Monday’s political round-up

December 18, 2006

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* As expected, former vice presidential nominee John Edwards has finalized plans to launch another presidential campaign. Insiders close to the Edwards campaign acknowledged over the weekend that the former senator is to announce his campaign in New Orleans between Christmas and New Year’s. As the AP noted, “Edwards’ novel choice of sites shows how he wants to distinguish his candidacy: emphasizing policies he believes can unite a country divided by economic inequality, a situation no more evident than in the city’s Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.”

* Following a few weeks of speculation, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) has filed presidential exploratory papers with the Federal Election Committee. Thompson also recruited Steve Grubbs, an Iowa political strategist, to help lead his fledging efforts.

* Speaking of former governors eyeing the 2008 campaign, former Oklahoma Gov. Frank Keating (R), as noted here two weeks ago, is reportedly moving forward with his presidential plans.

* Newt Gingrich might run for president in 2008 if the race is still open — i.e., with no one candidate dominating — by Labor Day 2007. On Meet the Press yesterday, Gingrich said, “If one of them seals it off by Labor Day, my announcing now wouldn’t make any difference anyway. If none of the three, having from now till Labor Day, can seal it off, the first real vote is in 2008. And there’s plenty of time in the age of television and e-mail between Labor Day and 2008.”

* Despite widespread rumors that Sen. John Warner’s (R-Va.) retirement in 2008 was practically a sure-thing, Warner told the Senate GOP leadership late last week that he will seek another term. “I have decided to devote my full time to security responsibilities in the Senate and the demands of a vigorous and challenging reelection campaign,” Warner wrote to incoming Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

* And just a few weeks after former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) surprised the political establishment by announcing that he would not run for president in 2008, rumor has it that he’s having second thoughts. National Journal noted yesterday that “there was a lot of commentary on the Sunday shows” about Warner giving the campaign another look, especially in light of Evan Bayh’s decision to skip the race. Shortly thereafter, Political Insider quoted anonymous sources that confirmed Warner has, in fact, “been rethinking his decision.”

Sorry Governor Warner – you only get one decision on this. Trying for a mulligan only makes you look like a moron. But there are plenty of other Governors who believe they, too, are legends in their own minds, so perhaps you won’t look so obviously stupid in that crowd.

  • Thank the gods Newt Gingrich has a personality about as appealing as week-old animal vomit. Otherwise his media overexposure, annoying enough as it is, would be unbearable.

    I’d be happy to see Warner jump back in, as I always wanted him in the race and he was in my top tier of potential Democratic candidates as far as people I could support. But I don’t know if it’s as viable for him now, with the field somewhat better defined, as it was a few months ago.

  • I like Warner, but right now, he’s only viable as a third rank selection. Right now, it’s Hillary and Obama on the first tier and Edwards on the second….

    More to come, obviously.

    But Bayh…. he was definitely fourth-tier. I don’t know where he got the idea that he was electable; he isn’t. No one knows him.

  • The same George W. Bush who so proudly declared himself a “war president” is leading the United States to strategic bankruptcy and geopolitical disaster. As Commander-in-Chief, President Bush displays all the hallmarks of the failed executive. With a nod to Stephen Covey, call them the “Seven Habits of Highly Defective Presidents.”

    1. Name Names and Outsource Responsibility
    2. Focus on the Process, Not the Plan
    3. Set Dates to Turn Corners
    4. Use New Slogans for An Old, Failed Product
    5. Find New Uses for An Old, Failed Product
    6. Announce Your New Product Before It’s Ready
    7. Don’t Do The Market Research

    For the analysis, see:
    “Iraq and the 7 Habits of Highly Defective Presidents.”

  • So Taegan Goddard and Howard Mortman think that former Oklahoma governor Frank Keating is “likeable?” As he was leaving office, Keating’s wife Kathy (who is a very nice, smart lady) ran for Congress from the Tulsa area (Frank’s home town) and finished third in a three-way Republican primary, behind two real bozos. Her embarassing loss was widely interpreted as a referendum on Frank.

    In his eight years as governor, Keating managed to PO a majority of Republicans and just about every last Democrat in Oklahoma. Some of his more notorious smart-ass remarks were calling Oklahoma teachers “slugs” and suggesting “homicide” as a way to deal with their union. The Tulsa World, which no sane person has ever accused of being part of the “liberal media,” finally began referring to him as “Governor Bumble,” and thought that if he left for a job in the Bush Administration in 2000 it would be “good riddance.”

    Incidentally, Keating didn’t get a job offer from Bush, although he expected to be Attorney General or even Vice-President. Newsweek broke the story that Keating had accepted about $250,000 in “gifts” from mutual fund tycoon Jack Dreyfus in exchange for his help in promoting the drug Dilantin as a treatment for prison inmates.

    Like Bush, Keating is a divisive ideologue. He just might get some traction with both the Christian Right and the country club Republicans. Democrats should hope that Keating is the Republican nominee in 2008, His appeal to the political center would be zero.

  • I think Keating IS likeable, in a conservative way. Agree he’s totally beatable in the general, but if he had money he’d be a force in the primaries. He seems “real” – something the other GOP contenders don’t.

  • As someone living in VA, I hope Warner (Mark) does not rethink his presidential potential. I want him to either take on Warner (John) in the senatorial stakes in ’08 or else to do another run for Governor (in ’09), once Tim Kaine has to leave. He might have some trouble running against Warner (J) for Senate but he should be a shoo-in for Governship. Which, otherwise might fall into the grubby hands of temporarily stymied Allen.

    And speaking of Virginians… Where’s Lance? I’ve missed his postings over the past week or so.

  • To Frank C. – It’s impossible to deny that Keating is an excellent speaker, and that he makes a very favorable first impression. At the time of the Oklahoma City bombing Keating had been governor for only a few months, and he was absolutely great during that time. He was Oklahoma’s Guliani.

    Guliani’s term as New York’s mayor ended soon after 9/11, so that’s what most of us remember about him. Unfortunately for Keating, he spent the 7 1/2 years after the bombing dissipating the opportunities and the good will that he had earned then – hence the “Governor Bumble” nickname. He’s the most tactless politician I can think of, and a bit of a hothead as well. Even Oklahoma Republicans were glad to see him go.

    In other words, he’s quite likeable until you get to know him. If he runs for president, I predict a meltdown for him well before Iowa and New Hampshire.

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