Ask any campaign guy/gal who has multiple races/cycles under their belt and they’ll tell you that most candidates suck.
They don’t work hard, they meddle too much, they say dumb things on camera or they’re just insane. The real fun is the shadow groups — the 527s and 501(c)3s.
Here’s why:
Why is Americans United for Change is running TV ads against the Senate Minority leader in Kentucky? There’s no way in hell Mitch loses; he’s one of the smartest elected GOP political minds and he can easily raise money. But, that ’s not the point. Campaigning has grown into something completely different than winning and losing single elections: It’s now almost sport.
Back in 2002 a group of rich Democrats and consultants got together and said to themselves, “we want influence.” They created this 527, originally, to protect Social Security from the Republicans’ “privatization.” Now, they still have this 527 and still continue to have influence with their money and with their consultants. Somebody just stood up one day and said, “Let’s rip Mitch’s face off!” for probably no reason except that they can.
And that’s the beauty of this for people like me. No candidate, no pressure to win the race, no worry about the candidate’s wife or best friend telling me how to do my job, no grueling travel days and no limiting contact with pesky reporters. Just a bunch of paid professionals sitting around a table making a couple of rich dudes happy.
Sign me up!
For what it’s worth, McConnell could be in trouble — his approval rating is now below 50%, says SurveyUSA.
No way he loses? I think it was Harry Reid last year who said it would be a miracle if he was Majority Leader in 2007. Even the faithful can be surprised sometimes.
McConnell might be a money machine, but he’s not the brightest of politicians. You can witness what’s going on in the Kentucky GOP at the moment, and all that’s the product of McConnell’s missteps and misjudgments.
Money’s important, but it’s not everything. And there’s the possibility that either of two prominent Democrats will enter the race. One would be self-financed and the other would have no problem raising tremendous funds.
It’s not terribly astute of you to say that McConnell isn’t vulnerable. He has his rabid supporters in Kentucky who worship the ground he walks on, but those don’t make for a majority of voters in a state that’s returning to its strong Democratic roots.
Mitch is too good a political strategist to go down. He has too much access to money, knows the politics od the state too well and all the action and money will go into 2007 gubernatorial.
Unless Ann Northrop goes down in flames, I don’t see the angle.
And his approval may be down, but head to heads are different.
Not-Paul, what about your analysis of McConnell didn’t apply to Rick Santorum or George Allen in 2005?
Fair point. Santorum, much bluer and more pissed off state. He was toast in 04.
George Allen has some similar angles, but first you will need a huge challenger. We don’t see that yet unless someone emerges from the Dem Guv primary.
All depends on how brutal the primary becomes and how far left they move in the primary to capture the dem electorate.
Good comment.
Ads like these can be used against these groups. The opening clip shows 2 actual military personal almost being killed.
Lib’s are getting far to bold and are pushing the edge when they abuse our military personal and use their hardships to push their political agenda.