May 08, 2007

5/8: Catching Up Is Hard To Do

Considering both John Edwards' and Barack Obama's recent online troubles, it's understandable that risk-averse campaigns are shy about treading into new media venues. However, it's GOP online activists who are most stressed about these missteps, worrying that they'll slow their party's innovation online. While each WH GOP camp seems to have developed their own distinct online strategy (see The Blogometer discuss the issue with RedState managing editor Erick Erickson at Bloggingheads.tv here ), Rep. Jack Kingston's (R-GA) former press aide David All wants to help them engage even more. To that end he has created techRepublican to "focus, like a laser, to report best practices on the application of technology to the political spectrum, identifying Republicans and conservatives throughout the world who are using the Internet to bridge that great partisan digital divide and reach modern voters." We'll let you know if All's efforts help close the gap online.

GIULIANI: The Electablity Candidate

Rudy Giuliani camp mgr Mike DuHaime and comm. dir. Katie Levinson held a blogger conference call 5/7. Eye on '08 shares: "Two things seemed quite clear to me. First, Rudy is running on his record as mayor. He is not wrapping himself around 9/11. ... Second, he is running on electability. After two questions on abortion, DuHaime went into a long, long riff about all the states that Giuliani can win. He said that Rudy could credibly win in NJ, CT, PA, OR, and WA. And he could compete in CA, NY, and IL."

Race 4 '08s Kavon Nikrad was also on the call and reports: "Doug Lambert then asked DuHaime's opinion on the perception that Mayor Giuliani faired poorly in last week's debate. DuHaime stated that he felt Rudy did very well. ... DuHaime believes that future debates will afford candidates the opportunity to present their records and positions in greater depth."

Not invited to the conf. call, Townhall's Matt Lewis speculates his earlier item noting the strained past between Giuliani and ex-AG/Ronald Reagan Heritage Chair Ed Meese may be to blame.

GIULIANI II: Stand By Your Man

RCP Blog's Blake Dvorak notes CNN's latest poll "has Rudy Giuliani at 25%, which is his lowest point all year." Dvorak wonders: "Good cases can be made on both sides of whether Giuliani's social liberalism is/isn't well-known among Republican primary voters. ... In other words, if you knew, for instance, in 2000 that Giuliani reduced New York's welfare rolls by 600,000, wouldn't you also probably know that he supported public funding for abortions?"

Also addressing Giuliani and social issues, The Brody File reacts to Politico news that Giuliani gave money to Planned Parenthood throughout the '90s: "The first image that comes to mind is of the girlfriend that really wants to love her boyfriend but the guy just makes it too difficult. In this case, Giuliani is the boyfriend and certain religious conservatives are the girlfriend. ... You have Evangelicals that do want to vote for Rudy, despite his pro-choice views. They think he'll be a great leader and they're willing to look the other way. ... But at some point the girlfriend will leave. She will say something like this: Rudy, I just can't take it anymore. I love many of your qualities but enough is enough."

ROMNEY: An Evolution Evolution

Townhall's Matt Lewis explains why he's skeptical of Survey USA's new NH numbers showing Mitt Romney up 9% over Rudy Giuliani: "First, my sources in New Hampshire tell me that Romney is doing very well in New Hampshire but that he does not have a third of the vote. ... Second, Survey USA uses auto-dialing technology. Essentially, this means they are unable to verify who they are talking to (and if they are talking to undecided voters)."

Fellow Townhaller and Romney fan Dean Barnett also downplayed the poll: "any individual poll is almost by definition just not worth getting really excited or depressed about. ... What is important are trend lines. ... Regardless of what any particular poll says, Romney is trending well." My Man Mitt makes the case a good "ground game" is responsible for the results.

The Brody File is still not satisfied with the answer from the Romney campaign on evolution but does report: "it seems to me what Mormons across the country are telling me is that when it comes to the creation story, many Mormons seem to believe that IT IS not necessarily a 6 day literally interpretation. There could be thousands or millions of years in between which opens up the evolution door."

Finally, back at Townhall, Lewis notes that earlier Romney assertions that marriages in France can be contracted in seven year terms, appear to have originated in the science fiction writings of fellow mormon Orson Scott Card.

THOMPSON: A Wiseguy, Eh?

Fred Thompson dropped by RedState 5/7 to make light of "that Wiseguy Clip MSNBC Has Been Showing." Thompson blogs: "I'm afraid that the mainstream media has fallen victim to our clever plot to get people to watch some of my early work. This is the only way it could have happened. Actually, my only lasting memory of it is that I was grossly underpaid.

Not as amused, Race 4 '08s HeavyM tracks MSM coverage of "one of the knocks against former Senator Fred Thompson ... he's lazy." HeavyM comments: "Fair or not, this is a meme that the former Senator is going to have to deal with when he decides to enter the race."

DEM FIELD: Clinton Really Did Win The First Debate

Adding CNN's results to his latest poll average, MyDD's Chris Bowers observes: "The recent numbers in the two estimates tell two different stories. In the high-end estimate, Clinton is rising compared to everyone else. In the low-end estimate, the field is rising against the top-tier candidates. ... What does seem clear, however, is the most recent polls are positive for neither Obama nor Edwards (perhaps especially Edwards). This is probably because the debate stopped Obama's post-fundraising bounce trend, and gave the rest of the field more exposure. Also, Edwards has been somewhat bothered by the bulls**t haircut story."

EDWARDS: What's Old Need Not Be New

TPM Cafe contributors Jared Bernstein and Greg Anrig, Jr. both defended John Edwards poverty policy from Washington Postsuggestions "He Brings Few Fresh Ideas" to the issue. From Bernstein: "[A]s someone who has studied this issue for decades, I can assure you of two things. First, there simply is no amazingly effective silver-bullet idea out there that we've somehow overlooked. And second, we know that some, not all, of the "old" ideas work." From Anrig: "What's "new" and "fresh" that Edwards should be praised for is the political courage to focus the public's attention on this subject after decades of neglect and a set of ideas that, based on research and experience -- as opposed to focus groups and right-wing salesmanship - have the best chance of making significant progress."

Matthew Yglesias adds: "No, Edwards hasn't uncovered the Magical New Idea To End Poverty -- rather he's assembled some old-but-not-implemented good ideas, is pushing for increased efforts on some old-and-effective ideas, etc., all in recognition of the fact that despite some difficulties the country has consistently shown itself capable of significantly reducing poverty whenever we're really cared to try."

Also defending Edwards from MSM doubters, CaliticsLucas O'Connor takes on a San Diego Union Tribuneeditorial accusing Edwards of "hawking class warfare" for proposing an "excess-profits, excess-income tax." From O'Connor: "This narrative of the self-loathing rich man who hates success is absurd. It sets up John Edwards as ineligible to be concerned about the poor because he isn't poor, noting his large house and his haircuts (we of course don't have actual policy to discuss, natch). "

OBAMA: Magic In The Flesh

Barack Obama's promise to increase CAFE standards drew widepraise . The Huffington Post's Stacy Parker Aab blogged, from Detroit, MI: "The magic wasn't in the speech. The magic was in the man making the speech. ... I left excited. I left thinking that I finally witnessed Sen. Barack's magic in the flesh."

OBAMA II: Just Doing His Job

Acknowledging that "many in the progressive political blogosphere" are worried by Obama's "new politics of unity" of rhetoric since it may signal he is "some sort of DLC centrist," MyDD's Upper Left tries to explain what Obama is trying to accomplish:

• 1) Biography: Obama's life has been about bridging differences and striving to be effective in the role of the outsider. He is considered black, but grew-up in a white family.
• 2) Personal philosophy: Obama is a self-described pragmatist. He is interested in getting things done rather than striving for some kind of ideological purity.
• 3) Political positioning: many who are less avowedly progressive would like to see the level of partisanship reduced. This group is less engaged but larger in number. I believe that Obama's "unity" message is designed to appeal to this group.
• 4) Strategic necessity: I believe that Obama's message of unity is an attempt to reduce the psychological threat of an African American President to the majority Caucasian population.

Speaking of Obama as an African-American president, Digby hits Rush Limbaugh for playing his parody song "Barack the Magic Negro" on his show. Digby notes that the phrase "the magic negro" did recently surface in an LA Times piece by African American blogger David Ehrenstein, but Digby goes on to comment: "one thing is abundantly clear: is just not acceptable for white people (particularly rich, white conservative men) to do song parodies of black people using racist stereotypes. I can't even believe it's necessary to point that out."

TNR's Eve Fairbanks blogs about how impressed she was with the following Obama response when he was asked about the song on NPR: " You know, I have not heard it, but I've heard of it. I confess that don't listen to Rush on a daily basis. On the other hand, I'm not one of these people who takes myself so seriously that I get offended by every comment made about me. You know, the -- you know, what Rush does is entertainment, and although it's probably not something that, you know, I listen to much, ... I don't mind. I don't mind folks poking fun at me. That's part of the job."

RICHARDSON: Not Fighting Perceptions

Bill Richardson sat down for a session with Heading Left's Blog Talk Radio including this response to bloggers' criticism of his rhetoric on tactics: "I have a lot of respect for Trapper John ... the perception of the general public is that Democrats will always raise taxes, but I'm a tax cutter for middle class."

PROSECUTOR PURGE: Good News For The Rule Of Law

James Fallows fingers a 5/4 Washington Poststory "involving the original eight attorneys that potentially dwarfs in outright evil anything said, suggested, or suspected in the whole saga up till now." The WaPo item reports ex-AG CoS Kyle Sampsom told congress he may have recommended ex-US Attorney John McKay's removal because of his efforts to find the killer of federal prosecutor Tom Wales.

Fallows notes that Wales was head of anti-gun Washington Cease-Fire at the time of his murder, and that the focus of DoJ investigations prior to McKay's departure was "a gun enthusiast and zealous opponent of anyone he considered anti-gun."

Fallows concludes: "I hope it proves not to be true - and that the dismissal of McKay was "simply" a matter of strong-arm partisan politics. That is what now passes for "good news" when it comes to the Administration's approach to the rule of law."

Also, TPM's Josh Marshall highlights an Auburn Journalcolumn by Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) blaming AG Alberto Gonzales' hearings for the raid on his No. VA home.

IRAQ: Fighting Them There ...

The netroots are making their best effort to amplify Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS) claim that the war in Iraq has hampered disaster relief efforts in Greensburg, KS. Reactions include:

• Daily Kos' motormouth: "Even the strongest supporter of the President must understand that our real responsibility is to protect our own. We have not only depleted our ability to respond to a human enemy but we are now unprepared to care for those devastated by the recent tornado in Greensburg, Kansas."
• MyDD's Matt Stoller: "Bush has a 37-58 approval/disapproval rating in that state, and it's only going to get worse as the connection between Iraq and the slower recovery is drawn. Iraq is an all-encompassing issue, and will devastate Republicans in 2008."
• AMEIRCAblog's John Aravosis: "Joe wrote earlier about how there aren't enough National Guard troops and equipment in Kansas to deal with the recent tornado disaster. It's not just Kansas: Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Oregon, New Mexico, Arksansas."
• Crooks & LiarsLogan Murphy: "This is just another example of how the extended occupation of Iraq has left us more vulnerable at home. Imagine if the ferocious F-5 tornado that hit Greensburg had hit a major city. A sad side note to this tragedy, 4 troops from Ft. Riley, Kansas and a reserve police officer were arrested for looting cigarettes and alcohol from a local Greensburg store. Apparently, they weren't part of any official detachment and it's not clear why they were there."

IRAQ II: Obey Or Die

TPM's Greg Sargent spent much of 5/7 pegging down the chances a Rep. David Obey (D-WI) plan (to fund the war but only for a short term) could pass in the Senate. Sargent first reported the plan was dead, then that Obey's plan was one of many options being discussed, then that short term funding was an option, but definitely not on Obey's specifics, and then that the Senate was open to Obey's specifics. Sargent adds: "Lots of maneuvering happening on this."

As for when any such short term spending plan may run up, The Washington Monthly's Kevin Drum is ready to believe some GOPers will be "genuinely serious about abandoning Bush this time around."

GUAM: You Have To Pick Your Battles

Conservative bloggers are up in arms over the "Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act" which would provide reparations for the people of Guam for the harm suffered by the WWII Imperial Japanese occupation of the island. Redstate's Erick Erickson urges readers to call their congress man and adds: "If the right side of the blogosphere cannot defeat the bill to give reparations to Guam, then we are toast." Michelle Malkin calls it "Reparations madness."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: And Niches For All

MyDD's Matt Stoller offers some tips for bloggers seeking to "build power."

• 1) Raise money for candidates: You don't have to raise a lot to be meaningful. Even a few thousand dollars from a few hundred people matters if it's early enough.
• 2) Originate compelling information: News shapes pubic opinion. If you can originate compelling information or analyze news in an interesting and unique way, you can shape public opinion.
• 3) Bother/persuade the right people: There's a small group of people who make policy in politics. If you can annoy them by reaching them with effective arguments, you can shape their thinking.
• 4) Create useful policy ideas: If you create interesting policy ideas and push them repeatedly and consistently, you will succeed.
• 5) Watchdog an institution: A blog that focuses on an institution, like the CBC, the Human Rights Campaign, a caucus, a candidate, or a journalism, can be very influential if you are making good arguments.

LEST WE FORGET: Are You A Lamb Of Andrew?

Andrew Sullivan points us to a Go To Quiz that claims to determine "Which God or Goddess are you like?" Andrew turned out to be "The Christian God" since he is: "the Holy Lord. You are the shepherd and those that follow you are your lambs. You are kind and patient, but when need be, you are vile and cruel. You are often asked for advise or wisdom, and you willingly give it."

The Blogometer turned out to be a Budha (who knew?), and other options include: Jesus, Goddess Bast Goddess Sekhemet, God Zeus, and Satan.

Posted by Conn Carroll at May 8, 2007 12:17 PM