August 2008
Hillary Clinton's Statement on Sarah Palin
By Sarah Scully on 08/30/2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 29, 2008 Contact: Press Office, 703-875-1271 press@hillaryclinton.com STATEMENT FROM SEN. HILLARY CLINTON ON SEN. MCCAIN'S VP SELECTION "We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's historic nomination, and I congratulate her and Senator McCain. While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate." DISCUSS... MORE »
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Reactions to Palin Pick
By Sarah Scully on 08/30/2008
By Sarah Scully Given the disparity between mainstream media interest in Obama's VP selection versus McCain's, is it any wonder the Republican candidate made such a bold move? The publicity factor was clearly not the central reason for selecting Sarah Palin, but she has managed to shove Obama off of center stage for the time being. With a "maverickish" track record of her own, an intriguing life story and a face resembling Tina Fey's, the MSM may have just found a new crush. The criticism leveled at news organizations suggesting that their disproportionate coverage of Obama is a result of... MORE »
Palin
By William Rabbe on 08/29/2008
After surprising the country with his veep pick, will McCain's choice of Sarah Palin pick up votes from Hillary Democrats, or will this be more akin to the 1984 election? Will gender be a determining factor, over party affiliation? Look for Hillary Clinton's reaction in the coming days.... MORE »
Great Expectations
By Sarah Scully on 08/29/2008
By Sarah Scully Keenly aware of the hype surrounding his speech, Barack Obama sought to change the expectations rather than meet them. On the anniversary of the "I Have a Dream" speech, at an undoubtedly historic moment in American politics, many thought Obama would attempt to elevate himself to Dr. King's level and continue to make the case that this was his destiny but he was smart not to do that. His campaign has seldom missed a beat in reading the conventional wisdom and they were clearly aware that the grand spectacle needed to be tempered by some earthy toughness,... MORE »
Unconventional '08 Event at the Manifest Hope Gallery DNC
By IFC on 08/28/2008
IFC News takes you to the Unconventional '08 Event held at the Manifest Hope Gallery during the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO callBrightcove(1759811938, 380, 285, "#ffffff"); MORE »
Former Gov. Mark Warner at the DNC
By IFC on 08/28/2008
Sarah Scully from IFC News talks to former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. callBrightcove(1759768936, 380, 285, "#ffffff"); MORE »
Rep. Rahm Emanuel at the DNC
By IFC on 08/28/2008
Sarah Scully from IFC News interviews Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. callBrightcove(1757573121, 380, 285, "#ffffff"); MORE »
Highlights from the Impact Film Festival at the DNC
By IFC on 08/28/2008
IFC News covers the 2008 Impact Film Festival from the Starz Film Center in Denver. callBrightcove(1757573054, 380, 285, "#ffffff"); MORE »
Senator Evan Bayh at the DNC
By IFC on 08/28/2008
Will Rabbe from IFC News interviews Indiana Senator Evan Bayh at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. callBrightcove(1757548670, 380, 285, "#ffffff"); MORE »
Michelle Obama's Opening Night speech at the DNC
By IFC on 08/28/2008
Highlights from Michelle Obama's Opening Night speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. callBrightcove(1755447911, 380, 285, "#ffffff"); MORE »
Cinemocracy Event at Red Rocks DNC
By IFC on 08/28/2008
IFC News attended the Cinemocracy Event for the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO held at the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheater. For more information, go to cinemocracy.org callBrightcove(1755448397, 380, 285, "#ffffff"); MORE »
Introduction To The DNCC
By Sarah Scully on 08/26/2008
Apologies for the delay in filing this... The effect of high concentrations of power in a small area with a limited supply of oxygen is heady. It took about a day for most people to stop walking around bug-eyed with their mouths hanging open. Blinders would come in handy here in Denver as the journey into the Pepsi Center is the political junkie's equivalent to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Elected officials and former candidates are the Everlasting Gobstoppers- a rare delicacy, suddenly in abundant supply and within arm's reach. Over-caffeinated young volunteers work like Oompa Lumpas, governing an unnecessarily... MORE »
JOE BIDEN SELECTED AS OBAMA'S RUNNING MATE (We guessed right)
By Sarah Scully on 08/23/2008
After days of anxiously awaiting the news, manically checking The Page and Drudge, constructing unscientific formulae for determining the most likely choice and gripping our cell phones as we slept so as not to miss the moment the Obama campaign sent the text to announce the VP selection, it's finally official: Joe Biden (whose Intrade stock has gone up and down like a rollercoaster over the past few days) will be Barack Obama's running mate. At last, we can all get some rest before the convention. Will as much drama surround McCain's announcement next weekend? MORE »
An Unscientific Experiment
By Sarah Scully on 08/21/2008
By Sarah Scully Try typing the names of different potential VP choices with "Obama" into a Google Shopping browser... -Obama-Kaine products are hard to find. -Obama-Bayh gear is a little more prevalent. You can even find a dog t-shirt. -Obama-Biden tuns out a lot more results of official looking hats, t-shirts and pins. -Obama-Clinton will generate the most results, though many of the items fall into novelty category and generally look pretty bootleg. -Obama-Hagel baby bibs retail for around $10 and buttons may be purchased in bulk but very little merchandise otherwise. Now try it with McCain -McCain Romney gear... MORE »
Why Obama's Camp May Want McCain to Play Rezko
By William Rabbe on 08/21/2008
Does Playing the Rezko Card = Playing the Keating 5 Card to the Obama Camp? The Obama team may welcome McCain's counterattack about Obama's land deal with Tony Rezko -- why? Because it will allow them the leeway to bring up controversies of greater leverage without being scorned, for instance, the "Keating Five" scandal. Following the cardinal rule of "when attack, attack back," the Obama team may feel they have no choice but to reexamine the 1989 affair in which Senator McCain was implicated, making the attack seem less scurrilous and more a matter of necessary self-defense. This will certainly... MORE »
Steve Schmidt and the "David Gergen Theory"
By William Rabbe on 08/21/2008
Steve Schmidt, referred to as the Star Wars character "Lobot" by the press because of his bald head, has a rare but interesting/ hilarious theory about strategic choices inside the McCain campaign. The Washington Post reports: ...Schmidt says he won't allow the campaign to get thrown off by momentary distractions and pundits shooting from the hip. To that end, he and his colleagues have developed what they jokingly call the "Dave Gergen theory of the campaign" -- a metaphor for all talking heads. Gergen, a veteran of four presidential administrations, is a frequent pundit on cable news. If senior members... MORE »
The Obama Strikes Back
By William Rabbe on 08/21/2008
By William Rabbe Having been lambasted by the McCain camp as an out of touch, race-card-playing celebu-tante, Barack Obama is fighting back this week -- and pragmatic Democrats who worried that Obama's "above the fray" non-responsive approach would doom his candidacy are sighing with relief. The cardinal rule of negative campaigning is: "when attacked, attack back," -- or perhaps better summarized by veteran democratic strategist, Paul Begala: "it's hard for your opponent to say bad things about you when your fist is in his mouth." The most classic victims of "refuse-to-fight-back-syndrome" are Michael Dukakis in 1988 and John Kerry in... MORE »
Is Lieberman VP Story a Canard?
By Sarah Scully on 08/21/2008
By Sarah Scully Journalists may be unnerved by VP speculation but strategists must be positively over-wrought attempting to guess whom the opposition will choose. Are the campaigns trying to fake each other out with decoy VPs? While Obama has narrowed his choices to a group that is (however different in temperament) ideologically similar, McCain is still flirting with the "Independent Democrat," Joe Lieberman and his surrogates have been floating the idea of a pro-choice VP in tandem with rumors of a cross-party ticket. Given the conservative beat down that John McCain endured during the primaries, it is puzzling that he... MORE »
Latest Update: Biden says "Not"
By Sarah Scully on 08/19/2008
A few late breaking items to confound your expectations: -Obama's announcement may not come for a few more days. -Joe Biden has told reporters: "I'm not the guy." -Nader thinks Hillary will be picked. -ABC's Jake Tapper notes Obama's usage of a masculine pronoun in referring to running mate. -John Kerry has been added to the list of speakers in Denver, on the very same night the VP candidate is making an address. Stay tuned... MORE »
Maureen's McCain/Clinton Alliance
By William Rabbe on 08/19/2008
Although a work of fiction, Maureen Dowd is scathing in her newest piece about Hillary Clinton working with John McCain to defeat Barack Obama -- read it here. The deal? Hillary says, "one term for you, and two for me." And don't miss Barack Obama as "twig legs"... MORE »
Veepstakes: Obama Sidin With Biden? McCain Mysterious.
By Sarah Scully on 08/19/2008
By Sarah Scully In the frenzy over VP speculation, the venerated AP overlooked a one letter error that has resulted in referring to Joe Lieberman as a "prick" by mistake. Speculators are being driven to the brink of madness with word from Obama's camp that his announcement will take place in the next 24 hours. Biden is at the top of Intrade and making appearances on Drudge and Halperin's Page. Pundits are having a harder time narrowing down McCain's potentials with Ridge, Romney, Pawlenty and now Portman in the mix. This is one of your last chances to guess... You've... MORE »
Less Cowbell
By Sarah Scully on 08/15/2008
By Sarah Scully If you are one of the tens upon thousands of people planning to attend Barack Obama's unprecedented, football stadium nomination speech, be warned... you will have to leave your roller skates, dogs and cowbells at home. Here is the official Press Release on verboten items: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 15, 2008 DENVER -- As the Colorado Campaign for Change prepares to begin community credential distribution this weekend for the fourth night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, the Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) announced more details for the event on Thursday, August 28, at INVESCO Field at... MORE »
Reactions to Clinton Memos
By Sarah Scully on 08/13/2008
There have been a number of different reactions to the publication of internal Clinton campaign memos and emails in Atlantic.com, many focusing on Clinton's lacking as a manager and Mark Penn's lacking as a human. If you haven't read Josh Green's piece yet, I highly recommend doing so. (Click Here) Here are a few of the more interesting responses to the story: - In his column for CQ Politics, Craig Crawford considers the motivations of the former staffers in releasing the information. - Bob Shrum spoke to ABC News about the revelation of a Mark Penn strategy to portray Obama... MORE »
On Foreign Policy
By William Rabbe on 08/12/2008
By William Rabbe Whatever happened to "speak softly and carry a big stick?" Our voice is clearly audible and our stick is stuck in the mud... In the wake of Russia's flagrant use of power, the foreign policy challenge of our next President will be to effectively move away from the neoconservative ideology of the last eight years and toward the application of "realpolitik" -- a pragmatic approach to foreign policy balancing power with the national interest. Russia's invasion of former Soviet satellite state Georgia has prompted many to wonder why the United States and Western world have not been... MORE »
What Everyone Is Talking About Today
By Sarah Scully on 08/12/2008
By Sarah Scully In his autopsy on Hillary Clinton's campaign, Joshua Green unearthed a number of e-mails, diaries and meeting notes that are now available to read on The Atlantic's website. What is revealed is a campaign full of incredibly determined advisers, all with different battle plans and without a unifying credo. Pollster-turned-strategist, Mark Penn is prevalent throughout the documents as a voice for negative, sometimes merciless, campaigning that was not always heeded and eventually dismissed. The revelation could serve the Republicans well as a guide of what not to do and a reminder of Obama's potential weak spots. The... MORE »
Weekend Reading Assignment
By Sarah Scully on 08/08/2008
Things to read this weekend, when you're not watching Michael Phelps (and the many campaign ads that have been purchased to run before and after he swims). Please take the time to appreciate, whether you agree with him or not, Robert Novak's extraordinary 45-year career as a political columnist. The legendary journalist was forced to retire because of a malignant brain tumor. His coverage of the 2008 election, including his final article, are archived on Real Clear Politics. Take another few moments to appreciate, whether you agree with him or not, George McGovern flexing his independence from liberal doctrine and... MORE »
Is Something Rotten In The State Of The Democratic Party?
By Sarah Scully on 08/07/2008
By Sarah Scully Recent word from Hillary Clinton's office urging a full vote of all delegates at the convention have sparked an abundance of headlines suggesting that her campaign may not be dead. Clinton has explained that the vote will serve as a catharsis for her supporters, giving them emotional clearance to move on to Senator Obama, once their voices have been heard. Supporting this is the fact that counting every delegate at the convention, even though a nominee has been selected, is part of a long held party tradition of acknowledging the also-rans and demonstrating respect for the democratic... MORE »
Whoops... National Review should hire their own photographers...
By William Rabbe on 08/03/2008
The National Review has ripped off a photo from 2008 Uncut Cameraman Andrew David Watson, viewable here. Must mean we're moving up in the world... But really.... I guess they didn't think anyone would notice? MORE »
