Monday’s political round-up

September 26, 2005

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:

* In a move that may indicate his desire not to run for re-election, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is now using his state as a punch-line to a Republican joke.”Being a conservative Republican in Massachusetts,” he told a GOP audience in South Carolina, “is a bit like being a cattle rancher at a vegetarian convention.” He also likes to tell GOP audiences, “There are more Republicans in this room tonight than I have in my state!” For some reason, some people in Massachusetts are not laughing.

* Things keep getting tougher for Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D) — and all of his problems are from his own party. Two weeks ago, State Sen. Vicki Walker (D) said she’d take Kulongoski on in a Dem primary next year. Last week, State Sen. Rick Metsger, a former TV news anchor and reporter, said he’ll probably do the same. This week, a move is afoot to lure former two-term Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) back into politics to take on Kulongoski — whom Kitzhaber endorsed in 2002 — in a primary fight.”There have been people talking to me about it — unsolicited,” Kitzhaber told the Oregonian after speaking to a national committee studying health care.

* Numerous GOP sources have told reporters that Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Okla.), as expected, will give up his House seat next year and run for governor against incumbent Gov. Brad Henry (D). A formal announcement is scheduled for early October. A poll commissioned by the Oklahoma state GOP two weeks ago showed Istook trailing Henry, 44% to 36%.

* Connecticut Gov. Jodi Rell (R), who took the reins of the state after John Rowland was forced to resign last year, is apparently ready to run for a full term of her own. Rell, who enjoys a high approval rating, has been coy about her intentions — she recently said, “The end of summer is here, and I have made a decision. And I’ll let you know as soon as possible, I promise.”

* Those who want Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to run for president are apparently getting more serious about their efforts. A group dedicated to drafting Rice to run for president in 2008 has purchased TV air time in New Hampshire — and their ad is poised to run during the Tuesday premiere of ABC’s new network drama “Commander in Chief,” about a woman president.

Oh please!

For once, I’m gonna defend a, gulp, Republican (and I usually prefer them dead and buried). But, there, there, I mean, come on, Get a life. There’s nothing reprehensible about Mitt Romney’s jokes. Not the greatest slapstick comedy in history but boy, those guys, Berry and Mieczkowski, need to buy themselves a sense of humor.
– Romney’s a conservative oddball in a Massachusetts sea of liberals? True.
– The Big Dig is a world-class embarrassment? Yup. And you’d better laugh of it. Otherwise, it’d make you cry.
– The Mafia was a “distinguished contributor” to the local economy for the longest time (and still is)? No shit yes.
– Kerry is fun to poke fun at? Alas, yes, alas, alas, alas…

So sure, Romney is opportunistic in his new positioning but what? He’s a politician. By that standard, there wouldn’t be a lot of them left standing, Dems or Repug.

Sheeeeesh

  • Fifi, I hear you, but it’s not exactly what I meant. There’s been a lot of speculation about the 2006 gubernatorial race in Massachusetts and whether Romney will be part of it.

    My point wasn’t that we should be hypersensitive about jokes, but rather, that politicians who plan to seek re-election in their state usually don’t go to other states to mock their home.

  • Wanted to add that as an Oregon Dem, I’m disappointed in Kulongoski. I can’t think of much that he’s done, but at least he’s not awful like his 2002 Repub opponent would have been.

    Hard to believe we’re the state of past incredible govs, Hatfield and McCall (and they were R’s).

  • I think it is really …..sweet…. that Condi fans are pushing this – too bad they, like many conservatives, live in an alternate reality.

    Condi may get conservative vote in NY, other NE states, and possible some in CA and NW states, but south of the Mason Dixon where the GOP is pretty much dominant, she isn’t likely to get bupkis. And if the GOP thinks it can win without the south (I include TX in this), I have propety on Pluto I would like to sell them. Of course politicians and their henchmen from the south won’t let it get that far because A- they know it/she is a dead end electorially and B- she was good to use for PR purposes but she is still a black woman and these guy are not enlightened.

  • CB, I’m not howling at you but at those 2 poli-sci idiots.

    Berry: “For an incumbent governor to make fun of the state seemed gratuitous. I think people sort of felt he was flipping the bird to voters here.”

    Mieczkowski: But Romney is “much more overt. It’s not a fringe element he’s talking badly about, it’s the entire electorate. You have to be cautious about criticizing your own. It casts a negative light about you, and that’s not good.”

    How can someone pontificate like that? May be this is the CW among campaign consultants – which would explain why politicos are so lifeless and robotic – but this is still dumb. The general public does have a sense of humor, including self-deprecation (contrary to those 2 pompous dolts).

    Those guys are a pitch-perfect caricature of the over-serious, self-involved academia. It plays really great in the right-wing slander and makes Romney look like a poor victim of the vast “librul” academic conspiracy. And that’s grating.

    I never get angry at Republicans. I don’t expect anything from them but the worst. And they never let me down.

  • Condi for President? I’d love to see her run.

    I recall during the early 90s a show called ‘Sledge Hammer’, a spoof on the ‘tough-cop with a hard-nosed captain’ storyline. During one episode, Sledge has to enter a building to disarm a bomb with all sorts of television media covering his moves. An enormous crowd shouts ‘Go Sledge, Go Sledge’ as he starts working, meanwhile his captain, sitting in a secluded office shouts ‘Go bomb, go bomb’. It was obviously a short-lived show, but that scene was a side-splitter.

    At the time, I recall feeling that way about Pat Buchanan’s audacious run for the GOP presidential nomination in 1991-1992 against incumbent GHWB. I feel the same way about a Condi run for President. I’d love to tee her up for a long drive into political oblivion on a real, competitive national stage.

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