The anti-Pelosi campaign

This is an important entry in the Washington Monthly blog. The Republicans realized that really trying to demonize Obama -- other than fringe attacks on his birthplace and the like -- could backfire, but Nancy Pelosi, with her "San Francisco values" and relatively blank slate status in the country at large, was a perfect target. Unlike Democrats who can't stick with any message if anyone criticizes it, the Republican message machine stuck with it relentlessly even if there was no legitimate basis for it. The result is 72% name recognition, with the negatives outweighing positives 48-24.