Posts by Gary Pearce
Anchors Weighed
Candidates aren’t the only ones whose debate and interview performances are being scrutinized. So are TV anchors, reporters and commentators. Was Charles Gibson condescending in his questioning of Sarah Palin? Does anybody know what he meant when he asked if Iran was an “existential” threat to Israel? What does Sartre have to do with the…
Read MoreMcCain-Bush?
With the polls heading the wrong way, the Obama campaign has to consider whether tying John McCain to George Bush is a winning strategy. Since Denver, the Democratic message has been that McCain means four more years of Bush. But McCain may have used his convention to slip out of that trap. Picking Sarah Palin…
Read MoreI Believe! (Maybe)
Like the True Church, politics long ago split into two faiths: Organization and Media. I follow the Media faith. But the Obama campaign is trying to show that Organization leads to enlightenment. Or at least to victory. If organization works, this will be the year. It used to work. At late as 1976, organization played…
Read MoreCampaign Life
Barlow Herget of State Government Radio asked me a question that reminded me of what I’m missing this time of year: “What’s happening inside a statewide campaign now?” Unfortunately, polisci students, campaigns right now are not just about strategy, media and organization. They’re also doing a lot of math: Fundraising: How much money is in…
Read MoreRemain Calm, Democrats
Democrats are in their quadrennial panic. If self-flagellation were an Olympic event, we’d win the gold every four years. Yes, McCain’s pick of Palin changed the race. Yes, Obama needs to hit harder. Yes, Joe Biden’s right: Hillary would have been a better running mate. Even Tom Friedman is calling Obama a wuss, for Pete’s…
Read MoreLieutenant Governor Syndrome
Jim Hunt was the last lieutenant governor elected governor. Thirty-six years ago. And Hunt had the advantage of being No. 2 under a Republican governor, so he could run against the Ins. Since then, lieutenant governors have not fared so well: Jimmy Green, Bob Jordan, Jim Gardner and Dennis Wicker (my friend and client). Now…
Read MorePerdue in Peril?
It’s a sure sign of an anxious campaign when the manager releases internal polls. That’s what Zach Ambrose had to do this week for Bev Perdue after a WTVD poll showed her trailing. That came on the heels of the Carville-Greenberg poll. Perdue’s campaign released a memo from Garin-Hart-Yang, the campaign’s pollsters, showing Perdue ahead…
Read MoreEnquiring Minds Want to Know
Sarah Palin will either lift John McCain to the White House or sink him. She’s taking a star turn now. But one thing never changes in politics: Change comes. Word now is that the National Enquirer has reassigned its “John Edwards Team” to Alaska. Give them a week. Then check the lipstick, mascara and blush…
Read MoreBridging Palin
My friend – and Internet guru – Mathew Gross has a great line for the Obama campaign: Sarah Palin didn’t just support the Bridge to Nowhere. She is the Bridge to Nowhere. Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles.
Read MoreAttack Palin
The Obama campaign has to attack Sarah Palin. She has turned the race around for McCain. Democrats must turn her into a negative for him. They may be reluctant to attack a woman. But the DSCC got over that with Liddy Dole. One poll shows that white women went from being slightly for Obama before…
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