Obama, Edwards, and Clinton Political Advisors on Hardball
Charlie Burr
From Ezra Klein:
It was, for my money, the most arresting segment of political television I've seen since the campaign started. Notice, among other things, that Trippi and Penn are standing in the same room, and Trippi clearly finds Penn an almost unbearable repulsive presence. Notice that Penn is the only man on earth more disheveled than Trippi, making Trippi, for once, "sheveled." Notice how everything Penn says ends up sounding like a plaintive, "but they started it." Notice that Axelrod comes off almost seeming like a statesman. Notice that consultants, in general, seem a little loathsome, as it's simply weird to hear people speak in message, rather than in more traditional languages, like "conversation."
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Dec 15, '07
The Clinton campaign guaranteed this ridiculousness would get national media attention when they fired Shaheen. That's how all the netwroks anchored their coverage:
"The Clinton campaign fired a top consultant after he said this ... ..."
When they fired that guy, they helped push the story into the mainstream and at the same time tried to distance themselves from it. Very slippery.
On a more serious note, boy does that Mark Penn look like a 10 gallon turkey stuffed into a 5 gallon wrapper, or what?
Dec 15, '07
If Hillary really wants to win this thing, she needs to fire Mark Penn, the union buster, and kick her husband off he campaign, and relegate him to cheer-leader. It's her campaign, let her take charge. She's not running to resurrect Clinton Camelot, she's running presumably because she has some skills, experience, and an agenda for America. Frankly if she can pull it together, she would make a helluva lot better president than Bill. At least she's got the discipline and impulse control to lead. At this juncture Obama's got my vote. Not that it matters for Oregonians. It will be over long before May.
1:37 p.m.
Dec 15, '07
Giving credit where credit is due: I thought Trippi was great here.
The silver lining for Hillary's campaign is that the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live writers are on strike and unavailable to amplify the absurdity of the kindergarten/drug-dealing/madrassa attacks.
2:16 p.m.
Dec 15, '07
Just because you're a political gunslinger doesn't mean you have to look like you're going to sell me a stolen wristwatch on the corner.
On another note, the possibility of twenty-eight years of two families controlling the highest office in the country scares the hell out of me.
Dec 15, '07
"The silver lining for Hillary's campaign is that the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live writers are on strike, and unavailable to amplify the absurdity of the kindergarten/drug-dealing/madrassa attacks."
That's definitely a shame, because they'd be having a field day.
There are some pretty good alternatives on the Internet, though, if you're looking for some professional political satire. And Tom Toles recently took his own paper to task for a slimy piece it ran on its front page regarding the "muslim" rumors.
So there are some funny people pushing back against this absurdity, although they don't have the audience of the TV people.
What I really wonder about this story, though, is that this supposedly involves something that happened when Barack was in his late teens or twenties, right?. Isn't that about the same age Monica Lewisnky was when Hillary's husband was in the Oval Office strategically placing his cigars in the young intern's ...(stop, in the name of all that's decent and good, please stop)
Dec 15, '07
"He just did it again!"
Haha.
"I'm not talking about cocaine. Cocaine is not anything that I'm talking about. It's that guy who's talking about cocaine. And Obama was the one who brought up the fact that he grew up in Indonesia as foreign policy experience. I'm not talking about Indonesia. Obama started the attacks."
Dec 15, '07
I agree with what Charlie said, Trippi did a great job, especially seeing the opportunity to slam Penn, who comes off as slime ball. Penn even laughs when Trippi gives his final comment on stopping greed and making change.
Dec 16, '07
"its the sound of one hand clapping and its the hand of the Clinton campaign" I'm trying to figure out how one hand claps. I've been trying for the last 5 minutes, it's not possible to do.
That's my completely irrelevent comment of the day.
Dec 16, '07
cwech,
The sound of one hand clapping is what we old beatniks did in coffee houses back in the day, snapping your fingers (only on one hand of course).
10:37 a.m.
Dec 16, '07
so Charlie, which one is your brother?
11:21 a.m.
Dec 16, '07
The only familial connection I can claim relates to your Alexander Hamilton reference over at Tin Chalice.
Dec 16, '07
In the realm of the irrelevant, I thought Axlerod had a mini-Gorbi on his forehead. Then I realized, he needs a hair club for men stocking stuffer. Go -Edwards & Obama
Dec 16, '07
"I also saw this morning that Senator Clinton's primary advisor, Mark Penn, who is like her Karl Rove –- his firm is representing Blackwater. I think it is important for Iowa caucus goers to understand the choices they have in this election. And it is the reason I continue to say we don't want to replace a group of corporate Republicans with a group of corporate Democrats." -- John Edwards
Dec 16, '07
Cwech, seriously, you've never heard that before? It's a Zen koan, look it up.
Dec 16, '07
Pat-
Where did John Edwards find that info. I did some info and found that Mark Penn worked for shell oil but couldnt find anything about blackwater.
Just to make things known I am a strong Richardson fan
Dec 16, '07
Yea I didnt do some info rather I did some research, hopefully that will teach me to double check what I write before clicking the post button.
6:26 p.m.
Dec 16, '07
He didn't work directly for Blackwater. His PR firm has Blackwater as a client.
Penn
Blackwater Aided by PR Giant
6:58 p.m.
Dec 16, '07
His firm has also served Microsoft for many years, which only makes Senator Edwards' statement more apt.
Dec 17, '07
Watching that whole piece on Tweety's show made me feel like I was watching auditions for a new Little Shop of Rocky Horrors Strangelove Show. I wanted Wolfson there, even if it meant two voices for Hillary, to fill out the weird quotient - I can't even look at that guy without imagining him with a monocle, a dueling scar, and a Prussian uniform.
And after watching Slick Willy's performance on Charlie Rose, I will eat ground glass covered used urinal cookies before I vote to put the Hill-Billys back in the White House.
11:39 a.m.
Dec 17, '07
The fact that Hillary has choosen for many years to make Mark Penn her number one strategist is reason enough why she will not be getting my vote if it matters in May.
What a complete P.O.S. - he appeals to the worst in us.
I think Trippi looked like he was going to punch him and why were they forced to stand so close together..it was weird and funny.
<h2>I have no problem with hardball politics - sometimes it is what it takes to win but Mark Penn is just a merchant and you would think Hillary would have the judgement to find someone with a little more of a moral compass.</h2>