Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

There has been a subtle and ongoing shift in the Republican rhetoric in the past month that earn's this weeks Friday Look. 

John McCain called out his rivals by name today on torture, and Mitt Romney called them out on gay marriage (where he suspiciously left Mike Huckabee out of his top tier). 

The Republican candidates have taken to referring to each other by name. 

This is not all uncommon in any political campaign; however up to this point the candidates had been referring to one another by making subtle distinctions with their image and positions or sending their spokesteams after one another.

And for people outside the beltway, it went over their head. They walked away with a positive image of the candidate laced with hopeful and inspirational language of "what we're going to do in the next four or eight years."

When the candidates get personal though, the message sticks. People remember the distinctions more clearly, and remember the attack more than the positive. While the victim can respond via a statement or the press, the average voter has stopped paying attention at that point.

While they have attacked one another by name in the debates, debates are unique. First, most voters don't watch debates. And despite becoming commonplace in primary races, they are a pretty poor indicator of the race because they put all the candidates on the same level and give them relatively equal time to voice their message. That's not the reality. And the Biz bets there won't be more than two or three in the general election. Second, when a candidate is attacked in a debate they are given the chance to respond in real time. When a candidate attacks another out on the stump (or on the air), it's for all intents and purposes a cheap shot.

No Republican wants to go negative and be painted as the first one to violate Ronald Reagan's hallowed 11th Commandment: "Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican." However, they will, and getting personal is a bellwhether that negative ads are on the way. The candidates are attacking on the ground to soften up the electorate for the bevy of negative ads that are coming in the air.

I've written a sample negative ad: 

Cue ominous music. Fade in to clip of Giuliani talking about abortion (first 5-10 secs of this).

Cut to clip of Romney talking about abortion (from here).

Cut to clip of Hillary Clinton talking about abortion.

Flash a picture of all three side by side, with Clinton in the center.

ANNCR: "Can America trust one of these people to be our next President?"

Cue inspirational music. Cut to clip of inspirational speech of (Thompson/Huckabee/McCain) talking about "values."

Candidate: "I'm (candidate) and I approve this message."