As we brace for a major political cycle this year, it is unclear what the party messages will be. Democrats and Republican alike are looking for a theme to unite their party and excite their respective bases. With the President's approval ratings the lowest of Bush's reign, it is currently unlikely that incumbents or hopefuls will be calling on the Bush to stump for them. Unless you live firmly in the heartland, Bush is likely to be a lightning rod for the next year. It is possible that Osama Bin Laden could be captured or another terrorist attack could turn the president's numbers around before November. If either of those things happens, stop reading this article. It's then irrelevant. In case neither of these events takes place, then we can speculate about what's out there for candidates to discuss this fall.
From your local mayoral elections to races for the governors' mansions to those standing for Congress, there is one thing that all candidates are likely to be touting this year: They all will want to portray themselves as the best qualified to handle a problem. The problems that our nation is likely to face in the next few years are daunting.
TERRENCE HEUBERT is a government affairs consultant for Klett Rooney Lieber & Schorling. For more information, please visit: http://www.klettrooney.com
