STRUMMIN' HIS PAIN

Killing Him Softly With His Words (Dotty Lynch, Douglas Kiker, Steve Chaggaris, Clothilde Ewing, Nicola Corless, Smita Kalokhe and Joanna Schubert, July 18, 2003, CBS News)

No, it's not a line from the Roberta Flack/Fugees' song, it's from an internal memo sent by Republican strategist Frank Luntz. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the July 10 memo, outlining several ways to oust Gov. Gray Davis, encourages Republicans to "kill Davis softly."

The 17-page letter warns recall proponents that ousting Davis will be difficult saying, "Anyone who thinks this is a slam dunk is nuts." Voter uncertainty will be a significant impediment for the recall activists as they attempt to lure voters away from the unpopular governor. However, the memo includes 17 ways to discredit Davis and increase Republican support.

Luntz advocates concentrating on Davis' lack of leadership rather than policy failures. "Voters are more likely to throw out Gray Davis for his inability to lead than for allowing too much spending." The memo urges recall supporters to repeat such messages to "destroy whatever's left of Gray's credibility."

Also hoping to capitalize on Davis' low approval ratings, Luntz asserts that the governor's unpopularity is one of the recall's greatest advantages. "The fact is, the more Davis speaks, the lower his popularity goes--the more he talks, the easier the recall becomes," states the memo.

When your very existence is a political negative, it may be time to switch careers. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 19, 2003 6:51 AM