FYI: Rosenberg notes today that 5 major strategists support him for chair

[flpoljunkie]

http://blog.simonforchair.org/

January 12, 2005

Five Major Strategists Endorse Simon For Chair

Mike McCurry, former White House Press Secretary and former Kerry spokesman
Joe Trippi, Manager of Dean for America
Rob Stein, veteran of Ron Brown’s 1989 race for Chair, founder of the Democracy Alliance
Sergio Bendixen, senior Advisor to NDN’s pathbreaking Hispanic Project
Christine Varney, veteran of Ron Brown’s 1989 race for Chair, former Dean for President supporter and high-technology counselor

more...plus link to their statements of support for Rosenberg.

http://blog.simonforchair.org/blog/archives/2005/01/new_endorsement.html#more

[RubyDuby in GA]

1. Blah blah blah

Joe Trippi? Wouldn't trust him any farther than I could throw him and he's kinda hefty and I don't lift weights.

[IndianaGreen]

46. Rosenberg is selling the "inevitability" of his candidacy

pretty much along the same lines as Kerry's "electability" was sold to the unsuspecting masses, and you know where that led us.

[DaveinMD]

2. I'm a consultant

but consultants just shouldn't influence this process. I am a smaller consultant, but that doesn't change the fact that this is wrong. The party hires consultants. Consultants shouldn't run the party.

[Leilani]

3. Exactly!

[janx]

7. Good for you!

:toast:

When you think about it, it's pretty corrupt of these consultants to try to influence the process.

This is supposed to be the DNC's choice--representatives from every state.

This whole process should be *very* interesting.

[Eloriel]

22. I was just going to say: reason enough NOT to want him

The consultants haven't done all that well for themselves for several years now, and it seems to be worsening. Considerably.

In fact, the consultants need to get out with The People and get a real education, their heads screwed back on and STRAIGHT this time, and come to the terrible realization of how much harm they've done the party and the country, FAST.

Further, if Rosenberg thinks this is a big plus for him, that's another mark against him IMO.

[DaveinMD]

28. I think I work differently

than many of these consultants. I tend to talk to the people on the ground and work with them to develop messages that win. These consultants seem to tell campaigns what to do and not to listen one bit.

[DaedelusNemo]

33. Maybe you can push more extensive use of forums...

Both as output and as input and assuredly as motivation for voters.

[moggie12]

43. Hey Dave in MD

Bob Shrum here. Me and the other Democratic consultants were sitting around sipping $5 coffees and munching on $10 croissants when one of the younger guys flipped open his laptop and noticed your post. What's this "talk to people on the ground" concept? What exactly did you mean by that? For example, what kind of people are you suggesting talking to? What would you ask them? Where would you find these people? (You're not seriously suggesting leaving DC are you??) Anyway, what's the point? What would you do with the information? You're not actually suggesting using it in campaigns are you??? Don't you realize the "common people" have no clue as to what's really good for them or have any insight into what the truly important issues are?? (I didn't want to bother finding out what you were talking about, but the young guy is very insistent on pursuing this. Gotta humor the young pups. Also, $50 lunch is on the line -- that's the bet we made that you'd write back something stupid like "Yes, I'm suggesting getting input from voters before dumping $10 million into TV advertising". It's all on the expense-accounts anyway, but it's still fun.)

Also, what is this you wrote about "messages"?? Messages for what??? Does this have something to do with e-mail messages? Or are you suggesting something broader? Does the "talking to people" thing somehow relate to the "message" thing? ($100 dinner riding on this one.)

Finally, please define "win". Coming fairly close against the worst President in the history of the United States counts, right? (In the future, please try not to throw such terms around so loosely. You say you are a Democratic campaign consultant who's run a few small races -- HA! you're never gonna reach the big-time with that kind of attitude! If you define your goal to your clients as "winning" they're going to be all pissed off when they lose. Don't rock the boat for the rest of us, huh? Loose talk sinks ships, if you get my drift.

Regards,
Bob

[janx]

4. Two out of four were formerly connected to Dean...

The long knives are out! ;-)

[JI7]

5. who was the other one besides Trippi ?

[demwing]

42. Christine Varney

"veteran of Ron Brown’s 1989 race for Chair, former Dean for President supporter and high-technology counselor"

I Googled the name, and could not find any official connection to Dean, but did find that Varney is a partner in the law firm that represented FOX news in their suit against Al Franken, for whatever that is worth...

[Leilani]

6. NDN's pathbreaking Hispanic Project

Yeah, it was so great, Bush picked up Hispanic votes.

[JI7]

9. Rosenberg has been critical of the Kerry campaign for not putting his

ideas to use more.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

24. To Be Fair to Rosenberg

In areas where NDN commercials ran, Bush didn't do as well with Latinos as he did in the rest of the country.

I am a Dean supporter, however.

DTH

[dpbrown]

8. "Major Strategists" are the people who got us IN to this mess

Hey Donna Brazille...go take a hike!

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. So the candidates had nothing to do with it?

:shrug:

[Capn Sunshine]

19. Oh yeah, because they ignored the strategists completely

not.

[Freddie Stubbs]

21. Strategists can only do so much with some candidates

If its a flawed product, many people will be unwilling to buy it, no matter how you market it.

[Cheswick2.0]

25. apparenly they can only do a lot with bush

and Ah-nold.

[Freddie Stubbs]

27. They were fortunate enough to be running against lousy opponents

[dpbrown]

47. Why do Democrats keep picking advisors to help them lose?

http://www.alternet.org/story/20961/

[Cheswick2.0]

10. great maybe they can strategize us out of some more seats in congress

and the senate.

[Nite Owl]

12. If these strategists

knew what they were doing we would be the majority. How many times do some have to get hit upside the head to change direction?

[s-cubed]

13. If those strategists were any good, the party wouldn't be in such

a mess,.

[ClarkUSA]

14. Oh, that does it! I'm sold on Simon Rosenberg! Forget Dean!

I trust Democratic consultants, that's why. Because they did such a good job against
the Swift Boat Vets and all of these guys weighed in so importantly on election reform when we needed them.

:puke:

[KittyWampus]

16. Did You Research WHO These People Worked With? Maybe They

WERE successful.

Maybe they weren't.

But it's interesting people just make blanket statements without researching the names involved.

[ClarkUSA]

17. I know who they are...and I know none of them has come out strongly

for election reform in a public way, even when some were interviewed and asked about it on TV.

As for blanket statements, forgive me for being sarcastic. Touting endorsements from DNC consultants is a such strong selling point with me. Oops, did it again!

[Cheswick2.0]

26. Election reform would be the death of their consulting business

would it not? Don't most of them "consult" by taking big bucks for commercials and such? Imagine if we no longer had to cater to corporate wishes? Where would the big consulting fees come from?

[KittyWampus]

15. Joe Trippi Was Largely Responsible For Dean's Early Success...

and I have no idea who the other strategists/consultants worked with... and whether they had any success.

[Capn Sunshine]

20. TRIPPI was also responsible for his failure

he was good at one thing, and it wasn't the ground game.

[Cheswick2.0]

23. it wasn't the commercials either

[Capn Sunshine]

18. Hey, that's inspiring

All these guys have the commonality of running campaigns that didn't win, and didn't gettheir message out.

I guess the right man for the right job, huh?

[ulysses]

29. fuck the strategists.

Chess, anyone?

[NoPasaran]

30. Sorry, ah's not smart enuf to play no chess game

Ah'l jus sit here in mah skivies an play checkers

[ulysses]

31. LOLOL!

In your place, prole!

:D

[Sgent]

32. Endorsements

From ELECTED polititions mean more to me than any 10 consultants -- these are they people that hired (and fired) consultants, did it well, and WON. They will have a better grasp of what the party needs than a "paid", unelected consultant.

When a business is being run by consultants -- its going down the tubes fast. Business are run by their CEO's or Presidents, and consultants are brought in to consult.

[JNelson6563]

34. Combined they still can't

fill the shoes of Conyers. heh

Julie

[The Zanti Regent]

35. That's five reasons to back Dean...

...and the sixth reason for me lies in a VA Cemetery, my only child, killed by Bush!

[Paulie]

36. Hell NO

The only way consultants should help is by licking stamps on envelopes. And they may not even do that well enough to get the message out.

F them all. No Dean, no Dem.

[itzamirakul]

37. I don't rely on strategists nor do I rely on

elected politicians to tell me for whom I should vote.

I read their plans and policies and check to see what issues are most important to them and if those policies and issues are in tandem with my own.

Also, I LISTEN..to what they are SAYING or NOT SAYING...and I haven't heard Rosenberg stand up and say anything strong and substantial against election irregularities or the MSM rw bias nor did he effectively defend Kerry during the campaign.

Rosenberg was a former member of the DLC until he had a disagreement with some of the biggies over there and split off to form his ownmoney-making machine...the NDN.

The point is...he may have five strategists on his side - but how many VOTERS will follow his lead? Maybe he can bring in the corporate bucks - but how will he bring in the huge public donations that Dems have shown they will give to their candidates?

[CWebster]

38. Sounds like they are looking for jobs.

Doubtful Trippi would have any luck with Dean again.

Trippi was touted as a genuis, but he just happened to be at the right place at the right time. When it came down to making the big leap to the big time, Trippi was out of his league.

[Catchawave]

39. First thing that popped in my mind....

...they're all connected to failure, however they sure can raise money! :::sigh:::

[CWebster]

40. And make it disappear too.

.

[AP]

41. I respect opinions of Joe Lockhart and Harold Ickes. Who do they

support?

[flpoljunkie]

44. Have no idea who Joe Lockhart and Harold Ickes support for DNC chair.

Josh Marshall of talkingpointsmemo.com discusses the race for DNC in link below. He provides links to four of the candidates' websites.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2005_01_09.php#004394

(January 12, 2005 -- 12:24 AM EDT // link // print)

You think Marty Frost should be the next chair of the DNC? Or maybe you're for Simon Rosenberg? Or Donnie Fowler?

Or maybe Howard Dean?

But let's be honest. Who cares what you think? You don't have a vote.

For all the crackling enthusiasm ones sees across the web or in various new activist groups for this or that candidate, as Howard Wolfson lamented last month in the Times, only the 440 members of the Democratic National Committee have any say in the matter. They're the only ones who have a vote.

more...


As this page on the DNC website explains, those 440 DNC members are a mix of state party officials and bigwigs, a smattering of office-holders nationwide, various folks appointed by the sitting chairman and others.

[JaneQPublic]

45. I was on pins & needles worrying who Christine Varney would back (nt)