Government is serious. Democracy is sacred. And then there is politics the way it is actually played. The Vote blog looks at politics the way the players talk about it among themselves after work.
How to Get Obama to Pick You as VP
Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia outdid all prospective candidates for vice president Tuesday while appearing on FOX News. Loyalty is job number one when you serve as a vice president. Always give the President credit for success. Even give a presidential candidate credit for success -- as in stopping a war.
According to the Governor, Russia's decision to halt military action against Georgia was due to one person: Barack Obama.
“It was a bad crisis for the world," Kaine said. "It required tough words but also a smart approach to call on the international community to step in. And I’m very, very happy that the Senator's request for a ceasefire has been complied with by President Medvedev.”
Step aside, Senator Bayh. We have a winner.
"Republicans for Obama" launches Tuesday
Even though the man is on vacation, the news from the Obama campaign keeps on coming.
It’s common for a campaign to announce the formation of a group from the opposing party banding together to support their candidate.
And it always makes for good press because it appears counter-intuitive. “How can people from the same party endorse the other candidate? Their own party’s candidate must be horrible!”
That’s the game. Make it appear that one candidate is so awful that people who would normally pledge allegiance are jumping overboard.
It happens every campaign. Perhaps you remember Democrats for Bush four years ago. Or Republicans for Kerry. Here’s a gem – still on the web and looking its age, an old Republicans for Bill Clinton site. And a campaign can always get press out of it – especially if there are prominent individuals involved.
It happened again this morning. And as Ben Smith over at Politico astutely points out, the timing isn’t so surprising either:
One of the challenges of the week for Chicago is finding a way to control the news cycle without the candidate. Today’s answer: “Republicans for Obama.”
Former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach, former Bush foreign policy advisor Rita Hauser, and former US Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island announced their support of Obama and the formation of “Republicans for Obama.”
The group, which according to one website seems to already exist, announced they will launch a new website this week.
Why jump the party line?
Chafee, in the morning conference call announcing the group, said McCain just wasn’t the same old McCain anymore:
“I served with McCain and we were the only two Republicans to vote against the Bush tax cuts,” said Chafee, referring to a Senate vote in 2001. “He says now he would make them permanent. It’s a different John McCain.”
But what about the point that Chafee isn’t a Republican anymore? He switched parties earlier this year to vote for Obama in his state’s presidential primary.
“Until I voted for Sen. Obama, I had never voted for a Democrat so I think my Republican credentials are sincere,” Chaffee said.
As for Leach, the former Congressman said it was time for a change.
“Barack Obama’s platform is a call for change,” said Leach. “But the change that he so gracefully articulating is more renewal than departure.”
Over on the McCain team they sensed a different kind of irony. Campaign spokesperson Taylor Griffin emailed this response:
“It’s ironic that Barack Obama, who has the most liberal voting record in the U.S. Senate, would be reaching out to Republicans. His policies and his record, while they may be popular with liberals, are out of step with Republicans and with mainstream America.”
Tuesday Morning Reads
The Front-Runner's Fall -- The Atlantic
John McCain's Court Jester -- Newsweek
Negative Ads: They Really Do Work -- Politico
All the Barack Obama Vacation News, Except Obama -- Top of the Ticket
DOJ Fights Stevens' Bid for Alaska Trial -- The Swamp
More PUMA Mail to Democratic Delegates -- Marc Ambinder
Obama-cans Unite -- The Caucus
Edwards: The Not-So-Pretty Boy -- SF Chronicle
The Duality of Celebrity -- The Fix
New McCain Ad "Fan Club" Builds on Celebrity
They're putting them out faster than we can blog about them.
First, Obama releases his "McCain is a Celebrity" spot this morning.
Now, McCain releases his second "Obama is a Celebrity" spot this afternoon.
The second ad looks more like a Ronco commercial of the 70s complete with spinning graphics, smarmy announcer and cheesy testimonials.
Not much substance to the ad. There is a five second reference to taxes. But the rest is aimed squarely at defining Obama as a celebrity.
"We know he doesn't have much experience and isn't ready to lead, but that doesn't mean he isn't dreamy," says the announcer.
Followed by one Obama supporter saying, "What I love most about him is he has very soft eyes."
If it only offered a free "pocket fisherman" or "Mr. Microphone" at the end of the ad, it would truly be complete.
Back at ya', McCain
Barack Obama’s campaign launched their own “celebrity” spot today taking aim at John McCain’s own Hollywood credentials.
The ad shows McCain on the David Letterman show, The View, the Jay Leno show and appearing with Steve Carell — not to mention several shots of McCain and President (one showing the President kissing McCain on the top of his head.)
The ad, a bit more hard-edged than the McCain “celeb” spot, will run according to Obama’s web site on national cable.
It did seem natural that Obama enter this discussion, but one wonders if the campaign discussed a more humorous response to the ads especially in light of Paris Hilton’s spoof ad last week.
So, is it effective or not? Let’s check out the blogosphere…
Oliver Burkeman, over at Guardian, thinks the Obama team should have used better material:
For unknown reasons, the Obama campaign chose not to include any of the following Saturday Night Live skit, in which McCain plays a “creepy husband” who creepily creeps up on his wife in the bedroom and in the shower. When I pause to imagine the conversation between McCain and his aides during which it was concluded that appearing in this sketch would be, politically speaking, a good idea, my brain explodes.
Jonathan Kohn, at the New Republic, wonders if the spot actually plays into McCain’s hand:
I also worry about the broader strategic approach here. It’s good to hit back at McCain, for sure. But this particular ad is a true response, in the sense that it basically answers McCain’s recent line of attack on its own terms. In other words, it actually keeps the conversation about “celebrity” going.
Scott Martelle, at the LA Times, questions if the ad is too negative:
The risk for Obama is that the ad’s hard-edged tone contrasts with his attempt to portray himself as a different kind of politician. There’s a thin line between ads that point out policy differences, and a negative ad. This one is negative.
Jonathan Martin, at Politico, noted that the Obama campaign finally responded to McCain’s ad (it has been two weeks) and says that at its core, it doesn’t seem that much different than other negative spots Obama’s team has released:
Images of him on various talk shows are a means of both drawing cable news attention and pushing the line that it’s pretty rich for McCain to call Obama a celebrity, but, Leno and big band tunes aside, the ad actually differs little from most every other negative ad the Democrat has launched.
Which is to say the central assault can be found in the six separate images of McCain next to or embracing President Bush.
Seth Colter Walls, at the Huffington Post, discusses the perhaps necessity of releasing such a spot…
With Barack Obama on vacation this week, perhaps it was the perfect time for Obama’s campaign to release an attack ad that makes no mention of their candidate (a rarity, thus far). After all, he won’t have to answer any process questions about the “tone” of the race. Or perhaps, just as former Sen. Tom Daschle said last week, Obama’s advisers believe McCain’s Paris Hilton ad did real damage.
Decide for yourself…
Text Me Obama's VP Choice Please
More web savvy from the Barack Obama campaign last night.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe sent an e-mail out with the subject “Barack’s VP: Be the First to Know.”
Who’s not going to open this e-mail?
The e-mail explains that “Barack Obama is about to make one of the most important decisions of this campaign — choosing a running mate.”
It doesn’t say when he may do this. But it encourages people to sign up to receive the official word via e-mail or text.
In fact, the e-mail promises you will receive word “the moment Barack makes his decision.”
Not to dispute Plouffe, but I would imagine the moment Obama makes his decision, he may want to let the Veep candidate know first. And then perhaps he would tell his staff. Then, just maybe, he and his strategists would set up the the way to receive maximum press play.
But then again, maybe he’s asked the individuals on his short list to sign up to receive a text — just like everyone else. A true democratic move.
Probably yesterday’s missive should read, “the moment Barack decides to make the announcement, you will receive an e-mail or text.” But that’s far less inviting.
Regardless, the way in which the Obama team is making the announcement to the public is great. It’s a way to make personal contact with your supporters to in a sense say, “we’re going straight to you.” It’s also a way to get instant an instant buzz in the blogosphere and it demonstrates an awareness of using means other than the mainstream media message to communicate an important announcement.
Does this mean an announcement will happen this week while Obama is on vacation? That would certainly be unconventional. But from a campaign strategy point of view, think about the potential:
McCain’s got the week all to himself. Of course, he’s got the Olympics to go up against and Michael Phelps grab for the gold, but this would put the spotlight back on Obama even though he’s taking a break. It would eclipse the McCain coverage. Of course, it would also mean that Obama would have to reemerge from seclusion (so much for the vacation).
Unconventional? Yes. Likely? No.
But fun to think about.
Monday Morning Reads
Obama's Challenge: What Role for the Clintons? -- CS Monitor
For a Week, McCain Has the Trail to Himself -- New York Times
7 Worrisome Signs for Obama -- Politico
Obama's VP Choice Imminent Via Website, Email, Text Message -- LA Times
Michelle Obama: Headliner Opening Night -- The Swamp
Obama Nearing a Veep Decision? -- Washington Post
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