Campaigns & Elections articles from March 2008

Campaigns & Elections archives from March 2008

A growing force in politics.(From the Editor)(Editorial)
March 1, 2008... In politics, there are trends that are fleeting, trends that are mirages and trends that matter. In this issue, we focus on a trend that just might matter a lot: cultural libertarianism. But how it could change--and may already be changing--the...

Your turn.(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... In the previous two issues, we invited you to tell us what you think of our new look and content. Sure enough, our mailbag filled up with your reactions, and we've printed excerpts from some of those letters here. Please keep the feedback...

Does Pelosi hold all the cards?(Briefing Room)(Nancy Pelosi )
March 1, 2008... All superdelegates are equal. But some are more equal than others. Sen. Ted Kennedy, former Vice President Al Gore and civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis could potentially urge scores of these uber-voters to follow their lead, either at or...

Choose your news.(Briefing Room)
March 1, 2008... Going for the schizophrenic vote? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Still time to get on the ballot ... if you can.(Briefing Room)
March 1, 2008... New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has said he'll make a final decision this month about a presidential run. But even if he opts out, there are plenty of other independents likely to run. Ralph Nader may yet hop in. The Constitution...

Voting with their wallets.(By the Numbers)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Does a presidential candidate's selling prowess on CafePress.com reflect his or her electoral chops? Doubtful, but the self-described "online marketplace" has a political sales meter that's fun to check out anyway. The meter gauges each...

Left field.(Briefing Room)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... "Those Bush people are fascinated with all their generals and we Clinton people are fascinated with all our privates." --James Carville, talking politics during the International Builders Show in Orlando on Feb. 13.

Taking the measure of polls.(Briefing Room)
March 1, 2008... Just about everyone in the polling business is hearing the same thing lately: Why do the polls seem so wrong? Some public pollsters have urged us to pay less attention to the "horse race" aspect of politics as measured by surveys. Such advice,...

Success in political media, says John Lapp, is all about adapting to change.(Movers & Shakers)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... Politics: What do you see as the biggest challenge today to people in your field? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lapp: With this ADHD society that we have, you have to figure out how to...

The high price of disunity.(If I Had It To Do Over ...)
March 1, 2008... It might sound strange to hear from a man who made his name in politics as the fearsome House Republican whip, but if you want to know the truth, counting yeas and nays in the days and hours before a floor vote is possibly the least important...

Let the mating ritual begin.
March 1, 2008... Bill Richardson has been looking for love. Have you noticed? Even as he tanked in the Democratic presidential sweepstakes, he tried so hard to look fetching to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It's what passes for a mating ritual in...

All things ethical.(Calendar)
March 1, 2008... WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Political Professionals Candidates Campaign Specialists Political Junkies All Things Ethical April 3-4, 2008 Flamingo, Las Vegas 3555 Las Vegas Boulevard, South Las Vegas, NV A Campaigns &...

Tuned out: cultural libertarians are a growing force in America. But just how do you reach them?
March 1, 2008... If you're trying to divine the future of American politics from the 2008 presidential primary season, the absolute worst place to look is the winner's circle. John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama: One of these...

So you wanna be a player?
March 1, 2008... Yeah, you and every other campaign consultant. But too many people lack the essential tools for success. In the first of a two-part series, we've asked some industry players to offer their smartest tips. Get these basics right, time after time,...

Delegate cheat sheet: they hoot and holler and wear funny hats. But just who are these people?
March 1, 2008... The rules on delegates can make your head spin. Superdelegates can vote any way they choose. A candidate can win a state's popular vote but get fewer delegates. And although news organizations update their delegate tallies daily, it seems that...

This guy's really a war candidate.(Charlie Summers )
March 1, 2008... Republican Charlie Summers knows next to nothing about his campaign for Congress in Maine's 1st District. He's not sure who his campaign manager is, and to find out how much money his campaign has raised, he has to search the website of the...

Indiana.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... INDIANA'S 7TH DISTRICT has a long Democratic history, including being represented by the late Rep. Julia Carson for more than 10 years before her death in December. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That legacy suggests Andre Carson, an...

Illinois.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... HOUSE SPEAKER DENNIS HASTERT has managed to stir up quite a hornet's nest by retiring. In the battle to replace him, the Republican primary got nasty and expensive. And it looks as if the race may continue on that tack. [ILLUSTRATION...

Nebraska.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... AFTER LEAVING THE Republican Party last December, Nebraska businessman Tony Raimondo has become a Democrat and entered the race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Raimondo said he flirted with the idea of...

Oregon.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... TRY AS IT MIGHT, the Oregon Republican Party just can't recruit people to run this year. The state has been trending blue--Democrats recently took the state legislature, but hold it by only one seat. And the national climate favors...

Ohio.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... THE ROAD AHEAD looks rocky for some Ohio incumbents, particularly for Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt and Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich. Schmidt, who is probably funded well enough to survive the March 4 primary, is considered far more...

Tennessee.(Reds & Blues: States in the Spotlight)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... JUST TWO YEARS after overhauling the state's ethics laws, some Volunteer State lawmakers are now whining that they cannot dine--and they're looking for ways to loosen the rules. The current ethics law, passed in the wake of a bribery scandal,...

Weighing a recall? It's No easy call.(Ask The Campaign Doc)
March 1, 2008... Q: There is talk in our area of a recall effort against an unpopular state representative, but we're fuzzy on rules like signatures and ballot placement. Any idea where to look? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A: Recalls are sometimes called...

Family matters can be public concerns.(The High Road)
March 1, 2008... Q: Let's say the spouse of a candidate has a history of addiction. Is it fair to bring this up as a campaign issue? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A: The candidate's family is not entirely separate from the candidate. Their histories,...

Reagan's Disciple: George W. Bush's Quest for a Presidential Legacy.(Book review)
March 1, 2008... Reagan's Disciple: George W. Bush's Quest for a Presidential Legacy By Lou Cannon and Carl M. Cannon PublicAffairs, 364 pp., $27.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Although President George W. Bush is part of an Oval Office father--son...

In the Ring: The Trials of a Washington Lawyer.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2008... In the Ring: The Trials of a Washington Lawyer Robert S. Bennett 400 pages, Random House, $27.50 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In his new memoir, Robert S. Bennett says that law is the magic carpet that has led him to the powerful people...

Safire's Political Dictionary.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2008... Safire's Political Dictionary By William Safire 880 pages, Oxford University Press, $22.95 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] William Safire's Language and Politics has long been used as a source of definitions for insider words and phrases...

The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2008... The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country By Laton McCartney Random House, 351 pages, $27 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Laton McCartney writes a novel-like history of the scandal...

Obama has mouse power.(Barack Obama)
March 1, 2008... In gearing up their fundraising efforts as they approached the presidential race, Sen. Barack Obama bet on a long war while Sen. Hillary Clinton assumed it would be brief and fierce. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Because she was going for a...

Will passion divide the Democrats?
March 1, 2008... There are four groups this year that have given shape to the Democratic primaries. Each has a sense of unique passion, a sense of historical destiny and a very personalized sensibility about how they view the two candidates. These sensibilities...

Apple did it again ... or did they?(TechBytes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... In more ways than one, size is the most attractive feature of the MacBook Air, the eye-popping new laptop from Apple. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When closed, the computer is about three-quarters of an inch thick at its fattest point. The...

Is that a right click or a left click?(TechBytes)
March 1, 2008... Emerging research is matching online habits with political attachments. Studies have revealed the obvious, such as a liberal affinity for NYTimes.com and a conservative preference for FoxNews.com. But other findings are less predictable. ...

Ditch those cue cards.(TechBytes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Leave the cue cards in your briefcase the next time you have to give a speech. A free service at CuePrompter.com can turn any computer into a Teleprompter. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Just copy and paste your speech into a form on the site....

Cell saver.(TechBytes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Cell phones ring in offices and campaign headquarters even when it might be cheaper to pick up a nearby landline. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New technology promises to even out the costs by creating cellular-phone networks inside offices....

Smart voter targeting wins primaries.(Playbook)
March 1, 2008... If you're running for office--whether local, state or federal--voter turnout in the November general election is a big deal. But it's even more of a concern if you need to get your supporters to the polls to win a contested primary. In some of...

Martin Paone is leaving his position as secretary for the majority for a position at Timmons & Co. Timmons.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... After more than 30 years of working for the Senate, Martin Paone is leaving his position as secretary for the majority for a position at Timmons & Co. Timmons, a Washington-based lobbying firm, approached him earlier this year about joining the...

Republican National Convention.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Ryan James is the new deputy communications director for the Republican National Convention. He says he plans to help "put together a real good show come September." He added, "We hope to plan together a very strong communications plan for...

Ashlee Reid is the new chief fundraiser for Friends of John Boehner, the personal campaign committee of the House minority leader.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Ashlee Reid is the new chief fundraiser for Friends of John Boehner, the personal campaign committee of the House minority leader. Reid was previously the regional finance director for presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and also...

John Rankin has been named the new public affairs specialist at the Department of Treasury's public affairs office.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... John Rankin has been named the new public affairs specialist at the Department of Treasury's public affairs office. He has served as assistant radio services director for the Senate Republican Conference and press secretary for the Joint...

Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has joined APCO Worldwide's International Advisory Council.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan has joined APCO Worldwide's International Advisory Council. Currently, he is also senior vice president of corporate and government affairs at HHB Inc. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] McClellan...

Colleen Turrentine has become the new national finance director at the Democratic Governors Association.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Colleen Turrentine has become the new national finance director at the Democratic Governors Association. "We're very excited to have her," says Brian Namey, the DGA's press secretary. "It's a particularly exciting time in DGA history," he...

Sen. John McCain just added a new heavy hitter to his presidential campaign.(Who's where in the political world ...)(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... Sen. John McCain just added a new heavy hitter to his presidential campaign. Mercer Reynolds, the man who helped George Bush raise $273 million dollars for his 2004 reelection campaign, has been named McCain's new national finance co-chairman....

Sign-ups ...(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... These candidates and groups have signed on with the following consulting firms: Gramercy Communications N -- General Strategy/Direct Mail Phil Steck, NY, H21 '08 Kennedy Communications N -- Direct Mail John Adler,...

Quips & slips.(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... "If I really wanted to torpedo McCain, I would endorse him." --Rush Limbaugh [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Doesn't it seem like Chelsea's sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?" --MSNBC anchor David Schuster on the...

Headlines you might have missed ...(Brief article)
March 1, 2008... "Poll: Many Americans Still Unsure Whom to Vote Against" --The Onion [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "McCain Supports Redirection of the Surge, From Iraq to Huckabee" --Satirical National Report "Hillary Sends Bill on Campaign Trip to...