What the U.S. needs to do is focus on its manufacturing base. Outsourcing allows the U.S. to be more competitive, and create more jobs."
The attack by Democrats on outsourcing is "one of the most important reasons some Indians are supporting Republicans," said Namrita Nelson, an Indian-born accountant from the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Ill., who formed the Indian-American Republican Coalition this summer. Ms. Nelson, who voted for Mr. Obama in 2008, has raised $50,000 and built a team of 50 volunteers to knock on doors on behalf of GOP congressional candidates.
