Campaigns & Elections articles from January 2008

Campaigns & Elections archives from January 2008

Notice anything new?(From the Editor)(Editorial)
January 1, 2008... Let's face it: change stinks. I mean, there you are, snug in your comfort zone, everything nice and predictable as you begin the monthly ritual of perusing your favorite magazine, when... Whoa! What's going on here? What happened to my...

Counterintelligence.(Briefing Room)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... 96% Portion of students polled in 75 colleges nationwide who said they intend to vote in the 2008 presidential election [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [Survey conducted by American University, November 2007] 47% Portion of...

Women: get the message.(Talking Points)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The 2006 mid-terms saw 11 women run for governor--more than ever before--and six of them win. But there are still only nine current female governors. What can boost those numbers? Maybe it's these new messaging tips for women candidates: *...

GOP retirement woes.(Briefing Room)(Grand Old Party)
January 1, 2008... Being in the congressional minority has never been the proverbial barrel of monkeys. Prospects of reversing the GOP's 2006 fall before at least 2010 seem dim, and a slew of retirements is making a bad situation worse for Republicans. Even...

Do Iowa and New Hampshire really matter?(Briefing Room)(Table)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... If you think history repeats itself... you bet. Only once since 1976 has the eventual nominee of the Republican or Democratic party failed to win at least one of the showdowns (that was "Comeback Kid" Bill Clinton in 1992). And a majority won...

Getting girls to think politics.(Briefing Room)
January 1, 2008... She can't vote yet, but Natasha Dupree, 17, already thinks politics--thanks, in part, to Running Start. Last year, the team behind Women Under Forty Political Action Campaign (WUFPAC), a bipartisan group that works to get young women elected to...

Choose your news.(Briefing Room)
January 1, 2008... Headlines following the December 9, 2007 Republican debate: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Left field.(Briefing Room)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... "I can't help but want to support my own gender, and she's as experienced as any of the others--except maybe Joe Biden." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --Gennifer Flowers, saying she may vote for Hillary Clinton.

She was on message for Arnold and now spins for Fred. But Karen Hanretty is at her ballsy best when she speaks for herself.(Movers & Shakers)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... Politics: Let's get you to share some hard-earned wisdom. You've been the California Republican Party's communications director, Arnold Schwarzenegger's press secretary, and now you're deputy communications director for Fred Thompson. Is there...

What still haunts me.(If I Had It To Do Over ...)
January 1, 2008... One of the mildly entertaining but substantively useless sideshows in Washington is the daily briefing for reporters at the White House. I had a lead role in that production when Bill Clinton was president. I was the "human pinata" sent to the...

Candidates, here's your New Year's resolution: be somebody else; From Hannibal to Nixon, there's a perfect role model for each of the contenders.
January 1, 2008... The problem with New Year's resolutions is that they're always too small. I know: the self-help experts tell us to focus on "achievable" goals, those little lifestyle tweaks like, "Don't buy cookie dough logs unless you actually intend to bake...

He's absurdly likeable. A favorite of the faithful. But does Mike Huckabee have a prayer?
January 1, 2008... Pick an issue--any issue--being debated in the United States of America as we approach the 2008 elections, and Mike Huckabee can find a way to tell you that it won't matter until we collectively slim down. Education? "Kids can't learn," he told...

Jumping the pond: why the '08 hopefuls are courting expats like never before.
January 1, 2008... ON A CRISP AUTUMN MORNING, HUNDREDS OF people lined up for hours to meet former President Bill Clinton at a book signing. Some folks wore "Hillary for President" T-shirts. Others debated his wife's platform while Clinton worked the room. ...

GOP: the next generation; Can these online pioneers drag their party into the future?(Grand Old Party - Republican Party)
January 1, 2008... The Republican YouTube debate pleased few people more than David All. A 28-year-old former Senate Republican aide, All and a handful of other tech-savvy conservatives created SavetheDebate.com to urge Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani to drop their...

5 "truths" about women voters: (that are flat-out false).
January 1, 2008... Except for phonetically, I never did figure out what "W Is for Women" was supposed to mean. But since this year is purportedly all about women voters, it's time we figured it out: Can a Woman for Rudy ever find happiness as an Obama Mama? And...

Louisiana.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... WHAT A MONTH! Bobby Jindal will be sworn in Jan. 14 as the state's first non-white governor since Reconstruction. And then all eyes will be on the special election to fill Jindal's old seat in the 1st Congressional District. However, unlike the...

New Jersey.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... GOV. JON CORZINE JUST SIGNED a bill abolishing the death penalty in New Jersey. Both the state General Assembly and Senate approved the repeal by about a dozen votes, despite solid support in the state for capital punishment. Critics say...

Michigan.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... DEMOCRATIC VOTERS HERE face a quandary. When they step into the polling booth on Jan. 15, they'll be able to vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton or... Sen. Hillary Clinton. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The state's primary meltdown, as some are...

California.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... ON FEB. 5, CALIFORNIA Republicans and Democrats will do more than just nominate their party's presidential candidate. They'll also vote on Proposition 93, which would decide how long their state legislators can stay in office. One of the...

Tennessee.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... POLITICAL OPERATIVES ARE pretty impressed with state Sen. Jerry Cooper right now. Which is ironic since the Democrat resigned last month after a $120,000 fine for moving campaign funds to a personal account. But it's his timing that has...

South Carolina.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... WITH POLLS SHOWING that voters of all political stripes are concerned about the threat of global climate change, conservative groups are beginning to take notice. In South Carolina, two grassroots conservative conservation groups--Republicans...

Does your theme song hit the right note?(Ask The Campaign Doc)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... Q: We need a theme song for our candidate's announcement and then for the campaign itself. I'd appreciate your take on what works and anything we should avoid. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A: Most campaign songs are upbeat and have patriotic...

Should spouses be on the front lines?(The High Road)(Interview)
January 1, 2008... Q: What do you think about candidates who use their spouses as surrogates to say things they themselves aren't willing to take the heat for saying? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A: The problem is not with the spouse; it's with using someone...

All things ethical.(Calendar)
January 1, 2008... April 3-4, 2008 Flamingo Resort, Las Vegas, NV [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Topics Include: Thursday, April 3 8:00am-9:00am Registration and Continental Breakfast 9:15am-10:15am Rapid Cycle As campaigns begin...

The winners & losers of 2007.
January 1, 2008... After each election cycle, Campaigns & Elections presents the win-loss records of political consultants across the nation. The main list ran in our December 2007 issue. Here are some additions to the list. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

The Strategy of Campaigning.(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The Strategy of Campaigning, By Kiron K. Skinner, Serhiy Kudelia, Bruce Bueno De Mesquita and Condoleezza Rice, University of Michigan Press, 338 pages, $35.00 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During his ill-fated 1988 race for the White House,...

Campaign Advertising and American Democracy.
January 1, 2008... Campaign Advertising and American Democracy By Michael M. Franz, Paul B. Freedman, Kenneth M. Goldstein and Travis N. Ridout 116 pages, Temple University Press, $24.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Even those negative ads may...

The First Campaign: Globalization, the Web, and the Race for the White House.(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... The First Campaign: Globalization, the Web, and the Race for the White House By Garrett M. Graff 323 pages, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $25.00 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As technology has created an increasingly globalized economy,...

Condoleezza Rice: An American Life.(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2008... Condoleezza Rice: An American Life By Elisabeth Bumiller 400 pages, Random House, $27.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New York Times Washington correspondent Elisabeth Bumiller interviewed Condoleezza Rice and 150 of her associates...

Can Florida save the front runners?
January 1, 2008... January shapes up as a tough month for the two frontrunners, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani. It will probably start with defeats for both in Iowa. For Giuliani, it will likely be a humiliating battering. He's on course to finish third or...

Who will build the new bridges?
January 1, 2008... As we begin the new year, I've been thinking a lot about the broader meaning of the election and what challenges may await the candidate who wins in November. I'm struck at how much damage exists on so many fronts and how much repair work must...

The BlackBerry edge: hot new phones loaded with even hotter software are getting put through their paces this primary season.(TechBytes)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... When residents of Evesham, N.J., voted in May, Republican poll watchers checked off voters using pen and paper. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Their Democratic rivals brandished BlackBerries powered by software from a company called First...

Tech toys.(TechBytes)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... The Toy: Amazon Kindle The Grade: B- The Amazon Kindle looks like a revolution in e-reading, but one that, for now at least, is probably best viewed from the sidelines. Remember your first cell phone? Like any new device, the...

Texting, one, two, three ...(TechBytes)
January 1, 2008... This year's campaign speeches may be asking for your text messages as often as they ask for your vote. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Several companies are offering services that allow event-goers to send text messages to a screen that...

Campaign alert: get up to speed--now--on these new rules.(Playbook)
January 1, 2008... It's a new day in Washington for federal candidates, lobbyists and political committees. The law governing federal campaigns changed on Sept. 14, 2007 with the signing of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA). The new...

Dan Schnur, the communications director for Sen. John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign.(Who's where in the political world)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Dan Schnur, the communications director for Sen. John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign, has joined Edelman as its executive vice president and director of its California public affairs practice. "My goal is for our public affairs,...

Ryan Clem is joining Faulkner Strategies, an Indiana-based Republican consulting firm, as a business development associate.(Who's where in the political world)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Ryan Clem is joining Faulkner Strategies, an Indiana-based Republican consulting firm, as a business development associate. Clem was legislative assistant for three GOP members of the Indiana Legislature. Before that, he was a field manager for...

Alexsis Horowitz has joined the American Association of Airport Executives as its director of communications.(Who's where in the political world)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Alexsis Horowitz has joined the American Association of Airport Executives as its director of communications. She was the Federal Aviation Administration's congressional relations liaison. At the AAAE, Horowitz is producing a weekly television...

Tad Segal is a new senior vice president at Widmeyer Communications.(Who's where in the political world)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Tad Segal is a new senior vice president at Widmeyer Communications. Segal once served as communications director for former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., and as press secretary for former Rep. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo. Segal first worked for Widmeyer...

Barrett Thornhill, a former aide for Republican congressmen, is joining the law firm Foley Hoag as a health policy specialist.(Who's where in the political world)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Barrett Thornhill, a former aide for Republican congressmen, is joining the law firm Foley Hoag as a health policy specialist. Thornhill had been a staffer for Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, former Rep. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., and former Rep. Charles...

Tom Matzzie is leaving his post as Moveon.org's Washington director to lead a new soft money effort organized around "issues and character.".(Who's where in the political world)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Tom Matzzie is leaving his post as Moveon.org's Washington director to lead a new soft money effort organized around "issues and character." Matzzie has said that investors will put more than $100 million into the effort. The organization...

Paul Dioguardi is joining the Democratic Governors Association as its political director.(Who's where in the political world)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Paul Dioguardi is joining the Democratic Governors Association as its political director. Dioguardi had been the chief executive of ONE, the non-profit group working to raise awareness of global poverty during the 2008 election. ...

Casey O'Shea has been named national field director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.(Who's where in the political world)(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... Casey O'Shea has been named national field director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. O'Shea most recently worked as chief of staff for Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La. Joe Bonfiglio has been named as O'Shea's replacement....

Sign-ups ...(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... These candidates and groups have signed on with the following consulting firms: Adelstein Liston D -- Polling Alice Kryzan, NY, H26 '08 Tom Myers (ch), PA, H03 '08 AFSCME for Hillary Clinton American Federation of...

Quips & slips.(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... 'You're getting to be a pretty good actor, actually." --Fred Thompson to Mitt Romney during a debate "I have a message for every homeowner worried about rising mortgage payment. The best you can do for your family is to call...

Headlines you may have missed.(Brief article)(List)
January 1, 2008... Mitchell Report Concludes Bush Should've Used Performance-Enhancing Drugs [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From: Satirical Political Report Dean Reassures Democrats: 'We Will Find a Way to Screw This Up' From: The Borowitz Report ...

Who said it?(Brief article)
January 1, 2008... "If I can marry this incredibly brilliant, beautiful woman, I mean, why wouldn't I think I can be president of the United States?" Mitt Romney Dennis Kucinich Arnold Schwarzenegger Will Ferrell Answer: Dennis Kucinich