GOP runs against the issues and out of steam

One of the more compelling aspects of the 2008 campaign has been the Republican Party’s up-front assertion that issues don’t (or shouldn’t) matter.

“This election is not about issues,” declared McCain campaign chairman Rick Davis. “This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates.”

This theme resurfaced again today as Republicans struggled to push the economic crisis aside as a campaign issue.

Here’s a telling passage from a Politico.com report today.

“We need to get it back to the middle pages of the Wall Street Journal instead of on the front page of every paper every day,” Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt, a host here, said of the economic crisis.

This view of politics — call it Rovian civics — has done wonders for the GOP. Personalities and images are powerful things.

Earlier in the campaign, voters seemed to identify more with McCain even when they agreed with Obama on things like the war, healthcare, and the economy.

Broad ideological themes, small-government, tax cuts, family values, etc., seemed to trump the devil-in-the-details elements of policy.

But could it be that the GOP has reached the point where they’ll have to wade back into thorny debates over governance?

The voters seem to be saying Yes.

Republicans face the likelihood of a serious drubbing in November, in congressional and gubernatorial races, if not in the presidential contest.

It’s likely that the McCain camp will give the Rove Method one last try, launching a fresh round of personal attack ads in the final weeks.

If that fails, the GOP will have to craft a new political agenda that wins voter-approval on its merits. That process will be painful — but not as painful as losing elections.