Monday’s political round-up

September 24, 2007

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:

* NYT reports from the Sunshine State: “The Florida Democratic Party announced Sunday that it would move ahead with its plan to hold its presidential primary on Jan. 29 despite the national party’s decision to block the state delegation from the 2008 Democratic convention. State party leaders said that even if none of the state’s delegates were seated at next summer’s Democratic presidential convention, the earlier primary would still help determine the nominee.” The DNC will almost certainly strip Florida’s delegates in response.

* The pressure seems to be pushing the House Republican leadership to the breaking point. Burdened by retirements and weak poll numbers, Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) are apparently fighting vehemently over the party’s 2008 strategy. Apparently, the two have been getting into shouting matches and Cole is threatening to quit.

* Hillary Clinton will pick up two big endorsements today — one from the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, and the other from Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), who flirted with a presidential campaign of his own earlier this year. Speculation is already circling as to whether Clinton would consider Bayh as a possible running mate.

* Barack Obama picked up a helpful of endorsement of his own this morning, getting the support of former Iowa Democratic Party chairman Gordon Fischer. On a conference call with Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, Fischer said Obama would attract more Republicans and Independents into the Democratic fold, which would help Dems “down the ballot.”

* And the LAT reported over the weekend that when it comes to immigration, Mayor Giuliani bears no resemblance to Candidate Giuliani: “After Congress passed a landmark welfare law with support from both parties, one prominent mayor became furious. His concern: a provision that would lead, he believed, to the ‘inhumane’ treatment of illegal immigrants. He promptly dispatched his lawyers to file suit against the federal government. This was no bleeding-heart liberal championing the rights of illegal immigrants, but the Republican mayor of New York, Rudolph W. Giuliani.” In 1996, Giuliani described anti-immigration animus as one of the nation’s “most serious public problems.” He’s not saying that anymore.

I just don’t understand what the Florida Democratic Party expects to gain out of this. Sure, ok, they get to stick out their, um, chests and show how independent they are.

Whoopee.

But frankly they’re looking like jerks and losing their votes at the national convention where all the real power is just seems like too high a price to pay for a little testosterone surge.

Could someone explain how this can possibly benefit them? I’m just not seeing it at this point.

  • What else is new? The inside the Beltway insider believes that HRC can win. This seems to be the consensus of the insiders but appears contradicted by the polling of Democrats and independents living outside the 495 ring.

  • “Speculation is already circling as to whether Clinton would consider Bayh as a possible running mate.”

    What a brilliant strategy! A DLC, “moderate” candidate choosing a running mate who is to the right of her own position.

    It worked out so well for Gore in 2000.

  • Given that she has run a generally good campaign, I have to assume HRC would conclude Bayh really doesn’t add much (assuming the entire electoral count doesn’t come down to Indiana). If HRC or Edwards get the nomination, they should look west of the Mississippi for a running mate – along with the Denver convention, I think this is a good cycle to show some attention to the independent minded folks in the Mountain West and Southwest who, I think, are ripe for turning into Dems. If Obama gets it, looking west would still be good advice, but geographically he could also look east-southeast (a friend of mine has made the argument that Obama-Mark Warner would be a pretty potent tandem).

  • Curmudgeon, FL Dems don’t really have much choice at this point. Repubs are in control of both state houses, and the Gov is a Repub. They are the ones who voted in the change. Gov Crist has already threatened a veto if the Dems try to move their primary back a week.

    There was an interesting article in this morning’s paper on the subject, and some possible legal challenges to the national committee.

  • Too bad Gordon Fisher had to word it quite this way:

    “‘The reason I support senator Obama is because, like all Democrats, I am desperate to win the White House,’ Fischer said.”

    Rethug Headline: “Dems Choose Obama Because They’re Desparate!”

  • I think the solution to the primary arms race that’s occuring this year is to order primaries in reverse order to the number of electoral votes. Smaller states that feel their voices aren’t heard would get a crack at early notoriety while the big states with the biggest sway on elections would bring the campaign season to a final crescendo. The smaller states would make it easier for candidates with limited money to build some momentum while it would still be possible for a “late inning home run” pulling a campaign to victory with the biggest prizes saved for last. Whatever the solution, our current primary system is broken and has got to go.

  • n 1996, Giuliani described anti-immigration animus as one of the nation’s “most serious public problems.” He’s not saying that anymore.

    Sure he is. The problem, as he sees it, is that there isn’t enough anti-immigration animus.

  • And once again Democrats for a real change ignore the press’ strategy of eliminating Dennis Kucinich from the polls by not including him or mentioning his name in their reports.
    Unlike his rivals Kucinich voted against the AUMF, MAC, FISA, Patriot Act, only one to introduce not for profit, single payer, national health care plan and articles of impeachment against Dick Cheney in the House already. Only candidate to promise would withdraw us from NAFTA and the WTO. Also aonly candidate to promise to bring “all” the troops out of Iraq, and has been calling out Cheney and Bush for their war rhetoric on Iran. Has the most progressive plans of dealing with energy dependence and global warming. In spite of the press and polls ignoring him the American democratic voters surveyed that Kucinich best represents their views on all the major issues. The press may ignore him but we have not forgotten he is the only candidate that will bring “real” change. The republicans worse nightmare is Kucinich/Edwards ’08 the truth ticket.

  • Re #5: Thanks so much, Michael W, that really does clear up my confusion and illustrates how complicated the situation is in Florida. There’s been zero coverage on the details in my part of the country (that I’ve seen, anyway) so it was just a total mystery why this situation was getting so heated.

    My best wishes to all Floridians. It’s going to be an especially interesting time for them and I hope everything works out for the best.

  • “The republicans worse nightmare is Kucinich/Edwards ‘08 the truth ticket”
    Replace “nightmare” with “wet dream”

  • Early primaries rock! I just love it when important issues like ‘name recognition’ determine the winner!

  • “Bush thinks that Hillary is going to be the next nominee. He also predicts that she’ll be defeated in the general election.”

    yeah, and we all know how right bush has been in the past, so i must assume he’s right on this one too………ha!

  • Speculation is already circling as to whether Clinton would consider Bayh as a possible running mate.

    Bayh voted o “fix” FISA in July. She picks him as her running mate and I *am* going to stay home in November. I was gonna swallow my bile and vote for her in general (if, God forbid, she gets the nomination) but enough is enough and that would be just too much.

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