Doherty’s new campaign manager presents Brendan as consensus-builder
Republican congressional candidate Brendan Doherty has recently outlined in broad brush strokes one contrast between himself (former Mob investigator) and Congressman David Cicilline (former criminal-defense lawyer). Now, Doherty’s new campaign manager, Ian Prior, is marking his first day on the job with some similar messaging.
Doherty has been rather general in talking about policy. So it remains to be seen whether his campaign will continue to emphasize contrasts in image while playing down some specifics.
Anyway, here’s part of an email sent by Prior a short time ago.
Over the next several months, the voters of the First District will learn more about the choice that they will face on November 6, 2012. That choice represents an opportunity for voters to turn away from the political rhetoric that infects Washington D.C. and has come to define American politics and politicians. It will be a simple choice – do voters want to continue to elect politicians that highlight and use for their advantage the disagreements that they create, or do they want to elect a leader who will find the points of agreement and have the strong voice to forge a consensus?
One of Brendan’s opponents has relied exclusively on tired political rhetoric and threats, especially to our seniors, by sensationalizing differences between the two parties’ agendas; the other has sought to disparage Brendan’s public service while lacking the courage to answer basic questions from the media. Neither has shown the kind of leadership that Brendan has shown throughout his career, whether it be fighting the mob, investigating corrupt public officials, or serving as a steadying hand and voice through tragic events such as the Station fire. This is the kind of leadership Rhode Islanders expect and deserve.
There will always be political differences in our country – that is what makes it great. We have two parties with different ideas and solutions to America’s problems. But the partisanship that has developed in Washington has gridlocked our government and is bringing the country to the brink of fiscal disaster. This election represents a chance to change all of that.
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“do voters want to continue to elect politicians that highlight and use for their advantage the disagreements that they create, or do they want to elect a leader who will find the points of agreement and have the strong voice to forge a consensus?”
What specific issues does Mr. Doherty share “points of agreement” with Democrats & Republicans in D.C.? Where will the “consensus” on those issues come from?
“by sensationalizing differences between the two parties’ agendas; the other has sought to disparage Brendan’s public service while lacking the courage to answer basic questions from the media.”
Are there not vast differences between Democrats & Republicans on key issues of the day? Again, where exactly does Mr. Doherty stand on these key issues?
“We have two parties with different ideas and solutions to America’s problems.”
Thanks for answering one of my questions above. I’ll assume then that Mr. Doherty, since he’s running as a Republican, shares many of the same “ideas and solutions” that many of the Republicans in D.C. share.
“But the partisanship that has developed in Washington has gridlocked our government and is bringing the country to the brink of fiscal disaster.”
The rancor in D.C. can be traced very nicely to one of the Republicans that will be on the GOP Presidential ballot in RI tomorrow…Newt Gingrich. His (often hypocritical) bomb-throwing style along with the use of so-called “contrasting words” developed by the likes of GOP pollster Frank Luntz was unfortunately rewarded in the early 1990s, and the country’s political rhetoric has never been the same since. As for the USA’s fiscal position, that’s almost exclusively due to the accumulation of debt under different GOP Presidencies over the last 30 years or so…due mostly to GOP-sponsored policies that apparently Mr. Doherty shares with his Republican brethren.