Campaigns & Elections articles from August 2008

Campaigns & Elections archives from August 2008

It's showtime in Denver.(From the Editor ...)(Denver, Colorado)(Editorial)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Think of it as our Academy Awards (and try not to snicker). The political conventions begin this month with the Democrats' gala in Denver, and we're ready for the performances. Each party's goal, beyond officially nominating their...

Remembering Tony Snow.(From our CEO ...)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... When Tony Snow passed away last month, we lost more than one of our best and brightest. We lost a man who embodied the values that make America great: love of God, love of family, love of country. His death is especially sad because Tony Snow...

Vote of no confidence; A national effort to subvert the Electoral College is underway.(Briefing Room)
August 1, 2008... New York State Sen. Joseph Griffo (R) is tired of his state being ignored during presidential elections. "[We're] the third largest state in the country and nobody's paying attention," says Griffo, who sees presidential candidates coming...

He's their pet candidate.(Briefing Room)(John McCain)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... According to a recent AP/Yahoo News Poll, animal instincts are leading people to support John McCain. The poll found that among pet owners, 42 percent find McCain to be best in show, compared to 37 percent for Barack Obama. People who don't own...

A Calvin Coolidge potholder ... going once ... twice: now here's an auction for political junkies.(Briefing Room)
August 1, 2008... A dam Gottlieb has a busy schedule. On weekdays, he visits elementary school students, passing around his extensive collection of political memorabilia for young politicos to admire. Weekends are set aside for flea markets and antique stores....

Ready to do Denver? Make sure these are on your don't-miss list.(Briefing Room)(Denver, Colorado)(Directory)
August 1, 2008... Your convention schedule might be jam-packed, but we're operating under the assumption that you spurn "all work and no play" as much as we do. If you happen to have a moment to enjoy all that the DNC's host city has to offer, here are the...

She may have a famous last name, but Christine Pelosi has earned her own stripes as a grassroots organizer.(Movers&Shakers)(Interview)
August 1, 2008... Politics; Are you concerned that discord that might still exist between some Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton supporters will hurt the party in November, or at the convention in Denver? Pelosi: No, and I actually see more enthusiasm than...

Those 0I' time smears aren't working.
August 1, 2008... Rep Sam Graves might have put out the very worst campaign ad of the century but there is one upside: At least now we known what's in his nightmares And it ain't pertty The ad is a wacky hallucinatory vision of what kind of dystopia the Missouri...

"His toughest battle".(Winning the Message War)(Barack Obama)
August 1, 2008... Barack Obama is not running against John McCain. He's running against Richard Nixon and George Wallace, combined. Obama is facing Nixon's "cultural strategy," in which the 37th president convinced "the great silent majority of Americans"...

The audacity of his hope".(Winning the Message War)(John McCain)
August 1, 2008... Can John McCain win? A short sentence that packs many surprises for McCain and his camp. First there is the surprise that the question is being asked in the summer of 2008, when just one year ago stories headlined "John McCain: Dead Man...

Can Obama escape the Kerry trap?(Barack Obama, John Kerry)
August 1, 2008... We already know Barack Obama isn't much of a bowler, and hunting seems like a stretch. Windsurfing is definitely out--as John Kerry learned, it's not exactly how the average Joe kicks back after a tough week at work. So just how will Obama...

Words we remember: if you tune out the endless convention speeches, you might miss a moment when history is made.
August 1, 2008... So you want to get terror suspects screaming for mercy? Make them sit through every last speech that will issue forth, like so many gusts of steam, from the two major party conventions. Better yet, make them leap up with a whoop and wave signs...

Mississippi.(States in the Spotlight)(disaster relief funding)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... MANY FORGET THAT hurricanes Katrina and Rita not only devastated parts of Louisiana, but destroyed the homes of thousands living along the Mississippi coast. Gov. Haley Barbour now plans to redirect $600 million of a federal disaster relief...

Alaska.(States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... THE NATIONAL MEDIA is focusing on Alaska's Sen. Ted Stevens (R), who is under federal investigation for allegedly taking bribes, but Rep. Don Young (R) is also facing some serious political fallout. A field of promising Republicans and...

Ohio.(States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... OHIO DEMOCRATS are stepping out of their comfort zone this election. Taking a cue from the Democratic National Committee and its 50-state strategy, Ohio Dems are running what they call an 88-county strategy. The plan is to venture into...

When robo calls work ... and don't.(Ask The Campaign Doc)
August 1, 2008... Q: Why do campaigns continue to use robo calls when all evidence shows that they are not effective? Just see Green and Gerber's GOTV book. A: Here's the background: Yale professors Donald Green and Alan Gerber recently updated their book,...

Should you stop supporters from going negative?(The High Road)
August 1, 2008... Q: How far should a politician go in trying to stop an outside group from airing a negative ad about his opponent? A: The larger question is, do you bear responsibility for those who act on your behalf? Assuming that they are controllable,...

Political bookshelf.(Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... Given the Republican party's many problems, the solution requires a mix of ingredients blended together in a manner that would do Julia Child proud. In Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream, Ross...

Unconventional Wisdom: Facts and Myths about American Voters.(Quick Picks)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... By Karen M.Kaurmann, John R. Petrocik and Daron R. Shaw Oxford University Press 263 pages, $21.95 Not sure why you vote the way you do? Karen Kaufmann, John Petrocik and Daron Shaw believe they have the answer. These three...

Party Favors: A Novel of Politics and Greed.(Quick Picks)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... By Nicole Sexton with Susan Johnston The Lyons Press, 241 pages, $24.95 Veteran Republican fund-raiser Nicole Sexton has co-authored a debut novel about Temple Sachet, a tenacious young female fundraiser for the Republican Party. With...

Rethinking American Electoral Democracy.(Quick Picks)(Brief article)(Book review)
August 1, 2008... By Matthew J. Streb Rouleage, 240 pages, $25.95 With an electoral system full of recounts, recalls and referendums, maybe it's time for a little less democracy. At least that's the argument from Matthew Streb, a political science...

A change election--like no other: what we're witnessing is the maturing of the American people.
August 1, 2008... Maybe it is because we have had so much time to get used to it. Or perhaps the candidates have become such permanent fixtures on our television and computer screens. Or I guess maybe we just matured as human beings. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

How to get along with the press.(Toolkit)
August 1, 2008... Recently, I attended a wedding where I was the only person who didn't work for a campaign or political organization. "Worse, I'm a journalist--which meant by the end of the night, even the DJ was calling me "the enemy." But the...

How to leak like a pro.(Toolkit)
August 1, 2008... How a campaign gets damaging information out to the public without harming the reputation of their candidate is a matter of judgment, common sense and expertise. There are several options, and which technique a campaign uses depends on the...

Getting in Google's Face.(TechBytes)(Website list)
August 1, 2008... A handful of new websites are hoping to wean political junkies from Google. They're all vying to become the next go-to spot for people searching for campaign coverage. Although each site takes its own approach, they all incorporate social...

And now ... a compact cam.(TechBytes)(Flip Video Mino)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The complicated instructions that accompany most camcorders undermine the premise that technology should make our lives simpler. That's why I like the impulse behind the Flip Video Mino, the new camcorder from Pure Digital Technologies, a...

Tricks to sharpen your YouTube spots.(Playbook)
August 1, 2008... While you can spend hours on You Tube watching everything from Obama Girl to stupid cat tricks, many of our clients have also found a much more practical use for YouTube: distributing clips of television spots to their colleagues for approval....

Mark Cohen.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Mark Cohen, formerly a contributing editor at Washingtonian magazine, is now Sen. Frank Lautenberg's (D-N.J.) speech-writer. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Moving from journalism to speech-writing has been a natural transition," Cohen says....

Mindy Finn.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Engage)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Mindy Finn has become a partner at Engage, a media consulting firm. She most recently worked on the Mitt Romney presidential campaign, where she was director of eStrategy. She served in a similar role for Sen. Rick Santorum's 2006 reelection...

Leah Yoon.(Who's where in the political world..)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Leah Yoon has transitioned from doing publicity for National Public Radio to serving as a regional communications officer for John McCain's campaign for president. She is overseeing efforts in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. Yoon says...

Stephanie Cutter.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Stephanie Cutter, a former campaign communications director for Sen. John Kerry, has signed up with the Obama camp. She will serve as Michelle Obama's chief of staff and will be reunited with former Kerry colleague Katie McCormick-Lelyveld,...

Brad Woodhouse.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Brad Woodhouse is joining the Democratic National Committee's communications team to help run day-to-day operations as the organization gears up for the general election. He will share responsibilities with Director of Communications Karen...

James Anderson.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Six new state directors have joined the Republican National Committee. James Anderson will helm operations in Iowa following his position as director of communications in the Office of Marketing, Communications and Partnerships for the U.S....

Gail Garbrandt.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Gail Garbrandt will be leaving her role as manager of internships at the University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics after receiving the Salzburg Global Fellowship. Garbrandt will travel to Salzburg this September to attend...

John Kraus.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Ballot Initiative Strategy Center)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... John Kraus is the new communications director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, a think tank devoted to addressing campaign fraud. Previously a state worker for Sen. John Edwards' 2004 run for president and a press secretary for Al...

Sign-ups ...(Brief article)(List)
August 1, 2008... These candidates and groups have signed on with the following consulting firms: Blair Butterworth & Associates D--General Consulting Darcy Burner (challenger), WA, House D8 Death With Dignity, WA, statewide initiative Mike...

Production.(Directory)
August 1, 2008... ADVANTAGE CONSULTANTS ADDRESS: Winter Park, FL PHONE: 407-388-1776 FAX: 407-629-7760 CONTACT: Douglas Guetzloe E-MAIL: Guetzloe@aol.com YEARS IN BUSINESS: 26 PARTY AFFILIATION: Mostly Republican SERVICES...

He wants your vote, comrades.(Quips&Slips)(Tim Mahoney )(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) is a big supporter of the army. The Soviet Army, that is. If you don't believe us, check out this mailer. In a mind-boggling gaffe, Mahoney's campaign sent out a tribute to our veterans that includes (bottom left) a...

The Senate Press Gallery.(Quips&Slips)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Journalist overheard at the Senate Press Gallery: "Hi, I'm Bob Woodward, and I'm here to get my press credentials." Summer Intern: "Sir, what publication are you with?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The guy who enjoys getting.(Quips&Slips)(Quotation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... "You look like the guy who enjoys getting into a hot tub and watching his swim trunks inflate." -John McCain, trading barbs with David Letterman on the Late Show

A big advantage.(Quips&Slips)(Quotation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... "Certainly it would be a big advantage to him." --Charlie Black, John McCain's chief strategist, on the potential fall-out of another terrorist attack on U.S.soil "Well, he's an old friend of mine, so I'll defend him. I don't know what...

Headlines you might have missed.(Quips&Slips)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... "Grandmother Proud To Have Lived Long Enough to See First Viable Female Candidate Torn Apart" --The Onion "Bush Gives Musharraf Tips on Eliminating Democracy" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --The Borowitz Report "Progressives...

The 'Star Wars' trilogy.(Quips&Slips)(Quotation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... "Some things are timeless. like the 'Star Wars' trilogy. Some things are better left to that time never to be heard again-like the Macarena." -Rep. Mike Doyle(D-Pa)

House salaries still stink.(Quips&Slips)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... "We're paying more at the pump, grocery store and everywhere else. House salaries still stink. Add to that no gifts and junkets. And now they hit where it really hurts, raising the price of booze." --A disgruntled House staffer after...