The Things People Care About

Frustrated with the Christianist turn that his party has taken, former Republican House majority leader Dick Armey recently complained "The Republicans are talking about things like gay marriage and so forth, and the Democrats are talking about the things people care about, like how do I pay my bills?"

In these last days before the election, here's hoping that Americans faced with everyday problems can look past the various Republican smokescreens — whether it be fears about gay marriage, the unproven and unceasing claim that Republicans are somehow better at the War on Tara then their vilified Defeatocrats, or the administration's recent and shocking assertion that their Iraq strategy has never been a stay the course strategy — and can focus on their everyday concerns.

Democrats, for their part, should be simplifying their message — allowing the remaining undecideds to come to their senses on Election Day. Based on her most recent campaign ad (which premiered during Game 1 of the World Series), Claire McCaskill (the Democratic nominee in Missouri for Senate) gets this:
Keep it simple.
Focus on your message, then highlight the stark between you and your opponent.
Win on November 7th.