Archive for 2008
Stealing Signs
Ruth Sheehan’s column this morning raises a perennial campaign complaint: “The Democrats/Republicans are stealing our yard signs!” No campaign manager has ever escaped getting that call. Yard signs are the bane of a campaign. They cost money, and no political pro believes they do any good. But any candidate – as well as his or…
Read MoreDisconnected
I recently heard a presentation by one of the best media-training professionals I’ve ever met, Don Rheem of Washington. He wasn’t talking about the presidential race, but he made a comment that summed up John McCain’s problem: “People don’t care what you think until they know that you care.” McCain has never made a fundamental…
Read MoreThe Charlie Crist Poll
Governor Charlie Crist of Florida is the weather vane of American politicians. He can sense the slightest shift in the political breeze and trim his sails as quickly as anyone I’ve ever seen. You don’t need a poll to know what’s happening in Florida. Just watch Crist. Right now, he is telling you that John…
Read MoreUndecideds: Fear and Loathing
When I was doing campaigns and it got to be mid-October, I got to where I hated undecided voters. I’d sit behind the two-way mirrors in focus groups and almost shout: “What’s wrong with you people, and why can’t you make up your minds? What else do you need to know?” I have the same…
Read MoreKilling Time
It’s come killing time in the presidential race and the Old Admiral’s in trouble – it’s the fourth quarter, he’s behind and he’s got to drive the ball down the field and score, right now, or he’s going to find himself throwing ‘Hail Mary’ passes. We Republicans keep telling ourselves Barack Obama’s not tough enough…
Read MoreWhat’s Wrong With Dole?
I have no inside knowledge of what’s going on inside the Dole campaign. But it looks increasingly like an unhappy and divided campaign. The TV ads are terrible. Loyal Republican Dole even voted against the Wall Street bailout. That’s a sure sign she’s in trouble. Based on some experience with dysfunctional campaigns, I’ll hazard some…
Read MoreMoore Trouble for Perdue?
Two straws in the wind: A friend who supported Richard Moore in the primary said last week he’s disappointed that Moore hasn’t done more for Bev Perdue. The McCrory campaign says they are getting support from a lot of former Moore people. One tradition always holds for Democratic gubernatorial candidates: Bitter primaries lead to general…
Read MorePat Stith on Jim Hunt
When one of my favorite reporters says something nice about my favorite politician, I have to share it. In an interview with the N&O’s Pat Stith on WRAL-TV last week, Bill Leslie reported that Jim Hunt was “the governor and politician Stith admires most.” Stith said of Hunt: “I may have interviewed him six or…
Read MoreNegative Election
No, I don’t mean “negative” as in negative ads. I mean that this election in North Carolina could be a perfect photographic negative of past elections. Four times in a row, North Carolina voted Republican for President (and in Senate races) and Democratic for Governor. This year the opposite may happen. Why? First there’s a…
Read More2×2
The presidential race so far has played out in two-week segments. The last two weeks in August were the national conventions. At the end – until McCain picked Palin – Obama was moving ahead. After Palin, McCain had two good weeks. Then came the financial crisis. In the two weeks since, Obama has taken a…
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