Media Politics 2.0

McCain-Palin w/Katie Couric

2008-09-30T08:00:00.002-05:00

As most political watchers know, Governor Palin has had almost no public moments where Senator McCain is not somewhere nearby and controls the situation.

However, Governor Palin has had some moments by herself - first with Charlie Gibson and then with Katie Couric. And the clips out and about show a less than solid response to a number of questions.

As part of the CBS interviews, Senator McCain audited or sat in on one of the interviews. While the focus was on Governor Palin, Senator McCain became the overactive parent as the questions unfolded. I am sure this kind of treatment is likely to further endear himself to women voters..

NOT!!!

See the following:

Fiction and/or Fact - You Decide Which is Which

2008-09-29T13:47:00.008-05:00

A lot of talk and attention has been focused on the portrayal of Governor Sarah Palin by Tina Fey, overshadowing an equally solid characterization of President Clinton by Darrell Hammond.

Last weekend I think we saw fiction anticipating reality with the Hammond/Clinton pairing, which I felt was stronger. (Fey/Palin was fiction following reality.)

See if you agree..

First, Darrell Hammond on Saturday night:

And then on Sunday, President Clinton:

Move over Tina, Darrell may have a niche that lasts beyond the upcoming election.

Fiction Between Fact

2008-09-28T08:00:00.003-05:00

Last week we saw the first half of the Katie Couric/Sarah Palin interview. (We will look at how the interview was parsed, later this week.)

Last night, Saturday Night Live took on the interview and offered this clip:

And as this use of Tina Fey and Amy Pohler has taken on increased web interest, and use in blogs like this one, NBC has stepped in to take down the postings that are not part of the NBC sites.

Read Sarah Lai Stirland's blog on this situation with an interesting link to the way Governor Palin has been portrayed in the media.

Moving at the Speed of the Internet

2008-09-27T08:00:00.004-05:00

Last night, Senators McCain and Obama debated in the first of three televised presidential debates.

In 1960, on the same date - September 26, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon debated. After the debate, Kennedy was deemed to have done well. The Kennedy campaign took some of the footage and a few days later, crafted a television advertisement to play off of his debate performance.

Last night's debate has already produced its first commercial - in fact the commercial came out within a few hours of the debate having been finished. This advertisement was for Senator McCain, yet featured Senator Obama.

Expect more of the debate footage to surface in the days ahead as commercials for both. History does repeat itself.

Parsing the News Interviews

2008-09-26T08:30:00.021-05:00

The CBS network had its hands full on Wednesday, September 24. David Letterman was the jilted talk show host, who was left looking through the tv monitor as his previously scheduled guest went for the interview with CBS News Anchor Katie Couric. (See blog from yesterday.)

While the interview was part of a well done news package, according to at least one respected report, CBS almost buries its lead and its scoop by not giving one immediate access to the story and the video. Rather, you need to burrow through the links and if it is more than a day or two ago, as it is now, you need to go back several pages. And then you have three flavors - the entire CBS Evening news:

Or the 11 minute segment from the news cast:

Or a clipped 5 minute segment on the news of his suspending his campaign:

And while this gives the viewer choices, the ways these clips are tagged leads to some frustration, if not outright abandonment of site if one wants to find out what McCain had to say about the economy, which is why folks are supposedly wanting to hear the Senator speak.

And I will not get started about the short ad fronting each CBS news segment. CBS - you give away the product elsewhere, why clutter up our viewing for each segment with an advertisement. For those who want more control and access to their CBS news products - and less advertising interuptions, check out the CBS News offerings on iTunes. And one can even get the discussed CBS News show with McCain here in its entirety and ad free.

Strange Bedfellows

2008-09-25T18:00:00.002-05:00

Earlier this year, Russell Peterson published Strange Bedfellows, which argued how the late night comedy circuit had become part of the campaign trail and what it meant for political discourse.

This followed some earlier research which found that many younger voters got their news and information more from shows such as THE DAILY SHOW or COLBERT REPORT than conventional news short.

In all, there was a cry sent up from the mainstream media and some campaigns about how this was debasing the process.

Yet the parade of candidates continued and the symbiotic, if not parasitic, relationship between candidates and late night comedy continued. Until.....

last night (September 24) when Senator John McCain suspended his campaign and canceled his appearance on THE LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN.

But did he really suspend his campaign. As the video played out on LETTERMAN, it became apparent that McCain had dumped the LETTERMAN appearance to be interviewed by Katie Couric on the CBS Evening News. So, the Republican candidate for President dumps the second most watched late night show to appear on the third most watched television news show gives one pause to wonder who was behind not only this brilliant scheduling change, but did so amidst live satellite feeds which made the cover argument of rushing back to DC to work on the budget crisis an outright lie.

See the edited footage from the September 23 Letterman show:

A Response

2008-03-24T09:25:00.003-05:00

Lost amidst the uproar over Reverend Wright's comments is the response of the mainstream Protestant leaders, as well as the United Church of Christ leaders.

Dr. Martin Marty, University of Chicago religious historian, has said that he never failed to leave one of Reverend Wright's services without feeling renewed and uplifted.

And the head of the United Church of Christ, spoke at the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and made these comments:

He Is Not Always Satirical

2008-03-23T07:32:00.000-05:00

The Daily Show regularly spoofs presidential candidates and campaigns, so they began their coverage of "The Speech" in a similar fashion. But don't leave before the piece finishes, this was not conventional Jon Stewart:

Reactions - Part Two

2008-03-22T07:31:00.000-05:00

The work of the Brave New Films organization, followed up with a second round of Fox News attacks on "The Speech."

Reactions - Part One

2008-03-21T07:28:00.002-05:00

Usually you leave attack politics to a rival political campaign, not so here.

While most of the cable news networks found much to praise with the speech, the Fox News Network was not so enamored.

The Speech

2008-03-20T07:25:00.002-05:00

While originally billed as a speech where Senator Obama would address the issues that had surfaced around Reverand Wright, the speech unfolded as something more. Putting a great deal of distance between this speech and other presidential campaign speeches. In many quarters, it was even being compared to the "I Have a Dream" speech of Reverand Martin Luther King.

"The Speech" was posted on YouTube and while its length suggested it may not have heavy viewing, it quickly caught on and was projected to surpass 2.5 million views by the coming weekend.

You can add to that total:

A second video

2008-03-19T09:24:00.001-05:00

While this could be a trend that will not die, another video of Reverend Jeremiah Johnson is making the rounds. (And more are likely to follow.)

Obama's Pastor

2008-03-18T09:21:00.001-05:00

The following video is making the rounds that shows Senator Obama's pastor making what many would consider incendiary remarks.

Reverend Wright's church, as well as Obama's and Oprah's, is the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

He Is Not Gone..

2008-03-17T10:54:00.002-05:00

While all of the other Republican candidates have ceased campaigning as Senator McCain is now the nominee, Representative Ron Paul is still making the rounds and working the internet to garner support for his positions, if not his candidacy. He also has not been absent from the internet. Here is one of the more interesting videos you are likely to see as we near the end of the primary season:

Tracking the SuperDelegates

2008-03-10T15:53:00.003-05:00

A group known as the SuperDelegate Transparency Project has a widget that each day is updated to show the latest SuperDelegate totals.

You can see more about their work by going to their website:

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Superdelegate_Transparency_Project

The Original Red Phone Ad

2008-03-06T09:47:00.006-06:00

Commentators were all over the airwaves and newspapers comparing the Clinton commercial with one from 1984. Ironically, the Clinton and Obama ads did not have red phones - just beige units.

Here is the original red phone ad from the 1984 campaign of Walter Mondale.

Ask yourself which one is the more fear mongering?

Confusing Ads

2008-03-05T09:39:00.001-06:00

There has been a lot of commentary about the Clinton 3 AM campaign ad.

This is the ad:

The Obama campaign, which usually responds in a style intended to advance his position, released this ad:

For the person just watching the second ad, you are almost half way into the ad before you realize it is NOT the Clinton spot. Most advertising experts will say you have about 3 seconds to make an impression on a television viewer. For the voters yesterday, many probably believed they saw the Clinton ad more times than they did. The Obama campaign needs to rethink the response they offer up to this ad in the future.

And now live from New York - Hillary

2008-03-02T08:51:00.005-06:00

In their second week back on the air, SNL does another debate opener.

Modeled on the latest debate, they keep the same plodding pace.

Here is the sketch from the NBC site.

Only the last few minutes save it from another starts fast and fizzles out:

Here is the editorial response to the sketch.

One wonders where this Hillary has been.

Another will.i.am video

2008-03-01T08:44:00.001-06:00

His earlier video captured Senator Obama with the "Yes We Can" refrain.

This one uses "We are the Ones." Examples like this show the ways that media politics 2.0 can bring into the discussion, not the paid media consultants, but regular citizens/artists with their vision of things. This message is about Senator Obama, but it is will.i.am's message.

How Is This Going to End?

2008-02-21T07:19:00.004-06:00

In almost every interview that I do, the questions keeps returning.

How can either of the two Democratic candidates win this contest?

As the delegate index makes clear, the answer is in the hands of the superdelegates.

How does the intensity of competition between the two reach some kind of resolution?

In tonight's debate, there was a more collegial tone and while a few points were made, there was not the Armageddon that some predicted. And in fact, the closing comments of Senator Clinton might be the way they find closure. (Some said it was her valedictorian speech, others said it was her effort to reach a higher ground for discourse for the final weeks.)

You judge:

Speaking of Delegates

2008-02-20T07:16:00.003-06:00

As the rest of the country peridically emerges from DADD - delegate attention deficit disorder - where they focus more on who is ahead and who has been winning, the Clinton campaign decided to offer their spin on the matter. (As one who tracks delegates, there are almost as many totals as their are calculators. I use an average of four different national organizations totals.)

Check out Delegate Hub to see how the Clinton campaign is presenting the matter.

Can we expect Senator Obama to introduce one soon?

New Delegate Index Released

2008-02-19T07:11:00.003-06:00

Today we released the latest iteration of the delegate index project where we take existing results of delegates won, superdelegates who have committed to a particular candidate, and then take public opinion polls from upcoming states and apply them with the individual state rules to determine a projected delegate count.

The latest totals calculated through the end of the primary/caucus period give:

Democrats (2025 needed to win)
Obama 1608
Clinton 1701

with the remainder currently uncommitted.

Republicans (1191 needed)
McCain 1431
Huckabee 337

Read the entire release at IGPA.

This is what change looks like..

2008-02-12T04:54:00.001-06:00

From Senator Obama's speech tonight in Madison, WI.

Senator Obama nows appears to have a lead of approximately 150 delegates. 1158 to 1009.

From the Pages of the Sunday Papers

2008-01-29T21:15:00.000-06:00

To a series of television ads in the SuperTuesday states, Carolyn Kennedy Schlossberg does an advertisement for Senator Obama that uses her endorsement from Sunday.

From Daughter to Uncle

2008-01-28T21:30:00.000-06:00

There are times when free media does so powerful a job of making points that no punditry or paid advertising can do much except to sit back and watch it happen.

If yesterday was historic with Carolyn Kennedy Schlossberg's editorial, today the stakes were raised with the senior Democratic Senator in Congress endorsing Senator Obama. This is rhetoric not readily heard on the campaign trail, save when Obama either acknowledges victory or concedes defeat.

A President Like My Father

2008-01-27T21:23:00.000-06:00

For many, the legacy of John F. Kennedy continues to motivate involvement in political life.

Finding the figure who can the torch for a new generation has been one left to individuals to self-proclaim themselves as the one.

This morning, the daughter of President Kennedy stepped forward to pass the torch:

OVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.

My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.

Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.

We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960.

Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.

Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people — known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics — to become engaged in the political process.

I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents’ grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.

Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.

I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.
Carolyn Kennedy Schlossberg

This is shaping up to be a very interesting few months ahead.

NH Post Mortem

2008-01-10T10:42:00.000-06:00

So what happened in New Hampshire?

Over the next few days we will explore some of the issues and explanations and excuses being offered for why the polls got it wrong.

Let's begin with a bit of an overview of polls and the issues raised.

Now the piece misses a couple of key facts.

The polls stopped polling on Sunday for a Tuesday election. So polls discussed on Tuesday were actually current as of 48 hours earlier.

Some of the details mentioned about how people made up their minds in the last day is really based on a poll that asked on exiting the voting booth when folks made up their mind and the window was 3 days or less. But if you are so way off, one might assume that the decisions were made after polling stopped, exonerating the pollsters.

And then the piece concludes with a comment that pollsters caution about polls being only snapshots. Seems a bit of protecting one's assets, if you will, with such an explanation.

Do they now reduce their fees or cut back on their certainty? I know the news media will not and will continue to treat each poll, margin of error be damned, as an absolute.

The Man Does Not Give a Bad Speech

2008-01-09T10:40:00.001-06:00

Even in defeat, he comes out and fine tunes his earlier message of "Yes We Will" to a "Yes We Can." Basic speaking students take note, this is how to write and deliver a great speech on what was probably one of the lowest spots of his political career.

And the Winner Is .... Surprise...

2008-01-08T10:36:00.000-06:00

I do not know who looks more surprised by the outcome, the supporters, the commentators or the candidate tonight on the Democratic side. While the polls had the GOP race down to the exact percentage, they missed by a long shot the winner.

Maybe part of it is in her new message she gave that evening. (They had not written an acceptance speech for her, only a concession speech. So this was fairly late in being written and delivered.)

Governor Shouldn't You Be In New Hampshire

2008-01-07T11:17:00.000-06:00

While less controversial than the Tonight Show appearance, once again he leaves the campaign trail to do network TV:

McCain Meets the Press

2008-01-06T11:28:00.000-06:00

A week ago, Senator Barack Obama and former Governor Mike Huckabee appeared on MEET THE PRESS. This week, one guest, Senator John McCain. Will he follow suit that an appearance on MEET THE PRESS results in a caucus/primary victory.

Here is the Senator:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

They Made Us Proud

2008-01-05T11:09:00.000-06:00

As the results were coming in there was an obvious message - at least two of the candidates on the Democratic side would not continue.

Shortly, the emails arrived.

From Senator Chris Dodd:

Dear Friend,

I count the past year of campaigning for the presidency as one of the most rewarding in a career of public service.

Unfortunately, I am withdrawing from that campaign tonight.

But there is no reason to hang our heads this evening -- only the opportunity to look towards a continuation of the work we started last January: ending the Iraq War, restoring the Constitution, and putting a Democrat in the White House.

I know a lot of you came to this email list through a shared desire to return our nation to one that respects the rule of law, and I want to make one thing clear to all of you:

The fight to restore the Constitution and stop retroactive immunity does not end with my Presidential campaign. FISA will come back in a few weeks and my pledge to filibuster ANY bill that includes retroactive immunity remains operative.

You've been an invaluable ally in the battle, and I'll need you to stick by my side despite tonight's caucus results.

So, one more time, thank you for all of your efforts throughout the course of this entire Presidential campaign.

We made a real difference in shaping the debate, and we'll continue to do so in the coming days, weeks and years.

I'll never forget you, and what we've fought for, together, over the past year.

Chris Dodd

And then from Senator Biden:

I wanted to send a short note to say how incredibly grateful I am for the support you have shown me in this campaign. My entire family and I are in awe of the many of you who opened up your hearts and homes to us during the campaign to give us a chance to change this race, and the country, for the better.

And we succeeded. Whether it was keeping the Democratic Party focused on finding a political solution in Iraq, securing funding for MRAP vehicles for our troops, or calling for a fundamentally new approach to Pakistan, we had an impact on this election in ways that will reverberate into next November, when we elect a Democrat to the White House.

Although I am ending my Presidential campaign, I am not going away. I'm returning to the Senate as the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and will continue to ensure that we protect the nation's security and show our country that Democrats know how to keep America safe, keep our commitment to our troops and restore our country's respect in the world.

Again, thank you so much for making all of this possible.

Joe

While one may have had other candidates they supported, these two men gave a great deal of themselves and made all of us who think politics can have quality candidates thankful we had a chance to watch and participate as two of them campaigned.

From Leno to Iowa and Victory

2008-01-04T11:23:00.000-06:00

Governor Mike Huckabee did want few thought a few weeks ago. Win Iowa and win it convincingly.

While not a speech like Senator Obama, his speech gives us a feel for why he is doing well. (Say, who is that guy serving as his body guard?)

A Speech to Remember

2008-01-03T11:01:00.000-06:00

Late this evening Senator Barack Obama accepted the victory in the Iowa Caucuses and made this speech. (Not more need be said.)

Governor Shouldn't You Be In Iowa

2008-01-02T11:19:00.000-06:00

The day before the Iowa Caucuses, Governor Huckabee takes off to California.

He sits down with Jay Leno for some political discussions:

And then, sits in the with band:

Back to Iowa Governor

Huckabee Meets the Press

2008-01-01T11:32:00.000-06:00

Heading into the Iowa Caucuses, Governor Huckabee sat down for MEET THE PRESS. (Despite the risk that he might make another gaff that would have pundits talking later in the week, Huckabee was on his game.)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Obama Meets the Press

2007-12-31T11:32:00.000-06:00

Heading into the Iowa Caucuses, Senator Obama sat down for MEET THE PRESS. (Despite the criticism leveled that he does not do serious interviews or that he avoids tough questions, this was not the case here.)

Part One

Part Two

Romney Goes Negative on McCain in NH

2007-12-30T07:51:00.000-06:00

While given up as a second tier candidate, Senator John McCain has now started to emerge as a possible winner in New Hampshire on January 8.

The Romney campaign has responded, as it did when Huckabee took a lead, only to now watch it decline in Iowa.

In New Hampshire, this ad is running:

501(c)(4) Can Also be a 527

2007-12-29T07:41:00.000-06:00

While not technically a 527, the second group making airwaves in Iowa is Trust Huckabee.

Their ad runs as follows:

527s

2007-12-28T07:38:00.000-06:00

While they have not been a player in Iowa....yet. The independent campaign grounds have now started to make some noise and grab some air time in Iowa.

This ad comes from the group - Alliance for a New America - and promotes former Senator John Edwards:

Media Politicis 2.0 On the Rise

2007-12-27T07:36:00.000-06:00

In a recent article in the New York Times, the emergence of Media Politics 2.0 in campaigns is documented.

While the article says that normal advertising for candidates continues to prosper, the change in the ways that advisors/consultants are paid and the role of the web are going to come to a head sometime soon. Not this cycle, but probaly the next cycle the article notes.

10 Simple Questions - Part Four

2007-12-26T07:55:00.000-06:00

Continuing on with the final three questions.

First. "Is Our Voting System Broken?":

Second. Size of Government:

Third. Two Party System Bad:

And the answers are at:

10 Questions Responses

The lack of responses from the full range of candidates and the pointed nature of the questions speaks to me about why we continue to have this disconnect between politicians and citizens - seems to be some candidates do not really care to answer some questions or cannot be bothered. Wondering what is more important than reaching voters?

10 Simple Questions - Part Three

2007-12-25T07:47:00.000-06:00

Continuing on with the next three questions.

First. Fair Elections Campaign Reform:

Second. "Why won't you pledge to abolish corporate personhood?":

Third. Transparency:

And the answers are at:

10 Questions Responses

10 Simple Questions - Part Two

2007-12-24T07:22:00.000-06:00

Continuing on with the next three questions.

First, "Is American unofficially a theocracy?":

Second. Medical Marijuana:

Third. Warrantless Wiretapping:

And the answers are at:

10 Questions Responses

10 Simple Questions - Part One

2007-12-23T07:16:00.000-06:00

With the rash of debates with different emphases and the youTube debates, one consistent trend is rarely do all the candidates answer the same set of questions.

A Media Politics 2.0 solution to this dilemma comes to us via 10 Questions.

Here is the first question submitted on Net Neutrality:

And here is the page with the responses from the candidates:

10 Questions Responses

Note that only candidates with color photos have answered.

Not a Red Sweater In Sight

2007-12-22T08:40:00.000-06:00

While there is some confusion about how the Republicans ended up with the "red" color tag and Democrats with the "blue" tag, the recent run of holiday commercials may give a reason.

While the GOP holiday ads were filled with red sweaters and shirts and vests, the three messages from the top three Democratic candidates has left the red sweaters behind:

Senator Clinton

Former Senator Edwards

Senator Obama

A Stark Contrast

2007-12-21T15:52:00.000-06:00

One could say much about how Senator McCain has provided a stark contrast throughout the campaign to the other candidates. Be it his take on immigration, his support for the surge, but not Rumsfeld, and his general inclination to go it alone when called for.

His Christmas message has no coy visuals about whether it is a cross or a bookshelf and one does not need red vests to be in the message. For many who wished for a different and a better Christmas message, McCain's may have once again given us a stark contrast to the others:

Red Seaters, Shirts, Vests and more

2007-12-20T15:49:00.000-06:00

While it began with Huckabee and continued with Giuliani, like much of this campaign, Ron Paul may have finally put this matter to rest in terms of how many red sweaters, shirts, vests do you need to have a Christmas commercial.

Count them for yourself:

Break Out the Red Sweaters

2007-12-19T06:06:00.000-06:00

While he has been subjected to criticism in the blogosphere about his Christmas message, Mike Huckabee seems to have started a trend.

In earlier campaigns, recommendations were for power ties in red or blue. Now it seems to be red sweaters.

Check out Rudy Guiliani's latest message:

And Huckabee Responds

2007-12-18T06:09:00.000-06:00

After two attack ads, former Governor Huckabee issues a press release arguing down the attacks of the Romney ads.

Then he issued a video to drive home his message:

And the Beat Goes On..

2007-12-17T06:07:00.000-06:00

Just shortly after former Governor Mitt Romney launches the first negative ad toward his Republican opponent, former Governor Mike Huckabee, a second ad gets launched:

Seasonal Greetings from the Candidates

2007-12-12T09:51:00.000-06:00

As we await today's Republican debate in Des Moines and tomorrow's Democratic debate in Des Moines, we might be excused with a bit of distraction. Here, courtesy of Gary Varvel of the Indianapolis Star, is the video from the new CD - "Kooky Campaign Christmas in DC."

Click on the image to view the video!

When They Kick You in the Rear

2007-12-11T18:17:00.001-06:00

It Means You Are Out in Front. So said Governor Mike Huckabee at a recent debate.

Well, it did not take long for the kick to become a negative ad.

Launched today, former Governor Mitt Romney launched the first negative ad on the Republican side.

Here we go:

Oprah for The Rest of Us - II

2007-12-10T18:20:00.000-06:00

Oprah stumped with Senator Barack Obama in the early caucus and primary states. For the rest of us, who were not in those states, here is the second part of video from that trip.

Oprah for The Rest of Us - I

2007-12-09T18:22:00.000-06:00

Oprah stumped with Senator Barack Obama in the early caucus and primary states. For the rest of us, who were not in those states, here is the first part of video from that trip.

How To Caucus - Clinton vs Obama vs Edwards

2007-12-08T18:37:00.000-06:00

The Iowa Caucus process is different from most elections. And to help caucus goers in Iowa learn how to "caucus," the three leading Democratic candidates released their own "how - to" videos.

Senator Clinton:

Senator Obama:

Former Senator Edwards:

Kennedy Like or Lite or ...?

2007-12-07T18:32:00.000-06:00

In the run up to former Governor Romney's speech on faith yesterday, comparisons abounded about how President Kennedy dealt with this issue in 1960. Folks expecting to find strong similarities might have been disappointed. If so, they might note the calendar - we are 47 years past the date of that speech and this one was couched more in terms of a candidate running for the 2008 contest. Some commentators felt this may be the speech that redefines Romney and reintroduces him to the Republican voters.

You can be the judge:

Missing In Action

2007-12-06T18:42:00.000-06:00

Just when you thought the Democrats had found a way to ostracize former Senator Mike Gravel from the debates and the polls and the media coverage, Gravel strikes back.

Now This is Media Politics 2.0

2007-12-05T18:51:00.000-06:00

Blogger "Nick Mockiavelli" in his most recent posting blogs about a new product - On Demand Positions, “a micro-processor installed in the brain that allows them to genuinely support popular positions on a person-by-person basis depending on that individual’s intermost wants, desires, and needs.”

This is good comedy in a time when we could use some perspective.

Bollywood Mashes Up Obama

2007-12-04T18:46:00.000-06:00

Finally, a video that brings some energy, some perspective and gives you a beat to follow as you track the message. Not an official Obama campaign commercial.

A Question You Will Not See on the Debate Tonight

2007-11-28T06:04:00.000-06:00

As the GOP candidates get ready to meet in Florida for their version of the CNN YouTube debate, a Democratic candidate, Senator Chris Dodd, has put forward a question for the candidates on the GOP side - breaking the wall between the two parties campaigning. (For the record a conservative blogger - not me!!! - called upon the GOP candidates to do just this for the Democratic debate.)

Would make for an interesting exercise for supporters of the GOP candidates to offer how their candidates would answer the question.

Polling Goes 2.0

2007-11-27T09:27:00.000-06:00

The big political news is that the latest Zogby poll has Senator Hillary Clinton trailing behind all of the other major GOP candidates, even second tier Republicans such as former Governor Mike Huckabee, Senator John McCain and former Senator Fred Thompson.

Given the current media mantra that Senator Clinton stumbled in the debate in Las Vegas and has shown to be vulnerable, this latest poll fits that thesis.

However, the poll is an interactive, online poll. Other polls rely on phone calls to likely voters/caucus attendees. So the dynamics and rules are quite different and it will be interesting to watch how this is received by the larger body of candidates and pundits.

As a contrast, the same day of the Zogby poll, the USA TODAY- Gallup poll found a more statistical dead heat using conventional techniques.

As with any poll, check the details before making any brash predictions.

Understanding Iowa

2007-11-26T05:56:00.000-06:00

As a long time resident of Iowa, the entire caucus process if familiar, if a bit atypical.

The current campaign has a number of new voters entering the political process and understanding the Iowa Caucuses can be a bit daunting, if not intimidating, which may have some folks sitting out the caucus.

The Obama campaign is seeking to counter that worry and has posted on their website a primer on the Iowa caucuses.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/ia_caucus_center/

Contest Heats Up

2007-11-25T09:38:00.000-06:00

As evidenced on the Sunday talk shows, the candidates for both parties are now starting to make serious efforts to differentiate themselves from each other. Whether it is former Mayor Giuliani questioning former Governor Romney or Senator Clinton challenging Senator Obama, the citizen/voter is likely to feel a number of issues coming forward.

Now is probably a good time for one to check one's positions on the issues with the candidates.

A USA TODAY page lets you answer key questions and then will tell you which candidate comes the closest to your position. (As always, the candidate choice is based on all of the issues and most voters prioritize issues and some may not be make or break issues for voters and candidates - the discussion about former Mayor Giuliani and his pro-choice position is but one example.)

Latest Ads from Biden

2007-11-24T09:44:00.000-06:00

Not everyone subscribes to all of the email lists for all of the candidates - and one might ask why one chooses to do so. The answer is research!!

Today, Senator Joe Biden shared his latest print ad that will run in Iowa, something you are unlikely to see almost anywhere unless you live in Iowa.

Here is the ad:

Click here to download a PDF of the ad.

Celebrity Endorsements

2007-11-23T05:58:00.000-06:00

Former governor Mike Huckabee has an ad out with his solution to border security and a celebrity endorsement at the same time.

What Have You Become Our President George

2007-11-09T12:54:00.000-06:00

While much of the past week was filled with individual campaign spots or guest appearances on various talk shows, the folks at bloomberg08nyc.com put together an interesting, albeit a bit over the top and not too subtle, spot.

Not all spots are worthy of major awards, some are just nice diversions. And some have you shaking your head. You make the call.

Obama - JJ Dinner Pre-Rally

2007-11-08T12:45:00.000-06:00

This Saturday all of the Democratic hopefuls will assemble in Iowa for the annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner. While normally a small gathering, every four years the crowds swell as all of the candidates are expected to be there.

This year, the Obama campaign is holding a pre-rally and took us back in time with this ad to promote the rally.

I hope his pilot can find the right airport this time.

The Tougher Obama

2007-11-07T12:50:00.000-06:00

Following the Democratic Debate, where the hype was that Senator Obama was going to abandon his politics of hope for down and dirty politics, Obama provided he does not want to go there as strongly as someone like former Senator John Edwards.

And to show another side, he took to the small screen Saturday Night.

I am waiting for a doctoral student in communication to do a thesis on presidential appearances on Saturday Night Live. (At least the videos would be fun to watch!)

And A Final Comment

2007-11-06T09:57:00.000-06:00

During the final years of the Clinton administration, much was said and done to call into question actions by the former President. Some of these statements were based on truth and some were not, but few bloggers and commentators did anything to separate truth from lies and the larger issue of character kept building.

Most recently, the work of Peter Paul in the Hillary Accountability Project has returned us to those days gone by. Check out their site at:

http://www.hillcap.org/overflow.html

And see what might be on the horizon for us if Senator Clinton is elected President.

Some issues never die, they just go into hiding under a nearby rock, only to emerge another day.

The Phone Call

2007-11-05T09:54:00.000-06:00

Here is a short clip with the phone between Senator Clinton and Peter Paul.

Not Piling On (Part Two)

2007-11-04T07:20:00.000-06:00

A 13.4-minute video accusing Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of campaign finance fraud is being shown on college campuses and has generated significant Web attention.

Here is the second part.

Not Piling On (Part One)

2007-11-03T07:18:00.000-05:00

A 13.4-minute video accusing Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of campaign finance fraud is being shown on college campuses and has generated significant Web attention.

Here is the first part of the video.

The First Nano Campaign of 2008

2007-11-02T15:37:00.000-05:00

Lots of firsts have been taking place this election cycle and with the increased emphasis on media politics 2.0, there was bound to be a contest for who would have the shortest campaign - the nano campaign of 2008.

While there may have been Tommy Thompson or Senator Brownback, the winner must be:

Announcement - 10/16/2007

Withdrawal - 11/1/2007

Here is hoping 2012 cannot be too far behind.

I Don't Count and You May Not Either

2007-11-01T15:31:00.000-05:00

One of my new favorite sites is realclearpolitics.com, which gives averages of the most recent Presidential polls both nationally and by state. Not only does it give a good insight into how the states are supporting the various candidates, it also shows some interesting trends.

Shortly I will be posting our latest polling project - the National Delegate Poll - which will compile on a state by state basis the polling data and then use those percentages to allocate the delegates assigned per state to the appropriate candidate, so one can see how the candidate support would break out for delegate support.

As we research the nuances of the polls, one thing became clear. All of these polls rely on phone calls to land line phones.

A few months ago I gave up my land line and, like many younger citizens, I only have a cell phone. While I avoid the telemarketer calls, I do not count in any of the polls as I do not have a chance to be a participant.

Gives one an interesting insight into who gets counted and who does not in these polls.

Let Joe Speak

2007-10-31T10:04:00.000-05:00

Last night in Philadelphia, the Democrats - minus Mike Gravel - held a debate.

The lines of discussion were out in advance - Senator Obama would attack Senator Clinton, Senator Edwards would attack Clinton, and up in the air was what would the other candidates do.

Most of the post debate commentary by the chattering classes talked about whether Clinton had a meltdown - or even a mild thaw - and did she contradict herself. (From what I heard from her, she took a somewhat less than committed position largely supporting Governor Spitzer's proposal, while not really saying how strongly she felt about it.)

Of more importance, but not discussed by the folks at MSNBC was that during the debate, in part because of the perceived dynamics of attack, the number of minutes and questions each candidate had pretty much mirrored the national polls.

Of the questions asked last night:

Clinton was asked 20 questions
Obama was asked 16 questions
Edwards was asked 13 questions
Dodd was asked 9 questions
Kucinich was asked 8 questions
Biden was asked 7 questions
Richardson was asked 6 questions.

When you remove the three lighting rounds, the bottom four candidates were asked collectively the same number of questions as Senator Clinton.

I always feel that if one can garner that much time and attention, one does much to bolster the image of being the major candidate. (Yet from my vantage point, Senator Biden had the most penetrating analysis and answers. I wished he was given a few more minutes and questions. This would have enriched the quality of the debate immensely.)

Here is to next time each candidate getting the same number of questions.

Philly Night

2007-10-30T08:08:00.000-05:00

Drexel University hosts tonight's debate with the Democratic hopefuls.

Advance story lines focus on Obama's new strategy, Edwards sinking status in the polls, and Clinton's assumption as front runner, albeit inevitable candidate.

If all of this is familiar, you probably not only read and watch more political news than the normal person, but you also are being swept up with the way the media are covering the campaigns.

According to a study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism and the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics, and Public Policy, the media have narrowed the list of covered to candidates collectively to five to seven.

However, with the attention comes a downside - the coverage of Clinton and Guiliani is mixed with four out of ten stories being negative, three were neutral and the remaining three were positive.

For debate watchers tonight, do Clinton and Obama and Edwards claim the large majority of the coverage? Current trends suggest the answer is yes.

Senator Clinton Responds

2007-10-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

As the campaigns heat up and a debate is looming for the Democratic candidates tomorrow, the threat by Obama to get tough and the spot he launched over the weekend has been answered already by Senator Clinton:

This quick response is reminiscent of when former President Bill Clinton ran for President and the "war room" approach allowed the Clinton campaign to stay on top of the debate - something that Senator John Kerry failed to realize.

Obama Going on the Attack

2007-10-28T17:53:00.000-05:00

With the latest polls showing Obama behind Senator Clinton seriously in national polls and within a couple of points behind in the latest Iowa poll, over the weekend, Senator Obama promised to come out and start to differentiate his positions from those of his rivals.

His first commercial foray is the following ad being run in Iowa:

Obama - New Strategy

2007-10-27T18:14:00.000-05:00

In an article in the New York Times today, Senator Obama is reported that:

Senator Barack Obama said he would start confronting Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton more directly and forcefully, saying Friday that she had not been candid in describing her views on critical policy issues, as he tries to address mounting alarm among supporters that his lack of assertiveness so far has allowed her to dominate the presidential race.

This presents a challenge for the candidate representing the "new politics." Old politics has candidates attacking the other candidates to drive up their negatives, which leads to the attacking candidate benefiting. New politics reportedly has Obama now reconsidering.

As someone who applauded Senator Obama's approach to bringing civility and tolerance to the campaign when he announced in Springfield, this reported change may mean things are not really going to be all that different.

Health Care

2007-10-26T08:16:00.000-05:00

In a recent speech, David Broder identified health care as one of the core issues that are driving voters this campaign season.

Each candidate, if you check their websites, has rolled out a health care plan.

Conventional wisdom is that those who support a more private approach are likely the favorites among the health care industry, while others supporting more public involvement - likely Democratic candidates - would not.

Well the fundraising totals with health care supporters has a revealing picture.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, of all the dollars given to candidates this year, Clinton leads with 24%, Obama is next with 19%, Romney is third with 14% and Giuliani is fourth with 12%. The other candidates are all in single digits.

Underneath the candidate numbers is an interesting trend. In 2000, 43% of health care dollars went to Democratic candidates (with 57% going to Republicans), while in 2004 44.1% of the funds went to the Democrats and in 2008, up to this point, 57.5% went to Democrats. The normal fundraising base, if you will, for Republicans is changing.

Colbert Meets the Press - Part Two

2007-10-22T15:05:00.000-05:00

Like other presidential candidates, Steven Colbert made the mandatory appearance on Meet the Press yesterday.

Here is part two of the interview with Tim Russert.

Colbert Meets the Press - Part One

2007-10-21T15:02:00.000-05:00

Like other presidential candidates, Steven Colbert made the mandatory appearance on Meet the Press today.

Here is part one of the interview with Tim Russert. (Pay particular attention to the nature of the questions and somewhat smirky look each gives the other. While a bit scripted, it parodies quite nicely what other candidates have been asked and answered during their appearances.)

Colbert Rolls Out the Sponsor Support for His Campaign

2007-10-20T18:38:00.000-05:00

Knowing that it takes funds to make a campaign work, Colbert decides to take on a corporate sponsor. Unlike our other candidates, he goes public about what he will and will not do in the name of his financial supporter:

And all of this cause he could not get 3,000 signatures.

It is Not as Easy as It Looks

2007-10-19T18:30:00.000-05:00

Having decided to run for President, Colbert now has to take the challenging step of filling out the paperwork:

Colbert Feels the Love

2007-10-18T18:34:00.001-05:00

While he announced amid his posse on the Comedy Channel, the real world was less enthusiastic about Colbert's run for President.

Snubs included the prestigious paper of record, the New York Times:

Now We Will Have Some Fun

2007-10-17T18:25:00.000-05:00

Just as we have had one candidate drop out and another seemingly stagnating, the next 70 days to Iowa need some life to make it keep our attention through all the bowl games and holiday festivities.

America gets the candidate it deserves:

George Allen's Legacy

2007-10-16T07:31:00.000-05:00

During the 2006 senate campaign in Virginia, former Senator George Allen had one of those defining moments in Media Politics 2.0 in a campaign stop when he singled out one of the audience members, who was video taping the event, and called him a "macaca."

The clip has been widely viewed and used since then as an example of what NOT to do with video present.

Fast forward to 2007 and Congressman Joe Knollenberg visits a convenience store and an activist tries to ask the congressman a question and gets the kind of treatment that goes a long way to reemphasizing what you do NOT do with video present.

How well do you match your candidate?

2007-10-15T13:52:00.001-05:00

As supporters lobby for candidate support and voters weigh the positions for their candidate of choice, one might wonder how much there is compatibility with the candidate on the large run of issues.

Well, check out http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460 to see where you and the field of candidates match up.

Quite surprising, perhaps.

And for another approach, try answering the questions as you feel a particular candidate might answer them and then see if you truly understand that candidate.

Converging on Convergence

2007-10-10T08:52:00.000-05:00

Many folks talk about this being the age of convergence. What they normally mean is simply we now can have a single device do a number of different tasks. The iPhone is a good example of that convergence.

But there is more to convergence than just a box that has multiple uses. As Henry Jenkins points out in his book Convergence Culture, we also have a convergence in our communication of multiple media systems or platforms.

I was thinking about this as I watched the debate yesterday on CNBC.

As the candidates were talking about a range of issues, on top of the screen was a rotating set of statistics for how the Dow had fared, how various commodities had done, while at the bottom of the screen were two streaming lines of stocks and other financial indicators.

One wonders how the world of debate, which began as a process uninterrupted by commercials or ancillary images and texts, now is understood and processed. (There were even commercials in the debate yesterday. Something of a new trend.)

I was particularly wondering what sense people were making of the screen when one of the candidates began a spiel on how China was destroying American jobs and the economy while underneath the latest stock news was usually very upbeat with green arrows. Of particular irony was the posting of the rise in stock value for YUM - a company with brands such as KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut. This company recently announced it was opening one store a day in China, leading to a strong increase in stock value.

I was hoping one of the moderators might notice this irony, but they seemed more interested in making points by asking if Joe Torre would be retained.

Thompson Needs a Bump

2007-10-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

When he first entered the race, former Senator Fred Thompson quickly got a bump and the trend of Thompson leading the field continued.

However, the latest presidential tracking polls from Rasmussen Reports have some disappointing news for the Thompson campaign.

A week ago, the tracking numbers had
Thompson with 24%
Giuliani with 22%
Romney with 14%
McCain with 12%

Now, heading into this afternoon's debate in Dearborn, MI, the latest poll has
Thompson with 21%
Giuliani with 26%
Romney with 15%
McCain with 9%

Much of the pre-debate speculation is that Thompson needs to do well to hold onto his lead. The latest polls show Thompson needs to do well to not lose any more support and maybe pull a few supporters away from the other candidates.

How much the politician turned actor can become a politician again will make debate watching fun.

Dems in Iowa - Less Surprising

2007-10-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

Years ago, the state of Iowa had a slogan that suggested the state was a surprising place.

For the GOP, it might well be.

For the Democrats, less likely as the poll by the Des Moines Register shows that the race mirrors in some ways the national contest.

Biden has 5%
Clinton has 29%
Dodd has 1%
Edwards has 23%
Kucinich has 1%
Obama has 22%
Richardson has 8%
Uncommitted has 11%

Poll watchers will note that the uncommitted may move toward a number of candidates, but with the threshold of 15% needed for any candidate to get delegates from Iowa, only the top three appear to be succeeding in taking the delegates. The other candidates might find themselves hard pressed to push on if these numbers continue past Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Iowa - Ahead of the curve or behind it or not related

2007-10-07T09:05:00.000-05:00

The campaign for president must go through Iowa and the pundits sometimes lose sight of the fact that the campaign is really a contest of 50 states and the District of Columbia.

So today's Des Moines Register poll should provide some fodder for the talk shows for the next few days about the Republic race.

In the poll,

Brownback had 2%
Giuliani had 11%
Huckabee had 12%
Hunter had 1%
McCain had 7%
Paul had 4%
Romney had 29%
Tancredo had 5%
Fred Thompson had 18%
Uncommitted had 9%.

If the argument is that Giuliani, Romney and Thompson are the top three, the poll dampens that somewhat and suggests Huckabee may be setting up to give the country a surprise, following caucus night.

Bits, Bytes, Pen, and Paper

2007-10-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

In announcing their various campaign fundraising figures, most of the candidates sent out a standard email announcement which usually end up being scanned and then filed.

Today, Senator Clinton sent out a note announcing her fundraising totals, but as a real note:

If you read carefully, you will see they did give us an old fashion paper and pen look, but a hot link is embedded on the bottom PS.

A bit of creativity with a news story - a record high total for Senator Clinton - that will have legs of its own.

The Money Race

2007-10-01T10:52:00.000-05:00

This week we will get the announcements of the various campaigns and their totals for the third quarter of 2007.

Interest will be on how much money former Senator Fred Thompson raised in his first quarter as a candidate, how well Senators Obama and Clinton will do, and how the other top tier Democrat, former Senator John Edwards will do.

Edwards took the story in another direction when he announced he would take public financing for his campaign in this announcement:

A Debate Where No One Said Something Off Message

2007-09-30T11:39:00.000-05:00

This is the second internet “Silent Debate.”

The debate is moderated by Harry Shearer and this time Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich goes up against Republican Senator John McCain.

Something for the overly saturated debate market to consider.

MySpace, Edwards and You

2007-09-27T14:28:00.000-05:00

After the youTube debates, the other social networking sites were soon to get into the act.

Up stepped MySpace and MTV with a set of dialogues with the presidential candidates and former Senator John Edwards was first up today. (The event ended less than an hour ago, but the full dialog will be up tomorrow and more about that then.)

For now, the opening of the event had one wondering what was taking place.

One of the hosts thanked us for being here and said that "tonight we will be acting as your moderators." Well, except for those watching from England, it was morning or early early afternoon for the US population.

Click here to see the opening. (The embed on the MySpace website was not coded properly.)

The event does set up to have potential. They have an online feedback monitor mentioned a few days ago in this blog.

You could also ask questions via the MySpaceIM. But, while we are now a world that uses the web extensively, there was no way Mac users could participate. While I would not claim we should be given special status, it would seem that folks in the know would realize the kind of person who was likely to want to see the debate probably were significantly more Mac prone that the normal population. Also, with the range of ways to instant message - including a number of web based, platform neutral approach - one would have expected a bit more thought into making sure all could participate.

Tonight's the Night

2007-09-26T14:46:00.000-05:00

For another debate by the Democrats.

Moderator Tim Russert brought his no nonsense approach to the questions and the candidates did their best message management to stay on script, avoid speaking ill of the other candidates and generally not do too much or say too much that will have much traction tomorrow on the morning talk shows.

With such a non-event in the works, I was thrilled to see Senator Dodd reintroduce his "Talk Clock" which documents how much time each candidate gets in the debates. He last used this for the youTube debates where the moderator was shown to have had more questions and time than the youTube submissions.

Tonight's debate was much the same with the moderator having the most talk time. But in a continuing trend of agenda setting news interviews, the candidates assembled had roughly the same ranking in talk time as they do in the national polls.

For candidates seeking to break through, one is left to wonder how one does so without coming across as unpresidential.

Enough About Food

2007-09-25T18:17:00.001-05:00

Over the past few months, subscribers to Senator Barack Obama's email list had a chance to win a dinner with the senator. (First group had four diners and they reloaded and have launched the same program again.)

Next, Senator Clinton started an initiative whereby you could have lunch with the senator and talk about issues.

Even John Edwards got into the fray, detailing how to make pecan pie to his supporters.

And just today, former President Bill Clinton is inviting supporters to join him on the couch and watch an upcoming debate. (I guess you bring your own potato chips and dip.)

Well, Senator Chris Dodd stepped forward today and called an end to this food fight. In the blog posting on his site, it was noted:

Chris Dodd would prefer to lead with you -- not eat with you.
We've led on habeas corpus, gaining eight votes since the measure was offered as an amendment to the Military Commissions Act.

That was us, working together.

But the idea of cosing up to a candidate, be it at a dinner, or a lunch, or even a night over in the Lincoln Bedroom seems to be encrusted in the way we do politics.

How about some straight talk and less food fair. Thanks Senator Dodd for calling out the other candidates.

Where oh Where Have My Candidates Been

2007-09-23T14:54:00.000-05:00

Coming of age politically as an observer of presidential politics, I had a colleague who regularly tracked the appearances of candidates in Iowa.

He had spreadsheet after spreadsheet that was filled and he spent untold hours accounting for the presence of the candidates.

When it was all said and done, one could see the unfolding of a campaign strategy when one looked at where the candidates had been in Iowa.

But before the dawn of the internet, once the candidate left the state, one lost such detailed tracking, which made his database in Iowa very valuable for later analysis.

Well we now have the internet and Google maps and with a project led by washingtonpost.com, one can see where the candidates have been and how many visits each state is receiving.

I leave it to your observations to see how the early states factor into visits, but how even the states on Feb. 5 are being prioritized. My state of Illinois has had far fewer visits, yet has far more to offer candidates on Feb. 5 than some other states. But we have one small factor - Senator Barack Obama is running for president and the other Democratic candidates have opted not to waste campaign resources with stops in this state.

The map shows that the Republicans have given the state most of the attention from presidential candidates.