Guest Blog by Palmer Sugg
In 1984, Carter hired me to work for the Helms campaign. While my primary assignment was to travel with the candidate, Carter occasionally sent me to speak for the campaign. In September of 1984, he dispatched me to the campus of NCSU for a Q&A with Fraternity Leaders. He didn’t bother to tell me that Gary would be there… taking the same questions… and eating my proverbial lunch. Over the past forty years, they’ve taught me a lot. Thanks to both for my education and for letting me guest-blog.
The 1984 Helms-Hunt campaign seesawed for most of that year. Among the very few things that each campaign knew to be certain was the fact that Mondale was poison for Hunt and Reagan was palliative for Helms. The Hunt campaign had two tough jobs… distance their guy from Mondale and distance Helms from Reagan. Cue Hunt’s tv ads portraying Helms as a right-wing nut. With ominous music, dark graphics, and mugshot-like photos one of Hunts’ ads tore into Helms for his association with scoundrels such as “Texas billionaire Nelson Bunker Hunt, the Congressional Club’s Tom Ellis, and the Moral Majority’s Jerry Falwell.”
The “Jesse’s Friends” ad didn’t work because the people it attacked weren’t on the ballot.
Tonight, Tim Walz has ninety minutes to make his case. Will he waste those minutes ripping into Project 25 (which isn’t on the ballot), or will he spend them talking to Independent voters about the candidates who are?
Similarly, will J.D. Vance perform the dog-whistle double-down on the cat-ladies and the cat-eaters (who aren’t on the ballot), or will he talk to Independents about the issues?
Guest Blog by Palmer Sugg
In 1984, Carter hired me to work for the Helms campaign. While my primary assignment was to travel with the candidate, Carter occasionally sent me to speak for the campaign. In September of 1984, he dispatched me to the campus of NCSU for a Q&A with Fraternity Leaders. He didn’t bother to tell me that Gary would be there… taking the same questions… and eating my proverbial lunch. Over the past forty years, they’ve taught me a lot. Thanks to both for my education and for letting me guest-blog.
The 1984 Helms-Hunt campaign seesawed for most of that year. Among the very few things that each campaign knew to be certain was the fact that Mondale was poison for Hunt and Reagan was palliative for Helms. The Hunt campaign had two tough jobs… distance their guy from Mondale and distance Helms from Reagan. Cue Hunt’s tv ads portraying Helms as a right-wing nut. With ominous music, dark graphics, and mugshot-like photos one of Hunts’ ads tore into Helms for his association with scoundrels such as “Texas billionaire Nelson Bunker Hunt, the Congressional Club’s Tom Ellis, and the Moral Majority’s Jerry Falwell.”
The “Jesse’s Friends” ad didn’t work because the people it attacked weren’t on the ballot.
Tonight, Tim Walz has ninety minutes to make his case. Will he waste those minutes ripping into Project 25 (which isn’t on the ballot), or will he spend them talking to Independent voters about the candidates who are?
Similarly, will J.D. Vance perform the dog-whistle double-down on the cat-ladies and the cat-eaters (who aren’t on the ballot), or will he talk to Independents about the issues?