Ex-Clinton strategist: Obama needs event ‘similar’ to OKC to ‘reconnect’ with voters

[proud2BlibKansan]

Talk about a bad analogy: Appearing on television recently, former Hillary Clinton campaign adviser and current public relations executive Mark Penn suggested that President Obama needs a moment "similar" to the tragic terrorist attack on the Oklahoma City federal building, in order to "reconnect" with voters.

He didn't even seem to flinch in making the comment.

Penn is currently president and CEO of Burson-Marsteller, a multi-national public relations firm. He also served in 2008 as chief strategist for then-Senator Hillary Clinton's run for the White House. Before that, Penn advised former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in his third run for the UK leadership post, and served clients such as AT&T, Texaco, Ford, Merck, Verizon, BP, McDonald’s and Microsoft.

After the events of Sept. 11, 2001, President George W. Bush experienced the highest approval ratings of his presidency, but the same could not be said of President Clinton after the Oklahoma City bombing.

more . . . http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/11/exclinton-strategist-obama-event-similar-okc-reconnect-voters/

[DearAbby]

1. STUPID STUPID

Did I mention STUPID?

[NuclearDem]

2. There's no way I read that right

...

Did someone seriously just say we needed another OKC?

[krispos42]

3. It's not right when the RW wished for one so McSame could get elected...

and it's not right here, either. Jesus, somebody smack this guy with a fish or something.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Oh good grief.

Is it possible that he wants to see Obama fail?

Or is he just clueless?

:P

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. No technically they are called a rally event

[proud2BlibKansan]

23. Probably both

[Pisces]

5. He was a fucking idiot on Hillary's campaign and now he sounds like a bigger one.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. There are days I wonder about our commentators-news models.

I really do.

For the record the right is getting hotter... not that I wish on it, but they are. That is a fact.

Oh and technically they are called RALLY EVENTS. They do have that effect, among others

[Nite Owl]

7. Wow, what an idiot

but then it is Mark Penn. 'nough said.

[Marie Marie]

9. Chief strategist for Hillary?

Enough said. Although I supported Obama, I always thought that Hillary was much better than her campaign.

[denem]

10. That's Mark Penn alright. He just about killed HRCs campaign

by himself.

[lunasun]

11. sicko

[leftstreet]

12. If Penn posted on DU he'd get tombstoned for saying that

what a sick fuck

[EFerrari]

15. If Penn posted at DU, Skinner would have to fumigate. n/t

[leftstreet]

20. no kidding n/t

[XemaSab]

32. Correction:

If Penn posted at DU, Skinner would have to burn DU to ashes, sow the ground with salt, and vow never to start up DU again to spare his members from the wrath of God.

[EFerrari]

48. LOL. I stand corrected!

[chill_wind]

13. God, how disgustingly politcally craven and neocon-like.

eom

[EFerrari]

14. Penn is the sleaziest of the sleazy.

I still don't understand why Clinton went with him. He and Lanny Davis should be collected by a HAZMAT team as a public health threat.

[denem]

19. Loyalty. Penn was the only one Bill trusted to talk to about Monica.

Penn never gave a hint to anyone, ever. He ran continuous polls of potential public opinion without a soul lifting the lid. As Hillary said, the Clintons never forget.

[denem]

21. Looks like pysops to me. If something happens the MSM

can point to Penns pronouncement and say the Democrats wanted this to happen

[EFerrari]

22. They apparently don't know when to cut bait, either.

Penn is a shyster. He ran and promoted corrupt, skewed polls in Venezuela, iirc, to fake evidence Chavez's popularity was down. I believe he's also the one that gets Bill Clinton speaking gigs in places like Colombia to promote the FTA that will further screw both us and the Colombian people. The Clintons need to take out the trash.

[denem]

25. Hillary paid him back every cent

for his marvelous success in her campaign. The Clintons have a straight 'with us' or 'against us' whatever it takes viewpoint IMO.

[phasma ex machina]

16. How about bringing the troops home to "reconnect" with voters? nt

[leftstreet]

18. Or a WPA Jobs bill n/t

[highplainsdem]

17. Disgusting.

[yurbud]

24. even if it happened and even if it had the POTENTIAL to help Obama, he would figure out a way to

drain the political advantage out of it, and use it to somehow compliment and seek the help and advice of the GOP.

[Jamastiene]

26. I could see him going on another retreat with the GOP and doing just that.

He takes "snatching defeat from the jaws of victory" to a whole new level.

[yurbud]

47. Has the GOP EVER done that in at least the last 30 years?

and before that, they weren't in a position to do so for at least 30 years, at least in Congress.

The DLC truly destroys our choice in direction of government.

If the GOP wins, we get 100% GOP policy. If the Democrats win, we get 50% or more GOP policy, now matter how sweeping the mandate we give the Democrats.

Every blue dog should be electoral spayed or neutered.

[CreekDog]

27. I couldn't think of anybody stupid enough to think this --then I read Mark Penn's name

:think:

[Maccagirl]

28. Will Penn "take one for the team"

I highly doubt it. I've heard plenty of sickening things in my life but...
I also have to rethink my tepid support of Bill and Hillary if this "person" is in their orbit.

[sabrina 1]

29. No one should be surprised that Penn said that. He is after all

on the board of Burston Marsteller, a PR firm Rachel Maddow had this to say about:

Rachel Maddow Takes Aim at Burston Marsteller

Last night, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow tore into Mark Penn and his PR agency Burson-Marsteller for their client choices including AIG and Blackwater: "When evil needs public relations, evil has Burson Marsteller on speed dial." Ouch.

Today, Penn sent out an internal memo which said (in part), "Just like lawyers and management consultants, PR firms are often called in to help when companies face difficult problems. Our role is crucial to companies operating in open and transparent business and media environments. We are and should be proud of the work we do."

He's been defending evil for so long now, doing PR for evil organizations like Black Water, in his dark world, the evil of wishing for another 9/11 or other terror event that would kill untold numbers of the 'lesser people', would not register with him. He has become what he represents.

It's worth checking out Rachel on the video at the link.

We MUST get these evil people out of our government. They truly are evil, it is not just hyperbole and it is truly disturbing to realize that they are not just Republicans.

[Bluebear]

30. E-V-I-L. Go AWAY Penn. nt

[Leopolds Ghost]

31. Being PR for Blackwater, maybe he knows something we don't about the engineering of terror attacks

To rally popular support and consolidate power. :shrug:

[sabrina 1]

40. I don't know, but he's jealous of Bush's 'great luck' in

having 9/11 happen and getting all those great ratings in the polls. This man has no conscience. What is he doing around people in the Democratic Party, like Hillary?

Don't you love the way he says that all they do is to help corps who are some PR difficulties get some better press. It sounds so benign. Blackwater's little difficulty with the bad press they got when they slaughtered 17 innocent Iraqis. Mass murdering clients I'm sure are grateful for his help. They needed those government contracts.

For some reason 'the banality of evil' came to mind after reading his excuses. He really sees nothing wrong with what he does. In a normal world, mass murderers would be shunned by respectable people, not rehabilitated so they can continue their 'work'. We live in a lunatic asylum it seems like sometimes.

The fact that Hillary hired him says an awful lot about how low she has sunk also. But then she voted for the slaughter in Iraq without batting an eye, and suggested that sometimes we might be justified in using torture. They really are different to the people they ask to vote for them. Most voters are decent people. Our leaders appear to be pretty universally abnormal.

[pinboy3niner]

36. That was a great piece by Rachel on Penn and his "PR firm from hell."

The video has been removed from that link; here's another link to Rachel's clip (length is 3:44):

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/29539730#29539730

[sabrina 1]

37. Thanks for the working link. Sorry about that, I had watched it

before so didn't check the video. It is a great piece. I wish the MSM would do more of this kind of reporting and not leave it to Rachel. She needs to be careful, these people are ruthless.

[book_worm]

33. well, what the hell lets just prey for a terrorist attack! What an ass!

Unlike 1995 when OK City happened if a domestic or foreign terrorist attack occured now the GOP would point to Obama not keeping the country safe from terrorists and the stupid American people would fall for it.

[chill_wind]

34. kicking

for the sheer creepiness.

[Raine]

35. Oh Gawd

yeah that'll do it! :sarcasm: What an ASS! x(

[Gravel Democrat]

38. Where are the Anti-Truthers when you need them...

maybe the ghosts of the children killed in OK have tied their tongues

Of course no government, let alone Ours, which is Righteous and Godly and Pure in Every Respect would Ever Think of doing Anything hatched in a conspiracy.

Nope. Never. It just doesn't happen here. Thanks Mark Penn for putting any doubt to rest.

[Luminous Animal]

39. They increase their power by keeping us afraid.

[Meldread]

41. Wow. I had a gut feeling that it was Mark Penn before even clicking - eerie.

Mark Penn has always been a cold hearted scheming bastard.

I remember during the 2008 primaries, when he was working for Hillary, he was on Hardball talking about Obama using drugs. Except, he was doing exactly what Christine O'Donnell did when faced with the (false) rumor that Mike Castle was gay.

"I don't believe Mike Castle is gay."
"I don't know why people are saying Mike Castle is gay."
"I don't know who is spreading the rumor that Mike Castle is gay!"

Just replace that with:
"I believe it's wrong for people to bring up the fact that Obama snorted coke."
"Look, I'm not here to talk about the fact that Obama snorted coke."
"I'm not sure what fascination you have regarding Obama and his snorting of coke!"

He basically did that for an entire segment, and then when it ended he bragged about how many times he got away with saying it on TV.

That's the type of person Mark Penn is - he'd gleefully cheer for the death of Americans if it would advance his political agenda.

[Solly Mack]

42. Death and destruction recommended as a way to boost a president

That's some sick shit.

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. Isn't it?

Sick shit.

[spanone]

44. a statement like this proves how desperate the political system has become

it is thoroughly fucked up

[TheBigotBasher]

45. Mark Penn.

One of the key reasons Barack Obama is President and Hillary is Secretary of State. His advice is about as useful as one of the idiot PUMAs.

[Ichingcarpenter]

46. The OK bombing gave us the first taste of the Patriot Act

Through legislation as was wanted by the right
Think about that .... Meanwhile right wing terror continues

[Metric System]

49. What a dumb fuck. How did I know it was Penn before I read the OP?

[proud2BlibKansan]

50. LOL

[uppityperson]

51. I see his point. I disagree with letting a big nasty happen, but can see what he means

There is much more emotionalism involved with showing strength after your emotions have been manipulated negatively. Rather like Rudy and shrub after 9/11 for the fearful/afraid. There is much more "help me dadddy!" emotionalism after a nasty thing that results in a bunch of "us" dead in a sudden way than there is in preventing such a thing.

I don't think this would have Obama reconnect with anyone, but would let the fearful call out "help us big daddy" and reconnect with him. But still, there is that tricky skin color issue that would prevent many from looking to big daddy for help.

I hope this makes sense.

[grahamhgreen]

52. This guys company Burson-Marsteller defends the worst of the worst....

" When Blackwater killed those 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, they called Burson-Marsteller. When there was a nuclear meltdown at Three-Mile Island, Babcock and Wilcox, who built that plant, called Burson-Marsteller. The Bhopal chemical disaster that killed thousands of people in India, Union Carbide called Burson-Marsteller. Romanian dictator, Nicolae Ceausescu — Burson-Marsteller. The government of Saudi Arabia, three days after 9/11 — Burson-Marsteller."

* The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC (5 March 2009)