Choose the terrain that makes the fight as easy for you as possible. But be careful. American politics takes place in a pluralistic framework, where constituencies are diverse and ofen in conflict. Fairness and tolerance are the formal rules of democratic engagement. In political warfare, the aggressor usually prevails.
Republicans often pursue a conservative strategy of waiting for the other side to attack .
In football, this is known as a prevent defense. In politics it is the strategy of losers . By striking first, you can define the issues as well as your adversary. Defining the opposition is the decisive move in all political war . Other things being equal, whoever is on the defensive generally loses.