Thursday’s political round-up

January 25, 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:

* Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), the former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, formally declared this morning that he’s running for president. The 14-term conservative set up a presidential exploratory committee earlier this month, before officially kicking off his campaign in South Carolina today.

* In a possible boon to Barack Obama’s fundraising efforts, the DreamWorks trio of David Geffen, Steven Spielberg, and Jeffrey Katzenberg sent a letter to 700 political donors and activists asking them to donate $2,300 per person to attend a reception for Obama in Hollywood on Feb. 20. As the LAT noted, the event “will be followed by a private dinner at Geffen’s house for people who agree to raise $46,000 for the Illinois Democrat.” Because of the roll of “Hollywood money” in the Dem primaries, this is a helpful sign for the Illinois senator. (thanks to J.B. for the tip)

* Rudy Giuliani’s not-quite-announced presidential campaign picked up his first non-New York congressional endorsement yesterday, when Rep. Mary Bono (R-Calif.) announced her support for the former NYC mayor.

* Speaking of New Yorkers, former Gov. George Pataki (R), who has been weighing a presidential campaign in recent months, closed the New Hampshire office of his political action committee. Unless the plan is to get a bigger office space somewhere in the state, it probably suggests Pataki isn’t going to throw his hat into the ring.

* And in a move that would likely have a major impact on the 2008 race, state legislatures in four states — California, Florida, Illinois, and New Jersey — are anxious to move their primaries up to early February 2008. The move would largely ruin the chances of the lesser-funded candidates, and would be a boon to those with high name recognition.

“The move would largely ruin the chances of the lesser-funded candidates, and would be a boon to those with high name recognition.”

Great. So the media gets to annoint “frontrunners” and the so-called conventional wisdom will mirror what the media told them. Our mediaocracy hard at work, or is it mediocrity?

  • I would love to hear more about the impact of what is shaping up to be a National Primary on “lesser-funded candidates.” Do you see this as a benefit or a hindrance to the Dem party? Do we lose something by taking long-shot candidates out of the picture?

  • Let’s remember that Mary Bono thought it was a step up in society to become the trophy wife of Sonny Bono. And she’s elected by all the “deep thinkers” in Palm Springs.

    Duncan Hunter can only now declare for president, secure in the knowledge that Carol Lam isn’t going to indict him for his 20-year criminal career as “button man” for the Military-Industrial-Congressional-Complex.
    As with every other Republican elected to office in San Diego, he can thank all the lifer morons who retired there.

  • National Primary on one day? Great! No clear winner would be likely and the race would be on to garner the small Fry with 3 votes each.

    Next time around I would envision each state running it’s most popular man in each party. Then we could have conventions where 50 state delegation leaders meet behind closed doors in smoke free rooms to pick a candidate.

    Ain’t progress grand?

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