6. Be positive

The American people want to hear what Obama is for instead of what he's against, said Ron Christie, a Republican strategist who worked in the Bush administration from 2001 to 2004.

Disenchantment with Washington is high, and voters are looking to be inspired instead of angered.

"Stress why your vision, your leadership, your policies will benefit the American people and why the American people should have trust and confidence in your policies and positions," said Christie, founder of the communications firm Christie Strategies.

"If they do that, that could minimize some of the expected losses. If they don't, I think people will tune it out. I think people will recognize more of the same, and I think Democrats will be severely punished at the polls."

7. Look to the future, not the past

Obama likes to point the finger at Republicans and the Bush administration for "driving the economy into a ditch."

While that can be part of his message, it shouldn't be the whole thing, Morey said.

"Elections ultimately are about the future, not the past. The Democratic Party is going to have to get onto the future jobs-centric growth plan," he said. "They can start with a question of the past, but boy, that's not a way to win an election, and it's certainly not a way to govern once you win an election."

8. Pay attention to independents

It's necessary to fire up the base, but the independents are the ones with the power to swing the election.

"You are going to have your Republicans that support the Republican candidates. You are going to have the Democrats that support the Democratic candidates. The question really becomes what is the mood of the independents," Christie said.

A Gallup poll released last month showed independents are leaning toward Republican candidates by a 12-point margin.

"The current snapshot has a clear message: Democrats should be afraid, very afraid," John Avlon wrote in a column for CNN.com.

9. Be prepared for Election Day ...

The party in power usually loses seats in midterm elections. The question this year is, "How many?"

If Democrats lose control of the House -- or if their majority is just weakened -- Obama should be prepared to do what President Bush and President Clinton did when their parties suffered big losses. They took responsibility and showed a willingness to reach across the aisle.

In 1994, Republicans took back control of the House and Senate for the first time in more than 40 years, picking up 40 seats in the House and eight in the Senate.

The best CEOs are able to get people looking beyond their quarterly earnings and even their annual performances.

--David Morey, communications expert

"I'm the president. I'm the leader of the efforts that we have made in the last two years, and to whatever extent we didn't do what the people wanted us to do or they were not aware of what we had done, I must certainly bear my share of responsibility," Clinton said the following day.

Twelve years later, when Democrats took back both chambers, Bush admitted his disappointment and said, "The message yesterday was clear: The American people want their leaders in Washington to set aside partisan differences."

Whatever happens at the polls, Obama will need to digest the message from the public and adapt accordingly.

"President Obama has to heed the message that voters send him," Christie said. "He's not the Democratic president or the Republican president -- he is the president of the American people."

10. ... but don't stop at November

"This is the most important election in American history because it's the next election, which is always true," Arterton said.

Though a lot has changed since Obama was elected, he's not even halfway through his term. The midterms are important, but no matter what the outcome, Obama will still be president for another two years, and it's up to him to get the public focused on the future of the country and not politics.

"The best CEOs are able to get people looking beyond their quarterly earnings and even their annual performances," Morey said.

"He needs to get people looking beyond the daily, monthly polling and even beyond this midterm election."

上一页  [1] [2]