Rove to GOP Candidates: Be Bold and Clear About Principles

Momentum is with Republican candidates ahead of next month's midterm elections. "To close the sale" GOP candidates need to emphasize growing the economy, securing the country, and reforming healthcare, writes veteran strategist Karl Rove in The Wall Street Journal.

At the national level, Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, will unveil on Thursday the party's 11 "Principles for American Renewal." It is up to local candidates to apply this thematic framework in their campaigns in a way that speaks to independent voters and energizes Republicans, writes Rove.

The national committee has laid the groundwork for victory, he says. It has analyzed how best to articulate the Republican message about the economy, budget, debt, and national security in a way that speaks to voters. For instance, in talking about the Affordable Care Act, voters are receptive to the argument that "healthcare decisions should be made by patients and their doctors, not Washington," according to Rove, who helped form the American Crossroads political action committee.

It is a challenge for a party that does not control the White House to present a coherent national agenda using principles and language that mobilize voters, Rove argues. Still, the Republican Party has crafted its national agenda in a way that can work for candidates at the state level. It has provided them with campaign training and materials to help them offer not just criticism of President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Democratic policies but to "also show that they want to do something for America," writes Rove.

Recent polling demonstrates that voters believe Republicans can run the economy and protect the country better than Democrats. "Those perceptions are helping Republican chances," he writes.

With Democrats worried about the election and flushed with money, things could get ugly. "The way for Republicans to extend their leads or move ahead in the final stretch is not to be cautious, timid or unclear," Rove concludes.

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