"Doesn't anybody out there know how to play this game?" (This is the Friday column, written partly in angry and partly in sorrow)
The Hagee endorsement is a disaster of moderate proportions. The resignation of five lobbyist staff members is also a disaster. I have raised questions about what kind of advice McCain is getting from his staffers, who include too many lobbyists and, apparently, too few people who are willing to give the Senator their own "straight talk."
I regard the Senator as one of the most honorable men ever to run for President. He is an authentic American hero, but there are mistakes being made in this campaign that are unnecessary. Having people on the staff who are lobbyists for the Burmese junta is almost suicidal.
The lobbyists must go, and that includes the talented campaign manager, Rick Davis. They are all lightning rods for the opposition. Surely there are enough non-lobbyists around to run a presidential campaign. The Senator needs to find them -- and quickly.
The Campaign staffers did John McCain no favors by recommending that he denounce the North Carolina GOP's anti-Obama ad. He admitted he never saw the commercial. And his staff-generated criticism of it fueled anger among some of the same conservatives he was trying (very unsuccessfully) to pick up with the ill-considered Hagee endorsement.
His staff should have warned him that Pastor Hagee was radioactive, and apparently they didn't. So, exactly what good are they?
Obama is going to beat the Senator about the head-and-shoulders on the issue of lobbyists. He is going to say that if John can't manage his staff how can he manage the country. And our reply is going to be . . . what?
As for Hagee, the media will portray him as John McCain's "Reverend Wright." Oops, there goes the Wright-issue as an albatross around Obama's neck. (This afternoon Obama did exactly that.)
The campaign blunders have to stop. And the staffers who are making them have to go.
There are people out there who could help McCain greatly. One of them is my friend from Oklahoma, Sharon Caliendo. One reason she's a friend is that she is one of the best political operatives in the country. Another is the brilliant 21-year-old who is primarily responsible for the national admiration for Gov. Sarah Palin. These people are dedicated to the election of John McCain, and they have no baggage.
I'm fairly certain the Senator has not heard of these people. But they've never been on "K Street," and if they make mistakes, they're small ones. The Senator needs some pillars of integrity on his staff.
The most important quality any staffer possesses is his or her ability to tell the unvarnished truth to the candidate. This is a very bad week for John McCain.
Additional Comments: I've had a lot of experience dealing with lobbyists, especially ones associated with the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (now called "PhaRMa"), but also with lobbyists for Phillips Petroleum, Gulf Oil, and other companies. In general, I don't like lobbyists. They make a great deal of money, but gernally has too small a conscience. Lobbyists usually care a lot more about money than they do people.
Okay, two of McCain's staffers had to leave because they were representing the government (i.e., the junta) that controls Myanmar, formerly called Burma. Exactly what kind of people would lobby for a despicable government like the one in Burma, which is currently denying aid to people whose lives are slipping away.
Really, are they people a man like John McCain would really want on his campaign staff? Are they people he could trust? Would they sell him out if a better offer came their way?
I can't imagine what John McCain and his campaign manager had in mind.
Showing posts with label Sharon Caliendo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sharon Caliendo. Show all posts
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Looming Republican Disaster? Balderdash
I was on BlogTalkRadio Thursday evening with Eric Dondero (host) and Murray Sabrin (Republican primary candidate for NJ U.S. Senate). The broadcast is avaiable (on podcast) at www.blogtalkradio.com/libertarian. I urge you to listen (only partly because I'm on it and you get to hear my Rochester, NY accent) but mainly because Eric and I launched something you haven't heard recently: a ferocious defense of the Iraq War (and John McCain's position on it). Would love to hear your thoughts at TalkTop65@aol.com. On the show I called attention to the web sites of Melissa Hart, Toni Gilhooley, Michael Livingston, Marina Kats, and Tom Manion. Tom is a former Marine colonel. Sadly, his son Travis was killed in action in Iraq. Say a prayer for Tom and his son.
Hart: http://www.peoplewithhart.com/
Gilhooley: http://www.gilhooleyforcongress.com/
Livingston: http://www.livingstonforcongress.com/
Kats: http://www.katsforcongress.com/.
Manion: http://www.votemanion.com/
Please take a few minutes to visit the web sites of these wonderful candidates -- and offer them whatever support you can provide. Thanks.
Media, candidates, activists, and others: Please feel free to post, reprint, forward, or discuss this piece. Candidates: I hope you'll establish a link on your own web site and tell your visitors that I'll be writing regularly about your campaign. The url for this blog is: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com. Eventually, our combined efforts should result in tens of thousands of "hits" on your web site, which will generate various form of support, including contributions. "We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we will all hang separately." (B. Franklin) I receive no financial support or direction from any candidate. If you need to correspond via e-mail, you can reach me at: TalkTop65@aol.com.
Today, I’m writing broadly about the following piece from Politico.com:
"GOP Leaders Warn of Election Disasterpolitico.com — Shell-shocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and present Tuesday: Your party’s message isn’t good enough to prevent disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC’s [National Republican Congressional Committee's] money. The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama or anti-Rev. Wright campaign, they are simply going to fail. More… (US Elections 2008)"
The Politico article's message is either poppycock or balderdash. I haven't figured out which.
A candidate's "brand" is not the Party. Rather, it is the candidate herself or himself. Also, if those supposed "leaders" had done a better job leading, well, things would be better. If our “leaders” (former and present) are people like Don Young (political architect of the “Bridge to Nowhere”), Tom DeLay, Mark Foley, Newt-of-many-wives and Tom Reynolds (who had to spend $5.2 million to get reelected in a solidly Republican district), well, we can live without leaders like them.
The real leaders of the Republican Party are people like Bonnie West of Washington, PA, Sharon Caliendo of Norman, Oklahoma, Adam Brickley of Colorado Springs, and Brad Marston of Boston, Massachusetts. They’re out there this year – as in the past – busting their butts to send great candidates to Washington, DC. You’ve never heard of them perhaps, but you’ve seen the political fruits of their labors.
Political operative Sharon Caliendo is one of the main reasons Dr. Tom Coburn is in the U.S. Senate – and not back practicing gynecology. Adam Brickley almost single-handedly engineering the rise of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to national prominence and vice-presidential consideration. Brad Marston helped resuscitate what appeared to be the stone-dead campaign of John McCain. Bonnie West has been a key factor in revitalizing the Republican Party in a critical area of western Pennsylvania.
I wouldn’t trade one of them for four Tom DeLays.There's much hand-wringing lately over the loss of Republican candidate Woody Jenkins in a supposedly "safe" election in Louisiana. As Karl Rove put it Tuesday night, "Look, Woody Jenkins [who's lost more elections than Britney Spears has misplaced underwear] is a fine man, but he's terrible candidate." I support only exceptional candidates.
As for Woody's loss, the best way to get candidates for congressional races is NOT to "round up all the usual suspects." Instead, get people who have great integrity and a real passion for the voters of their district. They usually win – later if not sooner.
Long-time readers will know that I regularly rage against the NRCC for not giving Diana Irey a dime. She was the Republican candidate who ran so ferociously and well against “The Prince of Pork,” John Murtha. It can be a thankless task running against someone like Murtha who has sold his soul to every lobbyist with a bag-full of cash.
Diana raised $856,000 on her own. She got contributions from all 50 states. Her total number of contributors was 7,000 – significantly more than Murtha’s total, although he had many more large donors. Many of those who donated to Diana’s campaign were giving money for the first time to a political candidate.
The Diana Lynn Ireys of the world are the future of the Republican Party. She is a rock of integrity, a devoted Christian who has “a love affair with humanity.” She’s teenie (5 foot, 100 pounds) but as an orator she outdoes Barack Obama.
At the same time Diana was getting zip from the national Republican establishment, Mark Foley – prior to the nasty e-mails scandal – had accumulated a campaign "war chest" of, oh, $2 million. I assume Mark was not one of the “leaders” cited by Politico.com. He should never have been in Congress.
How can good Republican candidates – in spite of Politco’s ominous message – win this year? A while back, Sharon Caliendo sent me her analysis of how Mary Fallin, a congresswoman from the Oklahoma City area (5th district) won.
Some people, even the brilliant Michael Barone, portray Mary’s district as a Republican “slam-dunk.” But is it really? In fact, the district is two-third white – and one-third other. In fact, it sounds suspiciously like one of those districts where Democrats run unopposed election cycle after election cycle.
Sharon said that Mary went door-to-door month after month. She wore out several pairs of shoes. She raised a good deal of money, mainly because she would not take “no” for an answer. She ended up winning by 60% to 37% in what was supposedly (and actually) a horrible year for Republicans.
I am working very hard to ensure that John McCain wins the 21 electoral votes of Pennsylvania, which probably will ensure that he wins the presidency.
I’m also doing everything in my power to ensure that Melissa Hart wins back her congressional seat in western Pennsylvania, that Toni Gilhooley wins her uphill battle in Harrisburg and parts east, and that Marina Kats defeats the indescribably awful Allyson Schwartz in Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia. I’m also supporting Michael Livingston in a very difficult race in Philadelphia.
These three women will come nowhere near outspending their opponents, but they will outwork them and outsmart them. Gee, what do we have to do to restore the Republican “brand?” We need to go out with superior candidates – like Melissa, Toni, Michael, and Marina – and advance the process of winning elections.
Hart: http://www.peoplewithhart.com/
Gilhooley: http://www.gilhooleyforcongress.com/
Livingston: http://www.livingstonforcongress.com/
Kats: http://www.katsforcongress.com/.
Manion: http://www.votemanion.com/
Please take a few minutes to visit the web sites of these wonderful candidates -- and offer them whatever support you can provide. Thanks.
Media, candidates, activists, and others: Please feel free to post, reprint, forward, or discuss this piece. Candidates: I hope you'll establish a link on your own web site and tell your visitors that I'll be writing regularly about your campaign. The url for this blog is: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com. Eventually, our combined efforts should result in tens of thousands of "hits" on your web site, which will generate various form of support, including contributions. "We must all hang together, or most assuredly, we will all hang separately." (B. Franklin) I receive no financial support or direction from any candidate. If you need to correspond via e-mail, you can reach me at: TalkTop65@aol.com.
Today, I’m writing broadly about the following piece from Politico.com:
"GOP Leaders Warn of Election Disasterpolitico.com — Shell-shocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and present Tuesday: Your party’s message isn’t good enough to prevent disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC’s [National Republican Congressional Committee's] money. The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama or anti-Rev. Wright campaign, they are simply going to fail. More… (US Elections 2008)"
The Politico article's message is either poppycock or balderdash. I haven't figured out which.
A candidate's "brand" is not the Party. Rather, it is the candidate herself or himself. Also, if those supposed "leaders" had done a better job leading, well, things would be better. If our “leaders” (former and present) are people like Don Young (political architect of the “Bridge to Nowhere”), Tom DeLay, Mark Foley, Newt-of-many-wives and Tom Reynolds (who had to spend $5.2 million to get reelected in a solidly Republican district), well, we can live without leaders like them.
The real leaders of the Republican Party are people like Bonnie West of Washington, PA, Sharon Caliendo of Norman, Oklahoma, Adam Brickley of Colorado Springs, and Brad Marston of Boston, Massachusetts. They’re out there this year – as in the past – busting their butts to send great candidates to Washington, DC. You’ve never heard of them perhaps, but you’ve seen the political fruits of their labors.
Political operative Sharon Caliendo is one of the main reasons Dr. Tom Coburn is in the U.S. Senate – and not back practicing gynecology. Adam Brickley almost single-handedly engineering the rise of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to national prominence and vice-presidential consideration. Brad Marston helped resuscitate what appeared to be the stone-dead campaign of John McCain. Bonnie West has been a key factor in revitalizing the Republican Party in a critical area of western Pennsylvania.
I wouldn’t trade one of them for four Tom DeLays.There's much hand-wringing lately over the loss of Republican candidate Woody Jenkins in a supposedly "safe" election in Louisiana. As Karl Rove put it Tuesday night, "Look, Woody Jenkins [who's lost more elections than Britney Spears has misplaced underwear] is a fine man, but he's terrible candidate." I support only exceptional candidates.
As for Woody's loss, the best way to get candidates for congressional races is NOT to "round up all the usual suspects." Instead, get people who have great integrity and a real passion for the voters of their district. They usually win – later if not sooner.
Long-time readers will know that I regularly rage against the NRCC for not giving Diana Irey a dime. She was the Republican candidate who ran so ferociously and well against “The Prince of Pork,” John Murtha. It can be a thankless task running against someone like Murtha who has sold his soul to every lobbyist with a bag-full of cash.
Diana raised $856,000 on her own. She got contributions from all 50 states. Her total number of contributors was 7,000 – significantly more than Murtha’s total, although he had many more large donors. Many of those who donated to Diana’s campaign were giving money for the first time to a political candidate.
The Diana Lynn Ireys of the world are the future of the Republican Party. She is a rock of integrity, a devoted Christian who has “a love affair with humanity.” She’s teenie (5 foot, 100 pounds) but as an orator she outdoes Barack Obama.
At the same time Diana was getting zip from the national Republican establishment, Mark Foley – prior to the nasty e-mails scandal – had accumulated a campaign "war chest" of, oh, $2 million. I assume Mark was not one of the “leaders” cited by Politico.com. He should never have been in Congress.
How can good Republican candidates – in spite of Politco’s ominous message – win this year? A while back, Sharon Caliendo sent me her analysis of how Mary Fallin, a congresswoman from the Oklahoma City area (5th district) won.
Some people, even the brilliant Michael Barone, portray Mary’s district as a Republican “slam-dunk.” But is it really? In fact, the district is two-third white – and one-third other. In fact, it sounds suspiciously like one of those districts where Democrats run unopposed election cycle after election cycle.
Sharon said that Mary went door-to-door month after month. She wore out several pairs of shoes. She raised a good deal of money, mainly because she would not take “no” for an answer. She ended up winning by 60% to 37% in what was supposedly (and actually) a horrible year for Republicans.
I am working very hard to ensure that John McCain wins the 21 electoral votes of Pennsylvania, which probably will ensure that he wins the presidency.
I’m also doing everything in my power to ensure that Melissa Hart wins back her congressional seat in western Pennsylvania, that Toni Gilhooley wins her uphill battle in Harrisburg and parts east, and that Marina Kats defeats the indescribably awful Allyson Schwartz in Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia. I’m also supporting Michael Livingston in a very difficult race in Philadelphia.
These three women will come nowhere near outspending their opponents, but they will outwork them and outsmart them. Gee, what do we have to do to restore the Republican “brand?” We need to go out with superior candidates – like Melissa, Toni, Michael, and Marina – and advance the process of winning elections.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Huckabee Supporters: Back Hart, Gilhooley
I'll add some comments tonight about the Hillary-Barack circus. Both of them become more demagogic and embarrassing with every passing day.
I sent the following to Larry Perrault. He's an important political thinker/activist/blogger/social conservative in Houston, Texas. He was a significant and effective supporter of Gov. Mike Huckabee and now endorses John McCain. I'm trying to get him and other Huckabee advocates interested/involved in some of our fascinating races in Pennsylvania (McCain, Melissa Hart, Toni Gilhooley, Marina Kats, Mike Livingston, and others).
Larry, Kathy Morrison is absolutely one of the best people going with Internet politics -- an extremely helpful woman that I'm trying to put in touch with several of my "adopted" congressional candidates. People like Kathy and Sharon Caliendo do not recommend spending a gazillion dollars on TV. Instead, they advocate some low-cost ways of "building the circles" -- making small circles of support into large ones that start "smelling like victory."
Two of the candidates I'm backing (Hart and Gilhooley) are running against incumbent Democrats who masquerade at "moderate-conservative" Democrats. Thus, my candidates need to do the difficult task of "re-branding" their opponents as backers of people like Obama, Pelosi, and Murtha (which in fact they are).
The only things that truly work well in politics are simple things, and "outing" liberals who swear they're conservatives is not a simple task.
Remember (actually, nobody's old enough to) when Harry Truman ran against "the do-nothing Congress." Well, he didn't run for or against very much else, but as Gov. Dewey found in 1948, the "do nothing Congress" was a powerful image/slogan.
I'm delighted that Melissa Hart is running "against" Obama (and her opponent's flirtation with the Illinois Senator) and Nancy Pelosi, whom Jason Altmire backed for Speaker of the House. Coincidentally (or not), Toni Gilhooley's opponent, Tim Holden, also voted for Ms. Pelosi, from San Francisco (a town that Pennsylvanians place somewhere between Sodom and Gomorrah). Altmire has not been able to make up his mind between Obama and Clinton.
If I were Toni, I would be telling everybody in Harrisburg and parts east that Tim Holden can't make up his mind between Obama and Clinton, both of whom are "totally unacceptable to the people of central Pennsylvania."Both Altmire and Holden apparently have relatively high "favorables," but that will change if Melissa and Toni can portray them for what their votes truly indicate they are: Nancy Pelosi's "groupies."
Melissa and Toni need to keep the Democrats constantly on the defensive by blasting them for "the company that they keep." Obama criticized Pennsylvanians for clinging to Christianity, guns, racism, and xenophobia. Does Congressman Altmire agree or disagree? I hope she asks him that face-to-face. I expect Mrs. Gilhooley will do the same with Holden.
John McCain should win Melissa's district by something in the range of 56-57% to 44% to 43%. (Bush won the district by 54-45). Thus, McCain will be an extremely important "shadow figure" in Melissa's campaign.
In 2006, the DNC, Altmire, and 527s tried to tar Melissa by linking her to Bush and Santorum, and they had some success. I assure you Altmire and friends are NOT going to associate her with McCain. I'm currently going around talking about the "McCain-Hart ticket."
The old saying was, "As Maine goes, so goes the nation." I believe that as McCain goes in western Pennsylvania (and he should go very well), so goes the marvellous Ms. Hart.
John McCain should win Toni Gilhooley's district by perhaps 59% to 60% against 41% or 40%. Bush won in 2004 by 58% to 42% There are early signs that Obama could lay a huge egg in Pennsylvania. Again, as John McCain goes, so goes Toni Gilhooley. The key is to get across to voters that a vote for Tim Holden is a vote for Barack Obama (the probable nominee). Toni needs to drive home the point that it makes no sense to vote for John McCain and then to vote for Tim Holden.
Larry (Perrault), you are one of the more articulate pro-life spokesmen in the country. Melissa Hart and Toni Gilhooley are staunchly pro-life and have the moral fortitude to advance that cause in DC.
Altmire claims to be pro-life, but he voted for federal financing of embryonic stem cell research. Holden also claims to be pro-life but he is supporting a Democrat leadership that's relentlessly "pro-death" -- and that won't even allow a vote on any proposal that might in any way advance the cause of life. Altmire and Holden can't continue to have it both ways.
Larry, I hope you and all other Huckabee backers will consider "adopting" these superb candidates. They need support, financial and otherwise, and the key to their gaining such support is that they eminently deserve it. God bless.
I sent the following to Larry Perrault. He's an important political thinker/activist/blogger/social conservative in Houston, Texas. He was a significant and effective supporter of Gov. Mike Huckabee and now endorses John McCain. I'm trying to get him and other Huckabee advocates interested/involved in some of our fascinating races in Pennsylvania (McCain, Melissa Hart, Toni Gilhooley, Marina Kats, Mike Livingston, and others).
Larry, Kathy Morrison is absolutely one of the best people going with Internet politics -- an extremely helpful woman that I'm trying to put in touch with several of my "adopted" congressional candidates. People like Kathy and Sharon Caliendo do not recommend spending a gazillion dollars on TV. Instead, they advocate some low-cost ways of "building the circles" -- making small circles of support into large ones that start "smelling like victory."
Two of the candidates I'm backing (Hart and Gilhooley) are running against incumbent Democrats who masquerade at "moderate-conservative" Democrats. Thus, my candidates need to do the difficult task of "re-branding" their opponents as backers of people like Obama, Pelosi, and Murtha (which in fact they are).
The only things that truly work well in politics are simple things, and "outing" liberals who swear they're conservatives is not a simple task.
Remember (actually, nobody's old enough to) when Harry Truman ran against "the do-nothing Congress." Well, he didn't run for or against very much else, but as Gov. Dewey found in 1948, the "do nothing Congress" was a powerful image/slogan.
I'm delighted that Melissa Hart is running "against" Obama (and her opponent's flirtation with the Illinois Senator) and Nancy Pelosi, whom Jason Altmire backed for Speaker of the House. Coincidentally (or not), Toni Gilhooley's opponent, Tim Holden, also voted for Ms. Pelosi, from San Francisco (a town that Pennsylvanians place somewhere between Sodom and Gomorrah). Altmire has not been able to make up his mind between Obama and Clinton.
If I were Toni, I would be telling everybody in Harrisburg and parts east that Tim Holden can't make up his mind between Obama and Clinton, both of whom are "totally unacceptable to the people of central Pennsylvania."Both Altmire and Holden apparently have relatively high "favorables," but that will change if Melissa and Toni can portray them for what their votes truly indicate they are: Nancy Pelosi's "groupies."
Melissa and Toni need to keep the Democrats constantly on the defensive by blasting them for "the company that they keep." Obama criticized Pennsylvanians for clinging to Christianity, guns, racism, and xenophobia. Does Congressman Altmire agree or disagree? I hope she asks him that face-to-face. I expect Mrs. Gilhooley will do the same with Holden.
John McCain should win Melissa's district by something in the range of 56-57% to 44% to 43%. (Bush won the district by 54-45). Thus, McCain will be an extremely important "shadow figure" in Melissa's campaign.
In 2006, the DNC, Altmire, and 527s tried to tar Melissa by linking her to Bush and Santorum, and they had some success. I assure you Altmire and friends are NOT going to associate her with McCain. I'm currently going around talking about the "McCain-Hart ticket."
The old saying was, "As Maine goes, so goes the nation." I believe that as McCain goes in western Pennsylvania (and he should go very well), so goes the marvellous Ms. Hart.
John McCain should win Toni Gilhooley's district by perhaps 59% to 60% against 41% or 40%. Bush won in 2004 by 58% to 42% There are early signs that Obama could lay a huge egg in Pennsylvania. Again, as John McCain goes, so goes Toni Gilhooley. The key is to get across to voters that a vote for Tim Holden is a vote for Barack Obama (the probable nominee). Toni needs to drive home the point that it makes no sense to vote for John McCain and then to vote for Tim Holden.
Larry (Perrault), you are one of the more articulate pro-life spokesmen in the country. Melissa Hart and Toni Gilhooley are staunchly pro-life and have the moral fortitude to advance that cause in DC.
Altmire claims to be pro-life, but he voted for federal financing of embryonic stem cell research. Holden also claims to be pro-life but he is supporting a Democrat leadership that's relentlessly "pro-death" -- and that won't even allow a vote on any proposal that might in any way advance the cause of life. Altmire and Holden can't continue to have it both ways.
Larry, I hope you and all other Huckabee backers will consider "adopting" these superb candidates. They need support, financial and otherwise, and the key to their gaining such support is that they eminently deserve it. God bless.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Obama Radioactive: Democrat Disaster Looming
As you may already know, I've written a column critical of John McCain for insisting the NC GOP pull an ad critical of Obama. The NC Republicans were right, and McCain was wrong. Please visit the NC GOP web site, write them an e-mail of support and, if you can, kick a few bucks their way. (The Party chair's e-mail box was full -- imagine that -- but the others were open.) Here's the link: http://www.ncgop.org/leadership/ncgop.asp
The following is this weekend's column. Your comments are welcome.
In many states (PA, NM, NC) Republicans are running ads to support state ("down-ticket") Republican candidates that feature criticisms of Barack Obama. In perhaps 30 states, he is becoming radioactive.
My friend, Melissa Hart, who's running for Congress in the 4th congressional district is launching almost daily attacks on her opponent, Jason Altmire, for his "fawning," uncritical behavior toward Obama. Consider the following information disseminated by Sharon Caliendo, a political superstar and consultant in Oklahoma and Texas:
Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for president would be a disaster for Oklahoma Democrats and possibly drag down other Democrat candidates, the new edition of the Sooner Survey reports.
Survey Director Pat McFerron reports that with either Obama or Hillary Clinton as the party nominee, Republican John McCain should win the state easily. But while McCain now leads Clinton 2-to-1, he leads Obama 3-to-1 and Obama displays startling weakness in Democrat areas of the state.
While Oklahoma Republicans once salivated at the opportunity to again run against a Clinton, McFerron writes, "Barack Obama’s numbers in the state make him an even more appealing Democrat nominee to run against."
For Oklahoma Democrats on the fall ballot, McFerron sounds an ominous warning: "When looking at their individual favorability numbers, there is not much difference between Obama (32% favorable vs. 54% unfavorable) and Clinton (34% favorable vs. 57% unfavorable).However, when looking at ballot match-ups against McCain, there is a sizeable difference that could have dire consequences for down-ballot Democrats.
Against Hillary Clinton, John McCain has a two-to-one advantage (60% McCain vs. 30% Clinton). Against Barack Obama, however, it approaches three-to-one (62% McCain vs. 21% Obama)."Obama drew a favorable rating from 32 percent of those in the survey, with 54 percent expressing an unfavorable opinion. And 40 percent have a "strongly unfavorable" impression of him.
McFerron writes that in the Ada/Ardmore area, an area of significant Democrat strength, 81 percent of those surveyed picked McCain and only 5 percent picked Obama in a head-to-head matchup.
In Little Dixie, McCain has an astounding 5-to-1 lead over Obama.
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/
Sharon Caliendo added the following:
"I think this is pretty much what you are going to see across the South including Texas and Florida. I work with a good friend out of Florida that said he believes the OK numbers will be similar for Florida which is outstanding news. I expect Sen McCain to have coattails in a lot of our states that were all or predominately red the last time.
OK and UT had every county go for Pres Bush and as it stands now I expect those numbers to rise for Sen McCain as we draw in the American Indian vote for the Senator. He has spent years working for the Indians on the Senate Committee and all the ones I have talked with in OK support McCain.
"Getting a good feeling about this election in our part of the Country. Now to reach out to those states that were blue in the last election to bring some of them red so on election night we can celebrate instead of waiting until the next day and longer."
The following is this weekend's column. Your comments are welcome.
In many states (PA, NM, NC) Republicans are running ads to support state ("down-ticket") Republican candidates that feature criticisms of Barack Obama. In perhaps 30 states, he is becoming radioactive.
My friend, Melissa Hart, who's running for Congress in the 4th congressional district is launching almost daily attacks on her opponent, Jason Altmire, for his "fawning," uncritical behavior toward Obama. Consider the following information disseminated by Sharon Caliendo, a political superstar and consultant in Oklahoma and Texas:
Sooner Survey: Barack Obama Would Be A Disaster For State Democrats,
Drag Entire Ticket Down
Drag Entire Ticket Down
Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for president would be a disaster for Oklahoma Democrats and possibly drag down other Democrat candidates, the new edition of the Sooner Survey reports.
Survey Director Pat McFerron reports that with either Obama or Hillary Clinton as the party nominee, Republican John McCain should win the state easily. But while McCain now leads Clinton 2-to-1, he leads Obama 3-to-1 and Obama displays startling weakness in Democrat areas of the state.
While Oklahoma Republicans once salivated at the opportunity to again run against a Clinton, McFerron writes, "Barack Obama’s numbers in the state make him an even more appealing Democrat nominee to run against."
For Oklahoma Democrats on the fall ballot, McFerron sounds an ominous warning: "When looking at their individual favorability numbers, there is not much difference between Obama (32% favorable vs. 54% unfavorable) and Clinton (34% favorable vs. 57% unfavorable).However, when looking at ballot match-ups against McCain, there is a sizeable difference that could have dire consequences for down-ballot Democrats.
Against Hillary Clinton, John McCain has a two-to-one advantage (60% McCain vs. 30% Clinton). Against Barack Obama, however, it approaches three-to-one (62% McCain vs. 21% Obama)."Obama drew a favorable rating from 32 percent of those in the survey, with 54 percent expressing an unfavorable opinion. And 40 percent have a "strongly unfavorable" impression of him.
McFerron writes that in the Ada/Ardmore area, an area of significant Democrat strength, 81 percent of those surveyed picked McCain and only 5 percent picked Obama in a head-to-head matchup.
In Little Dixie, McCain has an astounding 5-to-1 lead over Obama.
http://wwwtmrcom.blogspot.com/
Sharon Caliendo added the following:
"I think this is pretty much what you are going to see across the South including Texas and Florida. I work with a good friend out of Florida that said he believes the OK numbers will be similar for Florida which is outstanding news. I expect Sen McCain to have coattails in a lot of our states that were all or predominately red the last time.
OK and UT had every county go for Pres Bush and as it stands now I expect those numbers to rise for Sen McCain as we draw in the American Indian vote for the Senator. He has spent years working for the Indians on the Senate Committee and all the ones I have talked with in OK support McCain.
"Getting a good feeling about this election in our part of the Country. Now to reach out to those states that were blue in the last election to bring some of them red so on election night we can celebrate instead of waiting until the next day and longer."
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Sharon, Political Star, Oklahoma Blog
Note: This is cross-posted from "Sharon, Political Superstar" on pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain, a site I urge you to visit. It's one of 50 state blogs for John McCain. In it a few weeks, its focus will be on the McCain race in Pennsylvania, with an occasional nod to neighboring states: WV, NJ, OH, and NY.
Up and running now are New Mexico for John McCain and Pennsylvania for John McCain (this site). Also, Sharon from Norman, OK ("Go Sooners!") has agreed to manage Oklahoma for John McCain, and it will be running hard soon. Sharon is a political version of The Energizer Bunny, and she's extremely skilled in organizational and GOTV (Get Out the Vote) activities.
We "ordinary mortals" will never be quite at Sharon's, but many of the things she does are learnable and doable. In the first few weeks this site is alive, I'm going to post material from Sharon and others who are very skilled in making sure their candidates get elected -- and, in this case, that means John McCain.
The woman who heads the New Mexico site blogs usually at The Pink Flamingo. Her initial experience was with political guru Lee Atwater in South Carolina. She also worked on the campaigns of Senator Lindsay Graham. She set up on blogspot 49 of the state sites. I did a grand total of one, Pennsylvania. But I did find the great picture of the Amish kids!
We very much need volunteers to take over the other state sites. I believe we have one for Texas, but a state like that one (huge in geography and populaton) could probably use more than one blog manager. In my exchanges with Sharon, she gives me a lot of information about her political background. Invariably, what she says is applicable to others -- although perhaps not quite at her level of commitment. In her most recent e-mail, she told me the following about the "Air Force life."
She says, "OK is in the bag for McCain for the general election. I can easily help out with Texas. We lived there for eight years before moving to OK when Kelly AFB ended up on the BRAC list to be shut. We were some of the first people from that area to transfer to Tinker AFB. If you cannot find a Texas person, I will see if Brad who comes from Houston will take it over (he helped me out on the Bush yahoo groups) if I promise to help him out. I know several states better then OK - Ohio where I grew up, CA where we used to live, TX where we used to live, and FL where I work with my good friend on elections -- he went to McCain a week before the FL primary and ended up escorted Sen McCain and his wife to events for the final week. In 2000 I knew much more about FL then OK including giving directions to people for Bush rallies. My brother lives in Orlando."
What if a state like Oklahoma is, as Sharon says, "in the bag" for McCain (as I agree it is)? In that case, activists from Oklahoma can contact family and friends in other more hotly contested states.
The two columns below discuss what the 50 state blogs for McCain are designed to do. Each blog will look alike, but the approaches will all be different. There will be no "orders from the top," because there will be no top. In each case, however, they're designed to bring together activists to work TOGETHER toward the election of John McCain.
Soon, you'll see blogrolls with the 50 states for John McCain. Within a month, there will be on this site a blogroll for Pennsylvania. People who don't have blogs -- and that's the vast majorityof people online -- are very much invited to participate. They can receive e-mail alerts about political developments of interest in PA.
Anyway, welcome aboard all. "Mac is back," and so are we.
THE ONE-MILLION VOTE PROJECT
Up and running now are New Mexico for John McCain and Pennsylvania for John McCain (this site). Also, Sharon from Norman, OK ("Go Sooners!") has agreed to manage Oklahoma for John McCain, and it will be running hard soon. Sharon is a political version of The Energizer Bunny, and she's extremely skilled in organizational and GOTV (Get Out the Vote) activities.
We "ordinary mortals" will never be quite at Sharon's, but many of the things she does are learnable and doable. In the first few weeks this site is alive, I'm going to post material from Sharon and others who are very skilled in making sure their candidates get elected -- and, in this case, that means John McCain.
The woman who heads the New Mexico site blogs usually at The Pink Flamingo. Her initial experience was with political guru Lee Atwater in South Carolina. She also worked on the campaigns of Senator Lindsay Graham. She set up on blogspot 49 of the state sites. I did a grand total of one, Pennsylvania. But I did find the great picture of the Amish kids!
We very much need volunteers to take over the other state sites. I believe we have one for Texas, but a state like that one (huge in geography and populaton) could probably use more than one blog manager. In my exchanges with Sharon, she gives me a lot of information about her political background. Invariably, what she says is applicable to others -- although perhaps not quite at her level of commitment. In her most recent e-mail, she told me the following about the "Air Force life."
She says, "OK is in the bag for McCain for the general election. I can easily help out with Texas. We lived there for eight years before moving to OK when Kelly AFB ended up on the BRAC list to be shut. We were some of the first people from that area to transfer to Tinker AFB. If you cannot find a Texas person, I will see if Brad who comes from Houston will take it over (he helped me out on the Bush yahoo groups) if I promise to help him out. I know several states better then OK - Ohio where I grew up, CA where we used to live, TX where we used to live, and FL where I work with my good friend on elections -- he went to McCain a week before the FL primary and ended up escorted Sen McCain and his wife to events for the final week. In 2000 I knew much more about FL then OK including giving directions to people for Bush rallies. My brother lives in Orlando."
What if a state like Oklahoma is, as Sharon says, "in the bag" for McCain (as I agree it is)? In that case, activists from Oklahoma can contact family and friends in other more hotly contested states.
The two columns below discuss what the 50 state blogs for McCain are designed to do. Each blog will look alike, but the approaches will all be different. There will be no "orders from the top," because there will be no top. In each case, however, they're designed to bring together activists to work TOGETHER toward the election of John McCain.
Soon, you'll see blogrolls with the 50 states for John McCain. Within a month, there will be on this site a blogroll for Pennsylvania. People who don't have blogs -- and that's the vast majorityof people online -- are very much invited to participate. They can receive e-mail alerts about political developments of interest in PA.
Anyway, welcome aboard all. "Mac is back," and so are we.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
JOIN YOUR STATE'S MCCAIN BLOGS
Cindy (SJ Reidhead) at her very popular blog (ThePinkFlamingo) is moving ahead setting up state blogs for John McCain. This is an INDEPENDENT effort focused on bringing together you and other bloggers in your state to work together to ensure the election of John McCain. [At the bottom of this column see Cindy's absolutely remarkable column on Obama as a "rock star."]
I hope you and others like you throughout the country will join, either as managers of each state blog or as participants to be listed on the blogroll.
It's early, but there are now two model blogs up (and will be more soon). Please visit them at:
(1) http://newmexicoforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/ -- and
(2) http://americanforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/.
http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/ will be up late Saturday.
The blogs will make it easier for people in each state to communicate with each other. The blog manager's role will be to make it easier for people's sharing share ideas and communicating what's going on in each state. The blogs can help ensure that McCain is competitive in every state, one of his stated goals.
Of course, no one but Senator McCain and his paid staff (a very small group compared to Obama's huge staff) can speak FOR the Senator. However, it is our first amendment right to speak ABOUT the Senator and his opponent.
We very much need volunteers to manage state blogs. Such people should be committed to the election of John McCain and willing to devote perhaps one hour per day to their particular state blog. (As the election nears, particularly in September and October of this year, the blogs will take on a tremendous importance in getting out the vote for Senator McCain.)
If you might not have the individual time to spend on the blog, please consider being a co-manager. There's reason why 2-3-4 people can't be co-managers. Such people won't be receiving instruction from anyone else, since each blog will be an individual enterprise.
That said, however, the state blogs should look alike (see the examples) and be as user-friendly as possible. That's why Blogger (blogspot.com) will be used. It's simple to set up and attract participants.
The goal would be for each state blog to have representatives from all (or nearly all) counties. Bloggers then can share information and suggestions in order to make certain each state is as well-organized as possible for the election. Also, we can learn from each other about successful tactics at winning supporters and getting out the vote.The state blogs should play a critical role.
However, you're encouraged to join other organizations devoted to Senator McCain. You can find out how to do so by going to: http://mccainvictory2008.com/. MV08 will always be an important element in the McCain effort.
If you'd like more information, please direct your questions either to me (TalkTop65@aol.com) or to SJReidhead@mac.com. You can also leave comments at our blogs.
Every state is going to be critical, but some may be more critical than others. They include: New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida. Your efforts can be crucial in such battleground states -- and others. If John McCain wins most of those states (esp. Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio), he will be the next President of the U.S. With enough effort, each state is winnable.
PLEASE VOLUNTEER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
At the Pennsylvania for McCain site (http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain/ (up and running on Sunday), I'll be sharing information provided by political superstar Sharon Caliendo of Oklahoma. She's an expert on individuals leveraging their efforts to elect candidates.
Also, don't forget to visit the models from New Mexico and America generally. Your suggestions are always welcome.
NOTE: THIS BLOG RECEIVES MANY VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S. -- BRAZIL, CANADA, MEXICO, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA, AND ELSEWHERE. IF YOU'RE NOT A U.S. CITIZEN, YOU CAN'T CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN. HOWEVER, YOU CAN HELP GREATLY BY COMMUNICATING YOUR SUPPORT FOR MCCAIN TO FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN THE U.S. PLEASE START DOING SO TODAY! IF YOU ARE A U.S. CITIZEN OVERSEAS, THIS BLOG (AND OTHERS) WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN GET AN ABSENTEE BALLOT TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION.
One of the finest bloggers in the history of, well, the blogosphere is SJ Reidhead, Cindy, of New Mexico. She's written an absolute wing-doozer of a column titled "Here he comes walking Down the Street -- Hey, hey it's Obama!" It is an absolute must-read, and you can find her blog it at: http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog. The direct link to the Obama column is as follows: http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/15/3526556.html.
Here are excerpts, starting with first two paragraphs in the piece:
I have a collection of pieces about Barack Obama today. I think I have two points about him. First, he is nothing more than your average crooked, corrupt, Chicago ward-healer politician with a good publicist. The man is corrupt. He is smoke and mirrors. If investigations into his fund-raising ever get started, the man is highly vulnerable.
Next, breathe a little easier. Barack Obama is not a cult. He’s a rock star. It is a generational thing – but it has nothing to do with politics.
This is exactly what Barack Obama is. He’s a rock star. He’s the hottest thing since Michael Jackson. He isn’t a cult. He’s a happening. He’s hip. He’s now. He’s all that. He’s entertainment. It’s the thing to do. You stand in line, sigh with bliss, scream, pass out, and then go chase him.
Ladies and gentlemen the Beatles have landed again and morphed into a presidential candidate. The beauty of this is the fact that “teen idols” have a short shelf life. Yesterday I thought I picked up twangs of buyer’s remorse, but today all I’m hearing is adoration. Roger Simon thinks he may be peaking too early.
From Right Pundits: Why the super-delegate bribes? “…This smells like political corruption of the highest form. Obama’s political action committee has donated $228,000 to 34 superdelegates who subsequently pledged their support, and the list of bribed superdelegates is growing. That is $8,000 per vote. He has donated another $466,000 to superdelegates who are still officially on the fence. Hillary Clinton’s political action committee has donated $95,000 to 13 delegates who subsequently pledged their support. That is $7,500 per vote. She has donated another $100,000 to superdelgates who are technically uncommitted. John McCain should fillet Barack Obama over this issue. Quid pro quo paying for votes tears at the heart of our democratic system. And love campaign finance reform or not, John McCain is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this Valentine’s Day gift from the Democrats….”
Superdelegate purchase? “…About half the 800 superdelegates -- elected officials, party leaders, and others -- have committed to either Clinton or Obama, though they can change their minds until the convention. Obama's political action committee has doled out more than $694,000 to superdelegates since 2005, the study found, and of the 81 who had announced their support for Obama, 34 had received donations totaling $228,000. Clinton's political action committee has distributed about $195,000 to superdelegates, and only 13 of the 109 who had announced for her have received money, totaling about $95,000….”
THE CULT
Charkes Krauthhammer on the cult of Obama “…Interestingly, Obama has been able to win these electoral victories and dazzle crowds in one new jurisdiction after another, even as his mesmeric power has begun to arouse skepticism and misgivings among the mainstream media. ABC’s Jake Tapper notes the “Helter-Skelter cultish qualities” of “Obama worshipers,” what Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times calls “the Cult of Obama.” Obama’s Super Tuesday victory speech was a classic of the genre. Its effect was electric, eliciting a rhythmic fervor in the audience — to such rhetorical nonsense as “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. (Cheers, applause.) We are the change that we seek.”
That was too much for Time’s Joe Klein. “There was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messianism ... ,” he wrote. “The message is becoming dangerously self-referential. The Obama campaign all too often is about how wonderful the Obama campaign is.”You might dismiss the New York Times’ Paul Krugman’s complaint that “the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality” as hyperbole. Until you hear Chris Matthews, who no longer has the excuse of youth, react to Obama’s Potomac primary victory speech with “My, I felt this thrill going up my leg.” When his MSNBC cohosts tried to bail him out, he refused to recant. Not surprising for an acolyte who said that Obama “comes along, and he seems to have the answers. This is the New Testament.”…”
THE BOTTOM LINE
Barack Obama is the biggest thing since Michael Jackson. He is a super-star. The great thing about that is the moment something more exciting comes along, the fair weather fans are going to desert him. That's the way the game is played. They are always looking for the newest sensation. Obama is fresh meat for a generation that has never known this sort of excitement. It won't last. He's actually more the Mili-Vanilli (my spelling might be off) of the political world. He's a lip-syncer. There is nothing there but total and complete Chicago style political corruption. He is preaching purity and change to a generation who has not background in history or politics.
His opponent, John McCain must be the one who defines the Obama sensation. He must latch on to the corruption and push it for all it is worth. Obama followers are from the Day Care Generation. They can't handle being fussed at or anyone raising their voice. They must be handled with care, or they will go home and not play at all. If they cannot be swayed to reality, then the best place for them is at home, pouting.
Steve Maloney says: Cindy is absolutely correct in her piece when she says I'm doing a lot of research on Obama's finances, with emphasis on his big benefactor, America-hater George Soros, whose net worth is somewhere between $8.5 billion and $11 billion. He funnels huge sums, directly and indirectly, legally and illegally, to Barack Obama.
I have some excerpts below:
I hope you and others like you throughout the country will join, either as managers of each state blog or as participants to be listed on the blogroll.
The “AM” Blogroll (McCain's "morning in America") is designed to be a networking tool for the supporters of John McCain It is not to supplant any other group. Indeed, the AM Blogroll will also concentrate on grass-roots logistics, fund-raising, and eventually will become a ‘get out the vote’ tool for local communities.
It's early, but there are now two model blogs up (and will be more soon). Please visit them at:
(1) http://newmexicoforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/ -- and
(2) http://americanforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/.
http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/ will be up late Saturday.
The blogs will make it easier for people in each state to communicate with each other. The blog manager's role will be to make it easier for people's sharing share ideas and communicating what's going on in each state. The blogs can help ensure that McCain is competitive in every state, one of his stated goals.
Of course, no one but Senator McCain and his paid staff (a very small group compared to Obama's huge staff) can speak FOR the Senator. However, it is our first amendment right to speak ABOUT the Senator and his opponent.
We very much need volunteers to manage state blogs. Such people should be committed to the election of John McCain and willing to devote perhaps one hour per day to their particular state blog. (As the election nears, particularly in September and October of this year, the blogs will take on a tremendous importance in getting out the vote for Senator McCain.)
If you might not have the individual time to spend on the blog, please consider being a co-manager. There's reason why 2-3-4 people can't be co-managers. Such people won't be receiving instruction from anyone else, since each blog will be an individual enterprise.
That said, however, the state blogs should look alike (see the examples) and be as user-friendly as possible. That's why Blogger (blogspot.com) will be used. It's simple to set up and attract participants.
The goal would be for each state blog to have representatives from all (or nearly all) counties. Bloggers then can share information and suggestions in order to make certain each state is as well-organized as possible for the election. Also, we can learn from each other about successful tactics at winning supporters and getting out the vote.The state blogs should play a critical role.
However, you're encouraged to join other organizations devoted to Senator McCain. You can find out how to do so by going to: http://mccainvictory2008.com/. MV08 will always be an important element in the McCain effort.
If you'd like more information, please direct your questions either to me (TalkTop65@aol.com) or to SJReidhead@mac.com. You can also leave comments at our blogs.
Every state is going to be critical, but some may be more critical than others. They include: New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Virginia, and Florida. Your efforts can be crucial in such battleground states -- and others. If John McCain wins most of those states (esp. Florida, Pennsylvania, and Ohio), he will be the next President of the U.S. With enough effort, each state is winnable.
PLEASE VOLUNTEER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
At the Pennsylvania for McCain site (http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain/ (up and running on Sunday), I'll be sharing information provided by political superstar Sharon Caliendo of Oklahoma. She's an expert on individuals leveraging their efforts to elect candidates.
Also, don't forget to visit the models from New Mexico and America generally. Your suggestions are always welcome.
NOTE: THIS BLOG RECEIVES MANY VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S. -- BRAZIL, CANADA, MEXICO, FRANCE, AUSTRALIA, AND ELSEWHERE. IF YOU'RE NOT A U.S. CITIZEN, YOU CAN'T CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY TO THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN. HOWEVER, YOU CAN HELP GREATLY BY COMMUNICATING YOUR SUPPORT FOR MCCAIN TO FRIENDS AND RELATIVES IN THE U.S. PLEASE START DOING SO TODAY! IF YOU ARE A U.S. CITIZEN OVERSEAS, THIS BLOG (AND OTHERS) WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN GET AN ABSENTEE BALLOT TO VOTE IN THE PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTION.
One of the finest bloggers in the history of, well, the blogosphere is SJ Reidhead, Cindy, of New Mexico. She's written an absolute wing-doozer of a column titled "Here he comes walking Down the Street -- Hey, hey it's Obama!" It is an absolute must-read, and you can find her blog it at: http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog. The direct link to the Obama column is as follows: http://thepinkflamingo.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2008/2/15/3526556.html.
Here are excerpts, starting with first two paragraphs in the piece:
I have a collection of pieces about Barack Obama today. I think I have two points about him. First, he is nothing more than your average crooked, corrupt, Chicago ward-healer politician with a good publicist. The man is corrupt. He is smoke and mirrors. If investigations into his fund-raising ever get started, the man is highly vulnerable.
Next, breathe a little easier. Barack Obama is not a cult. He’s a rock star. It is a generational thing – but it has nothing to do with politics.
This is exactly what Barack Obama is. He’s a rock star. He’s the hottest thing since Michael Jackson. He isn’t a cult. He’s a happening. He’s hip. He’s now. He’s all that. He’s entertainment. It’s the thing to do. You stand in line, sigh with bliss, scream, pass out, and then go chase him.
Ladies and gentlemen the Beatles have landed again and morphed into a presidential candidate. The beauty of this is the fact that “teen idols” have a short shelf life. Yesterday I thought I picked up twangs of buyer’s remorse, but today all I’m hearing is adoration. Roger Simon thinks he may be peaking too early.
From Right Pundits: Why the super-delegate bribes? “…This smells like political corruption of the highest form. Obama’s political action committee has donated $228,000 to 34 superdelegates who subsequently pledged their support, and the list of bribed superdelegates is growing. That is $8,000 per vote. He has donated another $466,000 to superdelegates who are still officially on the fence. Hillary Clinton’s political action committee has donated $95,000 to 13 delegates who subsequently pledged their support. That is $7,500 per vote. She has donated another $100,000 to superdelgates who are technically uncommitted. John McCain should fillet Barack Obama over this issue. Quid pro quo paying for votes tears at the heart of our democratic system. And love campaign finance reform or not, John McCain is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this Valentine’s Day gift from the Democrats….”
Superdelegate purchase? “…About half the 800 superdelegates -- elected officials, party leaders, and others -- have committed to either Clinton or Obama, though they can change their minds until the convention. Obama's political action committee has doled out more than $694,000 to superdelegates since 2005, the study found, and of the 81 who had announced their support for Obama, 34 had received donations totaling $228,000. Clinton's political action committee has distributed about $195,000 to superdelegates, and only 13 of the 109 who had announced for her have received money, totaling about $95,000….”
THE CULT
Charkes Krauthhammer on the cult of Obama “…Interestingly, Obama has been able to win these electoral victories and dazzle crowds in one new jurisdiction after another, even as his mesmeric power has begun to arouse skepticism and misgivings among the mainstream media. ABC’s Jake Tapper notes the “Helter-Skelter cultish qualities” of “Obama worshipers,” what Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times calls “the Cult of Obama.” Obama’s Super Tuesday victory speech was a classic of the genre. Its effect was electric, eliciting a rhythmic fervor in the audience — to such rhetorical nonsense as “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. (Cheers, applause.) We are the change that we seek.”
That was too much for Time’s Joe Klein. “There was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messianism ... ,” he wrote. “The message is becoming dangerously self-referential. The Obama campaign all too often is about how wonderful the Obama campaign is.”You might dismiss the New York Times’ Paul Krugman’s complaint that “the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality” as hyperbole. Until you hear Chris Matthews, who no longer has the excuse of youth, react to Obama’s Potomac primary victory speech with “My, I felt this thrill going up my leg.” When his MSNBC cohosts tried to bail him out, he refused to recant. Not surprising for an acolyte who said that Obama “comes along, and he seems to have the answers. This is the New Testament.”…”
THE BOTTOM LINE
Barack Obama is the biggest thing since Michael Jackson. He is a super-star. The great thing about that is the moment something more exciting comes along, the fair weather fans are going to desert him. That's the way the game is played. They are always looking for the newest sensation. Obama is fresh meat for a generation that has never known this sort of excitement. It won't last. He's actually more the Mili-Vanilli (my spelling might be off) of the political world. He's a lip-syncer. There is nothing there but total and complete Chicago style political corruption. He is preaching purity and change to a generation who has not background in history or politics.
His opponent, John McCain must be the one who defines the Obama sensation. He must latch on to the corruption and push it for all it is worth. Obama followers are from the Day Care Generation. They can't handle being fussed at or anyone raising their voice. They must be handled with care, or they will go home and not play at all. If they cannot be swayed to reality, then the best place for them is at home, pouting.
Steve Maloney says: Cindy is absolutely correct in her piece when she says I'm doing a lot of research on Obama's finances, with emphasis on his big benefactor, America-hater George Soros, whose net worth is somewhere between $8.5 billion and $11 billion. He funnels huge sums, directly and indirectly, legally and illegally, to Barack Obama.
I have some excerpts below:
Sunday, February 10, 2008
GRASSROOTS: McCain's Key to Victory
LARRY THE CUCUMBER AND "HUCK," A GREAT TEAM IN 2008
Note: My primary blog is accessible at: http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com/. Please read tomorrow's column: "Clinton & Obama: Two Phonies"
I asked Sharon, of Norman, Oklahoma, how she and her political allies were able to generate victories in Oklahoma, a state with a tradition of voting for Democrats. Here's her reply, beginning with the emphasis on giving people T-shirts at football games. Her emphasis, like mine, is on the least expensive and most effective forms of campaigning. Both of us believe that TV ads are too expensive -- and increasingly ineffective.
These were t-shirts which they [the campaigns] picked up very cheap. We had Crimson for OU [Oklahoma University and for OSU [Oklahoma State University] they had Orange. Since our mascot at OU is the Sooner Schooner, they had that on both sides and one had Sooners for Bush-Cheney and the other side had Sooners for Coburn. Then the ones for OSU had their mascot, the Cowboy.
We actually walked doors in a U.S. Senate race [that resulted in the election of Dr. Tom Coburn, who introduced McCain at the CPAC convention]. In fact, in our Governor's race in 2006, we had Bob Sullivan pick out precincts around the state where he walked doors. It made the news on both sides of the state at 10:00 o'clock [note: in OK, the "late" news is at 10 p.m.]. Candidates for statewide races or Congressional seats do not walk doors normally.
It started with Dr. Coburn in 2004 and then in 2006 our Governor/Lt Gov candidates walked some precincts. You cannot buy that kind of publicity. They actually had the media taking pictures and thety appeared in the paper.When we walked our precincts asking for votes for Dr. Coburn, we wore the shirts. We heard more of, "How do we get one of those?" When you wear straight campaign shirts [without the football links], I have never been asked where they can get one.
If you do a TV ad, I would recommend trying to find the one that Senator Don Nickles ran in 1998 -- know it is a long time ago but his ad was about bringing Oklahoma values to DC and he was out in the countryside with a white farm fence. It could be upgraded for today but the central theme of bringing OK values to DC still resonates as Coburn used it in 2004 when he ran for Don's seat.
My State Rep, who was defeated last time, spent $243,000 for his failed campaign and the Dem spent $41,000 but walked the doors and advertised on the radio -- especially sports talk radio while the Republican ignored radio and went to TV. We had so many TV ads before the 2006 election, they were lost in the shuffle.
Congresswoman Mary Fallin wore out several pair of shoes walking her Congressional district in 2006 asking for their vote. She was out all the time as were her Republican opponents for the open seat. She walked the most doors, got in a run-off, walked even more doors, and won. She connected totally with her district and to this day she is so well liked. She made the fair circuit of the counties in her district and was highly visible at our State Fair in [Oklahoma City]. She was on the radio a lot and she used the theme of bringing OK values and ideas to DC. She didn't use robo calls [automated calls] and neither did her opponent, Denise Bode, but several others did and they were not well-received. She had Ed Goeas as her consultant. Grassroots won it for Mary as she had the largest amount of volunteers.
I made calls before the primary election (not even my Congressional district) and the theme was: "Mary Fallin asked me to call today to ask for your vote." The senior citizens were so impressed that they were being asked by a live person. Then we had a cheat sheet to use if they had any questions but we found being short and to the point made the biggest impression.
Dr. Tom's calls were the same -- we were live except for the ones the NRSC paid for that Bush and Cheney taped.For the Rudy campaign, we had people use their cell phones on weekends when there are free minutes. It worked great and you can get a lot more people calling. Phone banks are expensive to set up for such a short period of time. so a lot of our campaigns are going to cell phones with a limited number of phones available for people to make calls during the week but on weekends it is almost all cell phones and same with the evening.
Big money doesn't mean you are going to get elected. You have to connect to the people, something a lot of candidates forget because of consultants who would rather line their pockets have forgotten.
Note from Steve: The emphasis in this blog is not on "borrowing" tidbits of information from news sources. Rather, it concentrates on political fundamentals, the steps necessary to win elections. John McCain is not going to be able to raise as much money as his opponent -- either Clinton or Obama -- and he shouldn't even try. Instead, there should be as much emphasis on person-to-person contact as possible. The emphasis should be on low-cost, high effectiveness forms of campaigning, the kind Sharon outlines above. What worked in Oklahoma will work in any state or congressional district. If John McCain uses these techniques, he will win. If he doesn't, he won't.
I asked Sharon, of Norman, Oklahoma, how she and her political allies were able to generate victories in Oklahoma, a state with a tradition of voting for Democrats. Here's her reply, beginning with the emphasis on giving people T-shirts at football games. Her emphasis, like mine, is on the least expensive and most effective forms of campaigning. Both of us believe that TV ads are too expensive -- and increasingly ineffective.
These were t-shirts which they [the campaigns] picked up very cheap. We had Crimson for OU [Oklahoma University and for OSU [Oklahoma State University] they had Orange. Since our mascot at OU is the Sooner Schooner, they had that on both sides and one had Sooners for Bush-Cheney and the other side had Sooners for Coburn. Then the ones for OSU had their mascot, the Cowboy.
We actually walked doors in a U.S. Senate race [that resulted in the election of Dr. Tom Coburn, who introduced McCain at the CPAC convention]. In fact, in our Governor's race in 2006, we had Bob Sullivan pick out precincts around the state where he walked doors. It made the news on both sides of the state at 10:00 o'clock [note: in OK, the "late" news is at 10 p.m.]. Candidates for statewide races or Congressional seats do not walk doors normally.
It started with Dr. Coburn in 2004 and then in 2006 our Governor/Lt Gov candidates walked some precincts. You cannot buy that kind of publicity. They actually had the media taking pictures and thety appeared in the paper.When we walked our precincts asking for votes for Dr. Coburn, we wore the shirts. We heard more of, "How do we get one of those?" When you wear straight campaign shirts [without the football links], I have never been asked where they can get one.
If you do a TV ad, I would recommend trying to find the one that Senator Don Nickles ran in 1998 -- know it is a long time ago but his ad was about bringing Oklahoma values to DC and he was out in the countryside with a white farm fence. It could be upgraded for today but the central theme of bringing OK values to DC still resonates as Coburn used it in 2004 when he ran for Don's seat.
My State Rep, who was defeated last time, spent $243,000 for his failed campaign and the Dem spent $41,000 but walked the doors and advertised on the radio -- especially sports talk radio while the Republican ignored radio and went to TV. We had so many TV ads before the 2006 election, they were lost in the shuffle.
Congresswoman Mary Fallin wore out several pair of shoes walking her Congressional district in 2006 asking for their vote. She was out all the time as were her Republican opponents for the open seat. She walked the most doors, got in a run-off, walked even more doors, and won. She connected totally with her district and to this day she is so well liked. She made the fair circuit of the counties in her district and was highly visible at our State Fair in [Oklahoma City]. She was on the radio a lot and she used the theme of bringing OK values and ideas to DC. She didn't use robo calls [automated calls] and neither did her opponent, Denise Bode, but several others did and they were not well-received. She had Ed Goeas as her consultant. Grassroots won it for Mary as she had the largest amount of volunteers.
I made calls before the primary election (not even my Congressional district) and the theme was: "Mary Fallin asked me to call today to ask for your vote." The senior citizens were so impressed that they were being asked by a live person. Then we had a cheat sheet to use if they had any questions but we found being short and to the point made the biggest impression.
Dr. Tom's calls were the same -- we were live except for the ones the NRSC paid for that Bush and Cheney taped.For the Rudy campaign, we had people use their cell phones on weekends when there are free minutes. It worked great and you can get a lot more people calling. Phone banks are expensive to set up for such a short period of time. so a lot of our campaigns are going to cell phones with a limited number of phones available for people to make calls during the week but on weekends it is almost all cell phones and same with the evening.
Big money doesn't mean you are going to get elected. You have to connect to the people, something a lot of candidates forget because of consultants who would rather line their pockets have forgotten.
Note from Steve: The emphasis in this blog is not on "borrowing" tidbits of information from news sources. Rather, it concentrates on political fundamentals, the steps necessary to win elections. John McCain is not going to be able to raise as much money as his opponent -- either Clinton or Obama -- and he shouldn't even try. Instead, there should be as much emphasis on person-to-person contact as possible. The emphasis should be on low-cost, high effectiveness forms of campaigning, the kind Sharon outlines above. What worked in Oklahoma will work in any state or congressional district. If John McCain uses these techniques, he will win. If he doesn't, he won't.
NOTE: PLEASE READ JACK KELLY'S COLUMN TODAY!
Please read the column today by Jack Kelly (a real conservative -- one with brains), who writes for the Toledo Blade and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It's accessible at: http://post-gazette.com/forum. One good line: "Every GOP candidate who rose above the asterisk level in the primaries has been called a RINO." He also beats Ann Coulter about the head-and-shoulders.
"Ann Coulter is so angry with McCain's occasional embrace of Democratic ideas that she says she'll campaign for Democrats if Mr. McCain wins the nomination." Kelly adds, "Ms. Coulter says this kind of thing whenever she feels she's not getting enough attention."
Also, "If Mr. McCain wins despite the objection of the [right-wing] RINOs, he'll owe them nothing, and it is doubtful he will have warm and fuzzy feelings about them."
Kelly concludes, "We're in the midst of a war we can't afford to lose. There is a stark difference between Mr. McCain and the leading Democrats on this and many other issues. Spare me your phony airs of moral superiority, RINOs. To sit out this election would be like sitting out 1944."
Saturday, February 9, 2008
GRASSROOTS POLITICS: KEY FOR MCCAIN
NOTE: I HOPE YOU'LL ALL (Y'ALL FOR SOUTHERNERS) WILL VISIT MY MAIN BLOG AT: http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com. All the main posts will go up there first. Thanks! Your comments are always welcome.
Today on MSNBC, political pundit Roger Simon said the way to win elections in 2008 is to attract a core of people "who go door-to-door . . . friend-to-friend." That's the essence of grassroots politics.
This weekend (Saturday and Sunday) I'll be discussing a political operative, Sharon Caliendo of Norman, Oklahoma, who's an expert in the kind of politics described by Roger Simon. If you scroll down to the previous column, you'll see how Sharon and her friends helped ensure the election of conservative Tom Coburn, in his race for a Senate seat.
In fact, Sharon's effort went one better than the door-to-door approach. She and her co-workers went where the people were: specifically, to the huge crowds that attended University of Oklahoma football games. In Oklahoma, the political activists handed out tee-shirts that promoted both the football team and the candidate. It would be possible to sell such tee-shirts, but it's better (if the campaign can afford it) to hand them out for free -- and encourage people to put them on right away.
She indicates the same approach would work country-wide.
The following are some additional comments by Sharon on the Coburn grassroots effort:
Added some more to the Coburn grassroots. It really needs to be an example for any candidate running a campaign on what they can do to get the grassroots involved.
Dr. Coburn held BBQ's around the state with free hamburgers/chips/drinks to recruit volunteers along with town hall meetings. The guy that did the grilling was a BBQ guru from the Tulsa area who made the best hamburgers. We held one at the OU duck pond and about 75 people turned out to the event and out of the 75, we recruited 63 of them to help and it was repeated around the State and it just kept growing. Most amazing thing I have ever been involved with.
I will never forget when Dr. Tom won our County straw poll and was the only candidate there without a group of paid staffers but we won. I was Coburn rep for counting ballots and will never forget the look on Humphrey's campaign aide's faces when Dr. Tom won -- priceless. I live in the 3rd largest county and that was the beginning of a win for Dr. Tom who has never lost a race. In fact he won his House seat in an area that is heavily Dem and we haven't had a Republican since he left.
Hearing Dr. Tom speak today [at the CPAC convention shere he introduced John McCain] brought back all those great memories from his campaign.
Today on MSNBC, political pundit Roger Simon said the way to win elections in 2008 is to attract a core of people "who go door-to-door . . . friend-to-friend." That's the essence of grassroots politics.
This weekend (Saturday and Sunday) I'll be discussing a political operative, Sharon Caliendo of Norman, Oklahoma, who's an expert in the kind of politics described by Roger Simon. If you scroll down to the previous column, you'll see how Sharon and her friends helped ensure the election of conservative Tom Coburn, in his race for a Senate seat.
In fact, Sharon's effort went one better than the door-to-door approach. She and her co-workers went where the people were: specifically, to the huge crowds that attended University of Oklahoma football games. In Oklahoma, the political activists handed out tee-shirts that promoted both the football team and the candidate. It would be possible to sell such tee-shirts, but it's better (if the campaign can afford it) to hand them out for free -- and encourage people to put them on right away.
She indicates the same approach would work country-wide.
The following are some additional comments by Sharon on the Coburn grassroots effort:
Added some more to the Coburn grassroots. It really needs to be an example for any candidate running a campaign on what they can do to get the grassroots involved.
Dr. Coburn held BBQ's around the state with free hamburgers/chips/drinks to recruit volunteers along with town hall meetings. The guy that did the grilling was a BBQ guru from the Tulsa area who made the best hamburgers. We held one at the OU duck pond and about 75 people turned out to the event and out of the 75, we recruited 63 of them to help and it was repeated around the State and it just kept growing. Most amazing thing I have ever been involved with.
I will never forget when Dr. Tom won our County straw poll and was the only candidate there without a group of paid staffers but we won. I was Coburn rep for counting ballots and will never forget the look on Humphrey's campaign aide's faces when Dr. Tom won -- priceless. I live in the 3rd largest county and that was the beginning of a win for Dr. Tom who has never lost a race. In fact he won his House seat in an area that is heavily Dem and we haven't had a Republican since he left.
Hearing Dr. Tom speak today [at the CPAC convention shere he introduced John McCain] brought back all those great memories from his campaign.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Grassroots Politics & McCain Victory
Here are some of the locations of visitors within the past several hours: Carrizozo, NM; Kenya, Africa, Savannah, GA, Seattle, WA, Midvale, UT, Houston, TX, Lubbock, TX, Bellingham, WA, Seattle, WA, Downingtown, PA, Glenside, PA, as well as many other places. Thanks to all of you for visiting.
If you'd like to see my daily columns, the best place to go is: http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com. Copy that link, paste it into your broswer, and then when you get to the primary site, please bookmark it.
Later today (Friday, February 8, 2008), I'll be writing about the tactics advocated by an Oklahoma activist, Sharon Caliendo, who lives in Norman. Sharon discusses how you can turn your favorite candidate from "someone who came close" to "someone who celebrates a victory on Election Eve."
Sharon, along with Greg Alterton, began the Yahoo Group of Rudy Giuliani supporters. When Rudy dropped out, the Group became "Rudy Supporters for McCain." It was and is one of the largest groups on Yahoo, with approximately 1500 members. It was a factor in John McCain's winning the Oklahoma Primary.
Her emphasis is on grassroots politics -- basically on political activists (like you) recruiting other activists. Of course, we each have ONE vote, but if we act wisely we can leverage our vote into many votes. It's something like a snowball rolling down a hill. By the time it reaches the bottom it has turned into a huge mass.
To win on November 4, 2008, John McCain will need approximately 70-75 million votes. Sharon's analysis explains how McCain can accumulate enough support to win. I hope you return to see what she says.
________________________________
RICH GALEN ON WHY YOU SHOULD BE SUPPORTING JOHN MCCAIN:
Rush, Sean, and Laura
By Rich Galen
Friday, February 8, 2008
With the exit of Gov. Mitt Romney there is no doubt that Sen. John McCain will be the Republican nominee.
The Popular Press is running around in tiny circles, eyes wide, arms waving, mouths agape selling themselves on the theory that McCain's impending nomination will signal the end of the Republican Party.
The Main Stream Media has a vision of the GOP which is that Republicans are a bunch of narrow-minded, widely-condemning, high-handed, low-opinioned, under-educated, over-critical brutes who subscribe to a political orthodoxy which brooks no deviation from a belief set laid down by disciples of Aimee Semple McPherson
Not all. But many.
Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and the others are doing the work of the New York Times and the rest of the popular press by railing against McCain all day, every day.
It appears on the surface that their goal is to make Conservatives stay home next November 4 and hand the White House to Hillary or Barack.
But the reality is they are doing it because it means good ratings. When their listeners get tired of hearing them beat up on McCain, they'll switch to something else.
If they were to ask for my advice (which they most assuredly will not) I would suggest they take on the issue of the Democrats in the Senate holding up - according to the Wall Street Journal - 208 nominees: 180 nominees to executive branch positions and 28 nominees to the Federal bench.
If Rush, Sean, Laura and the rest wanted to really do a favor for America, they would get their tens of millions of listeners amped up about the nominees who are being held up - some for as long as two years - by Senate Democrats who will not allow the President to govern and will not allow the Judicial Branch to function.
But, I digress.
It is not a surprise that Mitt Romney got out of the race yesterday. After spending some $40-50 million of his own money and perhaps $100 million overall, he needed be able to have said more than "I did somewhat better than Mike Huckabee" after Super Tuesday.
Huckabee would never have gotten out of the race as long as Romney stayed in, so Romney found himself in an untenable political corner in which he was boxed in by McCain on his left and Huckabee on his right.
Huckabee will likely stay in at least until next Tuesday (the "Potomac Primary" - Virginia, DC, and Maryland) to see how he fares without having to share the right side of the ballot with either Romney or, as in South Carolina, Fred Thompson. After that Huckabee will get out leaving the field clear for McCain.
I don't have any idea that this has actually happened, but I would be surprised if surrogates for Charlie Black (McCain) and Ed Rollins (Huckabee) haven't been on the phone laying down the ground rules for a discussion about what role Huckabee will have in the campaign and what role his delegates will have at the Republican National Convention.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) yesterday, John McCain showed confidence and courage by standing before the very group which Rush, Sean, Laura and the rest have been attempting to agitate like a washing machine on steroids against him.
Watching the speech on television - first on Fox then on CNN - it appeared those in attendance appreciated McCain showing up, his willingness to openly speak about their differences, and his recitation of his Conservative creds.
It did not hurt that former Sen. George Allen stood with McCain as he was introduced, thus demonstrating that a favorite of core Conservatives - Allen - was pronouncing McCain satisfactory, acceptable, and … OK by him.
John McCain has nearly nine months to consolidate Republican support behind him. He will, with the aid of other Conservatives, do that.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are going to be duking it out until at least April and maybe all the way to the Democratic National Convention in August - leaving the nominee only a couple of months to accomplish that feat on the Dem side.
The Talk Show Set should get on board and stop doing the work of the New York & Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek and Time.
Rich Galen has been a press secretary to Dan Quayle and Newt Gingrich. He currently is a senior adviser to Fred Thompson's presidential campaign and writes at Mullings.com
Be the first to read Rich Galen's column. Sign up today and receive Townhall.com delivered each morning to your inbox.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RichGalen/2008/02/08/rush,_sean,_and_laura
If you'd like to see my daily columns, the best place to go is: http://camp2008victorya.blogspot.com. Copy that link, paste it into your broswer, and then when you get to the primary site, please bookmark it.
Later today (Friday, February 8, 2008), I'll be writing about the tactics advocated by an Oklahoma activist, Sharon Caliendo, who lives in Norman. Sharon discusses how you can turn your favorite candidate from "someone who came close" to "someone who celebrates a victory on Election Eve."
Sharon, along with Greg Alterton, began the Yahoo Group of Rudy Giuliani supporters. When Rudy dropped out, the Group became "Rudy Supporters for McCain." It was and is one of the largest groups on Yahoo, with approximately 1500 members. It was a factor in John McCain's winning the Oklahoma Primary.
Her emphasis is on grassroots politics -- basically on political activists (like you) recruiting other activists. Of course, we each have ONE vote, but if we act wisely we can leverage our vote into many votes. It's something like a snowball rolling down a hill. By the time it reaches the bottom it has turned into a huge mass.
To win on November 4, 2008, John McCain will need approximately 70-75 million votes. Sharon's analysis explains how McCain can accumulate enough support to win. I hope you return to see what she says.
________________________________
RICH GALEN ON WHY YOU SHOULD BE SUPPORTING JOHN MCCAIN:
Rush, Sean, and Laura
By Rich Galen
Friday, February 8, 2008
With the exit of Gov. Mitt Romney there is no doubt that Sen. John McCain will be the Republican nominee.
The Popular Press is running around in tiny circles, eyes wide, arms waving, mouths agape selling themselves on the theory that McCain's impending nomination will signal the end of the Republican Party.
The Main Stream Media has a vision of the GOP which is that Republicans are a bunch of narrow-minded, widely-condemning, high-handed, low-opinioned, under-educated, over-critical brutes who subscribe to a political orthodoxy which brooks no deviation from a belief set laid down by disciples of Aimee Semple McPherson
Not all. But many.
Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham and the others are doing the work of the New York Times and the rest of the popular press by railing against McCain all day, every day.
It appears on the surface that their goal is to make Conservatives stay home next November 4 and hand the White House to Hillary or Barack.
But the reality is they are doing it because it means good ratings. When their listeners get tired of hearing them beat up on McCain, they'll switch to something else.
If they were to ask for my advice (which they most assuredly will not) I would suggest they take on the issue of the Democrats in the Senate holding up - according to the Wall Street Journal - 208 nominees: 180 nominees to executive branch positions and 28 nominees to the Federal bench.
If Rush, Sean, Laura and the rest wanted to really do a favor for America, they would get their tens of millions of listeners amped up about the nominees who are being held up - some for as long as two years - by Senate Democrats who will not allow the President to govern and will not allow the Judicial Branch to function.
But, I digress.
It is not a surprise that Mitt Romney got out of the race yesterday. After spending some $40-50 million of his own money and perhaps $100 million overall, he needed be able to have said more than "I did somewhat better than Mike Huckabee" after Super Tuesday.
Huckabee would never have gotten out of the race as long as Romney stayed in, so Romney found himself in an untenable political corner in which he was boxed in by McCain on his left and Huckabee on his right.
Huckabee will likely stay in at least until next Tuesday (the "Potomac Primary" - Virginia, DC, and Maryland) to see how he fares without having to share the right side of the ballot with either Romney or, as in South Carolina, Fred Thompson. After that Huckabee will get out leaving the field clear for McCain.
I don't have any idea that this has actually happened, but I would be surprised if surrogates for Charlie Black (McCain) and Ed Rollins (Huckabee) haven't been on the phone laying down the ground rules for a discussion about what role Huckabee will have in the campaign and what role his delegates will have at the Republican National Convention.
At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) yesterday, John McCain showed confidence and courage by standing before the very group which Rush, Sean, Laura and the rest have been attempting to agitate like a washing machine on steroids against him.
Watching the speech on television - first on Fox then on CNN - it appeared those in attendance appreciated McCain showing up, his willingness to openly speak about their differences, and his recitation of his Conservative creds.
It did not hurt that former Sen. George Allen stood with McCain as he was introduced, thus demonstrating that a favorite of core Conservatives - Allen - was pronouncing McCain satisfactory, acceptable, and … OK by him.
John McCain has nearly nine months to consolidate Republican support behind him. He will, with the aid of other Conservatives, do that.
Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are going to be duking it out until at least April and maybe all the way to the Democratic National Convention in August - leaving the nominee only a couple of months to accomplish that feat on the Dem side.
The Talk Show Set should get on board and stop doing the work of the New York & Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, Newsweek and Time.
Rich Galen has been a press secretary to Dan Quayle and Newt Gingrich. He currently is a senior adviser to Fred Thompson's presidential campaign and writes at Mullings.com
Be the first to read Rich Galen's column. Sign up today and receive Townhall.com delivered each morning to your inbox.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RichGalen/2008/02/08/rush,_sean,_and_laura
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