Republicans have made a habit of fielding candidates who are so extreme that Democrats need do little more than showcase the candidates’ own words.
That proved true in 2008, when Saturday Night Live’s Tina Fey centered her skits on reenacting the actual words of then-GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
This cycle, the Democratic group House Majority PAC put its own spin on that tack after it was revealed that the Republican nominee for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, John Gibbs, had once lamented the fact that women have the right to vote—in writing, no less.
The result was far less amusing than Fey’s comedic masterpieces, but still searingly effective. House Majority PAC cut an ad titled "Actual Quotes" in which school girls read back excerpts of Gibbs' own blog posts.
"Are men smarter than women?" read one girl. "I think the answer is, Yes," continued another.
The gems from Gibbs continued.
"There is no factual basis on which to claim that it is better to have women in the workplace."
"The United States has suffered as a result of women's suffrage."
"We cannot say that women should be allowed to vote simply because they are a large part of the population."
Democrat Hillary Scholten ultimately defeated Gibbs by about 13 points, 55% to 42%.
But look for more ads in this genre next cycle—because the GOP won’t get any smarter, saner, or more reasonable over the next two years.
