GOP Senator Tim Scott delivered a characteristically fantastic speech at the RNC last night.
CBS News digital White House reporter Kathryn Watson couldn’t help but be impressed:
Scott's message is all optimism. All about a brighter future. It's the opposite of "American carnage."
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) August 25, 2020
Scott's speech was powerful not just because he has a great story or because he's a good speaker, but because the engine of his speech was hope, not fear
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) August 25, 2020
And that got her to thinking … what if the GOP gave itself a messaging makeover?
If the GOP focused on the things Tim Scott is talking about — American opportunity, school choice, a pro-growth tax code, opportunity zones, general optimism — instead of culture-wars issues, they could likely attract a lot more of the suburban voters they need.
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) August 25, 2020
First of all:
Those are culture war issues. https://t.co/YvKpVWmDVR
— Chris Loesch (@ChrisLoesch) August 25, 2020
True story.
But also, where have Kathryn and her fellow Real Journalists™ been?
They do
— The Great and Unmatched Wisdom of Nero (@GrowtheFKUP) August 25, 2020
Ummm, they do…
— Bob Sallese (@BobSallese) August 25, 2020
These people really don’t get it…at all
— JAC (@michcusejac5) August 25, 2020
Clearly they do not.
That is literally all I have heard from the GOP for 8 years now.
— Matt Bagot (@mattbagot) August 25, 2020
Lol… wut? Your lib friends rejected Sen Scott’s police reform bill on politics alone.
— Cox (@HOLYSMKES) August 25, 2020
Google Jack Kemp.
And W. Bush did this too, before 9/11 changed his Presidency.
Paul Ryan did this.
How did the media react? Same. https://t.co/HOdjHmPQJE
— Nathan Wurtzel is a silly name, but it's mine (@NathanWurtzel) August 25, 2020
We've been focused on school choice all summer. Education bureaucrats and Democrats are trying to prevent private and religious schools from opening. The media's response? Crickets. https://t.co/HOdjHmPQJE
— Nathan Wurtzel is a silly name, but it's mine (@NathanWurtzel) August 25, 2020
Opportunity zones?
Trump hasn't done much good, but this is one thing he did sign – part of the economic reform act of 2017https://t.co/aHTAMCN1zp.
Media? In Yiddish – schluff. https://t.co/HOdjHmPQJE
— Nathan Wurtzel is a silly name, but it's mine (@NathanWurtzel) August 25, 2020
If the media wasn’t biased, they would cover these things.
— SoothingDave (@SoothingDave) August 25, 2020
That’s the thing: The Republican Party is far from perfect, but it has “focused on the things Tim Scott is talking about” for years. And the media have either ignored that or been outright hostile.
I worked on these issues for years, and we tried time and time again to get the media to pay attention to it.
We were roundly ignored by the political press, even when it was coming from the freaking Speaker of the House.
So, please spare me the lamentations. https://t.co/ozUTWMIpaQ
— Ellen Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) August 25, 2020
Spare all of us.
