Democrats: Rolling out your 2006 Brand

[apologies for the black out... a death in the family (who was an outstanding copy editor for OKR) temporarily put the blog on hold]

Democrats,

As you begin figuring out how to win back the majority in congress in the 2006 elections, Our Karl Rove will be launching a series of overarching, national party messages that are designed to resonate with voters this fall.

The goal of a national party message is not to define each candidate, but rather to create a brand that each candidate can effectively leverage to make them a more compelling alternative.

It's all about transforming "Democrat" from a brand that feels like a radical socialist or welfare recipient into a brand that feels more like responsible, competent, and respectable governance and leadership.

When a strong, meaningful brand has been designed t0 resonate with your target audiences, the brand becomes an effective asset that Democratic candidates can use to link their specific, local positions into something national, where Democrats currently have a brand advantage. From the constituent perspective, voters will intuitively use the brand to save time and energy in assessing what a candidate's specific value proposition is, and get a head start as they look into Democratic candidates' specific personal qualities.

It's a simple two-pronged plan: The national party defines the common themes that are well-researched and politically expedient. Once proven effective, local candidates will refer to and embody these themes as a backdrop for their local positions.

Remember: national party branding should enable your candidates, not disable them. This means divisive issues are a no-no. We need to keep them broad, generally appealing, and flexible enough for all kinds of voters.

Let's get to it.