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Former NHDP Chair Starts "Grassroots" Draft-Shaheen Movement

by: Dean Barker

Thu Jun 07, 2007 at 07:49:03 AM EDT
Long time head of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Kathy Sullivan, is preparing a "grassroots, organically grown movement" to draft former Governor Jeanne Shaheen into the senate race:
Sullivan said her efforts drew interest last Saturday, when she mentioned the idea to some colleagues at the state Democratic Party convention.

By the end of the convention, people were approaching Sullivan and asking how to sign on, she said.

..."It's so important for us to take back the Senate seat that I think we need our best candidate," Sullivan said.

"These are great candidates," Sullivan said about the three. "We need our greatest candidate."

The article goes on to quote Bill Shaheen as saying, "If she wants to be fair to everybody, she'd make a decision this fall."

I hope Ms. Sullivan will consider writing a diary on Blue Hampshire about the Draft Shaheen movement.  State blogs, where politically interested citizens who are not always connected to party establishment come together, are places where draft candidate movements often find their source of energy (one recent example is the Draft DeFazio movement in Oregon).
Dean Barker :: Former NHDP Chair Starts "Grassroots" Draft-Shaheen Movement
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Former NHDP Chair Starts "Grassroots" Draft-Shaheen Movement | 61 comments
Astroturf. (4.00 / 2)
No knock on Kathy Sullivan, but once you've been party chair for years, you cannot claim to be a "grassroots" leader.

You can proudly say, "Party leaders are promoting..." cause X or candidate Y. But you can't claim to be "grassroots," any more than Tiger Woods can play in amateur contests.

I didnt see (0.00 / 0)
where Kathy Sullivan was claiming to be some grassroots "leader." What I read was her saying that she was starting a grassroots movement to draft Shaheen. I don't see why the fact she is a former party chair means she can't engage in grassroots organizing. Grassroots to me means she's not getting paid to do it and that it will be driven by voters, not a candidate etc. Kathy is prominent, yes, but she has no position with the party hierarchy any more.
[ Parent ]
So she's going to start the movement (4.00 / 1)
and not lead it?

Thanks for the clarification, Huey.

[ Parent ]
I think (0.00 / 0)
you know the difference.

I'm sorry that you feel it necessary to either attack my integrity or make snide marks in response to my postings.

[ Parent ]
Always entertaining to watch you two (4.00 / 1)
get into it.

I'm going to take a middle road on this one.  I don't think that when the most recent head of the party starts something it can reasonably be called pure grassroots - maybe she's not being paid for a draft group, but she's sure not just another constituent - but it's also not astroturf.  Sod, maybe.

The real question is who else joins in and how it develops.  We'll see, I guess.

[ Parent ]
ROFLMAO (0.00 / 0)
Sod, maybe.


birch, finch, beech
[ Parent ]
Crab Grass ? (0.00 / 0)
I wish I was on earlier...everything I thought was already written.

Next time, there may be no next time.
[ Parent ]
Is this Hill-Speak for Astroturfing? (4.00 / 1)
DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said the committee continues to hope the former governor will get in the race, but added that the DSCC has no plans to get involved with the draft movement.

Spiliotes said Sullivan?s and Shaheen?s longtime relationship indicates more movement is happening below the surface than is readily apparent.

?[Shaheen has] been very quiet about it, but clearly there?s more stuff going on behind the scenes,? he said, adding that he sees a ?fairly coordinated effort to try to coax her into the race.?

?If it were some unknowns [leading the draft movement] that would be a different story,? Spiliotes said.

That's from a fairly comprehensive article on this development from the Hill.

Leaving aside Shaheen's merits for the moment, it's clear to me from the article that the media are salivating over the re-match angle, especially in light of the phonejamming in 2002 which jimmied the results.

I personally don't think the phonejamming gave John E. his victory, but it makes a compelling MSM narrative in respect to a possible re-match.

birch, finch, beech

[ Parent ]
How can anyone (4.00 / 1)
question Kathy Sullivan's grassroots cred given her involvement with the save Jericho movement!
[ Parent ]
Back when I used to watch TV, (4.00 / 1)
I tried in vain to help save "Freaks and Geeks," alas, to no avail.

birch, finch, beech
[ Parent ]
Shaheen is a political hack (0.00 / 0)
We should never forgive her for vetoing the income tax bill that was sent to her just to save her political hide.  And see how well that turned out.  If she had one ounce of courage we would not be in the school funding mess we find today.  Bleh, bleh.  NO.
She had pledged to veto during the campaign (4.00 / 2)
I don't hold it against an office holder when they keep their promise to the voters.
[ Parent ]
That proves my point (0.00 / 0)
She promised something stupid to get elected, and had/has no principles about doing the right thing.  A foolish consistency is the hobgobblin of small minds.
[ Parent ]
I assign responsibility to the voters (0.00 / 0)
If it's necessary to promise "something stupid" to get elected, in a democracy the fault lies with the electorate.
[ Parent ]
Voters vote for character, as well as issues (0.00 / 0)
How could the voters have changed this? They had no other choices in the race. She took the pledge because she is embedded in a larger political NH hackery class.  If she had said to the voters that she has examined the facts and her conscience and decided to accept the income tax bill  it would have united her with the NH House and Senate (shared responsibility) and solved a huge, socially and politically distorting problem for NH. 

Instead she bailed.  Didn't get elected Senator anyway, so much good it did her.  She had an opportunity and took the expeditious, lazy way out.

[ Parent ]
My only point of disagreement (0.00 / 0)
is in holding it against her for honoring her pledge.

Condemning her for making it: fine, I see that argument.

[ Parent ]
Eyes on the Prize (4.00 / 3)
I don't question Jeanne's Democratic credentials.  She took back the governship after fourteen years in the wilderness, and she used the platform to fund universal kindergarden, expand access to health care, and protect the environment.  She was a very effective governor.

If you take issue with her campaign pledge re: taxes, that's your call.  Personally, I share your position on the issue.  But I also recognize that there's a reason why Jeanne won (as opposed to, say, Arnie and Mark Fernald), and the people of this state were served well by her -- certainly, much better than they would have been under the next Union Leader lackey in line.

But let's keep our eyes on the prize:  we need to focus on the best candidate to defeat Sununu, not the one who warms our progressive hearts the most.  If that's Jeanne, then so be it.

[ Parent ]
kindergarten? (4.00 / 1)
"she used the platform to fund universal kindergarden"

We have universal kindergarten?  Really?

I agree we need to beat the NooNoo, but to be thinking this way so early in the process WILL NOT move things in a good direction.

We need some leadership on the income tax front - lets keep talking about it.  The GOP has, for far too long, persuaded folks to vote against their best interests.  They have been the masters of sticking to talking points and partisan views, and we need to be as determined to change the framing of the issue.  Instead the Dems keep saying, "OH, well, we can't do anything."

I am really tired of it.  Funding schools this way DIVIDES communities, pits neighbors against each other, and really has social consequences, it is not a simple partisan issue.

[ Parent ]
I Don't Disagree. . . (4.00 / 1)
I endorse your view -- we need to make the case that schools must be funded in a more equitable manner.  But it should be made in the form of town meetings, op eds, and other public efforts.

Let me be clear:  the answer is NOT to sacrifice the governorship at the broad-based alter every two years, at least not until our case garners far greater penetration throughout the state.  I learned this after busting my gut for Arnie fifteen years ago - a talented, articulate, organized candidate if there ever was one - and watching her get slaughtered in a Democratic year. Gave me a limited tolerance re: pissin' into the wind

This state has been far better served by Shaheen/Lynch than by Sununu/Gregg/Merrill/Benson.  On issues ranging from human rights to health care, our values have been better served, too. . . . Let's remember that before we punish Jeanne (and, perhaps, spite ourselves in the process).

[ Parent ]
character (4.00 / 1)
do you think voters thought Craig Benson had a better "character" than Mark Fernald did? do you think voters thought Steve Merrill had a better character than Arnie?

I don't. They lost because they were supporting an income tax.

[ Parent ]
She didn't veto it (4.00 / 3)
It never got to her desk. Had one, she would have vetoed it.

The last time (2002) we had a nominee for governor supporting an income tax he got 38% of the vote. The time before that (1992) the nominee supporting an income tax got 40% of the vote. 

We would not have a Democratic majority in the House and Senate today if Gov Lynch ran for re-election supporting an income tax. And because we have a Democratic majority in both bodies and a Democratic governor we have a civil unions law, a renewable portfolio standards law, etc etc. This legislature and this governor are doing good things because they are in power.

As for Shaheen's courage, when she ran for re-election in 2000 she made it clear she was no longer promising to veto a sales or income tax. And she barely was re-elected. In fact, she's the only person to get elected governor in modern times who did not promise to veto a sales or income tax.

 

[ Parent ]
Just so. (4.00 / 1)
And the previous time a Governor ran for re-election while dropping the Pledge, Hugh Gallen lost to John Sununu (the father).

From 2000 to 2002 the Republican legislature could have sent another broad based tax bill to her desk. They didn't; the earlier bill was simply a trap.

[ Parent ]
Peterson (4.00 / 1)
Walter Peterson lost the primary when he was running for re-election in 1972 because he refused to rule out an income or sales tax.

I'm pretty sure that for at least several cycles prior to 1972, though it was not called the "pledge," successful candidates for governor said they would veto a sales or income tax. Does anyone know if this is so or not?

I know Democratic governor John W. King (and later Supreme Court Chief Justice and former House Democratic leader - trifecta) always said he was opposed to a sales and income tax. He was elected in 1960, 1962 and 1964. First three term NH governor. My guess is Wes Powell, Lane Dwinell and Hugh Gregg did, too. Don't know about Sherm Adams, who preceded Hugh Gregg.

[ Parent ]
I believe you're correct (0.00 / 0)
Thomson and the UL institutionalized the pledge in that 1972 election, IIRC. I believe the UL started talking about "broad based taxes" in the Peterson years: he actually implemented real tax modernization by replacing the stock-in-trade tax with the business profits tax, and by getting a rooms and meals tax passed.

Prior to that there seems to have been little willingness (or perhaps call) to touch the tax system at all.

[ Parent ]
The timing is interesting. (0.00 / 0)
I wonder if there is concern that the train is leaving the station at an earlier time than in the 2002 cycle?  This kind of reminds me of how Gwen Ifill managed to trick Gore into mentioning a possible run by pointedly not asking about it:

Some Washington pundits have speculated that recent endorsements in the Democratic race to challenge John Sununu for his Senate seat must mean Jeanne Shaheen is leaning against a rematch with her 2002 opponent.

Not so, says her husband, Bill Shaheen.

"I don't think that's the case. Jeannie, you've got to understand, Jeannie's time is Jeannie's time," he said. "She clearly has not made up her mind."

Link

birch, finch, beech

Bill Mentioned Jeanne in Spin Room (0.00 / 0)
I saw a brief snip it of Bill being interviewed post Dem Debate and he mentioned Jeanne. Don't remember the context, smart women maybe, but it definitely struck be as a "Things that make you go hmmm..." moment

Hope > Fear




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I don't get it (0.00 / 0)
Why is Shaheen supposedly so much more capable than our declared candidates at beating Sununu?
why is Shaheen a better candidate? (4.00 / 2)
Two reasons:
1. Google 'Swett' 'election' and 'lost'. you will get a good number of hits.
2. Google 'Marchand' 'statewide election' and 'won'. you will get no hits.

For whatever reason the voters of the state have rejected swett candidacies several times. There is no reason to think this will change.
Steve Marchand has no track record in dealing with the demands of a statewide election with the control of the US Senate hanging in the balance. Who knows how he willbear up? (In case you havent noticed, the GOP plays hardball, spitball, and curveball all at once.)
The only election Jeanne Shaheen ever lost was one where the other side committed felonies to win.This time she, and we, will be ready.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  

[ Parent ]
We're going to have to discuss this further (0.00 / 0)
None of our perspectives are complete.

Everything you say is true.

It is also true that Shaheen is the only candidate to have lost to Sununu.

[ Parent ]
thats not a fair criticism of Marchand (4.00 / 1)
The only statewide elected officials in New Hampshire are the Governor, and the Senators.

So, unless you are an incumbent senator or a former governor you aren't qualified to run for Senate?

[ Parent ]
Historically (4.00 / 3)
The only Dems to win NH US Senate races in my lifetime are Tom McIntyre and John Durkin.

McIntyre had been Mayor of Laconia, Durkin had been state Insurance Commissioner.

[ Parent ]
I really don't mean this as a slight (0.00 / 0)
to a possible Shaheen run, which would, I readily admit, be formidable, but: can the 2002 loss really be blamed on the phonejamming?

birch, finch, beech
[ Parent ]
Only partially (0.00 / 0)
Jeanne Shaheen was ahead a week before the election. The Republicans around that time covered the state with signs using her color and font with messages such as "Shaheen-Fernald: The courage to raise taxes" and "Shaheen-Fernald: An Income Tax Is Only Fair." Over the last weekend President Bush, who was at the height of his popularity, came in for Sununu. So did Guiliani, the hero of 9/11. And Laura Bush. Phone jamming was the icing on the cake.
[ Parent ]
Morally Yes (0.00 / 0)
but on the facts, she lost straight up.
Huey I think it was two weeks out that the last poll having her ahead ws taken. The tracking polls had him moving ahead and it was becoming clear in the weekend before the election.
I hate what happened and think it stinks.
I raised money as I could for the Legal case against the jammers, but it was the Rove strategy, a 72 hour final surge that turned the tide for Sununu.

Next time, there may be no next time.
[ Parent ]
You had access to tracking polls? (0.00 / 0)
Were you on the staff of one of the campaigns?
[ Parent ]
Friends (4.00 / 2)
who were, and at UNH...I am a total junkie...unpaid, unstoppable, unimportant, excpet when you want to win, you want me in your office. I dislike Republicans. After I moved here in 94 I pledged to my old CT uncle, who has worked every election since FDR, that we would change NH.

In 2006 I was an unpaid fundraiser for Hodes. There were two of us besides Paul. He was relentless. I did the dunning calls, and followed up generally with whatever fund raising calls I could. The Hodes campaign set a record for in-state fundraising for any Congressional campaign ever, of eitehr party. "Money is the mother's milk of politics". Too bad , huh ?

Supporting anyone with a D after their name, which has been my philosophy for lo these many years is over. I held signs, made calls, did ID's, raised funds, wrote letters,
won Volunteer awards. With all that it was the War that moved folks last Fall and we need to remember that the I's have it in their power to throw us out if we don't follow their mandate.

We are nominally in charge now. It's time for a values based agenda, that stresses ending the War, creating a new Health care system, lowering Carbon Emissions, and addressing the underclass and poverty in America.

Dare I say that I can't pinpoint what was lasting legacy of the Clinton years ? And I was a major fan and supporter. The legacy of gamesmanship, scandal, compromise, and triangulation was 6 years of a destructive Bush White House coupled with R House and Senate,an endless occupation, loss of women's rights, a packed Supreme Court, destroyed Federal Prosecutor system, further damaged environment....and on and on and on.
I don't care any more to knuckle under to 'political reality'. We can do better. The world is watching.

Next time, there may be no next time.

[ Parent ]
Part of the Clinton legacy (0.00 / 0)
is a Court with Ginsburg and Breyer rather than two more Scalia lookalikes.

Relatively thin gruel, though -- I agree with your point.

[ Parent ]
Thanks Elwood (0.00 / 0)
It has been very hard for me to come to this conclusion.
I loved the guy. But that's not the same as progress.
Welfare, for instance in my opinion is worse after Reform than before, though there are marginal improvements. The biggest improvement would be to stop outsourcing all our basic manufacturing jobs,...whoops too late

Next time, there may be no next time.
[ Parent ]
True (0.00 / 0)
true. But the meta result was Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz/Feith/Delay/Abramoff/Frist/
McConnell/and all the other spooky NSA wiretapping bastards I don't know of.

Next time, there may be no next time.
[ Parent ]
One week out (4.00 / 1)
Shaheen was up by 4.

http://www.unh.edu/s...


[ Parent ]
Thanks (0.00 / 0)
I appreciate the response. Flowers fade, grass withers, and so does my memory.

Next time, there may be no next time.
[ Parent ]
Lynch (4.00 / 1)
you could have said the same about Lynch in May of '04 when he entered the race. It was his first. Didn't seem to hurt.

Next time, there may be no next time.
[ Parent ]
I don't dispute (0.00 / 0)
the felonies you mention- of course that happened.

But do you think that was the reason why Shaheen lost?  I don't think analysis of the election holds up that claim.

[ Parent ]
over simplification is a bloggers perogative (4.00 / 1)
at least so it appears.
The lack of a state wide track record is of course not dispositive. My sense is that Steve Marchand is not ready in the same sense that Paul Hodes wasnt ready in 2004. I do think that at some point he will be an excellent candidate for state  or federal office. I dont think this is the right election for him--- there is simply too much at stake. Loss of the Senate will mean one step back-- one less source of democratic subpoena power, one less check on Republican Court nominees should they win the presidency. We truly have the world hanging in the balance on this election and we must put forth our best and strongest candidate. I assume Steve Marchand agrees with all this, as he said he would step down if Shaheen ran. ( As did Swett also i think).
  The jamming probably alone did not change the outcome of the election. But there is little reason to believe that the jamming was the only election crime committedin NH. In 2002 in addition to the 4 convicted in nh for jamming, A republican US senate candidate in NJ was convicted of election crimes; the gop state chair in virginia was convicted of felony election crimes; Tom Delay committed the acts that have gotten him inidcted for elction crimes. That's four states with very high level GOP election felonies that were caught.That is both astonishing and a good measure of the lengths the gop was willing to go to regain total control of the federal government. Crimes are like cockroaches,If you see four scurrying about when the light comes on, you've probably got another 100 in the walls.

"But, in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope." Si se puede. Yes we can.  
[ Parent ]
I'm gonna dig into state history (4.00 / 2)
and numbers.

I have a strong suspicion that the logical, common-sense notion that a Governor or former Governor, because of statewide name recognition and established record, is the strongest candidate doesn't hold up.

Gordon Humphrey. Tom McIntyre. Bob Smith. John Durkin. We have a tradition of electing people we had never heard of.

[ Parent ]
can't wait (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
humphrey (0.00 / 0)
Came out of no where, but not the others. McIntyre had unsuccessfully run for congress once before winning the Senate race in a speical election. Bob Smith was a congressman when he ran for the Senate. John Durkin was a champion for consumers as State Insurance Commissioner (last one we've probably had) and had gotten tons of positive statewide press - and even with that the Senate election was a disputed election that went to the US Senate to be resolved. And then Durkin got knocked out after one term.
[ Parent ]
Good expansion. (4.00 / 2)
But I won't retract my comment.

Smith had district-wide visibility for several years. But minimal visibility in the 2nd.

A losing Congressional race gets you momentary fame for a few months in half the state. That's all McIntyre had.

Even with an activist commissioner, a voter has to be paying close attention to the news before the state Insurance Commissioner gets a name recognition edge. Watergate helped Durkin far, far more than his own resume.

I stand by my point: New Hampshire has a long history of electing "nobodies" -- meaning  people without statewide names -- to the Senate (and the Governorship).

[ Parent ]
( As did Swett also i think) not (0.00 / 0)
"Marchand has said he would withdraw if Shaheen decides to run. Swett has said she would consider it, citing her friendship with Shaheen and her husband, Democratic activist Bill Shaheen.

"Jeanne and Bill are very good friends," Swett said before she began fundraising. "That is something we would definitely discuss."

http://www.boston.co...

Next time, there may be no next time.

[ Parent ]
Marchand weighs in (4.00 / 2)
on Draft Shaheen (h/t The Guru)

I share my friend, Kathy Sullivan?s deep respect for Gov. Shaheen, but I?m not running against Jeanne Shaheen, I?m running against John Sununu,? he said. ?And in light of the last couple months, we?re showing the political strength and financial strength to win this race.?


birch, finch, beech
i hope (0.00 / 0)
they fix that punctuation problem soon.  I'm getting tired of trying to decode what means what...

It messes up some hyperlinks too, have you noticed?

[ Parent ]
Soapblox is (0.00 / 0)
working on a fix, but yeah, it's annoying.

birch, finch, beech
[ Parent ]
Interesting (0.00 / 0)
Is he retracting his pledge to get out of the race if Jeanne Shaheen got in?
[ Parent ]
I sure as hell hope so (0.00 / 0)
Others might not agree with my, but my take right now is that the party has already given up on Swett, realizing that Marchand has already surpassed her in support and continues to pick up speed.
So now we're seeing them reach for their ace in the hole, much  earlier than expected.

Oh and when I say the "party" I don't mean the countless state rep's who've endorsed Marchand.  I mean the political establishment in this state - insiders.

It's time we steer by the stars, and not the lights of every passing ship

[ Parent ]
I wouldn't go that far re: Swett (0.00 / 0)
I think she has considerable support, but I think Marchand has a broader appeal to voters.

If Swett and Marchand were to stay in, and Shaheen enters, that would probably not be a good sign for Swett. I think Swett and Shaheen appeal to similar primary constituencies. I'm not sure whether or not that would be a positive for Marchand, though...

While, as the endorsements show, Marchand has some support in the 2nd Congressional district, he's still not well known over here. But we're talking about an election, what, 16 or 17 months away?

[ Parent ]
I've suggested that the campaigns announce (4.00 / 3)
an expiration date for the promise to withdraw.

People are resigning from jobs to work long hours for these campaigns. Once a campaign staff is formed, the candidate needs to think of his obligation to them, too.

[ Parent ]
This would be (0.00 / 0)
a rerun of the 2006 Congressional campaign with Jeanne Shaheen in the role of Jim Craig and Steve Marchand as Carol Shea-Porter. (If Marchand stays in, which I hope he does)
Now that is funny (0.00 / 0)
Jim Craig is a great guy but an inexperienced candidate who had a lousy campaign manager.

Shaheen would crush Marchand if he stayed in. And he knows it. That's why he has pledged to get out if she gets in. Otherwise, he would stay in the race.

Please ask him how many of the people he lists as endorsers have endorsed him only on the basis that if Jeanne Shaheen entered the race they will switch their support to her.

[ Parent ]
Except (4.00 / 1)
She wouldn't be running exclusively against Marchand, she would be running against Marchand, Swett, and Buckey. I don't think she would 'crush' anybody -- she might manage a plurality, but so might anyone.
[ Parent ]
That is, (0.00 / 0)
if none of the other candidates drop out.
[ Parent ]
Former NHDP Chair Starts "Grassroots" Draft-Shaheen Movement | 61 comments

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