BOO!! [Two Terrifying Tales]
[ Posted Tuesday, October 31st, 2006 – 12:16 UTC ]
My 2006 Jack O'Lanterns. Spooky, eh?
[Today's column is in two parts -- one frightful tale for each side of the aisle.]
Will 2006 Be The Year Of The Latino Voter?
[ Posted Wednesday, October 25th, 2006 – 14:55 UTC ]
Immediately after the polls close (it seems), the mainstream media will inevitably name one particular group of voters the "deciding factor" in the election. We've already had "soccer moms" and "NASCAR dads." Last time around it was "values voters." The question now is: will 2006 be the "year of the Latino voter?"
The discussion must begin with the admission that these media anointments are (to a debatable degree) a false construct of the media itself. Many have disclaimed the "values voters" announcement from 2004 as being an inaccurate label, or just lazy journalism. The term itself is ridiculous since 100% of voters would likely agree that they have "values" when they vote. It was used as shorthand, perhaps because "Evangelical Christian voters" didn't have the same ring (or might have been considered offensive). It's hard to divine what goes through the minds of the big media editors and producers who come up with these catchy labels.
Celebrity Candidate Casting Call
[ Posted Wednesday, October 18th, 2006 – 15:05 UTC ]
The voters of California (an extremely blue state) seem to have caught a bad case of Gonorrhea Lectim (pronounced: "gonna re-elect him") when it comes to Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sadly, for Democrats, the Governator "will be back." This would have been a more interesting race, though, if Warren Beatty had thrown his hat in the ring as a Democrat.
Think: Battle of the Hollywood Stars!
But Beatty ultimately decided not to run. This seems to be a pattern among showbiz Democrats. There's a real dichotomy between the ultra-liberal entertainment industry, and the fact that almost every Hollywood star that goes into politics is Republican. Consider the following list:
Toss Republicans An Anvil
[ Posted Wednesday, October 11th, 2006 – 14:57 UTC ]
Democrats are barely containing their glee at the Foley follies, and are acting as though their biggest problem is putting enough champagne on ice for their November victory parties. Such complacency is dangerous. They need to remember that just before the scandal broke, Karl Rove was bragging about the October Surprise he's got up his sleeve.
With less than a month to go, Republicans are down -- but not out. Not quite yet.
Reaching Values Voters And Mastering The Brush-off
[ Posted Wednesday, October 4th, 2006 – 12:03 UTC ]
A word of caution for all on the left who would seize upon the Foley scandal as a way to make political hay: there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it. From what I've read in the blogosphere so far, most are proposing the wrong way.
Sure, you could attack the issue head-on -- by running ads (for instance) with the immortal words of former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards: "The only way I can lose this election is if I'm caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy."
Last Call For 2006 "October Surprise" Bets!
[ Posted Wednesday, September 27th, 2006 – 12:02 UTC ]
Step right up!
Place your bets!
All wagering on the 2006 October Surprise will officially end midnight Saturday, so lay your money down now!
Karl Rove is already bragging to the Republican faithful that he's got a doozy of an October Surprise teed up for 2006. Karl hasn't seen fit to let us in on the secret of what this year's surprise will be, though.
So the betting atmosphere is in a frenzy.
How To Win The Campaign Ad War: Planet Republican vs. Down-To-Earth Democrats
[ Posted Wednesday, September 20th, 2006 – 11:50 UTC ]
Disappointingly, the only thing the Democrats seem to be rallying around at this point in the election campaign is: "We're not Republicans, and we're especially not President Bush." Bad as that sounds, it could actually be enough for them to win. But the concept needs to be better defined and executed if it's going to have a chance.
Many sincerely wished the 2006 campaign was going to be about bright new ideas, but there is that old "herding cats" problem when it comes time for Democrats to agree on anything. They tried to get a domestic policy agenda together and wound up with competing plans and slogans -- all of which were largely ignored. They haven't come up with an Iraq strategy that will play well in both Peoria and Connecticut. They were even mostly content to stand in the background and let Republican Senators McCain, Warner and Graham take the heat for standing up to legalized torture.
So Is Torturing A Daughter OK?
[ Posted Friday, September 15th, 2006 – 17:15 UTC ]
The best way to make a political case against an untenable position is to ask a question that paints the opponent into a corner, because it has no "right" answer.
The most famous of these is "So tell us, Senator, have you stopped beating your wife?"
The Jeffords Solution To A 50-50 Tie In The Senate
[ Posted Wednesday, September 13th, 2006 – 12:17 UTC ]
With all the prognosticating currently happening over the Democrats' chances of taking back the Senate in November, a real and likely option looms: winding up in a 50-50 tie. Not much has been said about this, but one would like to think that Democratic strategists are prepared for it and are actively considering using back-door politics to solve it.
Call it "The Jeffords Solution" -- get one or more moderate Senate Republicans to jump the aisle, to swing the balance of power to the Democrats.
A Big Senate Race From A Very Small State
[ Posted Monday, September 11th, 2006 – 20:16 UTC ]
A bit of trivia to begin with. The smallest state in the country has the longest official name. And tomorrow, it also has the most interesting primary race this side of Connecticut (so to speak). In the "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" the Republicans are having their own sort of Lieberman problem.
Senator Lincoln Chafee, much like Joe Lieberman, is having to win two elections this year, since he has a serious primary challenger to beat before the general election. And how Tuesday's very strange primary in Rhode Island turns out is going to matter to the big picture of how many Senate seats Democrats can pick up this year.