Thursday Nite Vice

by: elwood

Thu Oct 02, 2008 at 18:15:33 PM EDT

Here's a nifty rumor: Sarah has her hair down today - not as a style statement, the conspiracists say, but to hide an earphone. Personally I couldn't handle that - it would be too distracting. (I don't use a cell phone when I'm driving either.) But she was a TV announcer - maybe it's old hat to her?

She tried out a "Joe is so OLD!!!" riff this week. Are they so bankrupt of ideas that they'll use it tonight? (They gave Biden's team time to prepare: if they wanted to Go There, an unexpected attack seems smarter.) But they might easily be that desperate.

There's a leak that says she will attack Biden on foreign policy. That's standard Rove: attack your opponent on your own weakness. But just how can it work?? Biden isn't so foolish as to claim that he wins because he knows the name of the President of Poland.

Priorities, or Leadership We Can Believe In

by: Douglas E. Lindner

Mon Sep 29, 2008 at 17:32:34 PM EDT

John McCain is right now, on television urging "our leaders" to put aside politics and come together to address the situation.  I started writing this before he came on, so I'll show you a screenshot of his website from about 20 minutes before his statement. McCain-Palin would like you to watch a video in which Governor Palin talks about helping their campaign, bringing change to Washington, and zero actual issues.  As far as I can tell, it has no mention of the economic crisis, despite the fact that, the Dow is down over 750 points today, a larger one-day drop than the one that eventually led McCain to pretend to suspend his campaign.  Here's the screenshot:

And here's what you get when you visit the Obama-Biden site:

Country First.  Address the crisis.  The candidate of substance.  Wait, that's pro-Obama rhetoric, right?

The McSame-Failin' Ticket Is Getting The Attention It Really Deserves

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Sat Sep 20, 2008 at 11:36:03 AM EDT

Then John McCain announced his choice, and we saw a dozen days of Palinmania.  The national media, even those usual critical-thinkers, were building her into the Great American Hunter who would take on Washington bad-doers the way she chases moose and caribou from one Alaskian border to the other.  

For months I had been offering my "estimates" as to how Democrats would do in November, and they seemed in jeapody with John McCain's VP choice.  

But we should never underestimate the ability of most American voters to see through puff and fluff, and to "get it" when a politician is playing politics with them.  People across the board seem to be realizing now that Sarah Palin isn't the second coming of the American dream.

She's a politician who happens to use power to punish.  She doesn't believe in Global Warming, following instead the oil industry's motto of "don't worry, be happy."  She thinks the Earth is 6,000 years old, give or take a few months.  She thinks gays and lesbians can be "cured" of our evil ways.  She was for the "bridge to nowhere" before she was against it, then took the money anyway for other goodies she wanted.  She's anti-choice, and wants to lock up doctors who provide such services and prosecute those promoting them.

Of course, this isn't over.  We have a bit over six weeks coming of perhaps the most amazing politics ever in the history of our nation, with several debates, hundreds of different ads, October surprises -- perhaps several of them -- and who knows how many polls.  But I think the McSame-Failin' ticket is getting the attention it really deserves, and people are saying no way.

Continues below break...some estimates for November 4th:

Two Site Notes

by: Dean Barker

Wed Sep 10, 2008 at 06:19:20 AM EDT

2) The latest McCain ad is perhaps the lowest form of putrescence I've seen in national political advertising - ever.  Forget how extremist, corrupt, Palin has motivated Dems into action - this ad has shown me what a dishonorable, vermin-like, homunculus John McCain is. It should motivate all of us into making sure this reckless, mendacious creature never becomes our Commander-in-Chief.  If there were ever a time to do more for Barack Obama and Jeanne Shaheen and Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes and every other Dem on the ticket, now's the time. Donate, phonebank, canvass, visibility, vote. Rinse and repeat.

Details of Wednesday's Biden Visit

by: Dean Barker

Mon Sep 08, 2008 at 16:54:08 PM EDT

Change We Need Town Hall with Senator Joe Biden
The Wellness Center
Nashua Community College
505 Amherst Street
Nashua, NH

Wednesday, September 10
Doors Open at 1:30 PM

Ticketing: This event is free and open to the public.  Tickets are limited and will be available on a first come, first serve basis at the ticket distribution location listed below.

Ticket Distribution Location: Obama Campaign for Change - Nashua Office
306 Amherst St., Nashua, NH

Tickets will be available Tuesday, September 9th, from 10:30 AM to 9:00 PM.

Update: Looks like Biden won't need to be the first messenger about Palin's lies.  I prefer active to reactive, but this is just about the best comeback to the new McCain ad I could hope for:

Ambitious on Day One. Ready? Not So Much.

by: Dean Barker

Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 07:59:47 AM EDT

Four years before election day:

It's November 19, 2004, a mere two weeks after the election that returned George W. Bush to power, and Senator John McCain has traipsed off to New Hampshire to give a speech calling for 50,000 more troops to be sent into the quagmire of Iraq, press flesh and raise money for an expected run at the presidency in 2008. John Sununu, former New Hampshire governor and Bush family consigliere, wryly quipped about McCain's junket to the Granite State, "What took him so long?"

Eight weeks before election day:

A senior McCain campaign official advises that, despite the gaggle of requests and pressure from the media, Gov. Sarah Palin won't submit to a formal interview anytime soon. She may take some questions from local news entities in Alaska, but until she's ready -- and until she's comfortable -- which might not be for a long while -- the media will have to wait. The campaign believes it can effectively deal with the media's complaints, and their on-the-record response to all this will be: "Sarah Palin needs to spend time with the voters."

I said it before, but it bears repeating - how would Sarah Palin have done here had she campaigned during our First in the Nation primary?

And as a thought experiment: how would Dick Cheney have fared here? Because he's worked out really well as VP, hasn't he?

Adding:

MCCAIN: "I'm gonna have to have someone, that I know, is immediately ready to take my place.

Forgive Me a Moment of Hubris

by: hannah

Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 15:04:53 PM EDT

Some people may interpret this as false modesty on Obama's part.  I don't.  It's just a statement of fact.  The people vote.  The people select delegates to a national convention and, in the second stage, to the electoral college.  And the members of the electoral college, despite their short term of office and little preparation, do the hiring.  That's how the process has been set up.  It's flawed.  We know that, but it hasn't been fixed.

Turning The Presidency Into An "American Idol" Talent Search

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Fri Aug 29, 2008 at 21:47:31 PM EDT

Imagine, John McCain has been around for, what -- decades? And he's met the person who he chooses for the Vice Presidency ONCE in his life, then gives her a call after seeing a video about her given to him by his staff? American Idol contestants have to go through more than that to get on the show.

I wonder how long the interview will take for those he would select for Secretary of State or Defense Secretary.  Maybe that can be done VIA Instant Message, once he figures out how to use his computer.

And, this is reality. Serious stuff. This is the person who would be given the codes in the "football" (that's the nuclear missle codes) if something happens to the President.

I think American voters are smart, and won't be connived, nor swiftboated. You can fool all of the people some of the time, and you can fool some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time (I think a famous Republican said something like that).

Issues count. Hillary Clinton supporters won't vote for John McCain. This is about the future of our country. Lives are at stake in Iraq. Lives are lost by the lack of health care. Lives are affected by a sick environment, or bad schools in need of fixing.

Equality is about more than just naming someone for the Vice Presidency -- it's about choice, equal pay, equal opportunity in corporations, equality in our relationships. John McCain - Sarah Palin aren't up to snuff on those causes. Barack Obama-Joe Biden are.

The scary thing is that names like Dan Quayle and Spiro Agnew also were quicky talent search choices, and while they are each just footnotes in history, they did get close to that football.  Agnew came within months of becoming President when Richard Nixon resigned, and Quayle came within a heartbeat and a potatoe throw of the White House.    

Yes, something to worry about.  We should be afraid.  Very afraid.  Fortunately, some 38 million Americans who watched Barack Obama's incredible nomination acceptance speech on Wednesday night saw brilliance.  And the 18 million Americans who voted for Hillary Clinton are ready to vote for a great leader who will fight for equality.  

Not So Deep Thought About Joe Biden

by: Dean Barker

Sun Aug 24, 2008 at 12:08:34 PM EDT

But here's something that just smacked me in the face like a ton of bricks. In the perception game, to many, and especially to those who get their political news through Sunday TeeVee:

Joe Biden is John McCain, before John McCain became George W. Bush.

Duh!

Adding: of course, I'm talking about perception  only. In the real world of policy and outlook, you'll never see McMcansion do this (h/t Tim Tagaris):

Obama-Biden Springfield Kickoff Thread

by: Dean Barker

Sat Aug 23, 2008 at 14:57:55 PM EDT

Have at it - how does this ticket sound to you?

From a purely rhetorical standpoint, I kind of like the euphonous "obamabiden" sound.  Easier on the tongue than, say, "obamaschweitzer."

Update: here's the vid if you missed it:

"Government By The People," where art thou?

by: hannah

Sat Aug 23, 2008 at 14:11:05 PM EDT

   On CBS News's "Face the Nation" yesterday, (June 19, 2005) Senator Joseph Biden (D-Del.) told Bob Schieffer that the Defense Department policy forbids him from paying his respects to fallen soldiers as their coffins return to the US through the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Though no cameras and no press would accompany him, Biden said he had to receive express permission from the Pentagon to join a grieving family that had requested his presence as they met their deceased son who died in a car bomb in Iraq.

   "I'm allowed in the military base. I'm not allowed to go to the mortuary," he said.

It's clear that it's way past time for dreaming.  It's time for a prayer and then ACTION .Welcome Joe Biden, the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate-designate.

CNN: It's Joe Biden!

by: Ray Buckley

Sat Aug 23, 2008 at 00:57:33 AM EDT

Obama Biden! That's the ticket!

(Link added by mhoefer)

Update (Dean): Heh - I wrote this last May:

When the primary started out, Biden was as far down on my list as, say, Gravel.  But, probably, more than any other candidate, Biden became more and more appealing to me as the race went on.  I really do hope he has a spot in an Obama Administration.

And here's our Joe Biden BH tag.

And, of course, the best Joe Biden YouTube of all time:

More: Reaction from Republican Senators, via the BO campaign:

Sen. Chuck Hagel: U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel issued the following statement today following Senator Barack Obama's selection of Senator Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic Vice Presidential nominee:  "Joe Biden is the right partner for Barack Obama.  His many years of distinguished service to America, his seasoned judgment and his vast experience in foreign policy and national security will match up well with the unique challenges of the 21st Century.  An Obama-Biden ticket is a very impressive and strong team.  Biden's selection is good news for Obama and America," Hagel said.

Sen. Richard Lugar:  Tbilisi, Georgia - U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar made the following statement today en route to Tbilisi. "I congratulate Senator Barack Obama on his selection of my friend, Senator Joe Biden, to be his vice-presidential running mate. I have enjoyed for many years the opportunity to work with Joe Biden to bring strong bipartisan support to United States foreign policy..." LINK

Sen. Arlen Specter:  Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, a Republican who serves on the Judiciary Committee with Biden and often rides Amtrak with him to Washington, also offered praise.  "No one on the Democratic side knows more about foreign policy than Sen. Biden," Specter said. "He's been an articulate spokesman on the subject. He also knows about domestic policy. He's been a leader on crime control."  LINK

Can Joe Biden Take on McCain's Foreign Policy?

by: Dean Barker

Tue Aug 19, 2008 at 05:00:00 AM EDT

This response to SurgeMaster McCain in the Senate from March 2007 should give us a taste of what a Vice President Biden nominee might look like:

This vid also reminds me of the days when the entire world, Democrats and Republicans alike, was grateful for the Iraq Study Group recommendations.

Well, almost the whole world.  There was Bush, who got this cute idea from John McCain about putting even more of our troops into the quagmire.  And, of course, if we've seen one thing in the past 8 years, it's that Bush almost always gets his way, this time via 100 years in Iraq John.

Dodd Makes it into Veepstakes; Biden, Not So Much

by: Dean Barker

Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 23:19:37 PM EDT

The former White House hopeful and Connecticut lawmaker indicated Wednesday that he has been approached by the campaign. "There's been some inquiries, yeah," Dodd said. "They ask for a lot of stuff. I'll leave it there."

I still think it's highly unlikely, but there we are. Now that Webb is out, I'm, liking, besides Dodd, Schweitzer more and more.

But it looks like Biden, for whatever reason, is a non-starter (though I sure would love to see him in an Admin somewhere):

A few others indicated they hadn't been approached, including Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. He said he is not seeking the job but also indicated he couldn't turn it down if asked. Still, he said: "I made it clear to him and everybody else, I never worked for anybody in my life. I got here when I was 29. I never had a boss. I don't know how I'd handle it."

Candidate Impressions, Pre- and Post- Primary

by: Dean Barker

Tue May 27, 2008 at 06:46:00 AM EDT

Sen. Joe Biden "was going to be John Kerry's secretary of State," according to Newsweek.  At least that's what his aides were led to believe before Kerry lost the election.

"Now Biden, who has been to foreign policy in the Senate what Ted Kennedy has been to domestic policy (almost anyway!), is emerging as a major consigliere to Barack Obama -- perhaps with his eye on State once again."

"Among the top items on Biden's agenda: making sure that Obama has better luck in November than Kerry did. That means, first, relentlessly attacking and counterattacking the Republicans on the campaign trail, especially on national-security issues. And, second, relentlessly defining John McCain as 'joined at the hip' to Bush, as Biden put it in a speech in Washington on Tuesday."

True to the script, Biden appeared on various talk shows over the weekend and declared, "This administration is the worst administration in American foreign policy in modern history, maybe ever."

And not in a million years did I think I'd be a supporter of Chris Dodd.

So, I'm curious: which candidates surprised you during this long race? Which unexpectedly went up in your estimation, and which went down? Who would you like to see play a role in the White House?

A Richardson Supporter's Story (and new cause)

by: Douglas E. Lindner

Thu Jan 10, 2008 at 16:46:55 PM EST

I started working for Richardson in May.  I was the first Richardson intern in the state, and the fourth staffer-Rep. Dan McKenna was the Political Director and Acting State Director, Kevin Hodges was the Manchester Regional Field Director (he later became Scheduler/Dir. of Advance), and Jamie Judd was the Keene Regional Field Director (you may remember Jamie from the news reports of her canvassing in a blizzard and leading a successful effort to shovel Keene's entire town square in one night).  Three great hires, I might add.  I'm still amazed how quickly the campaign grew from there.  An incredible staff came was assembled in New Hampshire, particularly impressive because it was made almost entirely of out-of-staters.  Unfortunately, there's only so much a good ground game can help without enough cash to pad the staff and launch an ad blitz.

I stayed with the campaign in that capacity (as we were understaffed, I became what I liked to call the Director of Miscellaneous Operations) until August, when I left for my first semester of college.  That was also around the time I started posting at BlueHampshire-I felt it was inappropriate as long as I was working full time for the campaign, albeit unpaid, to do so, and there didn't seem to be any active posting Richardson supporters here.  I'm still disappointed we never had a Biden supporter posting regularly-Biden is a good statesman, I stand by that.

While I was away, I kept in touch and helped out-a little graphic design, as well as the video I posted here in October.  I returned to the campaign at the beginning of December.

When I came back, I threw my hat in the ring to be a district-level delegate for Richardson in the 1st district.  I was surprised and honored in that caucus to receive more than twice as many votes as any other candidate, particularly in such a distinguished field.  It also didn't hurt to have that news delivered by former Mayor Baines, who was the moderator of the 1st district Richardson caucus.  I thank the other candidates and slated delegates, each of whom would have made excellent delegates-unfortunately, we only got 5% in NH, so none of us will be headed to Denver.

I learned this morning on a conference call with the rest of the staff that Governor Richardson would, in fact, be dropping out of the race.  This news has garnered more coverage than anything else he's done in the past year, and that is my greatest regret of this race-Governor Richardson's candidacy was rejected not by the people of Iowa and New Hampshire, but by the national media, and that is wrong.  The same goes for Senators Biden and Dodd, either of whom would have made excellent Presidents.  But I'm glad the Governor is getting out of the race now, as he doesn't have the money to continue, and he could only be a spoiler if he tried.

I thank Governor Bill Richardson, for his service, for his contributions to the debate, for his endless work to make our country a better place.

So where do I go from here?  Well, I'll be going back to school soon, so it won't be until the summer that I can really work for anyone again, and by then we'll hopefully have a presumptive nominee.  I'm also aware, obviously, that New Hampshire is over for the primary season, and the race won't come back here until the general.  However, I am an activist, and I can't imagine ever being neutral in an election.  For now, I happily and very enthusiastically throw my support to Senator Obama.  As I said before, I always liked Obama; put simply, what he's selling, I'm buying.  I think he's a visionary, our most electable choice still in the race, and he's everything George W. Bush is not.  These past seven years have been a dark time in American history, and what we need most is a unifying leader to lead us out of the desert.  Barack Obama is that leader.  At last week's 100 Club, he gave by far the best speech-and he is pretty reliable for a great speech-and having never seen him in person before, I was really inspired.  I was also impressed by his campaign's success with that event, handing out signs to as many people as would take them, having what must have been a thousand people rushing the stage and chanting his name while the intro to City of Blinding Lights played...it was quite a display, and I was almost tempted to join them.  Of course, I was there as a guest of the Richardson campaign, because I was a slated delegate, but by that point it was abundantly clear that we were done.  The lack of TV ads in New Hampshire near the end didn't help either.

Clearly, I won't get Richardson-Obama, but I'd be happy with Obama-Richardson, too.  I think Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States, a true successor to Jack Kennedy, and I can't wait.

For all those wondering where Richardson's support will go, I predict I'm not the only Richardson supporter partial to Obama.  People thought he and his supporters were close to Hillary, but I disagree.  Richardson is experienced and he doesn't like negative campaigning, but it was Hillary who wanted BR to be her running mate, not the other way around.  Richardson is closer to Obama on the issues.  As a prominent NM surrogate pointed out to me a couple days ago, some politicians are considered moderates because they "split the baby", and some, like Bill Richardson, because despite being most progressive on many issues, he likes guns.  Because of that, I predict his support will go to Obama, not Hillary.

Somewhere in Lowell, Massachusetts, Jack Mitchell is surely very happy with me.

Why I Am Voting For HIllary Clinton For President

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Fri Jan 04, 2008 at 22:14:59 PM EST

Hillary Clinton is not perfect, but she will make a great President.  Before I go on I should mention that I think the rest of the Democratic field would do just as well -- not better than Clinton, but no worse.  We're  going to win this one in November.  Barack Obama is incredible, and his win in the Iowa Caucus was impressive.  Joe Biden and Chris Dodd have done so much for the nation as great servants in the Senate, and it's sad they have withdrawn their candidacies after just one caucus.  John Edwards has taken on Corporate America and he is right-on as he speaks about their emphasis on "corporate prosperity" instead of "corporate responsibility."  Dennis Kucinich speaks to my heart in many ways on many issues.  Bill Richardson has tremendous experience and can contribute much to our future as well.

I was a very early supporter of Hillary Clinton -- on December 5th, 2006, I wrote my first Blog post backing her, and that was six weeks before she even announced.  By then I had known enough about her to be convinced that whomever else announced, I could support her.  

I first met Hillary Clinton in 1991 at a small Portsmouth meeting as she was campaigning for her husband.  She was fantastic, and I'm not easily impressed by political-types since I've seen a lot of them going back a long time.  So many seem a bit phony.  So much of what you see is image.  Yes, after all this time I'm still cynical about a lot of politics.  

What has always impressed me most about Hillary Clinton from the beginning was her naturalness.  It's her "I-am-who-I-am" attitude and "what-you-see-is-what-you-get."  In fact, my only real criticism of her in recent months  -- other than on a few issues -- has been about her campaign and the way she has allowed herself to be overly-managed   It happens.  All the candidates have their "handlers," and some are over-zealous.  Focus groups, polls, and the political consultants who base campaigns on those results are the bane of politics.  So often they make good candidates less than they are.  Candidates have to stand above it all, and I think Hillary Clinton eventually will.  Perhaps she already is.  Perhaps we're beginning now to see Hillary as Hillary.  

There are lots of reasons any of us choose for whom we will vote.  In addition to others, here are my three special reasons for supporting Hillary Clinton:

REASON #1.  KNOWLEDGE OF THE WAY THINGS WORK.  Knowing the behind-the-scenes process of decision-making is a skill that can't be learned by reading a book, and she has learned that very personally and first-hand for the past two decades..  She knows how to advance meaningful health care because she tried, but failed.  One often learns even more from their failures than their successes.  She was in the center of great successes during an eight-year administration.  She wants to get out of Iraq.  She has done much for kids.  She is committed to health care for all.  She wants real education reform.  She can do the job.  She IS ready.

REASON #2.  BILL CLINTON.  Yes, him.  I really believed in 1992 that "two for the price of one" was true.  I still do.  Bill Clinton can do much as the President's husband, and his future potential role as world ambassador cannot be underrated.  His international respect is well-known.  The election of Hillary Clinton as President will greatly enhance America's standing in the world, and will save lives here and abroad.  I believe that.  And it is so vitally needed.  Our future security depends on it.

REASON #3.  SUPPORT OF EQUALITY.  I met Hillary Clinton for the very first time at a small meeting in Portsmouth in 1991.  As I had with various Presidential candidates or their surrogates through the years, as she was leaving the meeting I asked what her views were on gay rights.  For the first time ever with a candidate or a surrogate, I found I didn't have to further explain what I meant, and she didn't "whisper" her answer to me -- which other candidates or surrogates would invariably do.

She loudly, and clearly, without hesitation, said that gays and lesbians should be equal, because we are Americans like everyone else.  Bill Clinton during that campaign took on the message that "each of us counts."  When he became President he lived up to that, and many times he, and Hillary, spoke out for gay and lesbian equality, and fought discrimination for all in many other ways.  I believe Hillary Clinton means it when she talks about equality, and she was there for all of us years before many others were, and long before it became somewhat easier to be an open supporter of gay and lesbian equality.  That's important to me.  She'll be with us even more in the future.

Hillary Clinton will make a great President.  I believe in her ability.  I admire her courage.  I understand some of her limitations.  I like her vision for America.  I'm not a jumping-up-and-down cheerleader for her believing that she can do no wrong, because she is human.  But in large part because of my past words of concern about the campaign she has run up to this point, I am even more sincere in saying she should be President.  

Fifteen Lessons From The Iowa Caucus?

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Fri Jan 04, 2008 at 19:59:57 PM EST

1.  Don't Washington-Speak.   Long-time United States Senators or people who hang around government for too long seem to forget that message.  Most of us don't live there.  Talk our language.  But don't dummy-down to us.  We can tell when you do that.   Joe Biden and Chris Dodd didn't do well in Iowa for that reason.  Hillary Clinton often sounded like she had been hanging around people in power for two decades.  I wondered where the "conversation" that she started her campaign went.   Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee sounded "fresh."  Even "refreshing."  

2.  Don't Be Marshmallow Fluff.  Have some courage to be yourself.  Let yourself be you.  Put your bell-curve focus group-driven, poll-tested politically-correct answers and cute sayings aside.  It's obvious who did that well.  And who didn't.

3.  Be Bold And Challenge Us With A Vision.  We don't want to vote for you just because you're wonderful or you have a fantastic resume.  We want to know what you'll do in the future and what you want us to do for our future.  In Iowa, those who talked more about "us" than themselves did quite well.  Those who talked more about "me" than "you" didn't.  And show some passion.  Maybe even some anger -- there is reason to be angry about what has been happening in this world.  John Edwards did that well in Iowa.  

4.  If You're A Democrat -- Be Strong Against Iraq.  Don't play games with us.  Are you for getting out?  When?  How?  Be clear.  We have to know.

5.  Use The Internet As An Interactive Resource.  Stop asking for contributions in every E-Mail message.  We just turn that out.  Use the Internet to involve us, learn from us, solicit opinions.   When people write in, write back.  And be informative -- not just the flash and puff.    We can see through that.  Best WEBSITE:  Barack Obama.  Tells us something.

6.  Involve The Young.  After all, they're the ones who are going to outlive us all.  And they DO vote.  Barack Obama is more than a "fad" for some reason.  He connects.  Young people in Iowa supported him in droves.

7.  Welcome The Independents.  In Iowa, the Democrats won over the Independents.  That's great for Democrats in November.  We need them here in New Hampshire.  Barack Obama gets lots of them, as does John McCain.  To win, Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney have to discover them.

8.  Be For REAL Change, And Mean It.  But if you're going to do things differently with out-of-the-box thinking, explain what you mean.  Barack Obama did that well in Iowa.  Hillary Clinton just seemed to be copying his messages about change.  If she's going to turn this around, she has to explain her own brand of "change."  .

9.  Be Non-Establishment.  People have seen a lot of establishment-types in recent years and they've skid us into a war.  We're looking for non-establishment types.  Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama were considered non-establishment in Iowa.  How Mitt Romney, John Edwards, or Hillary Clinton deal with that in New Hampshire might dictate how they do.

10.  Seek To Become A Voice.  Most of us as citizens feel we have little or no voice in Washington, or in government in general, especially if we have little money and don't contribute to candidates.  We're looking for "one of us."  In Iowa, Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama seemed more like us than Hillary Clinton (White House "experience") or Mitt Romney (so rich he could buy all the McDonald's restaurants in Iowa).  If you're not like one of us, at least try to relate to us more.   Tell us how you're going to empower us and respect us.

11.  Focus On People And Ideas, Not Endorsements.  Endorsements help, but the emphasis should be on "regular-folk."  Too many of these candidates have their political endorsers at every rally, up front and center behind them on-stage.  In most cases, it seemed like the backdrops in Iowa at events where Mike Huckabee and Barack Obama were speaking were just regular folk.  Well, with the exception of Chuck Norris standing with Mike Huckabee like a lifeguard.  But that's a bit different.

12.  Have A Message, And Stick To It.  It's not just about money and running millions of dollars of ads full of clutter and fluff.  In Iowa, the candidates who had regular repetitive messages and somewhat of a theme, and stuck to them for more than just a couple of weeks, did well.  The ones who were all over the place with their messages and had  advertisements full of quick bites of messages didn't do well.  They need to learn from that.  The "corporate greed" vs. "corporate responsibility" messages of Barack Obama and John Edwards paid off in Iowa.  Many of us understand that kind of message.  But what does "Ready To Lead" mean?  Ready to lead what?  And where?  And where to?  The difference is rather specific vs. very generic.  The difference is what relates to us vs. what is meaningless.

13.  Be Straight-Talking.  Barack Obama usually answered questions in a sentence or two.  Hillary Clinton went on for a minute or two.  Bill Clinton when he'd speak for Hillary would answer questions in five minutes or so.  Mike Huckabee seemed to have clear answers.  Mitt Romney had to explain himself at length.  Joe Biden couldn't answer questions without Washington-speak.  Iowa people were listening carefully, and made their choices based on what they heard.  We will here too.  

14.  Be Authentic And Look Us In The Eye.   Voters can see through phoniness.  When a candidate is calculating or cautious in answering questions, we can tell.  There's something genuine about Mike Huckabee -- what you see is what you get.  Same with Barack Obama.  I think there's a lot of WYSIWYG with Hillary Clinton too, but her managers and handlers haven't let us see that yet.  And eye-to-eye contact on the campaign trail is vital.  C-Span is great for noticing that in the candidates as they walk around before and after speeches and greet voters..  Mike Huckabee was great at that in Iowa.  Mitt Romney didn't seem to do it well.  Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama each have good people skills, but there's just a special warmth about Obama that Clinton needs to develop.  One of the more amazing things about Bill Clinton is that if you have just ten seconds with him, for those ten seconds you feel as if you're the most important person in the world to him for that time.  Hillary Clinton needs a lesson -- she always seems to want to go onto the next handshake.  

15.  Be Consistent.  "Flip-flopping" isn't the problem that most candidates have.  It's not being able to answer a question the same way with some consistency, or being clear about a position without trying to cover all the bases and make everyone happy.  Mitt Romney seemed to take several positions on some issues -- it's not that he's changed his positions, it's that you just don't know where he stands now.  Barack Obama gives a lot of rhetoric, but has consistent messages.  Hillary Clinton's messages in speeches and television advertisements changed a lot in Iowa.  That can't happen these next few days in New Hampshire.  
 

So Glad the Final NH Debate Will be Limited to Serious Candidates

by: Dean Barker

Wed Jan 02, 2008 at 23:17:14 PM EST

Sens. Biden, Clinton, Obama: I Hear DC is Lovely During the Holidays

by: Dean Barker

Sat Dec 15, 2007 at 19:15:48 PM EST

Despite the revelation of this program, and the public outcry against it, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wants to pass a bill on Monday that would make it impossible to hold the telecoms accountable for their criminal collusion with the President. Phony champions of civil liberties like John E. Sununu will be all to eager to assist him in that bill's passage.

Senator (and Presidential candidate) Chris Dodd, who has a quaint affection for the rule of law, has declared publicly that he will filibuster this bill.  When the other presidential candidates who happen to be active Senators were asked about this, they responded thus [back in October]:
Joe Biden

San Francisco: "Will you join Sen. Chris Dodd's hold and proposed filibuster on any FISA bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecoms?"
Sen. Joe Biden: "Yes."

"To be clear: Barack will support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies."

"I am troubled by the concerns that have been raised by the recent legislation reported out of the Intelligence Committee...As matters stand now, I could not support it and I would support a filibuster absent additional information coming forward that would convince me differently."

Finally, here's a handy whip-count chart from Team Dodd.  And if you click on it, it gives you the ability to contact Sens. Biden, Clinton, and Obama free of charge to urge them to join Dodd in this filibuster: