politicsmagazine.com > Blog

Demon Sheep and Fred Davis

In the unlikely event that you haven’t yet seen it, California Republican Carly Fiorina’s Senate campaign released a curious three and a half minute web video last week. It takes aim at her GOP primary opponent Tom Campbell, calling him a “fiscal conservative in name only.”

The video has all your standard attack ad elements—sheep falling from pillars in the sky after an ominous lightening strike, not to mention the guy in a sheep suit complete with glowing red Demon eyes. Ok, so the ad is just a bit outside the box. But so is the man who made it—Republican ad guru Fred Davis.

Campaigns & Elections’ Politics magazine Arrives in Canada

Campaigns & Elections' Politics Magazine today announced that it will be launching a Canadian edition beginning next month. The magazine will be a state-of-the-art digital edition and will be distributed electronically.

This launch, along with the recently unveiled Latin American edition, joins the U.S. flagship publication in broadening the reach of Campaigns & Elections by tens of thousands of political and public affairs professionals throughout the hemisphere.

“Readership of the original Campaigns & Elections’ Politics Magazine in Canada has always been strong,” said Jordan Lieberman, the publisher of Politics. This will build on decades of success and ensure that information about important developments in the world of politics, campaigns and elections are accessible to all.”

Recapping The 2010 Reed Awards

Joined by a few hundred of our friends, sources and clients, the Politics magazine family handed out the 2010 Reed Awards on Friday night in Washington, D.C.

The Reed Awards, sponsored this year by Aristotle, recognize excellence in campaign management, political consulting and political technology. There were more than 50 categories for television ads, direct mail, GOTV operations and new media. The competition also includes 10 special categories such as “Best Campaign Comeback,” “Best Villain Used in Political Media” and “Most Explosive Collaboration of the Year.”

For those of you who weren’t able to attend, we’ve posted all the winning entries on politicsmagazine.com.

The Winners of the 2010 Reed Awards:

SCOTUS Campaign Finance Decision a Boon for Consultants?

Today’s Supreme Court decision in Citizen’s United v. Federal Election Commission is delighting most political consultants—at least from a business perspective. The ruling, which overturns longstanding limits on corporate money in elections, will likely be a major boon for the industry, with campaign spending expected to soar.

The biggest winners in the short-term: media consultants. And the most visible impact for 2010: more political ads than anyone knows what to do with.

SCOTUS Opens The Door For Corporate Spending

In a much-anticipated decision on Thursday, the Supreme Court virtually gutted an important section of campaign finance law that prohibited corporate spending in elections.

Politicians, campaign finance lawyers and politicos had been waiting for the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision since it was reargued before the Court in early October with either great anticipation or great fear – depending on what side of the issue they were on. In a five-to-four decision on Thursday, the Court said the government cannot restrict corporate and union spending on ads and other election communications that expressly advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate in the days leading up to an election.

The Supreme Court’s Decision in Citizens United

This morning the Supreme Court essentially opened the door for corporations and unions to spend freely on political races with its long-awaited ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

We’re reading the Court’s decision now—here it is in PDF—and will post more news and reactions as we get them.

The cover story from the January issue of Politics, written by Jeremy P. Jacobs, is an extensive look at the state of campaign finance legislation and what its apparent gutting means for the future of campaigning.

It is a must read for anyone who raises—or spends—money in the political world.

An Online Model for the GOP?

For Republican campaigns hoping to harness the Internet this November to propel everything from online fundraising to GOTV efforts, the campaign operation to emulate may very well be that of Scott Brown. The Massachusetts Sen.-elect bested the campaign of Democratic opponent Martha Coakley in just about every online metric you can measure, and in the process did something rare for Republican campaigns of late—offer an online model that actually moved the ball forward on a range of tactics.

Five Lessons from the Massachusetts Special Election

Last night's special election in Massachusetts was a huge win for Scott Brown and Republicans and we have a lot to learn from the election about the way that the winning coalition is shifting and how we can tap into populist sentiment nationwide.

While fully understanding what happened and how we can use the lessons from Massachusetts around the country will take time, here are five lessons from Massachusetts in the form of more-or-less famous quotes.

About Last Night – The Massachusetts Senate Edition

UPDATED BELOW: After two cups of coffee and two Aleves, I'm still trying to wrap my head around what happened last night in Massachusetts when all I thought I knew about Bay State politics from covering the state in the 2008 cycle imploded. Republican state Sen. Scott Brown's improbable five-point win over Attorney General Martha Coakley for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat was shocking on many levels. Here are my initial musings on what happened and why.

The First Tea Party Senator? – To steal the headline from Mark Leibovich's New York Times Magazine story on Marco Rubio in Florida, Brown is the first major electoral win for the loosely affiliated group of Tea Party activists. And it is already being portrayed that way. This makes sense because Brown received a lot of money from this movement - as evidenced by this fundraiser - despite his attempts to distance himself from the movement in public statements.

A New Source of Coercion in Fundraising?

Last week the Brookings Institute unveiled a study on how to foster citizen participation through small donors and volunteers to political campaigns, entitled Reform in the Age of Networked Campaigns. The authors are all well known and rightly respected thinkers on campaign finance reform (Anthony Corrado, Michael Malbin, Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein). The conclusion of the study is that campaign finance reform should encourage small donor participation so that the percentage of small donations increases with the intent to curb potential corruption. The ideas within the study are sensible. However, it is worth examining whether the proposed reforms could encourage a new source of coercion.

Campaign Control Is Back!

The Campaign Control lists are back! As you might recall from the last campaign cycle, Campaign Control is the comprehensive list of campaigns around the U.S., with contact information for each available campaign. It includes campaign manager contact information in many cases, as well.

Fill out this form, and you'll be the first to receive the first 2010 Campaign Control.

What To Watch For In Massachusetts

In case you didn't know, there is a special election today in Massachusetts with a lot riding on it. Republican state Sen. Scott Brown is attempting what will likely go down as the biggest upset in political history by beating Attorney General Martha Coakley in the special election for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat.

Even though there is a lot of talk about the national ramifications of the race – healthcare, the Democrats' 60-vote majority, etc. – there hasn't been a lot of discussion on how, exactly, Brown can win tonight. The path to statewide victory for a Republican in Massachusetts is a narrow one. So, here is what to watch for when the polls close tonight.

Are Small Contributions The Key To Campaign Finance Reform?

One of the most discussed aspects of the 2008 presidential election is how successfully Barack Obama raked in small dollar donations. The sheer number of these contributions leads many to marvel; in the primary race, 30 percent of Obama's fundraising came from contributions less than $200. In the general, that number jumped to 34 percent.

Obama's fundraising, along with the small army of volunteers his campaign commanded, spurred four leading thinkers on campaign finance to consider whether the Obama campaign had – inadvertently - provided a model to reform campaign finance law. On Thursday, the foursome laid out policy recommendations that they believe will fundamentally change campaign fundraising for the better. Their report focuses on one key principle: Increase the number of small contributions in all campaigns

AFF Withdraws FEC Request on Robocalls

A potential showdown over state-level robocall restrictions has stalled after a conservative political action committee withdrew a request for clarification from the Federal Election Commission. The American Future Fund withdrew an advisory opinion request to the FEC that asked the commission to override state regulations on political robocalls. The FEC was expected to provide a final ruling on the request by the end of this month and the issue was on the agenda for the commission’s open meeting slated for January 14. But now that AFF has pulled the request, the FEC will not issue a final opinion.

About The January Issue of Politics

Happy New Year and welcome to the January 2010 issue of Politics magazine. The complete magazine is available for our digital edition subscribers, and our print edition subscribers should check their mailboxes soon. Some of the stories are posted here on politicsmagazine.com to give you an idea of what’s coming.

This is a landmark edition of the magazine: 2010 marks the 30th anniversary of Campaigns & Elections. Check out the cover gallery for a trip down memory lane.

Of the 76 pages in this issue, it is the cover that I’ve already heard questions about.

Hawaii's Brewing Political Storm

Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) is running for Governor. Since it is now obvious that Honolulu’s Mayor, Mufi Hannemann -- who is virtually omnipresent in the Hawaii media – will challenge Abercrombie for the Democratic nomination, the Congressman realized he needs to be back home, and fast. Thus, Abercrombie announced that he will leave his federal post to fully concentrate on campaigning for Governor.

Immediately dogged by his fellow Democrats for abandoning the House before the healthcare legislation is passed and key bills pertaining to the classification of Hawaii’s native population are dispensed with, Abercrombie immediately backtracked to say he will leave after these bills pass. But, as he told the local media, that time will come soon.

The Pennsylvania Influencers

Politics magazine's list of the 100 most influential Republicans and Democrats in Pennsylvania will be published in the January 2010 issue--which happens to have Gov. Ed Rendell (D-Pa.) as a guest editor--but I am publishing the list online ahead of this weekend's Pennsylvania Society dinner.

Hopefully the list will add to the conversation over dinner at the Waldorf.

Testing The GOP’s Litmus Test

Recently Mr. James Bopp, accomplished GOP ballot access attorney and Republican National Committeeman from Indiana, unveiled a litmus test for GOP candidates to be voted on by the full committee in January 2010. The litmus test stipulates that any GOP candidate seeking support and assistance from the RNC must meet seven of ten conditions.

This is the RNC’s attempt to refashion a Contract with America (CwA) message for the 2010 elections. The difference is the PPRUPSC actively engages controversial issues where the CwA sought to avoid polarization by focusing on what can be termed as 60% issues; those issues with which 60% of American agree according to survey research.

The Reid Boys Having Trouble

Mason-Dixon Polling & Research just released a new Nevada poll (11/30-12/2; 625 registered Nevada voters; live telephone interviews), and the results show Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid trailing two potential Republican opponents, former state Republican Party chair Sue Lowden (leading Reid 51-41 percent) and ex-Secretary of State candidate Danny Tarkanian (ahead 48-42 percent).

With a personal approval index of 38-49 percent positive to negative, Sen. Reid continues to be viewed unfavorably even with 100% name identification. These numbers are only a little better than those continually recorded by now defeated New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D), so the consistency of his negative polling results over an extended period of time should be of great concern to the Majority Leader.

Politics Magazine En Español

Campaigns & Elections' Politics magazine today broadened its reach to all Latin America with the launch of its Spanish-language edition. In January 2010, Politics magazine will be distributed to Spanish-speaking political professionals, candidates, and public affairs executives.

Circulation for the Latin American edition of Politics magazine will be 25,000. “Politics is read in nearly forty countries. We are pleased to have developed a new editorial product that adapts to the conditions on the ground, while maintaining the high standard set by thirty years of publishing,” said Jordan Lieberman, magazine publisher.

Revista Politics En Español

(This is an announcement for the Latin American edition of Politics magazine. Click here to read the announcement in English.)

La revista Politics de Campaigns & Elections se expandirá a Latinoamérica con el lanzamiento de su versión en Español. A partir de enero de 2010, la revista Politics será distribuida entre consultores políticos, candidatos, funcionarios y ejecutivos de relaciones públicas de habla hispana.

El tiraje electrónico gratuito de la versión latinoamericana de la revista Politics será de 25,000 recipientes. “Politics es leída en cerca de 40 países. Tenemos el placer de haber desarrollado un nuevo producto editorial adaptado a las condiciones del terreno y que mantiene los mismos altos estándares establecidos durante los 30 años que llevamos publicando”, comentó Jordan Lieberman, Publisher de la revista.

Big Surprise: Democrats and Republicans Don't See Eye To Eye

When the executive directors from the Republican and Democratic campaign committees get together, disagreement is expected. But what became increasingly clear when they - plus political advisors to the DNC and RNC - talked politics on Thursday is that they have extraordinarily different views of the political environment in the wake of the 2009 elections as they look ahead to 2010.

The executive directors all appeared at a panel put on by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics and Politico. Each provided insights into their 2010 strategies and the Republicans, in particular, liked their chances. As an added bonus, there was no shortage of fireworks as things got testy pretty quickly.

Politics Magazine Wins Prestigious Award

Congratulations to my creative team for being the "Bronze Winner" for the prestigious Ozzie Award from Folio magazine. Politics won in the "Best Cover" category with our January 2009 cover about the article Margin of Error, How McCain Lost Latinos and What Obama Must Do to Keep Them (subscription required).

This is the first recognition of the substantial steps our creative and editorial departments have taken to improve the look and feel of Campaigns & Elections’ Politics magazine as we near our 30th anniversary.

McCain: Another Joe Lieberman?

A new Rasmussen Reports poll (11/18; 570 AZ registered Republican voters) is likely causing heartburn for Republican former presidential nominee John McCain. Back in Arizona, the senator only leads former Rep. J.D. Hayworth 45-43% in a hypothetical 2010 Republican senatorial primary match-up.

Hayworth, now a Phoenix radio talk show host since losing his congressional seat to Democrat Harry Mitchell in 2006, has not yet launched a challenge to McCain, but is openly considering the possibility of running.

Pollsters Tell Us What 2009 Means For 2010

At the midway point of this midterm cycle, some of the country's top pollsters gathered in Washington to discuss what can and can't be discerned from the 2009 election results for the 2010 elections.

Most of them agreed on one key point, so let's get it out of the way now: Don't read too much into the Republican wins in New Jersey and Virginia. "Years after a presidential election tell us very little about the midterm election," said Peter Brown of Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Brown was joined by Scott Rasmussen of Rasmussen Reports and Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling at a panel discussion hosted by CQ-Roll Call and emceed by Political Wire author Taegan Goddard. Greg Giroux, one of CQ-Roll Call's political writers, was also on the panel.

Enter Now For The 2010 Reed Awards

Campaigns & Elections’ Politics magazine is accepting entries for the 2010 Reed Awards, recognizing excellence among the political and public affairs community.

Entries may be sent through the Politics magazine contest portal. The deadline for submissions to the Reed Awards is December 18, 2009.

FEC May Negate Robocall Law

A conservative political action committee is asking the Federal Election Commission to supersede a state law regulating robocalls in Minnesota. American Future Fund Political Action, or AFFPA, has filed an advisory opinion request with the FEC that argues the regulator should preempt the state law because it interferes with federal campaign finance law.

The law under fire in Minnesota is among the toughest in the country. It forces campaigns to begin their calls with live operators and get permission to play an automated message.

Get Listed In The 2010 Political Pages

It's almost time for the 2010 edition of the Political Pages. Make sure your firm is included in the latest directory. Download the order form here.

The deadline for entries is January 15, 2010.

Court to Decide Whether Campaign Falsely Claimed President's Support

The results of a ballot question in St. Paul, Minnesota that would change the way voters elect municipal officials remain in a state of limbo Monday. Both sides are awaiting the result of a court challenge that claims the measure passed, in large part, because supporters of the change falsely claimed it was backed by President Barack Obama.

The measure to implement Instant Runoff Voting, or IRV, passed narrowly last Tuesday winning just over 52 percent of the vote. IRV is a method of voting that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference—so you can identify a second or even third choice for one office on the same ballot. Supporters of the measure, led by the group Fair Vote Minnesota, claimed support from President Obama, the DFL (Minnesota’s Democratic Party) and the League of Women Voters. Opponent Chuck Repke, calls all three claims a lie.

Paterson's Defense Starts On Offense

What do you do when you are an extremely unpopular governor and everyone – including the president – seems to want you to forego your reelection plans? How about start over?

New York Gov. David Paterson (D) launched two new ads that are his attempt to re-introduce himself after his spate of bad press.

In addition to his apparent impasse with the White House - which sent political director Patrick Gaspard to dissuade him from running, Paterson's numbers continue to be in the toilet. Just 28 percent view him favorably in the latest Quinnipiac Poll. And there is the general impression that Democrats are waiting for him to bow out so Attorney General Andrew Cuomo can run. Some big D.C. Democrats are throwing Cuomo a fundraiser in Washington later this month, Chris "The Fix" Cillizza reported Friday morning.

Christie Pollster: Win Was Never In Doubt

Tuesday’s victory for New Jersey Governor-Elect Chris Christie was never in doubt according to Christie’s pollster Adam Geller. Despite some last minute Republican skittishness over public polls showing a late surge in favor of the Democratic incumbent, Geller says the campaign’s internal polls had the Republican winning even in the best-case turnout scenario for Democrats.

Palin Dismembers the GOP on a Whim

A reliable Republican congressional seat now belongs to the Democratic Party because Sarah Palin woke up one day and decided it would make for good Facebook content to sabotage the Republican Party in NY’s 23rd Congressional District special election. Palin, whose sabotage was joined by Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.), couldn’t have found this congressional district on a map before this election. It did not take long for her and Pawlenty to drop in from nowhere and have a huge impact on the outcome of the race only now to move on to another victim to feed their ambition; like a science fiction characters devouring planets.

It clearly hadn’t occurred to the egocentric, selfish nature of Palin and Pawlenty that the Republican Party leaders in New York State knew what they were doing when they nominated Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava as their candidate in this special election.

About Last Night: Election 2009

We're on our second cup of coffee and still analyzing the marquee races on Tuesday. Here are the points that jumped out at us last night and this morning.

Christie wins big…bigger than anticipated. The size of Republican Chris Christie's win in the New Jersey Governor's race – 4 points over incumbent Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine – was surprising in this heavily Democratic state. The conventional wisdom was that we'd be up late waiting on the results. Instead, the race was called just after 10:30. This is the race that has to sting the White House most. President Obama invested more of his political capital here than the other big races. And analysts, eager to read national implications into the race, will undoubtedly focus on the Obama army, which won the Garden State by 15 points last year but stayed home this time around.

In upstate New York, conservative grassroots turnout more bluster than voters. The White House can take solace in Democrat Bill Owens’ win in the special election for New York's 23rd District. The conservative grassroots movement to oust Republican nominee Dede Scozzafava in favor of Doug Hoffman, was one of the most anticipated going into Election Day. This race highlighted the divisiveness of the Republican Party and didn't really provide any closure for the GOP. The conservative wing of the party bullied the more moderate wing and, ultimately, failed to win an election.

Key Counties Will Tell the Story in New Jersey

Judging by the final polls in the race for New Jersey governor, Tuesday could be a long night for the campaigns of Jon Corzine and Chris Christie. The latest Quinnipiac poll puts Christie up by two over Corzine—42 percent to 40 percent. Independent Chris Daggett is at 12 percent, with 6 percent of likely voters still undecided. And the latest numbers from Public Policy Polling put Christie up 6 points—47 percent to 41 percent. Daggett is at 11 percent in that poll with just 2 percent undecided.

The key for Christie Tuesday likely lies in his performance in two of the state’s bellwhether counties—Bergen and Atlantic.

Election Eve Potpourri

With less than 24 hours until Election Day 2009, we'll keep you updated on the most interesting developments in the races that will grab the most headlines. Since we focused our October issue on GOTV, we'll highlight any techniques we see the campaigns using as well as any polling and notable ads.

New York Special House Election

The White House continues to wade cautiously into Tuesday's marquee races. Vice President Joe Biden was in Watertown on Monday stumping for Democrat Bill Owens in the upstate New York House special election. Never one to hold back, Biden said that Rush Limbaugh "handpicked" conservative candidate Douglas Hoffman. Hoffman is the GOP's best shot at winning the seat now that prior nominee Dede Scozzafava has dropped out of the race and thrown her support to Owens.

Scozzafava also campaigned with Owens on Monday and recorded robocalls for him.

Guts Vs. Nuts In Grayson Race

Love him or hate him, Rep. Alan Grayson has moxie. How many first term congressmen do you know, after all, who have graced the stage of "Real Time with Bill Maher' and held his own?

But by opening his mouth has the Florida Democrat bitten off more than he can chew?

Grayson, who represents central Florida, has become something of a cause celebre due to his controversial remarks on the healthcare debate. Now it looks like his critics are trying to band together against him with the launch of MyCongressmanIsNuts.com.

Judges Announced For The Second Annual Reed Awards

I am pleased to announce the judges for the 2010 Reed Awards, which honor excellence in political consulting and campaign management.

Why All Republicans Should Support The NY-23 Nominee

For the Republican Party to become significantly relevant in Washington, D.C. its candidates have to win. This means that any viable candidate should be supported, less those with extremist views that are aberrant.

In New Jersey and Virginia many moderate Republicans are supporting GOP gubernatorial candidates Chris Christie and Bob McDonnell with campaign contributions. While on many social issues these Republicans may not be in agreement with the candidate, they likely understand that winning a statewide election in the mid-year cycle is important for building momentum going into the mid-term elections in 2010.

Ludacris Rolls Out For Atlanta Mayor's Race

It looks like a contender in the Atlanta mayor's race is turning to Ludacris for some southern hospitality in hopes of turning his campaign around.

In another example of celebrities lending their star power to pols, the popular rapper/actor and his manager, Chaka Zulu, hosted a fundraiser over the weekend for State Sen. Kasim Reed, a candidate in the mayoral contest. According to Hip Hop Wired, NBA star Shaquille O'Neal also headlined the event.

Jump-Starting the GOP on Social Media

While many of us were taking the Summer off, myself included, and the GOP's beltway consultants were busy conducting straw polls about the 2012 elections, a couple of guys in Virginia have been pounding the pavement, the blogs, Twitter and anything else they can get their hands on this year to give Republican candidates a jump start into the world of social media.

Surveying the smoking aftermath of the 2008 elections, Ford O'Connell and Steve Pearson of ProjectVirginia realized that the 2009 Virginia elections would be an opportunity for Republicans to move beyond just playing catch-up with the Democrats online.

Bipartisanship Never Sounded So Good

The sweet, sweet sounds you heard on H Street last night were coming from the inaugural Karaoke in the Capital. Throngs of Washington media and political types packed the Rock and Roll Hotel for the American Association of Political Consultants Mid-Atlantic Chapter’s event.

Click through to see photos of the action.

Is There Hope In Virginia?

President Barack Obama is Creigh Deeds’ best chance in the race for Virginia governor—and it appears to be an increasingly slim one at that. The Democrat’s latest TV ad, which debuted Wednesday, puts the president front and center in an attempt to mobilize the base and bolster Democratic turnout...

Schmidt And Plouffe Team Up For New College Program

If this were Hollywood, the title would be: Schmidt v. Plouffe II: This Time It's About the Kids.

But, in this case, politics isn't quite that dramatic. Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s 2008 campaign managers, once bitter rivals, are teaming up.

Steve Schmidt and David Plouffe are developing a political communications center at the University of Delaware. The two veteran campaign hands both attended the school, but neither graduated.

Sex Sells, But Will Voters Buy It?

Sex and politics have always been—to put it gently—intertwined. Those notable in their political lives sometimes get caught up in sex stories. But occasionally, those known for their sex lives become the heart of political stories. November's odd-year elections are no different.

In New Jersey, Stepfanie Velez-Gentry is running in a down ballot General Assembly race that typically receives little or no media attention. That was the case until last week, when PolitickerNJ.com revealed that her small business background was hosting "Nookie Parties" where she sells sex toys to women and couples.

What's Daggett's Real Number?

Independent candidate Chris Daggett is polling at 14 percent in the race for New Jersey governor. That’s according to Tuesday’s numbers from the Monmouth University/Gannett poll. It has the race in a dead heat, with incumbent Jon Corzine and Republican challenger Chris Christie both pulling 39 percent among likely voters.

Most think that Daggett is over-performing in those polls, but just how much lower his actual vote share will be on Election Day depends on who you ask. Realistically, Daggett’s “hard support” is closer to 7 percent, says Patrick Murray who heads the Monmouth/Gannett poll—those are the voters most committed to the independent candidate.

Oxen And Rats And Ferrets, Oh My

You have got to watch the latest web ad out of the governor's race the Georgia. It features an ox, a rat, Barack Obama and the Eiffel Tower. Seriously.

Produced by state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine's (R) campaign in house, the animated video, which is entertaining at best and slightly disturbing at worst, portrays Oxendine’s likely Democratic opponent, former Gov. Roy Barnes as a power hungry rat. The theme hearkens back to a controversial - and effective - ad that Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) ran in 2002 against Barnes.

An Emotional Journey With Gavin Newsom

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's latest online ad for his gubernatorial campaign sure does pull on the proverbial heartstrings ... or at least it tries to.

The one-minute long ad seeks to frame the Democratic primary between Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown as a contest between the candidate of the future and the candidate of the past. "Will we nominate a candidate who knows Sacramento?" an adamant Newsom says in the ad, "Or leaders who know how to change it?"

Set to inspirational music, the ad the lists a long series of "This is the race" lines that signify the importance of next year's gubernatorial contest and also underscore Californian's increasingly sour view of their state government.

National Parties Flooding Virginia With Resources

With all the national implications of the Virginia gubernatorial race, money is being pumped into both campaigns from both the Republican and Democratic national committees. The RNC has donated $8 million to Republican nominee Bob McDonnell. The DNC has given $5 million to Creigh Deeds as of a week ago and plans to throw in another $1 million soon. It appears that the DNC is trying to match the opposition.

National parties play a part in most elections, but the size of the donations to Virginia’s candidates proves the commonwealth’s ballooning importance as a swing state. “This is nothing new, but it is to Virginia,” says Jennifer Thompson, of the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs for Virginia Commonwealth University. “Because of Obama’s win Virginia is now competitive.”

Mazel Tov, Norm Coleman

For those of you wondering where Norm Coleman would turn up after leaving the Senate, we've found him. The former Minnesota Republican senator who lost his exhausting and drawn out reelection bid to Al Franken (D) is joining the Republican Jewish Coalition.

Coleman will sit on the coalition's board of director's, according a statement from the group.

RGA Ad Shows Daggett Is A Threat

If there was any question that the GOP is worried that independent Christopher Daggett could be a spoiler in Republican Chris Christie's bid to unseat New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D), the Republican Governors Association confirmed it by running a radio ad targeting Daggett in New Jersey on Wednesday.

The ad seeks to sully Daggett by tying him to Corzine on taxes. "So what about Chris Daggett?" the narrator says. "The Daggett plan sounds like the Corzine plan, but worse. Toll increases, massive sales tax increases. Independent sources confirm, Daggett actually wants to tax you for getting your hair cut, your dry cleaning, you name it."

Checking The Polls In The New Jersey Governor’s Race

For Republican Chris Christie to defeat Democratic Governor Jon Corzine this November he must keep Corzine under 45 percent of the vote. Ordinarily this would signal a landslide, but the independent candidacy of Chris Daggett is the factor that makes plurality the goal line.

Surveys by Rasmussen and Fairleigh Dickinson University have Daggett performing at six percent or less. Quinnipiac has had Daggett trending at nine percent and up to 12 percent since August. Other less established surveys have shown Daggett at as much as 14 percent, but historically this seems unlikely and too high. The general assumption is that Daggett takes votes from Corzine because those looking for an alternative would normally vote for the incumbent but are dissatisfied with the performance yet unready to cast a ballot for the opposition party.

Endorsed By Paper, Independent Could Be A Spoiler in New Jersey

When the New Jersey Star-Ledger endorsed independent Christopher Daggett for governor on Sunday, I think I heard the cheers from Democratic Gov. John Corzine's campaign headquarters all the way down here in D.C.

That's because Daggett, who is commanding a significant 10 to 15 percent in most polls, appears to be having an effect on how the New Jersey governor's race is shaping up and, most importantly, he appears to be taking votes away from Republican challenger Chris Christie. Christie and Corzine now appear to within the margin of error in most polls.

The Road To The White House Is Paved With Books

Want to run for president? Write a book.

That has increasingly become the mantra for presidential hopefuls in recent presidential cycles and 2012 is shaping up to be no different. Of the potential Republican contenders for 2012, two have books set to be released soon and another has written more than a dozen.

What TiVo Can Tell You About Your Politics

TiVo, the original digital video recording system, has changed the way we watch television. Only a decade into the DVR-era, we are all familiar with the "ba-bloop" sound TiVo makes and watching primetime in the morning. Now it appears TiVo may change the way campaigns advertise on TV as well.

TiVo announced this week that it has come up with a way to break down the viewership of a particular show by the viewer’s party affiliation as well as by other demographics. TiVo believes the service, called "True Targets," is a revolution in reaching specific voters via television.

Photos from the Healthcare Roundtable

This morning Politics magazine hosted a healthcare roundtable featuring elected officials, representatives from the medical professions and advocates from all side of the debate.

Click through to see some photos from the event.

Healthcare Roundtable: Current and Former Members Say Some Version of Reform Will Pass

For all of the hand wringing currently going on in Washington over the future of healthcare reform, a panel of members of Congress—current and former, Republican and Democrat—said Tuesday that some version of a healthcare bill would pass this year.

At a healthcare forum hosted by Politics magazine, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) and former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) all said they believed President Obama would sign some sort of a healthcare reform package. Another former member, Connecticut Republican Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.), was less optimistic, but put the odds at 50-50.

Healthcare Roundtable: PhRMA Says 'We Gave Plenty'

Amidst increasing criticism from members of Congress that the White House hasn’t won enough concessions from the pharmaceutical industry on healthcare reform, PhRMA’s Christopher Badgley fired back Wednesday at a healthcare forum hosted by Politics magazine. Badgley, the vice president of state government affairs at PhRMA, says his industry has brought more to the table than it ever wanted to, anchored by the industry’s promise to find $80 billion in savings on prescription drugs over the next decade.

“Our agreement is a good contribution from the industry,” Badgley told Politics. “$80 billion over ten years is the agreement the White House dragged us to. We didn’t go in and say, ‘Oh, by the way, we want to be regulated more and we want to give you $80 billion.’ We certainly didn’t want to go that high.”

Healthcare Roundtable: Dean Says Dems Need To Pass Reform To Stay In Power

If Democrats want to hold on to their majorities in Congress, they have to pass healthcare reform legislation that would take effect and insure Americans by July 1 of 2010, former Vermont governor and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said Wednesday.

Dean, a medical doctor and healthcare reform activist, said that if healthcare legislation is passed but isn’t implemented until after the election, Republicans would be able to capitalize.

One of These Ads Looks Like the Other

Two of the latest healthcare ads—one from the conservative Americans for Prosperity and one from the president's political arm, Organizing for America—are so remarkably similar that one has to wonder if both teams are using the same playbook. While reaching different conclusions, both spots are centered on testimonials from healthcare professionals on the merits of the Democrats' healthcare reform proposals.

The ads suggest that both sides agree on what makes an effective issue ad, or at least an ad that intended to cut through the recent clutter: Testimonials from real people.

The Celeb-Reality-Political Complex

For years, celebrities have been attracted to the halls of Congress and governors' mansions. Bill Bradley used the stardom he gained as an NBA player to run for the Senate. Jack Kemp went from a pro football All Star to Congress and then to a vice presidential nomination. Former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura captured the Minnesota governorship.

With the ubiquity of pols on television and the entertainment qualities of cable news, the line between celebrity and politician is becoming less distinct. From Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.), to Hall of Fame pitcher-turned-Senator Jim Bunning (R-Ky.), to former NBA star and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson (D), to comedian Al Franken (D-Minn.), there are more than a few celebrities who have made the jump into politics recently.

Call Center Firm Runs Afoul Of Labor Department

A large phone data collection firm was hit with a $550,000 fine this week for allegedly hiring three 13-year-olds to staff its phone banks and for giving too many hours to more than a thousand employees between 14- and 16-years-old.

The Department of Labor fined the Orem, Utah based Western Wats Center for two violations of the Fair Labor Standard Act. First, it alleged that the phone firm hired 1,479 14 and 15-year-olds who worked more than the allowed amount of hours. Under the law, children that age can be employed but cannot work more than three hours per day, 18 hours per week during the school year or 40 hours per week when school is in recess.

Redistricting: A Preview

With congressional redistricting on the horizon it is worth looking at the landscape in context of the importance of the 2010 state legislative and gubernatorial elections in the 22 states that could see apportionment changes.

Gainers, in two sets, include: Most Likely Gainers: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Texas, Nevada, and Utah; Potential Gainers: Oregon, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington.

Losers, in two sets, include: Most Likely Losers: Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Potential Losers: Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and California (more likely to not see a change – significant because it will be the first time since statehood that CA does not gain a congressional seat).

Hello, My Name Is _. I Am Running for __.

Introductory TV ads are a staple of modern political campaigns. As candidates try to shape their message and increase their name ID, each has to find a way to introduce themselves to voters.

With high stakes special elections taking place in New York - for the 23rd House district - and Massachusetts - for the late Edward Kennedy's Senate seat - we are already getting a glimpse at the next wave of intro ads. Some of them are pretty unenlightening beyond basic details, others invoke the legacy of the seat and others are heavy on the candidate's personal history, war photos and all.

Fiorina Flops Out of the Gate

Carly Fiorina is among the most high profile Republican Senate recruits in the country for the next cycle. The former Hewlett-Packard CEO was constantly on television last year as a surrogate for John McCain's presidential campaign (until she was removed from that post for some comments that the campaign probably didn't approve, that is). Her connections from the campaign, as well as her enormous personal wealth, would allow her to field a nation-wide network of donors and consultants to give the GOP its first shot at the perennially safe Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

That's why it is so surprising that Fiorina's first step toward that campaign appears to be a flop according to consultants on both sides of the aisle.

Wilson Still Wins

Though Public Policy Polling’s quickly commissioned survey in South Carolina’s 2^nd congressional district shows Rep. Joe Wilson now trailing his Democratic opponent, don’t be fooled. Raising an incredible $1 million since interrupting President Obama’s healthcare speech, the Congressman will again win reelection going away.

The 30 House Dems at the Top of the GOP's Target List

Democratic representatives who got less than 55% of the vote to win in 2008 are going to top the GOP’s 2010 target list. This list is below.<

Some of these 30 congressional seats are located in areas of the country where it will be very hard for the Republican Party to win unless it tones down the extreme right rhetoric and rebuilds the moderate GOP brand. New England and the Mid-Atlantic are prime examples where there are 10 potential pick-ups from the list below.

Sing a Song for a Good Cause

Ever wonder who sings a better rendition of "Pour Some Sugar on Me" – Democrats or Republicans? At the end of October, you may have a chance to find out.

The American Association of Political Consultants Mid-Atlantic Chapter will host the first "Karaoke in the Capital" event on October 21 and the Rock and Roll Hotel on H Street, NE. The AAPC is billing the event as a chance to see Democrats and Republicans put aside their differences for one night and sing for a good cause. A portion of the proceeds will go to Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, which provides instruments to children in need.

Good Press, Bad Press: It’s All Money In The Bank

Who knew calling someone a liar could be worth so much? After Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) yelled, "You lie!" at President Obama during his address to Congress last week, money has flooded into both Wilson’s campaign account and that of his Democratic challenger, Rob Miller.

Miller has already hauled in $1 million and, according to his website, Wilson has raised $1.7 million.

As Wilson and Miller's bulging war chests prove, events that spur a national media feeding frenzy create fundraising opportunities for both the culprit and his or her opponent. Several fundraising consultants noted that there are some things candidates can do to maximize their war chests both in the immediate aftermath and down the road.

All Staff, No Brains

A good campaign staff can propel a candidate to victory, but even the most skilled staffers have problems developing and executing the overall strategy. This doesn't mean that staffers don't contribute to a successful strategy. It just means that they are so close to the ground and caught up in the minutiae that they can't effectively gauge the direction (or misdirection) of the campaign.

NGP Acquires Patton Technologies

In a move that unites two of the largest Democratic software firms, NGP Software, Inc., announced this week that it has acquired Patton Technologies.

NGP's fundraising and compliance software is already used by more than 75 percent of Democratic House and Senate members, as well as the Democratic campaign committees and Democratic National Committee. By bringing Patton under its umbrella, NGP will add 28 Democratic state committees and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee to its growing client roster of more than 1,000 clients in 50 states.

Targeting Democrats in McCain-Friendly Districts

As the Republican Party begins to boil down its pick-up prospects for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010, the congressional districts where Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won the 2008 presidential race with 50 percent or greater is a place to start. The list below is of the 47 Democratic congressional districts where McCain won with 50 percent or greater. Of the 47 Democrats on this list 13 (28 percent) are freshmen and 11 (23 percent) have won two elections and are in their third term.

Court To Rule On Supreme Amounts of Corporate Cash

The Supreme Court’s early return on Wednesday had all the elements of great drama: A new justice, a new solicitor general and arguments in a case that has the potential to reshape the way campaigns are waged.

The high court cut its recess a month short to hear re-arguments for Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The case centers on a documentary, "Hillary: The Movie," that Citizens United, a nonprofit conservative advocacy group, sought to distribute on a video on demand service during the 2008 campaign. The FEC intervened saying the film amounted to a lengthy political ad advocating for the defeat of a candidate and, therefore, could not be aired by a 501(c)(4) group like Citizens United.

Wednesday Is Campaign Finance Day at the Supreme Court

All you Supreme Court junkies buckle in: Wednesday is going to be a wild ride in the high court.

The Court will cut its recess a month short on Wednesday to hear a re-argument of a campaign finance case that could fundamentally reshape how elections are conducted. At the heart of the case is the central issue of campaign finance laws: Do corporations have different rights than individuals?

Begin Your Campaign As Summer Ends

As I sit on the back patio of my summer retreat and listen to the crickets while smoking a cigar in the waning days of my vacation, I realize that it has been some time since I have checked in and forwarded my thoughts to these pages. Summer has a way of doing that to us: We disengage and get caught up in family endeavors. We enjoy the beach and the woods, and we hit the golf course in an attempt to grab all that summer has to offer.

Campaign volunteers are no different. Summer of an off year can be a tough time to keep folks engaged in any meaningful way. The election is a year and a half away. Candidates should be locked in an air-conditioned office with donor lists dialing for dollars. Everyone is otherwise engaged.

Sanford's Ex-Communications Director Launches Consulting Firm

Joel Sawyer, the man who stood between South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and a bewildered press corps in the days after the revelation of Sanford’s extramarital affair, has launched his own political consulting firm. New Level Strategies will focus on media strategy, message development and, of course, crisis management.

Why Obama Is Struggling With Independents

With the many, many polls out there right now on President Obama's approval rating, we thought we'd add to the chatter with one that hasn't gotten much attention but has some rather revealing data on how and why the president’s favorability is slipping among independents.

A new Clarus Research Group survey charts Obama's approval rating under 50 percent by a point and even lower among independents—43 percent.

We know Obama’s support among independents has been eroding from previous polls, but Clarus’ survey has an interesting graphic on why it’s happening. It shows that strong majorities of independents have issues with the direction Obama is taking the country. Nearly half don't think Obama is clearly explaining his policies.

Sources: Meehan Won't Run for Teddy's Seat

Former Rep. Marty Meehan (D) will not run in the special election for Edward Kennedy's former Senate seat, according to two well-placed sources in Massachusetts.

Meehan, who is now the chancellor at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, has been mentioned in most stories as a possible contender in the upcoming Jan. 19, 2010, special election. In particular, Meehan has been seen as a possible candidate because he has retained a hefty $4.85 million campaign warchest since retiring from the House 2007.

Did the Dog Days Bite Democrats?

For congressional Democrats, the recess news cycle has been anything but good. First, protests dominated townhall coverage. Then President Obama's approval rating dropped, ostensibly because support for his healthcare reforms waned.

And now a series of articles—such as this one by the Politico's Josh Kraushaar—have raised the specter of the Democrats losing many House seats in next year’s midterm elections, perhaps even their sizable majority.

Things do not seem to be going well for House Democrats, but there are still entire campaigns to be waged before the 2010 midterms. So Politics asked Democratic and Republican consultants what Democrats can do to shift the narrative or what Republicans can do to solidify it.

Firing Clients: It’s All About Trust and Image

Consultants generally work hard to keep clients, not fire them. But, every once in a while, a situation arises that forces the consultant to scuttle his client. Reasons for firing a client are different for each consultant. I know some that will fire a client for ideological differences. Others will leave a campaign if they grow to dislike the candidate personally. But, the most common reason for firing a client is that the he refuses to take the advice he’s paying for and wants to run a campaign that has little or no chance of winning. In short—he just doesn’t trust you enough to take your advice.

Kennedy Death Sets Off Scramble to Fill Vacancy

When I began covering races in Massachusetts many told me that Bay State politics is a blood sport. With Sen. Edward Kennedy’s death, the state has it’s first Senate vacancy in 25 years, and that sport will play out in a very big way in the coming weeks.

As Massachusetts pays tribute to its legendary senator, political insiders are already speculating about who will run in the special election for Kennedy's seat. Already there are multiple possible scenarios developing and top tier contenders being named in all of them.

Right now everyone is focused on one question: Will there be a Kennedy in the race?

Remembering 1980: Kennedy's Brutal Political Fistfight

Harold Ickes calls Sen. Ted Kennedy’s 1980 campaign for president “a seminal moment” in his political life. After Kennedy’s passing, Ickes and a number of other strategists who worked on the effort are looking back on the senator’s primary challenge to President Jimmy Carter—a race that would help define their careers and leave an indelible imprint on their political lives.

AAPC Wades Into Search Engine Ad Fight

Last week, Amy Harris wrote a blog post for Politics about the emerging fight between the Florida Election Commission and campaigns which buy ads on search engines like Google.

Election officials believe that St. Petersburg mayoral candidate Scott Wagman’s Google ads violated state law because they omitted required disclaimers.

Now, the Association of Political Consultants is wading into the debate, saying that search ads are too small for disclosure statements.

Astroturfing is Campaigning

Astroturfing has quickly become a four-letter word used synonymously with cheating by creating a false perception. Accusations of astroturfing find their way into the news (especially here in D.C.) on a regular basis. However, if you examine the strategy and effect of astroturfing, you’ll quickly realize that it is actually just good campaigning and has been used by candidates and organizations for decades to grow actual bases of support.

Aggravating the Base Into Action

The easy analysis on the White House's perceived withdrawal from the (in)famous "public option" is to assume the President lost the stomach for it. In Politico, columnist Roger Simon asks: "Does President Obama have the Guts?"—which is somewhat hollow considering it takes a bit of girt for a black man to run for President of the United States and then win. Every left-headed stalwart from Jon Stewart to Rachel Maddow, eager to drive the slow ratings cycle that is the humid dog days of August, wants to clown the president or imply he's weak at the knees.

Is Hutchison v. Perry Really Washington v. Austin?

Which is worse: Austin, Texas, or Washington, D.C.?

That, at least for the moment, appears to be a central question driving the Republican primary in the Texas governor's race that officially got underway on Monday when Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison kicked off her campaign. Hutchison is challenging Gov. Rick Perry in what will likely be the most hotly contested primary in the country that could have national implications for the Republican Party.

The Political Telemarketing Guide

Free political communication will always be one of Americans’ most valued rights. In an era with lower and lower barriers of entry into the “Great Conversation,” however, state governments are making efforts to limit political telemarketing. Violations of these laws have resulted in massive fines for some.

The Politics magazine Telemarketing Guide is as a state-by-state primer on the laws and regulations for political telemarketing.

Does Florida's Google Ad Flap Really Matter?

It was the story that rocked the online consulting world—sort of. A case of online space allotment jettisoned a low-profile St. Petersburg mayoral race onto the national consulting stage when the Florida Election Commission said first-time candidate Scott Wagman’s pay-per-click ads on Google violated state law because they omitted required disclaimers. Wagman is fighting the ruling and consultants are saying that if the Florida Election Commission upholds bans on Google ads, it could be the death knell for text-based Facebook and Google political advertising.

Monday Must-Reads: Rise of the Self-Funders

More than 30 candidates for federal office in 2010 have already poured more than $100,000 of their own money into their races. That's almost double the number of candidates who had sunk in that much of their money this time last cycle.

Former Reporter and Candidate Killed in Afghanistan

A former reporter and Pennsylvania congressional candidate who joined the Marines died this week while serving in Afghanistan, according to news reports.

Sgt. Bill Cahir, 40, was serving in the Helmand Province, where there has reportedly been increased resistance. The Express-Times of Easton, Pa., his former paper, reports that Cahir enlisted in the Marines in 2003 when he was 34.

The paper also reports that Cahir's wife is expecting twins.

Does Anyone Know What’s Happening in Virginia?

Does anyone else read the news and think, "Where are Creigh Deeds and Bob McDonnell?"

For a contest that is being fought largely on national issues and will undoubtedly have national implications, the Virginia governor's race between Deeds (D) and McDonnell (R) isn't getting much traction on the national scene. In fact, most people seem bored by it.

The election is only two and a half months away, but it isn't receiving nearly the same amount of attention as the gubernatorial Democratic primary earlier this year and, before that, President Obama's campaign in the Old Dominion last year.

Former Huckabee Consultant Launches Senate Bid

Arkansas businessman Curtis Coleman has been in the thick of a U.S. Senate race once before. In 1992, Coleman managed Mike Huckabee’s first bid for public office—a Senate run against one of Arkansas’ most popular politicians: Democratic Sen. Dale Bumpers.

Polls, Polls Everywhere and Not A Consensus In Sight

Seemingly contradictory public opinion polls drive political observers nuts, and recent surveys of President Obama's approval rating have been no different.

According to a recent Rasmussen Reports survey, more Americans disapprove of Obama's performance than approve of it. That stands at odds with a recent Gallup poll, which found 56 percent approving of Obama, while just 28 percent disapprove—a small gain for the president since Gallup’s last measure. Zogby’s latest results fell in the middle with 53 percent approving, 38 disapproving. Meanwhile, a Marist poll released Wednesday put Obama's approval rating at 55 percent—pretty much where it has been for the last three months.

Family Feud: The Best Healthcare Debate on Television

When one brother yells at another during a live TV interview to spell his name correctly when he reports it to the "White House snitch campaign,” you know the healthcare debate has reached a new level.

That's what happened on Tuesday when Brad and Dallas Woodhouse squared off over healthcare reform on CNN's "American Morning." Brad is the communications director at the Democratic National Committee while Dallas is an organizer for Americans for Prosperity, which runs one of the largest campaigns opposing President Obama's healthcare reform plans.

Wednesday Must-Reads: GOTV in Kabul

Candidates in the upcoming Afghan presidential election are employing some tried and true American campaign tactic, mostly aimed at getting out the vote among the country’s youth.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Refining the Message

The White House is tweaking its health care message, launching a new website to combat critics of President Obama’s proposed overhaul.

So You Want to Host a Townhall ...

Rep. Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) probably thought his recent townhall could get contentious before it even started. Many recent townhalls have. He probably didn't anticipate, though, that the townhall would devolve into near pandemonium when he asked the audience to stop listening to conservative talk show host Glenn Beck, one of the leading and most outspoken critics of the president and Democrats' proposals for healthcare reform.

Monday Must-Reads: Dodd In the Clear?

Now that a Senate ethics panel has found no wrongdoing on the part of Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd in relation to his loans from Countrywide, the embattled Democrat is hoping to move on. But politically, the damage may have already been done.

Astroturf Doesn’t Have Roots, But Do Protests?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday had one word to describe the much talked about uproar at recent healthcare townhall meetings: astroturf.

And, he had a prop to explain why. "I just want you to see what Astroturf is," the Nevada Democrat said to reporters, according to ABC News, while waving a piece of fake grass around.

The relevance? "This is not grassroots," Reid said.

Waging War in Townhalls

As Congress adjourns for a month long recess, the most important battles over healthcare reform will be played out in townhall meetings in congressional districts all across the country. Why is this important? Simple answer: It’s all about earned media. Townhall attendance isn’t enough to actually change national opinion regarding healthcare, but reports of protests and chaotic townhall sessions make headlines that can effect perception.

As General George S. Patton said, “America loves a winner.” That’s true of politicians and even positions on issues. The vast (and growing) population of independents has a tendency to back what they perceive to be the “winning” side. That’s why you hear consultants harp on “momentum” in the closing days of a campaign. Because late-breaking voters cast a ballot for whom they think is winning. The same principle applies to the battle over healthcare.

DNC Tries to Push Healthcare Opponents to the Fringe

In late July when President Obama started going after the insurance industry in his pursuit of healthcare reform, observers and conventional wisdom setters all came to the conclusion: Obama—and, by extension, Democrats—finally had identified an enemy to fight against.

On Wednesday, though, it appeared that the Obama political machine changed course, choosing instead to launch a no-holds-barred campaign that lumps all of its political opponents together and classifies those opponents—basically—as nut jobs.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Obama to Virginia

President Obama will make his first foray into the Virginia governor’s race Thursday when he headlines a fundraiser for Democrat Creigh Deeds. But given the state of the president’s health care plan and his flailing poll numbers, how much does Obama help?

Green Lake: Politics Is Local

In Wisconsin, the Green Lake Reporter, one of America’s tens of thousands of weekly newspapers holds the key to the 2010 governor’s race. Above the fold, photo and stories aren’t focused on the healthcare reform debate or even on the effect (or lack thereof) from the federal stimulus plan. Today’s lead stories are local and highlight the stress of an economy gone south: “Sunken boat recovered from Green Lake” and “County prepares for potential layoffs.” Green Lake voters know what Tip O’Neill knew to be true, all politics is local.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Advice from Shrum

Democratic consultant Bob Shrum has some advice for Congressional Democrats battling GOP health care critics.

Losing Our Religion

We’ve lost our religion. I suppose some would say that the statement is true in a generic sense, but I’m talking specifically about Republicans. In the last two cycles, we have seen an exodus of support for our candidates in federal elections when it comes to the most religious voters. In the 2008 presidential exit polls alone, we saw close to 7-point attrition among those who attend weekly religious services.

Why would values voters vote for a candidate attached to a party that supports abortion rights or gay marriage? Why would they get behind a contender who breaks ranks with the tenets of their own faith - religious practices they deign to live by? Are they apathetic or are we missing something?

Kelley's Wrong Again!

It never ceases to amaze me how often the liberal intelligentsia, as represented in this case by my Filibanter partner Bennet Kelley, is just flat-out wrong. This is especially true when they offer “advice” regarding how Republicans should return from the political doldrums.

Sotomayor and the Death of the Southern Strategy

The hearings on Judge Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court presented a challenge for Republicans—mount a futile but nuanced opposition to a historic nomination to secure their base while minimizing damage among swing voters.

Cursed Along I-95?

Is some kind of lewd political curse haunting Democrats along the great expanse of I-95? That could be given the string of bad news plaguing the majority party from New Jersey to Virginia, lighting up the Northeast in ways unimagined just several months ago. Even though Republican gains in these states seem plausible based on recent polling data, it's still difficult for prognosticators to separate the GOP’s fate from the unpleasant scent of its own brand.

Grassroots Are Worth More than Just GOTV

To many campaigns, grassroots and get-out-the-vote operations have become synonymous. A campaign organizes counties or precincts for the final 72-hour push to get supporters to the polls, but oftentimes overlooking just how valuable these sub-units are to the campaign weeks and months before the election. This misuse of grassroots sub-groups is likely because a generation of campaign operatives got their start as volunteers for the massive get-out-the-vote programs coordinated by the national parties. To these staffers, the sub-units serve one critically important purpose: turning votes out on Election Day. This isn’t necessarily untrue, however, there is so much more the campaign can get out of grassroots sub-groups.

The Press: Don't Hate the Player, Learn Their Game

It's 9:30 am and your candidate is holding a press conference. Unforgiving lights illuminate the beads of sweat on his un-powdered face as he fumbles with his cue cards, stiffly shifting behind his podium. Questions fly from all sides from bloodthirsty reporters. The next could be the one that takes down your entire campaign and you're powerless on the sidelines.

New Partners teams with DLGA

The Democratic Lieutenant Governor's Association wants to establish itself as a launching pad for future Democratic leaders by raising its national profile and that of some of its members.

ZataPulse: American Optimism?

Zata3 Consulting conducts biweekly surveys to track opinions on the economy and other noteworthy issues. The survey question considered today is, “Are America’s best days ahead of us or behind us?” For an introduction to the survey results, click here. For an index of previous ZataPulse results, click here.

The GOP's Gettysburg Lost

When Lincoln buried the dead at Gettysburg nearly 150 years ago, he set the gold standard for political speechmaking. Fast forward to a new low for the GOP which lost ground just last weekend when the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF) held their convention to elect new officers.

Soc-Nets and Web Strategies Can’t Replace Door-to-Door

Every election cycle some new strategy or technique becomes all the rage. Several cycles ago it was “microtargeting,” now its “social networking.” Smart consultants have learned to introduce the new techniques into their strategic advice but work hard to maintain the balance and discipline it takes to win. The goal is to still get your candidate elected. Having 4,000 Facebook friends, half of who aren’t even in your district, does little to help you on Election Day if you fail to build your brand, communicate your message (in-person), and get out the vote.

Thursday Must-Reads: Obama to New Jersey

President Obama is trying to give a much-needed campaign boost to New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine. The president is stumping with the governor Thursday. The Democrat is trailing his Republican challenger, former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, by double digits in most polls.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Sotomayor Day 3

Confirmation hearings for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor press on into day 3 Wednesday. Day 2 saw some tough questions, but no real revelations or missteps from Sotomayor.

Either Lead, Follow or ...

Truly organic campaigns are few and far between. “Astroturf” and “grasstops” have become buzzwords in recent years because conventional wisdom says that winning solely on the grassroots has gone the way of the whistle stop tour. In 2008, the Obama campaign (which was essentially a very professional organization masquerading as an organic movement) brought back the whistle stop, and I believe that 2010 will see a resurgence in the effectiveness of true grassroots operations.

Lights, Camera...Campaign?

"Some of the funniest situations you can ever imagine pop up during the campaign,” says John Brabender, Republican media consultant and founder of Zolitics.com, a new web-based political entertainment network.

Friday Must-Reads: Burris Out

Illinois Sen. Roland Burris will not seek reelection to the Senate next year. It’s welcome news for Democrats in his state and nationally.

Looking to Palin, GOP Pressed for Something Different

Prognosticators, pundits and bloggers alike can't help but scratch their heads in bewilderment over the Sarah Palin craze.

Fundraising Totals: To Release or Not to Release

Now that the second quarter is over, candidates and strategist weigh the option of releasing fundraising totals ahead of the filing deadline. This is often a dangerous game of cat and mouse as release of your fundraising prowess could be topped by your opponent. There is, of course, strategic benefit of releasing early and framing your candidate as the frontrunner, but what do you focus on in the release and how do you combat bigger numbers from your opponent?

Thursday Must-Reads: Can He Really Do That?

Chaos still reigns in New York politics as embattled Gov. David Patterson faces new outrage over his (legal?) appointment of a lieutenant governor.

One Step Over the Line

Watching the Texas gubernatorial primaries unfold this season is like playing Twister. Texans have their feet on the red and blue circles, but when the wheel turns to purple next year, most won’t be able to stand upright with their dignity intact. The latest candidate to enter the contest is Ronnie Earle, the prosecutor infamous for chasing House Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay out of office.

Wednesday Must-Reads: States of the Race

Despite all of the presidential focus, a few races have to come first. New news is starting to come out of Virginia and New Jersey.

Special Offer for Campaigners

If you are working on a campaign or running for office, but don’t read Campaigns & Election’s Politics magazine, you are not prepared to win. Since 1980, Campaigns & Election’s Politics magazine has been the magazine for political professionals and candidates, the single most important resource for understanding winning strategies and new tactics and tools of the trade.

Empathy and a Plan

Perhaps my favorite quote from a Kennedy is Bobby’s. “Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why'? I dream of things that never were and say, 'Why not'?" he once said, quoting the playwright George Bernard Shaw. The idea is still relevant in today’s political climate.

Tuesday's Must-Reads: In and Out

In just a few hours, Al Franken will be sworn in as Democrats' 60th senator.

Learning From YouTube

Of all the technological innovations that marked the 2008 presidential campaign, one of the most important was YouTube. Four years earlier, the service didn't even exist, but by 2008 it had hosted thousands of political videos. It can be hard to keep up with that kind of technological explosion.

Sarah Palin's Roman Holiday

In a political remake of Audrey Hepburn’s classic character, Sarah Palin is now pursuing a normal life, free of crushing attention. In both stories, this was a personal decision. That’s why—unfortunately—the governor told her national consultants to stand down.

Monday Must-Reads: Palin's Plan

Sarah Palin was the talk of barbeques across the country after her Friday announcement that she would not only not run again, but that she would be resigning her office by the end of the month.

Coming & Going: July 2

As new firms pop up and staffers move from office to office, keep your eye on the Campaign Insider blog to find out who's coming and going.

Parade Strategy

July 4 is possibly the busiest day for a campaign other than Election Day. It starts with serving pancakes at the Rotary or firemen's breakfast, then on to walk parade after parade and finally working the crowd at the fireworks display at dusk. It's exhausting but worth it. Beyond all else, you need to be creative and consider some of these dos and don’ts for the parade.

Thursday Must-Reads: Long Weekend

Settling into your long weekend having already read all you want about Sarah Palin? The New York Times Magazine offers the latest long, long political piece, with an in depth look at the California gubernatorial candidates.

In Robocalls, NRCC Puts Disclaimer First

In a new round of robocalls just launched by the National Republican Congressional Committee the source of the call comes at the beginning, rather than at the end. It’s the first time the NRCC, or any national party committee to our knowledge, has identified the source of the robocall right from the outset, and it’s welcome news for anti-robocall advocates like Shaun Dakin.

Return of the Issue Ad?

Issue ads could be making a comeback due to the Supreme Court’s unusual decision on Monday to re-examine a contentious campaign finance law in its next term.

California's Bill Clinton on the Rise

Overcoming my natural gag reflexes, I must admit that Jim Ellis is right... in part. Jerry Brown should fail in his attempt to return to the governor’s office he left nearly 30 years ago. Jim misses the mark on Mayor Villaraigosa’s decision not to run, however, as that is bad news for both Brown and the GOP.

Jerry Brown, Goin' Down

Could the California Governor’s race already be slipping through Democrats’ fingers? For more than a year, everyone thought U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein would win the Democratic gubernatorial primary and easily claim the general election. But Feinstein, who turned 76 last week, hasn’t made the slightest discernable move toward launching a campaign.

Man in the Mirror

Mark Sanford, whose grip on South Carolina’s gubernatorial office is now shaky, suffers from knowing what’s right but not being able to get away from his guilt. That's a predicament candidates in California have already overcome.

Wednesday Must-Reads: 60

Eight months later, Al Franken becomes a senator, giving Democrats a supermajority.

Sign-Ups: June 30

Want to keep up on who's working for who? Stay up to date with our twice-weekly updates. Here's today's fresh batch of sign-ups.

Sanford's Shadow

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's presidential ambitions may be over, but could his recent indiscretions cast a shadow on those following in his footsteps as well?

Remember to Search

I’m amazed at how accomplished people sometimes miss simple things. In recent weeks, I’ve had three organization leaders come to me with stories of bad hires. In all three cases, the employees were diligent and competent but bad for PR. “I called all of their references,” I was told by all three employers. “How could I have prevented this?”

Diversity in the Consulting Industry

There seems to be little question that the political consulting industry has a diversity problem, particularly when it comes to African American consultants. It’s the focus of a piece I penned for the July issue of Politics magazine.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Sanford's Shot

Everyone's saying that Sanford's extramarital revelations have disqualified him for 2012. But have they really?

Coming & Going: June 29

As new firms pop up and staffers move from office to office, keep your eye on the Campaign Insider blog to find out who's coming and going.

A Campaign State of Mind

People who are involved in successful political campaigns are not your everyday, run-of-the-mill working stiffs. The best operatives have a few things in common that allow them to survive and succeed in the political arena.

Thriller: Keeping FOIA Secrets

In a week when pictures of Michael Jackson visiting with a president are splashed across TV sets, Team Obama is fighting to keep the White House visitor logs secret.

Monday Must-Reads: Who Leads?

Despite all of last week's stories about the fall of all Republican contenders, a number of presidential candidates made appearances on the talk shows yesterday, ready to hype their names.

Political Bookshelf

Need something good to read? We've got reviews of the best books for campaigners.

Reds & Blues

Having trouble with keeping up with all the races across the country? Here's a round-up of some of the interesting campaign moves going on.

Sign-Ups: June 26

Want to keep up on who's working for who? Stay up to date with our twice-weekly updates. Here's today's fresh batch of sign-ups.

Friday Must-Reads: The Romney Bounce

Throughout all these scandals, one Republican has been laying low, steadily injecting himself in the national debate—and seeing his approval numbers rise.

Zipping It in a Sex Scandal

Mark Sanford’s press conference yesterday was the equivalent of an SOS, consultants say. The South Carolina governor gave a rambling apology to his mistress, his family and his country (in that order) in an 18-minute PR nightmare that kicked the Sanford camp into crisis mode. Washington is no stranger to sex scandals, but repentant pols don’t usually reminisce about the romantic saga of their extramarital affairs on national television.

Coming & Going: June 25

As new firms pop up and staffers move from office to office, keep your eye on the Campaign Insider blog to find out who's coming and going.

The GOP's Pony Syndrome

GOP carping over a slight decline in the president's approval ratings reminds me of an old joke President Reagan used to tell about the boy who was so optimistic that when a psychiatrist showed him a room piled high with horse manure, he climbed to the top and began digging, exclaiming, “There must be a pony in here somewhere.”

Obama Apologists Warming Up

Barack Obama’s left-wing apologists will soon be working overtime. The new Gallup job approval poll shows the president with his lowest approval rating, 58 percent, since assuming office. Rasmussen Reports data has him even lower—55 percent. People saying they disapprove of his fiscal policies now outnumber those who approve. It’s only the beginning.

Liars, Hypocrites and Governors… Oh My!

It seems instant confessions are the norm in the age of instant messaging. The governor’s presser about his great loves—love of the outdoors, love of adventure and love of an Argentinean—was painful to watch. It took three tall, dark and handsome staff members to wrestle the governor away from his microphones.

Polling Budget Dilemma: Robo vs. Live

Low-budget campaigns are always in search of cheap alternatives to execute big-budget tactics. This begs the question: robo-poll or live-interview survey?

Thursday Must-Reads: Digging for Angles

About the only thing any media outlet can talk about this morning is Mark Sanford, but at least some of the angles dug up are helpful to candidates who may one day face their own scandals.

There and Back

These legends of the political biz have just about sen it all—and they say they're not done yet.

Uncovering Small Donors

2008 was the election of change—small change, that is. A survey released yesterday shed new light on the small donors—those who give less than $200—that raised large amounts of money for both the Obama and McCain campaigns last year.

Wednesday Must-Reads: How to Come Back

Republicans, despite persistent demographic troubles, think that as the president's administration wears on, he's opening more and more ground for a comeback.

Sign-Ups: June 23

Want to keep up on who's working for who? Stay up to date with our twice-weekly updates. Here's today's fresh batch of sign-ups.

Yankee Strategy

Darwin taught us that a species must adapt to survive, and political parties are no different. The Whigs and the Federalists long ago went the way of the Dodo. Now some argue the Republican Party is getting ready to pass into history. There can be a resurgence of the GOP, but it will require us to accept our regional differences.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Hiking the AT

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, an often-cited presidential contender, walked unannounced into the woods, and until yesterday, nobody—not his staff, not his family—knew where he was.

SCOTUS Punts on Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court ruled today on Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder, a decision that—for now—allows Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act to remain. So what, exactly, does that mean for campaigns?

Don't Get Burned by Facebook

Last week a couple of Republican congressmen embarassed themselves on Twitter. Too bad they didn't read the June edition of "Ask the Campaign Doc," where our columnist Craig Varoga details the caution you need with social media—and offers tips on fundraising, email lists and hiring partisan firms.

The High Road

You’re an American consultant. A foreign candidate who opposes America’s current foreign policy agenda wants to hire you for his campaign. What do you do?

Coming & Going: June 22

As new firms pop up and staffers move from office to office, keep your eye on the Campaign Insider blog to find out who's coming and going.

Voter Revenge

Newly elected Rep. Tom Rooney (FL-16) is being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for not supporting the president’s stimulus plan. For a week this month Rooney, like select Republicans across the country, has been the target radio ads, robocalls and emails to voters. What makes Rooney’s targeting questionable is the case of Charlie Crist.

Monday Must-Reads: The Base

Just one county over from Charlie Crist's home, the Florida governor was badly beaten by senatorial primary opponent Marco Rubio.

Robocall Privacy Act Take Two

An anti-robocall measure that went nowhere in Congress last session has been re-introduced by California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. After a hearing in the Senate’s rules and administration committee last February, the bill never made it to the floor.

A Different Kind of Political Hot Air

Sure, the Internet is getting a lot of talk as a fundamental tool in modern political campaigns, but what about the hot air balloon?

Sign-Ups: June 19

Want to keep up on who's working for who? Stay up to date with our twice-weekly updates. Here's today's fresh batch of sign-ups.

TMI Can Sink Your Report

Tyler Harber is right on the money (pun intended) in his post on the strategic value of financial filings. But there is an additional point to be made regarding strategy and financial filings. Strategically, a campaign must recognize the importance of the wording in your financial disclosure reporting, in particular in the itemized expenditure section.

Friday Must-Reads: As the World Turns (Blue)

A slew of new polls are out today, and most should make the majority party happy.

To Hoekstra

Rep. Pete Hoekstra learned a lesson about the Internet today.

Coming & Going: June 18

As new firms pop up and staffers move from office to office, there's no better place than here to keep up with who's coming and going.

The Strategic Value of Financial Filings

It may seem like a regulatory chore, but that financial disclosure filing can make or break your campaign.

Thursday Must-Reads: The Lobbyist Dodge

President Obama is appearing at the Democratic campaign committees' fundraising dinner tonight, meaning his restriction on lobbyist donations is in place. But that won't be the case when they do it all again tomorrow morning, trading out Obama in favor of the lobbyists.

A Game of Chance

All elections involve a little bit of luck. But in one Arizona town yesterday day, that meant cutting a deck of cards.

The Great Congressional Twitter-Jacking

Twitter impersonators have many motives, but providing a public service is not typically one of them. But that—at least in part—led an impersonator known only as “Anon Guy” to spend five months posing as Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and tweeting updates from Heller’s webpage to followers.

ZataPulse: Financial Futures

Zata3 Consulting conducts biweekly surveys to track opinions on the economy and other noteworthy issues. The survey question considered to day is, "Will your financial situation be better a year from now?"

The Future of Polling is Online

In his June column, John Zogby explains why the increasing numbers of cell phones makes online polling more and more attractive.

A Domestic Turn

The European Parliament has a lot of power—some say up to 70 percent of a country's laws will be constrained by their decisions. So last week's elections should have centered on just who would best implement European policy. But the campaigns centered on national leaders, both at home and abroad, instead.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Crisis Management

Nevada Sen. John Ensign, known for his past criticisms of politicians' moral missteps, has admitted an affair of his own. So how well did he handle the crisis?

Sign-Ups: June 16

Want to keep up on who's working for who? Stay up to date with our twice-weekly updates. Here's today's fresh batch of sign-ups.

The Politics/Politics Hour

The latest edition of "The Politics/Politics Hour" on Sirius/XM's "The New School" featured Louisana Rep. Joseph Cao, one of the Democrats' top targets, and guest co-host Shane D'Aprile, our senior editor.

Tuesday Must-Reads: The New Star

Creigh Deeds' Virginia win cemented the rise of a new political operative: Joe Abbey, Deeds' 30-year-old campaign manager, who had to beat out his mentors in the Democratic primary.

Coming & Going: June 15

As new firms pop up and staffers move from office to office, there's no better place than here to keep up with who's coming and going.

Going Green to Get the Votes

Whatever side of the aisle you're on, demonstrating a commitment to the environment can win you new voters. Check out these tips for good ways to green your campaign.

Monday Must-Reads: Fun with Statistics

An article laments Republicans' demographic woes—and yet other statistics show conservatives are strong.

Text Messaging for Campaigns

Text messaging was all the rage in ’08. And with good reason—almost everyone under 45 sends and receives more text messages than phone calls, says Jed Alpert, and it’s the fastest growing communications sector for people over 65. Now it’s time for texting to take over local races.

How to Manage a Crisis and Survive

It was the Fourth of July and Michael O’Conner was lying next to his four-day-old baby when the mayoral candidate whose campaign he was managing called. “I just hit an 11-year-old kid,” the candidate said. O’Conner took a breath, asked it the child was okay and immediately kicked into crisis-response mode. The worst thing a campaign can do is get stuck in the limbo of analyzing a situation, O’Conner said. This was the golden nugget of advice at the “How to Crisis Manage and Survive” panel at the Art of Political Campaigning conference.

Overcoming Polling Challenges

With all the excitement around Obama’s historic candidacy last year, it was a great election for polling—not least of all because of the respectable turnout. “But this year we’ve crashed back to reality,” says Craig Charney, a pollster who has worked for leaders like Bill Clinton and Shimon Peres. That means candidates this year are facing the same old challenges as every other downballot, low-turnout race—it’s simply hard to predict.

Quality Opposition Research

It’s easy to think of opposition research as a thrilling, underhanded pursuit. But researchers are at pains to avoid that reputation. These are guys that spend their time in libraries and county offices, says Mike Rice. No dumpster diving here.

Sign-Ups: June 12

Want to keep up on who's working for who? Stay up to date with our twice-weekly updates. Here's today's fresh batch of sign-ups.

ZataPulse: The Latest Batch

Zata3 Consulting conducts biweekly surveys to track opinions on the economy and other noteworthy issues. Today we considertwo questions: "How would you rate Obama's efforts to promote racial equality?" and "Are America's best days ahead of us?"

Friday Must-Reads: Deeds Leads

The Art of Political Campaigning conference is still going strong here at the Washington Marriot (see some recaps from yesterday's sessions here on the blog), so it will be another brief post this morning. Watch for more recaps tonight!

The Art of Political Campaigning

Twitter's political effectiveness is still up in the air, but we've found at least one thing it's good for: keeping up with our Art of Political Campaigning conference, going on right now.

New Media, New Cycle

Jonathan Karush often gets asked by his clients how he can give them a web presence like Barack Obama’s. “I sort of scratch my head a little bit,” Karush says, “and say frankly I can’t.” Obama, he says, was a generational candidate who even without his great online campaign team would’ve broken all kinds of Internet records.

Fundraising in a Recession

Last fall, Barack Obama had an all star as his finance chair. Penny Pritzker, founder and chair of Classic Residence by Hyatt, is one of the world’s richest people. So how did he get the hook-up? Through personal relationships. Pritzker’s children attended a basketball clinic run by Michelle Obama's brother. And that kind of personal connection is even more important now, in a recession.

Defying the Odds

What do you do when your candidate is a long shot for the win—largely unknown, with no clear strategy against the popular incumbent? Maybe it’s time to turn to a rat.

That’s what Fred Davis, a Republican media consultant, did to help Sonny Perdue win the Georgia governorship. Davis was a little known state senator who had just switched parties, and was vastly outspent. Davis went to bed one night, needing desperately to think up a message that could take down then-Gov Roy Barnes but finding nothing. But he woke up with a start and wrote down a script that he kept, word for word.

The First-Time Blind

I love the passion of first-time candidates. They are bright-eyed, energetic and full of ideas on how to make their town, county, state or nation a better place to live and work. However, many of these first-timers struggle to understand that simply talking about the issues won’t get them elected. To be successful, a campaign has to introduce the candidate long before the issue debate begins.

Coming & Going: June 11

As new firms pop up and staffers move from office to office, there's no better place than here to keep up with who's coming and going.

Thursday Must-Reads: The Conference Edition

I'm here at our Art of Political Campaigning Conference (follow us on Twitter!), but here are a few stories for those of you who couldn't make it to consider.

Peter Schiff's Bitter Pill

Peter Schiff, the famed economic pessimist, says he's the only Republican who can beat Chris Dodd. But will he run?

ZataPulse: Racial Equality

Zata3 Consulting conducts biweekly surveys to track opinions on the economy and other noteworthy issues. The survey question considered to day is, "How would you rate Obama's efforts to promote racial equality?"

Wednesday Must-Reads: It's Deeds

Virginia Democrats have their gubernatorial candidate, and it's Creigh Deeds.

Sign-Ups: June 9

Want to keep up on who's working for who? Stay up to date with our twice-weekly updates. Here's today's fresh batch of sign-ups.

Desperate GOP in European Denial

It appears that Euro Disney has a new challenger: Euro Fantasy Island. The party that gave us “Freedom Fries” is now heralding parliamentary election results in France and the rest of “Old Europe” as the sign of a future conservative wave. As long as they remain in denial, the Grand Old Party will be les misérables.

Europe Gives Dems Warning

The stunning center-right victory in the European Parliament elections this past weekend is an ominous warning to American Democrats. European voters flatly rejected the Labor and Socialist Party economic recession policies—actions and spending mandates that are virtually identical to Barack Obama’s bail-out and nationalization edicts.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Next Up Virginia

The Virginia gubernatorial primary is today, and Democrats will pick who will run against Bob McDonnell in an attempt to keep the governor's mansion for a third straight term.

Coming & Going: June 8

With all of the early spring news, we missed the launch of a new communications firm. In early April, Patrick Hynes announced the launch of Hynes Communications, "a premier provider of new media and social networking services, blogger outreach, and online communications," which provides communications campaign development and launch, crisis management and issue advocacy.

SCOTUS Rules on Judicial Elections

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled today that campaign contributions in judicial elections can affect due process.

The Power of Targeting

FiveThirtyEight is, as any reader of the morning Must-Reads probably knows, one of my favorite political sites on the web. Recently they've been branching out from their typical statistical analysis content, and today they've put up an interview with Ken Strasma, Obama's national targeting director in 2008 and of the participants in our inaugural ShopTalk feature.

Rising Stars 2009

We're honoring our new set of Rising Stars on Thursday night, but you can get to know them know. Take a look at the full Rising Star bios.

Monday Must-Reads: Sorry, Sarah

Sarah Palin is back on the road, looking to smooth over her recent PR missteps—but she's not helped with her uninvitation to tonight's NRCC fundraiser.

Sign-Ups: June 5

Want to keep up on who's working for who? Stay up to date with our twice-weekly updates. Here's today's fresh batch of sign-ups.

Friday Must-Read: Virginia Guesses

Heading into the last pre-primary weekend, every pundit takes their guess at Tuesday's gubernatorial results.

The Rise of the Free-Market Candidate

As 2010 approaches, we’re seeing of a new kind of Republican candidate emerge—one that is less partisan than his or her predecessors, more concerned with the kitchen table than the social issues that have long defined the GOP. They are self-funding, successful businessmen and women, driven to run for office by the government encroachment on free-market enterprises and its failure to deal with the economic downturn effectively.

Coming & Going

Mission Control Inc. expands its D.C. office and a new Republican firm targets Latino voters.

Thursday Must-Reads: Presidential Posturing

With Obama off in Cairo delivering his speech to the Muslim world, there's no stop to the presidential posturing of his rivals back home.

C&E Flashbacks

The thirtieth anniversary of Campaigns & Elections is coming up quick, but it's always nice to get a reminder of the publication's past. This afternoon Elizabeth Bartz, one of the magazine's original editors, stopped by for some reminiscence.

Obama is Protecting Our National Security

The magnitude of GM’s bankruptcy is best understood through several key numbers. The first is that the Bush recession has already cost us 5.7 million jobs—the equivalent of the entire population of Wisconsin. If GM were allowed to fail, however, it could bring the entire auto industry and 3.3 million more jobs with it and create an economic black hole in the heartland.

Obama Motors is DOA

President Obama’s act of nationalizing General Motors is an ominous sign of impending economic disaster. The U.S. and Canadian governments collaborating with United Auto Workers to run a major for-profit business sounds like a highly amusing fictional sitcom—ifit wasn’t such a real-life tragicomedy.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Christie Wins

The expected candidates won in New Jersey yesterday , setting the stage for an expensive general election battle between incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine and challenger Chris Christie. The Virginia primaries, set for a week from yesterday, offer a tighter battled on the Democratic side, with the latest polls showing state Sen. Creigh Deeds has surging into the lead.

The Tail that Wags the Republican Dog

The institutional Republican leadership, such as it is, needs to retake control of the asylum away from the inmates.

Republicans certainly have an obligation to question Judge Sotomayor closely on her views on the Constitution. But they would be crazy to mount a full-scale offensive against her confirmation for the Supreme Court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Souter.

Pawlenty Not Running in 2010

Just days after saying he'd postpone any decision about his political future until later this summer, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will announce today that he won't seek a third term next year.

Rising Stars on TV

Four of our recently named Rising Stars—Daniel Gotoff, Katie Harbath, Christopher Malagisi and Tom Serres—appeared on Fox and Friends this morning to discuss President Obama has been the recipient of fawning press coverage and what that might mean for campaigns down the line.

Obama's Latest GOP Pick

Obama has announced his choice for secretary of army, and once again he's plucking from the GOP. New York Rep. John McHugh, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, comes from a district won by Obama last year, making a competitive special election likely.

ZataPulse: Financial Futures

A New Power Player in Missouri Politics

Today a new organization dedicated to electing progressive Democratic women to the state legislature and state-wide office was born. Harriett’s List, named after the former Missouri Lt. Governor Harriett Woods, was formally launched today.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Turning Blue

As the first of this year's two gubernatorial primaries wraps up today—both of which, thanks to competitive Republican candidates on the East Coast, have become marquee races—Democrats are beginning to eye expanded territory.

A Fundraiser Jackpot?

When Pennsylvania was about to legalize slot parlors in 2004, lawmakers reconciling legislative differences for a final bill wanted to make sure casinos wouldn’t produce jackpots for politicians. So a last-minute provision was inserted that barred campaign contributions from anyone with an ownership stake in casinos in the state. Five years later, the state Supreme Court struck down that provision as an unconstitutional limit on free speech rights. But even with expensive statewide races for governor and U.S. Senate looming, don’t expect wads of campaign cash to flow from those mavens of gambling just yet. Some politicians, including the Democratic governor who pushed for legalized gaming, are adamant that they still won’t accept money from casino interests. A Republican state lawmaker is preparing a new bill that would circumvent the court’s decision. And, after enjoying a legal excuse for keeping their wallets closed, casino executives aren’t exactly rushing to shell out campaign cash.

Movers & Shakers: Sen. Bob Menendez

Forget history, says Sen. Bob Menendez. The new DSCC chair is confident he can help his party avoid a midterm slide.

Consistency with Sotomayor

President Obama’s recent Supreme Court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor, is about to begin the long and arduous confirmation process. Senate Republicans will take a full and in-depth review of her record and if it warrants a tough hearing and possible filibuster, so be it. But I also feel Republicans need to be consistent.

Campaign Takedowns

For all the rhetoric in campaign kickoffs about running on issues, sometimes a well-executed attack is what finishes a race. Fact-based claims that strike a chord with voters can strike a fatal blow in a close campaign. We’ve rounded up a few of this century’s toughest finishing moves so you can see what works—and what doesn’t. Be prepared: you may have to play rough to win.

Monday Must-Reads: Jersey Time

With a day to go until the gubernatorial primary, New Jersey Republicans are urging voters to get out and participate.

SCOTUS Battle: Polls are in

The first set of polling on Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court are in, and they give fodder to both sides.

Go Ahead, Make My Day

The GOP’s opposition to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is laughable not just because there is little to their argument but because they fail to recognize that their prized wedge issues only increases the public perception of the GOP as the Southern White Man’s Party.

Scrutinize Sotomayor

Those who want to make policy should run for president or Congress. Legal scholars, who interpret the law without consideration of their personal feelings and opinions, should be appointed to the bench. Unfortunately, we as a country have strayed dangerously afar from this basic principle.

Winning Over Labor

When it came to union members in Ohio this past year, Barack Obama started in a weakened position. Early polling from the state showed union members supporting him with just 50 percent of the vote. It wasn’t a bad start, but it was well below the number Obama needed to win the state.

Bundling and Bathos

When Congress passed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act in 2007, there was great joy in the reform community. Among other items in the bill, there was a provision to expose the venal and insidious bundlers of campaign contributions that made a mockery of contribution limits. Well, things didn’t turn out quite the way they expected. What we got was a lesson in the limits of reform.

ZataPulse: America's Best Days

Zata3 Consulting conducts biweekly surveys to track opinions on the economy and other noteworthy issues. The survey question considered to day is, "Are America's best days ahead of us?" For an introduction to the survey results, click here.

Friday Must-Reads: The Gringo GOP

With conservative leaders hardly hesitating in attacking the "identity politics" of the Sotomayor nomination, is there a way for the GOP to abandon the Hispanic vote and still win?

The High Road: Finder's Fee

The candidate you work for is seeking a vendor to do work outside your area of expertise. A consultant approaches you, offering a "finder's fee" in exchange for a referral. What do you do?

Odd Men Out

Freshman Reps. Joseph Cao (LA-2) and Walt Minnick (ID-1) won uphill congressional races in 2008 in part by convincing voters to look beyond party labels. To win again in 2010, though, each must convince voters they can find a way to represent their districts from the opposite side of the aisle.

Thursday Must-Reads: Primaried

Rep. Joe Sestak's announcement that, assuming his family agrees, he will challenge Arlen Specter makes next year's primary season one to watch.

Chris Perkins to Wilson Research Strategies

Sources tell us Chris Perkins, a longtime political strategist, has joined Wilson Research Strategies as vice president and is running the firm's Austin office.

Zogby: Rare Democratic Unity

If Will Rogers were alive today, he might not recognize the current Democratic Party. From top to bottom, Democrats have been shaken by eight years of Bush policies— and after the legislative failures of the Clinton years, they’ve learned the necessity of uniting behind their popular new leader.

Chuck DeFeo to Connell Donatelli, Inc.

Chuck DeFeo, former Bush-Cheney eCampaign manager and a leader in social conservative media, has joined the Donatelli Group as the oresident and CEO of Connell Donatelli, Inc.

Local Online Campaign Boom

As state-level campaigns begin gearing up this year, still in the shadow of Obama's dominating online performance, expect a boom in the technology employed in state-level campaigns. Campaign Insider contributor Colin Delany has a great post on his own blog offering some tips to staffers and politicians looking to increase their online presence.

ZataPulse Surveys: Racial Equality

Zata|3 Consulting conducts biweekly surveys to track opinions on the economy and other noteworthy issues. The survey question considered to day is, "How would you rate Barack Obama's efforts to promote racial equality in America?" For an introduction to the survey results, click here.

Shop Talk: Going Strong

Over lunch in the private room at DC’s BlackSalt, we found out how mail consultants keep the post office on their side and debated the art of the negative mailer. Trust us, it was a good thing there weren’t any media consultants there.

Plugging into Ning

With millions of voters—and dollars—at stake in Washington these days, politicos are always looking for new ways to plug into social networking. One hot topic in political tech circles is Ning, a platform that allows politicians to create their own social network. We asked our dueling tech gurus David All and Jerome Armstrong how to figure out if Ning is right for your social networking needs.

Wednesday Must-Reads: The Battle Begins

The Sonia Sotomayor nomination has set off a new wave of campaigning, with politicians from both sides jumping on air to try to frame the debate.

ZataPulse Surveys: Introduction

Today we're introducing a new feature: ZataPulse survey results. Brad Chism and the staff at Zata|3 Consulting will be examining the implications of their bweekly survey on economic and other social issues.

Rising Stars Alumni

Over the years, Campaigns & Elections' Politics magazine has honored many prominent consultants and politicos, and this year's class join an impressive list of some of the industry's top players. Browse our previous honorees below, or jump to a particular year to see who we selected.

SCOTUS Politics

Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation should depend on her abilities. But that won't stop the vote from being a tactic in a wider political fight.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Playing Catch-Up

We were taking a rest over Memorial Day weekend, but the news was not. The biggest political story of the long weekend broke this morning, as word leaked of Obama's first SCOTUS choice: Sonia Sotomayor.

Friday Must-Reads: Showdown?

Everyone in Washington was talking yesterday about Obama and Cheney's dueling foreign-policy speeches—and whether it was really a duel.

The Politics, Politics Hour

On Saturday, C&E's Politics mag president Jordan Lieberman kicked off "The Politics, Politics Hour," a new monthly segment on Charles Ellison's "The New School Radio Program." Have a listen.

Thursday Must-Reads: Sort-of Socialists

The RNC's resolution on Democrats' creeping socialism half-passed yesterday, with its final version opposing Democratic attempts to "[push] our country toward socialism," but stopping short of creating an official "Democrat Socialist Party" nickname.

A Third Choice: Get Back to the Real Issue

The GOP’s “Pelosi-gate” argument appears to be that Speaker Pelosi is corrupt to the core for slandering the CIA for not being fully honest on the question of torture. This is tantamount to feigning outrage over the Dewey Decimal classification of Hitler’s Mein Kampf while being indifferent to its hateful content.

Pelosi's Choices: Proof or Apology

Let’s stop trying to resolve which of Pelosi’s many inconsistent accounts of her waterboarding story is true. It is abundantly clear that we will never fully understand what she knew, when. But the Speaker should be required either to prove that the “offending” CIA officials committed the felonious act of lying to Congress or offer a public apology for accusing them of such.

Political Bookshelf

Looking for a good book to enjoy over Memorial Day weekend—or the latest tome to brush up on your campaign skills? Check out our book reviews from the May issue.

Rising Stars!

Each year, Campaigns & Elections chooses a new set of Rising Stars, people 35 or under who have already made a significant mark in political consulting or advocacy. We're proud to announce this year's Rising Stars. Congratulations!

Wednesday Must-Reads: Census Shake-ups

Next year will kick of the decennial census process, which will redraw congressional districts and alter the legislative landscape for years to come. It's time to start thinking about it now.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Steele Reboot

Michael Steele, with a speech at an RNC gathering today and a Politico op-ed, tries to focus on the future.

Politics Abroad

Sometimes it's easy for U.S. politicos to forget all of the important elections that happen abroad. But—for those of you who speak Portuguese—here's a reminder of how C&E is working with Latin Ameican consultants.

Headed for a Blowout

Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, though he was considered a presidential longshot by some, has left moderate Republicans in a lurch. The party is "headed for a blowout," says one of his strategists, unless they can find a middle-of-the-road spokesman. But does Huntman matter?

Feeling Lucky

After years of fighting, slots advocates in Maryland finally hit pay dirt with a winning campaign.

Monday Must-Reads: Huntsman to China

Obama named his surprising choice for ambassador to China on Saturday: Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr., who David Plouffe recently called one of the most worrisome Republicans for the 2012 race.

Honolulu Votes Online

Voters in Honolulu are picking their new neighborhood boards today. But they're not heading to the polls. Most aren't heading anywhere—they're voting from home, or from the office, or from the library. The City and County of Honolulu is holding the nation's first all-digital election.

Friday Must-Reads: Countdown

This year's gubernatorial primaries are fast approaching, and both states, New Jersey and Virginia, look to be hot contests.

Newt v. Twitter

The GOP's love affair with Twitter may be coming to a close after Newt Gingrich and former Michigan GOP chair Saul Anuzis find their followers duped.

Cover Gallery

Browse through the history of Politics magazine with our new gallery of magazine covers, stretching back to our 1980 beginnings as Campaigns & Elections.

15 Minutes with Mike Huckabee

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee can teach the aspiring presidential candidate a thing or two about staying relevant. High on the list of potential 2012 Republican contenders, Huckabee is one of the few without the bully pulpit of elected office.

Still, the bass-playing minister isn’t having a hard time remaining on the national stage, and his off-season approach is almost as unconventional as his 2008 presidential campaign.

Thursday Must-Reads: Recruiting

With 2010 growing ever closer, both parties are trying to sort our their next crop of recruits.

Overseas Ballots Go Uncounted

A new study suggests that nearly one-fourth of overseas ballots end up going uncounted.

McCain is Right, Torture is Wrong

For eight years, the Bush-Cheney administration repeatedly told us that patriotism meant remaining silent as the administration infringed on individual rights. The rudderless GOP is now following suit by praising Torture Czar Cheney's continued embrace of torture. The Grand Torture Party, however, ignores the fact that torture is wrong, illegal and counterproductive.

Cheney's Right

Dick Cheney’s comments over the weekend on Bush Administration interrogation practices are exactly on target. What a welcome respite from the constant media coverage of Democrats attacking those who valiantly risked their lives for our protection. Are Republicans finally finding their voice? Well, maybe at least one.

Wing-Nut Death Wish

The first rule of political PR is that when you’re in a hole, stop digging. Somebody ought to tell Mike Huckabee, Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich to ditch their shovels before they bury the GOP.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Rebrand Battles

Rumors swirl that the Republican Party, rather than rebranding itself, is now trying to rebrand its opponents—as the "Democrat Socialist Party." Wasn't that tried before?

Health Care Flashback: Harry and Louise

With health care ads hitting the air in anticipation of the coming legislative battle, advocates on both sides can look to history to learn a thing or two. Fifteen years ago, a fictional couple named Harry and Louise helped stop a similar debate in its tracks.

"The goal was not to defeat the Clinton health care plan," said Ben Goddard, who created the ads. "It was to get some changes made in it. They treated us like an enemy and forced it into an up-or-down situation. They wanted zero changes. It was 'my way or the highway.'"

I sat down with Goddard a few weeks ago at the offices of his firm, Goddard Claussen, while researching my story on advocacy consulting, and we spoke about the best strategies for winning advocacy campaigns.

Playbook: Mastering TV Production

In the May edition of Playbook, media expert Jim Fogarty explains what you need to know to create a great TV spot on any budget.

Dueling Republicans

Prominant Republicans have been firing back and forth over the past few days, as just who leads the party is still far from clear.

Tuesday Must-Reads: The Crist Effect

It's widely expected that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will announce his Senate candidacy today, and it's got implications for the national parties.

Monday Must-Reads: A Look at Virginia

A couple of Virginia Democrats earn themselves some lengthy profiles.

Friday Must-Reads: Pennsylvania Plotting

Does Ridge's decision not to run leave the door open for a future presidential run?

Ridge Out

Tom Ridge, the GOP's best hope to keep a Pennsylvania seat, has declined to run.

Governor Turn-Over

As governors' approval ratings suffer with state budgets, expect a lot of party swapping in '10.

Ask the Campaign Doc

If I'm not Barack Obama, how much money can I raise online? Craig Varoga answers this and more in this month's edition of Ask the Campaign Doc.

Former Bush Aide Unveils Targeting Firm

A new firm founded by two prominent political operatives will made its “formal announcement” to the market today, touting a breakthrough in the ability to microtarget online political audiences.

Thursday Must-Reads: RINOs & Re-Branding

Though Arlen Specter has bailed from the Republican parties, GOP conservatives will have no lack of centrists to label as RINOs.

Going Local

A two-seat conservative pick-up in the Alexandria City Council last night may be the best model for a Republican comeback.

Ad Watch: NRCC Attacks Blue Dogs

The NRCC has launched a "Democrat Accountability Offensive," with radio ads in the districts of Blue Dog Democrats.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Hope Glimmers

The GOP's woes are far from over, but writers are taking note of a lot of bright spots for the Republican Party.

Line of Defense

Early voting has been on the rise—sharply. Failure to understand how to deal with early voting can sink your campaign. But a good early voting strategy can save you.

Notes from the Advocacy Underground

Consultants are making millions on advocac battles. They just don't want to talk about it.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Re-Brand Fans

Eric Cantor's National Council for a New America is the latest catalyst for side-taking in the GOP, as one top conservatives signs on and another shrugs off.

The Pollster Debate

Stan Greenberg, whose work for the left at Democracy Corps is has inspired a new imitator on the right, delivers the first salvo in what promises to be a spirited battle of pollsters.

Movers & Shakers: Jeff Burton

Jeff Burton, one of the organizers of Eric Cantor's new re-branding effort, couldn't talk about Saturday's forum when we chatted a few weeks ago. But his thought-process and vision for the party's future show where the National Council for a New America might move to next.

Remembering Jack Kemp

In 1994 I was a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Alabama. In addition to the joys and angst of college life, I became deeply curious about politics. Two forces helped shape my political existence in that pivotal year of my life: the Contract with America and Jack Kemp.

Monday Must-Reads: Pa. Primaries

The shape of next year's Pennsylvania Senate race is changing quickly, with new primary challenges emerging on both sides.

Liberals Want PA Primary

Though big-time Dems have said they'll clear the primary for their newest member, one liberal group in Pennsylvania wants Specter challenged from the left.

Brand Obama's Queen

All these Obama media saturation has to be carefully managed so the president's brand doesn't lose its fizzle. Meet Desirée Rogers, White House social secretary, the woman who controls that brand.

Not the Usual Suspects

With the retirement of Justice Souter, President Obama has the opportunity to remake the Supreme Court. And he should do it by looking beyond the usual suspects—he should pick a politician.

Watch Your Words

A Michigan political strategist is let go for telling the GOP what they don't want to hear.

A Good Job for a Politician

Want to be the president one day? Used to be you should start as a lawyer. But that pattern is changing.

Friday Must-Reads: Souter Out

Supreme Court Justice David Souter, long unhappy with Washingtonian life, has announced that he will retire in June—which, as Shane has already pointed out, will lead likely lead to some partisan wrangling.

GOP Ready for Nomination Fight

For anyone who still holds out hope that some sort of post-partisan spirit of cooperation will eventually make its way to Capitol Hill, the impending Supreme Court nomination fight should quickly shatter it.

The RNC Squabble Continues

After some Republican National Committee insiders tried to wrest away his financial control, Chair Michael Steele is returning fire. The Washington Times has the text of an email he sent, and it's not pretty.

The Ideas Behind GOP Rebranding

This morning I mentioned the National Council for a New America, a forum hoping to rebrand the GOP. Now, courtesy of Marc Ambinder, here's their "founding letter."

Thursday Must-Reads: Still Specter

The fallout over Specter's decision continues, but we'll keep you up on the campaign news that was buried, too.

SCOTUS Tackles Voting Rights

Texas-based Republican consultant Allen Blakemore is closely watching the SCOTUS debate over a section of the Voting Rights Act. He thinks dumping Section 5 of the Act is long overdue and he’s rooting for the high court’s conservative voices to prevail on this one.

Resurgent Republic(ans)

A new conservative policy group, formed to fight back against liberal counterparts, doesn't dispute President Obama's high approval ratings. But in their first national poll, they think they've discovered a key to a Republican resurgence: right-leaning independents.

Shop Talk: Picking Fights

Over a couple bottles of wine, four top fundraisers duked it out over donor limits, Twitter and John Murtha. Who knew fundraisers would get this rowdy?

The Truth About Specter

Everything they say about Sen. Arlen Specter is true. I know this because Arlen Specter's 1998 reelection campaign was my first full time job.

Specter's Switch: The Price of Obamanoia

Arlen Specter's defection from the Republican Party is the canary in the coal mine, warning Republicans that they are on a path to electoral disaster. After two consecutive electoral thumpings, caused in part by too-conservative platforms, the GOP had to choose: adopt the big-tent philosophy Specter spoke of and broaden their reach—or continue to cater to their shrinking base.

Specter's Switch: Trading Toomey for Sestak

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter may now be a Democrat, but that doesn’t guarantee him reelection. Since his party-switching ploy was so obviously done to save his political skin, rank-and-file Democrats may not take kindly to the move.

Wednesday Must-Reads II: 100 Days

All the Arlen Specter hubbub buried what many news outlets planned to be a big day of coverage: President Obama's hundredth day in office.

Wednesday Must-Reads I: Per-Specter-ives

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter's surprise party switch stole all the headlines. So here's the all-Alren edition of the Must-Reads: the build-up, the implications, the fall-out and more.

Specter Dumped by Pollsters

Public Opinion Strategies, which has worked with Sen. Arlen Specter in his last three elections, has announced they will resign from his campaign team.

High Road: The Party Switch

In May's "The High Road," we consider what a staffer might do if his or her employer suddenly switched parties—a timely question given Sen. Arlen Specter's announcement today that he's joining the Democrats. How would you handle the switch? Weigh in here.

Smerconish on Specter: 'Sad day for GOP'

Philly's talk-show host and a friend of Specter bemoans the party's loss.

Former Campaign Manager Rips Specter's Party Switch

GOP consultant Kent Gates, who managed Sen. Arlen Specter's 1998 reelection campaign, tells Campaign Insider he is "extremely disappointed" by Specter's decision to switch his party affiliation.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Swine Flu Hysterics

With swine-flu hysterics more epidemic than swine flu itself, both parties are trying to lay the blame across the aisle.

The Twitter Crusade

Sometimes Twitter, with its speed and brevity and din of voices, makes old-media types uncomfortable. The New York times is lambasting political Tweets. But do they have a point?

Monday Must-Reads: Quiet Campaigns

Two days out from the main event, the 100-day recaps keep pouring in—but with torture and swine flu dominating the headlines, the actual campaign news is fairly quiet.

Murphy Wins

The special election in NY-20 is finally ove after Republican state Assembleyman called Scott Murphy to concede.

Friday Must-Reads: Finally Over?

Watch for NY-20 news this afternoon, as sources say Jim Tedisco is likely to concede the special House election.

Take Back the Suburbs

Michael Smerconish, Philadelphia's conservative talk-radio star, made waves last fall when he announced who he would be voting for: Barack Obama. But he doesn't just support Obama—he's also calling out the Republican Party.

Politics Online Conference... Online!

Did you miss Monday's Politics Online conference, co-hosteted with the George Washington University? Don't worry, you can still watch it online.

527 or PAC?

A letter posted by the FEC suggests that regulation of 527s might be a little bit looser in coming cycles.

The Power of Left-Wing Blogs

Say what you will about left-wing bloggers and lefty Internet web sites, they are a power to be reckoned with. And Democrat politicians with dreams of winning elections, changing American society and increasing their power know it.

Thursday Must-Reads: 100 Days, Coming Up

As Obama’s hundred-day benchmark approaches, his governing style is looking a little different than his campaign.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Earth Day Battles

Today is Earth Day, and unsurprisingly the battle over climate change was a hot topic today.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Back at It

Congress returned from a two-week spring break yesterday, and they're back to clashing over money.

Whither the Republican Party?

Republicans have a choice, and their survival as a party may be at stake. In this month's column, John Zogby looks considers the future direction of the Republican Party.

Tea Parties Taste Fine to America

A slight majority of Americans say they have a favorable or very favorable opinion of last week's tea party protests, though the "political class" is much less suportative.

The Rise of Fascism

With socialism scaring the American people a bit less than it used to, Republicans are now labeling Obama—or at least his policies—as fascist. But it's a political strategy that requires care.

The Dog Ate My Homework

I recently won a small wager with a lawyer friend. The proposition was fairly simply: I bet that at least 200 PACs would fail to meet the deadline to amend their registrations with the Federal Election Commission.

Monday Must-Reads: Untying a Tie

As ballot-counters continue to sort out the NY-20 race (and the Minnesota senate race wears on), writers look back to other close elections.

Tedisco: I Win

Though Democrat Scott Murphy leads the race, Republican Jim Tedisco asked the New York Supreme Court last night to be declared the victor in NY-20.

Pirates or Terrorists?

Obama's victory over the pirates was more semantic than tactical, as he managed to distance the pirates from the word that really describes them: terrorists.

Friday Must-Reads: Weighing the Arguments

Ideological foes offer arguments about the importance of the tea parties—and whether or not Texas should secede from the Union.

More Money

As the FEC reports trickle in, pundits are weighing in on who won and who lost in the first cycle.

Playbook: Building a Fundaising Database

One of the most important tasks in the beginning of a campaign is gathering potential donor lists and building a donor database for fundraising and communications. Learn how to do it right in our Playbook from the April issue.

Thursday Must-Reads: Money on the Mind

With April 15—the filing date for both taxes and first-quarter FEC reports—now over, the money stories start flooding in.

Coleman Losing Support

Former Sen. Norm Coleman—who is still hoping he can drop that adjective and come back to Washington—has been taking a beating in the courts. The latest bad news, though, comes from the people.

Fighting the Boys' Club

Founded in 2003 in response to the loss of Democratic seats in the state legislature due to redistricting, Annie’s List has one core mission: to increase the number of progressive Democratic women in the Texas Legislature.

Wedesday Must-Reads: Tax Day

Tax Day has arrived (as have the 'Tea Parties')—which means it's also the day quarterly FEC reports must be filed.

Ask the Campaign Doc

The value of entry-level clerical work, the ethics of donors playing both sides and the consequences of late campaign reports. Craig Varago supplies all the tips you need in this month's edition of Ask the Campaign Doc.

Tuesday Must-Reads: State of the Dems

After a few months of questioning the future of the Republican party, pundits now turn their eyes to Democrats.

Operation New Media

Kobi Haddad didn't do much to hide the fact that his candidate’s website was modeled almost entirely on that of President Barack Obama. From the bright blue backdrop, to the prominence of the social networking tools, to the font—Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign website was practically an exact replica.

King RINO: Arlen Specter

Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is wasting no time attacking Pat Toomey, his opponent for the GOP senatorial nomination—and Internet journalists and bloggers are all over the story.

Monday Must-Reads: Poll-erized

While the rest of the news media obsesses over pirates, here at CI we keep it real by examining the implications of Obama's polarized approval ratings.

The First 2012 Ad?

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who earned presidential candidacy buzz a month back when he loudly refused stimulus money for the state, has now hit national airwaves to explain that choice.

Gingrich Rides to the Rescue

Newt Gingrich. God bless his pointed little head. Every time things start to get a little sticky for Democrats, Newt rides to their rescue.

Thursday Must-Reads: Odds & Ends

Breaking news: Use for Twitter finally discovered!

Wednesday Must-Reads: Election Trickle

A few votes at a time, we're getting closer to having a complete Congress.

Tuesday Must-Reads: To the States

As the details of the NY-20 race continue to flux, gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey begin to get gritty.

The Expendable Child

Eight years ago, I had a life-changing moment. So great was this moment that it became the foundation of my personal and professional life. I rarely discuss it with others and I am very hesitant to write about it publicly. But I feel that my story may help shed a different light on a terrible situation occurring in Washington, D.C. right now.

Monday Must-Reads: The Budget Politics

Organizing For America, the DNC-led effort to convert Obama's campaign grassroots to governing, had little impact in passing the budget.

Bad Paintings of Barack Obama

The title says it all.

Same-Sex Marriage and the Iowa Caucus

Thanks to legislative timing—a constitutional amendment must be passed by two consecutive sessions—a ban on gay marriage in Iowa may well be a hot issue right in the midst of the next presidential caucus. So the issue could be central to how Republican candidates do in the all-important early state.

Specter's Gamble

Sen. Arlen Specter is seeking a sixth term next year, and is enjoying a soaring 71 percent job approval rating from members of one Pennsylvania party. Problem is, it’s the Democrats. Read more in a dispatch from Pennsylvania by Scott Detrow.

Primary Updates

Two potential candidates, a Democrat in Connecticut and a Republican in Florida, are exploring challenging more famous foes in 2010 primaries.

Taking the Plunge

In this month's magazine, Jeffrey Bukowsi has a look at the new breed of "consultant candidates." As more and more consultants venture out to run for office themselves, they're finding—win or lose—that their business is better for it. Read the article online now.

A White House of Pollsters

Though President Obama has said he'd lead by principles and not polls, like most politicians he's finding their data helpful.

Friday Must-Reads: Overtime

Another day passes and the race in NY-20 has become even less clear, with different reports suggesting both candidates lead.

Preview the April Issue

The April issue of Politics will be on news stands and in mailboxes soon. Have a look at what's coming here.

Specter Starts Campaigning

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is on Pennsylvania cable already as he prepares for a fierce 2010 primary fight.

Thursday Must-Reads: Why They Tied

Though the GOP has released its budget, this time with numbers, the campaign writers stay centered on New York, where Democrat Scott Murphy's lead slipped to 13 after ballots were recounted.

Wednesday Must-Reads: It's Not Over

Yesterday's vote in NY-20 provides us with another thriller that's bound to stretch well past Election Day.

Tuesday Must-Reads: GOTV

Voters in NY-20 are finally hitting the polls today. Just how many will turn out is unclear, but big names are doing their part to turn out their parties’ bases.

Organizing for America: A 'Low-Key Start'

Since the battle on the Obama budget began a few weeks ago, the national media’s attention has moved quickly from bank bailouts to Afghanistan to the Big Three automakers. But the president’s budget proposal still represents the blueprint for his administration, which is why the White House chose this as the issue with which to test drive the new Organizing for America grassroots movement.

Monday Must-Reads: Countdown

Election Day in NY-20—widely seen as a referendum on Obama and a harbinger of Steele's fate—is tomorrow.

Murphy Pulls Ahead

With Election Day rapidly approaching in NY-20, polls put Democrat Scott Murphy in the lead for the first time.

Friday Must-Reads: A Wonderful Country

Stop worrying about Obama's teleprompter, Gibbs says. And the wacky world of Twitter ghost-writers...

Thursday Must-Reads: Virginia is for Primaries

Campaign moves in the Virginia primary, and Michael Steele comes back.

NY-20 Websites: In a Hurry, But Getting the Job Done

Special elections leave very little time for political organizing—a candidate can have just weeks to raise money, build up a volunteer list and make voters notice that a political race is actually on. For a congressional candidate with two months to run, the fighter pilot's rule applies: speed is life. With that constraint in mind, let's look at the websites of two candidates for the NY-20 seat: Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy.

Wednesday Must-Reads

As Obama's latest press conference earns yawns, Specter makes a reversal on EFCA and campaigners begin the final push in NY-20.

Tuesday Must-Reads

A new batch of ads hit the airwaves, Obama has another media misstep and new election rules are under consideration.

GOP New Media Manager: No Party Affiliation

Michael Steele has announced his new online media manager and he—at least last time he updated an online bio—is not a Republican.

Campaign Boom in NYC

Common wisdom says that if a political consultant wants steady money, they should turn to corporate clients. But as the economic crisis looms over New York City, some consultants are finding that the opposite is true: Politics is still where it's at.

Tips for Debating

After rewatching last year's presidential debates, I've realized that being right—in the sense of being philosophically correct—is not sufficient to win. While it’s important for you to learn how to organize your resources efficiently you must also be able to communicate effectively, especially in a debate forum. These five tips will help you debate your next opponent.

Monday Must-Reads: The Numbers

FEC reports for February are trickling in, providing a new metric for measuring the political environment.

Another Obama Copycat

El Salvador’s new Leftist president Mauricio Funes may have used images of President Barack Obama in his campaign ads, but one of Funes’ American pollsters tells Campaign Insider that had nothing to do with his recent victory.

Friday Must-Reads: Too Much Talk Show

As the house voted to tax the bail-out bonuses, Obama went on Leno and found himself in hot water.

NY Consultant Faces 123-Count Indictment

Hank Morris, a New York-based Democratic consultant and former advisor to Sen. Chuck Schumer, was arrested Thursday on corruption charges. A 123-count indictment charges Morris and David Loglisci, a political aide to former New York City Comptroller Alan Hevesi, with accepting bribes to steer state pension fund investments.

C-SPAN Turns 30

According to C-SPAN, the Twitter era really began 30 years ago, when the in-session exploits of congressmen were first revealed to voters through live television coverage.

Coming & Going: Steele picks a Political Director

Gentry Collins, a veteran of the RGA and of midwestern presidential campaigning, has been named the RNC's Political Director. Chairman Michael Steele, who has been under fire for the slow naming of his staff, now has a few of the major pieces in place.

Thursday Must-Reads: CampAIGning

The AIG bonuses have become a hot topic for lawmakers and media—and the buzz over Obama's "Tonight Show" appearance.

Anatomy of the News

Communications directors take note: In the Internet age, it's impossible to predict—or control—just where the headlines will head. Take a look at AIG story, for example.

Hope in New York

I bought stock today. It wasn't because I think the economy will turn around next week (I don't). It's because that as an American, I want to believe that our best days are yet to come. Millions of people feel this way and yet somehow, the GOP still hasn't learned this lesson.

Wednesday Must-Reads: In the Money

Prognosticators say a longtime tradition might be reversed this month as the DNC is set to out-fundraise its Republican counterpart.

FEC Bundling Rules: "So What?"

New FEC bundling rules will take effect on Thursday. So what do they mean—and what do reformers think?

Drowning in Trickle-Down

Those who worry that Barack Obama is mortgaging our future need to understand that we have been living on borrowed money and borrowed time for almost 30 years.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Bail-Out Politics

The big analyses in the papers notes Obama's depleting political capital, thanks to the AIG bonuses. The bail out remains an issue, too, in local campaigns.

Web Strategies from Abroad

As part of a feature story I’m writing for the April issue of Politics, I’ve been examining how foreign campaigns are using online technology. The biggest takeaway so far is that most are simply copying the Obama model, then closing their eyes and hoping for success.

Consultant Tax?

A Pennsylvania lawmaker is proposing a tax on political advertising to raise money for state-subsidized health care.

PAC Attack

The same excitement that made 2008 a fundraising record-breaker has also birthed a new generation of PACs, which hit a record high of their own this year.

Monday Must-Reads: Message Wars

As Democrats and Republicans exchange salvos over the budget, Obama is preparing to tap into the 13 million email addresses he collected while campaigning, hoping to reignite the energy that surrounded his election in the fall.

Friday Must-Reads: Steele Trap

Republican Jim Tedisco distances himself from a fractured national party after polls show his NY-20 opponent closing. At least Michael Steele, whose job might depend on Tedisco's win, can offset his abortion hot-water by saying that, finally, he's started hiring.

The Gerrymander Jigsaw

Our legislatures, both national and state-level, are supposed to be representative. So the whole process of divvying each state into districts should, somehow, result in a set of puzzle pieces that accurately represents the demographics of the whole. Any graduate of high school civics, of course, knows about gerrymandering. And the Supreme Court's Monday ruling in a North Carolina political representation case is a reminder of the complexities of redistricting: how, in fact, can you not gerrymander?

Thursday Must-Reads: Steele's Interview

In what some see as a crisis-management PR move, Michael Steele sat down with GQ for a long interview that begins with his love for Snoop Dogg; conceivably contradicts his threats to campaign against moderate GOP by talking about how Republicans need to open the tent; and ends discussing the stylish way he tucks his t-shirt into his pajamas. Somewhere in between he has some interesting—and potentially controversial—things to say about state rights and their role in gay marriage and abortion.

Facebook Co-Founder Joins GMMB

Chris Hughes, of Facebook and Obama for America fame, has signed on with Democratic media buyer GMMB as strategic adviser. Hughes is one of Facebook’s co-founders and was on Obama’s online campaign team.

Code Red Alert

As political battles are increasingly waged online, Republicans have become alarmed with the dearth of conservative web programmers. Rob Willington has a plan to help close that gap.

Terms of Endearment

Two weeks ago, President Barack Obama made his first address to Congress—the speech in which a president usually presents his agenda and starts to build support for it. The words he used give us a pretty good idea of Obama's priorities and how they compare with the priorities of his Democratic predecessor, Bill Clinton.

Wednesday Must-Reads

On his fiftieth day in office, Obama laid out new education plans while the Senate approved a spending bill to get us through the year. By most counts, it's been a productive fifty days. That may in part be due to his his effective use of campaign strategies—especially continuing to promote and extend the "Obama brand"—while governing.

Reapportionment: Winners and Losers

The first phase of the redistricting process, reapportionment—where the number of districts awarded to each state is decided based on a complicated population formula—will become official once the 2010 census is completed. Between now and then, a lot of research will try to predict which states will gain and lose congressional districts.

Tuesday Must-Reads: Leadership Vacuum

Republicans scored a victory today as the SCOTUS set a limit on what districts must preserve minority voting power—but the party still seems to lack a leader to take advantage of that gain.

Supreme Court Defines Minority Representation

This morning, I wrote about two issues that would have to be resolved before the 2010 census could proceed. Already one has been resolved, as the U.S. Supreme Court rendered a decision on what kinds of minority districts must be preserved.

Coming & Going: Jon Vogel Back to DCCC

Jon Vogel, who last month announced he was leaving the DCCC to work for Democratic consulting firm Global Strategy Group, is now headed back to serve as the committee's executive director.

The Redistricting Battles

With census day just over a year away, the Goverment Accountability Office said that the census is still behind schedule. What's the hold up?

Monday Must-Reads: Strategies

After a quiet weekend, we look ahead for some potential strategies in upcoming races.

Critics Pan RNC's RFP

The Republican National Committee put out its request for proposal for a new website late Friday. In the days since, it has been met with ridicule throughout the Republican blogosphere.

Congress on Ice

Before Sarah Palin introduced the world to hockey moms, the game’s political prominence rested on the shoulders of Sen. John Kerry, who lugged hockey gear and logged ice time as he crossed the nation during his 2004 presidential bid.

He may have lost that content, but today—thanks to his prep-school-honed hockey skills—he won another.

A New New Deal?

Obama's speech to Congress was almost shocking to hear after 30 years of supply-side economics that redefined the American Dream as merely the pursuit of profit.

Friday Must-Reads: The Doctor is Out

Obama loses another nominee and journalists keep working the same old stories.

Cyrus Krohn Signs Off

Cyrus Krohn, the RNC's e-Campaign Manager and a former employee and Microsoft and Yahoo, is bidding farewell to the Beltway—though perhaps not to politics.

You Have to Have Serious Hair?

It became very apparent the appearance of women in the public eye came under tremendous scrutiny during the 2008 election. Both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin were picked apart from head to toe—hair, clothes, pantsuits and even thickness of ankles. Now a study is suggesting Sarah Palin needs to "dowdy down" to have a chance in four years.

'Truth commission' Republican loses top consultants

After fighting off a tough primary opponent and a round of retirement rumors, Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) now faces another challenge for reelection. Jones—a rare Republican opponent of the Iraq war and the sole Republican co-sponsor of the House “Truth Commission” bill—is parting ways with his lead campaign strategists.

Mailers and Message Key In IL-5

How did Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley win Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Illinois’ 5th District Congressional race? His direct mail guru Pete Giangreco tells Campaign Insider that it’s a victory of mailers and smart messaging.

Thursday Must-Reads: More Rush

Rush Limbaugh embraces the headlines—forcing me, for the fourth day straight, to lead with his circus.

SCOTUS Split On Judicial Recusal?

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in Caperton v. Massey, a case stemming from a West Virginia recusal controversy. Based on yesterday’s oral arguments, observers think the court will be closely divided in a ruling that will have major ramifications for funding and running judicial contests.

Campaign Dimensions: 3-D Strategies

In a world where the power of the people is enabled as it is by digital and mobile networks, campaigns have to adjust how they view their supporters. Rather than viewing them as message receptacles and followers to organize, campaigns have to treat supporters as strategic partners.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Rush Job

On a day of election returns, news outlets are still focused on Rush Limbaugh's seeming dominance over the Republican Party

Campaign Dimensions: 2-D Strategies

To a large extent voters are more adept at using the Internet and mobile networks than campaigns, more even than all public and private institutions. That creates great expectations for campaigns and a sophisticated level of scrutiny.

Tuesday Must-Reads: The Battle

After RNC head Michael Steele had less-than-kind words for Rush Limbaugh, he's found himself backed into a corner.

Tewes Launches New Partners Inc.

Democrat Paul Tewes has formed a new consulting firm—New Partners Inc. The announcement comes about a month after his former firm Hildebrand-Tewes, where he partnered with Steve Hildebrand, dissolved.

Defending Bobby Jindal

I’m frustrated. After stewing on it for a week, I feel the need to vent. I’m upset over the media’s reaction to Governor Bobby Jindal’s response to Barack Obama’s speech to Congress last week.

Limbaugh: Conservatism is Forever

In what he repeatedly described as his “first address to the nation,” Rush Limbaugh uncovered the North Star to a wandering Republican Party: Rush Limbaugh.

Monday Must-Reads: Snow Day

If today's snow storm has provided you with a little extra time, spend it reading Matt Bai's profile of Newt Gingrich in yesterday's New York Times Magazine.

What a Difference a Year Makes

At last year’s CPAC, Dick Cheney got so much applause the walls shook. (As an aside, I remember him during that speech scoffing at all the economic doomsayers, but that’s a topic for another post.) The doors opened at 5 a.m. for President George Bush’s speech, with the crowd chanting “W! W! W!” Even as Bush’s poll numbers were sagging even among Republicans, CPAC-ers were unreservedly standing by their man.

Too Much Spin

Leaders on Capitol Hill: Please stop listening to communication staff. That's strange advice coming from a communications professional and former Hill staffer, but as an American who wants to see our country recover, that's my advice now.

Friday Must-Reads: CPAC, cont'd.

CPAC moves into its second day today, and the talk is still all about who's next in the Republican party.

A New Start for Young Conservatives

Several hundred young conservatives gathered in a ballroom at the Conservative Political Action Conference for the official launch of the Young Conservative Coaltion. "It's our turn," said the stickers they wore, as coalition leaders unveiled a new internet-video campaign and began a brainstorming session to generate ideas that will be carried to the Republican Party and the conservative community.

Snapshot from CPAC

“We need to take a look back at 2008 and ask ourselves the fundamental question: what the hell happened to us and how do we keep it from happening again?” That was the question from Bill Wittel of Pajamas Television who opened CPAC's Conservatism 2.0 panel Thursday.

Barone's High Hopes for NJ

In his assessment of the GOP's electoral chances in 2009, Michael Barone of the American Enterprise Institute says the party has a solid chance to take back the Garden State.

The Party of No?

In a CPAC panel billed as a discussion of the future of the conservative movement--Bay Buchanan and Wall Street Journal editorialist Steven Moore spent a good deal of time criticizing President Obama's newly released budget. And Moore doesn't seem to mind the GOP being "the party of no."

Thursday Must-Reads: CPAC

With the Conservative Political Action Conference about to begin, pundits are gazing ahead to the party's future.

Politics on the Radio

I will be appearing on The Randi Rhodes Show with guest host Nancy Skinner just after 4 p.m. to discuss Obama's speech last night. Tune in to give a listen.

GOP.gov: Built for a Party, But Will Anyone Come?

On Jan. 31, the Republicans in Congress launched a new website to forward their agenda. A little over three weeks out, how are they doing? At first glance, GOP.gov looks promising—but the devil lies in the proverbial details.

Campaign Dimensions: 1-D Strategies

As the channels through which voters receive their messages increase, the challenge is to rise above the noise. How do you deliver not just the right campaign messages to voters, but the right message packaged the right way?

Wednesday Must-Reads: Reactions

The Internet was afire last night with reactions from the speech, which overshadowed a few other interesting campaign stories.

Both Parties Respond Well to Speech

Though they remain high, President Obama's approval ratings have shown and slow and steady trickle downwards. Tonight's address to Congress—which, the president admitted, was really an address to the American public—may send those poll numbers back up.

The Dimensions of a Digitally Networked Campaign

Campaigns that effectively tap into the power of the Internet and mobile networks, fully integrating these new dynamics into campaign strategy, will have a decided edge on opponents.

Tuesday Must-Reads: State of the Nation

With Obama set to deliver his first speech to Congress tonight, his support remains high.

SCOTUS Case Will Impact Judicial Contests

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next Tuesday in a case involving coal-mining CEO Don Blankenship who spent some $3 million to help a candidate win a seat on West Virginia’s high court back in 2004. Once on the bench, Justice Brent Benjamin twice cast the deciding vote to throw out a $50 million jury verdict against Blankenship’s company.

Lessons from the War Room

In his new book, Stan Greenberg is not timid in his criticism of fellow pollsters and wonders if the pollster-consultant industrial complex has diminished the purposefulness of politics. We took a few minutes to talk with Greenberg about partisanship, effective political strategies and how consulting can remain part of a politics that has "honor and purpose."

A Line for Bloomberg

Nearly two years after leaving the Republican Party, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is asking the city’s GOP leaders for a ballot line. The Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-Independent needs a line for his 2009 reelection bid, but is meeting some resistance from the GOP’s 5 county chairs.

Monday Must-Reads: The Governors

News and predictions about who will end up on top in Virginia and California, while the ugliness in Illinois continues.

Coming & Going

The new DNC staff begins to fill out, with an old Clinton advisor coming in as political director.

Pataki and the NY GOP

The news that Sen. John Cornyn, who heads the NRSC, met with former New York Gov. George Pataki this week about the state's 2010 senate race isn't a surprise. When it comes to potential statewide candidates in New York, Republicans don't have much of a political bench to speak of. But while Pataki survived three terms as governor, there isn’t much evidence he left the state GOP wanting more.

Burris: How Not to Handle a Crisis

As someone who has been on the receiving end of those phone calls from reporters calling for the blood of the person you work for, it's almost tempting to feel sorry for Sen. Roland Burris and his staff.

Almost.

Friday Must-Reads: Advertising Wins

A fresh slew of political ads hits the airwaves and phone lines.

Why Elect Women? Statistics Tell the Story

This year, we had a credible woman run for president. We have female governors. Even the U.S. Speaker of the House is a woman. So is there still a glass ceiling for female candidates?

Terry Mac is Coming Back

Terry McAuliffe’s election for governor of Virginia should be a slam dunk—or at least the political pundits and pros think so.

Obama Strategists Battle In IL-5

The race to fill White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel’s Congressional seat includes at least 10 Democratic hopefuls and some top Obama campaign talent.

Partisanship and Consultants in Off-Years

Stan Greenberg thinks nonpartisan consultants may be "diminishing the quality of political discourse." What do you think?

Thursday Must-Reads: The Name Game

A slew of candidates throw their names into the 2010 ring—and Obama sounds ready to announce his next cabinet pick.

Wednesday Must-Reads: The Burris Show

The ongoing saga of Illinois corruption just keeps on chugging, as Sen. Burris yesterday offered the fifth iteration of just what kind of relationship he had with Blago: turns out he tried to raise some of those funds after all. Now he's facing a sit-down with the ethics committee and even more calls for his resignation.

A GOP Challenger in PA

Sen. Arlen Specter, one of the three Senate Republicans that voted for the stimulus, has faced grumblings on the right for his too-liberal ways. And yesterday a primary challenger emerged as Larry Murphy, who lost to Specter in the 1998 primary, announced his candidacy, emphasizing his devotion to conservative issues.

RNC Foots the Bill

The ad that Jim Tedisco unveiled to supporters last night is being funded by the RNC.

Consulting Teams In NY-20

Here’s a who’s who of the consulting teams behind Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy in the race to fill Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s congressional seat in New York’s 20th Congressional District.

Who Uses Twitter?

A new Pew data memo found that nearly one in five online adults (19 percent) ages 18 to 24 have used Twitter and similar programs. What does that mean for politicians?

Tuesday Must-Reads: State Races Simmer

Special elections in Illinois and New York take speed.

Tedisco Hits the Airwaves

Republican Jim Tedisco unveiled this 30-second bio spot in an e-mail to supporters today. UPDATED.

VA Gov Race Could Get Ugly Fast

With three Democrats duking it out for their party’s gubernatorial nomination, the tension between former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe and former state Del. Brian Moran is ratcheting up. At this past week’s Virginia Capitol Correspondents Dinner, McAuliffe took some not so veiled shots at Moran’s media man Joe Trippi.

Attack Ads Come to Indonesia

As Indonesia’s 2009 presidential election draws near, the country is getting its first ever taste of negative TV ads. Some in the country are decrying the ads, which by American standards are tame.

Coming & Going

New hires and job moves in the political world.

Monday Must-Reads: Happy Presidents Day

Democratic congressmen can enjoy their holiday knowing they've finally gotten the stimulus passed—and Republicans can enjoy knowing that they held firm and ensured the package would remain an issue in campaigns to come. A few House Democrats, facing tough re-election campaigns in conservative districts, voted with the unanimous chorus of Republican 'no's.

The Open-Source Right

A plaque outside the Capitol Hill Club—usually a members only venue—states a requirement of appropriate dress, defined in the bylaws as, at the very least, a jacket and a sports shirt. But with the party hoping to spark an online "revolution," Republicans opened the doors today to anyone with an idea, dress code—and ideology—be damned.

Friday Must-Reads: Gregg Out

Judd Gregg sends shockwaves through the media with his surprising withdrawal from Obama's cabinet, shaking up the New Hampshire Senate race.

Covering the GOP Tech Summit

Tomorrow I will be attending the GOP Tech Summit. For those who can't make it, the event will be webcast. But I'll also be tweeting updates about what's going on, so follow along starting at 9 a.m.

The Stimulus Ads

This morning I noted the increasing number of advertisements flying back-and-forth over the stimulus package. Here's what we know about them so far.

Netanyahu's Obama Strategists

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party came in a close second to the centrist Kadima Party led by Tzipi Livni in the recent Israeli elections. And while it may still be Netanyahu who will lead and form Israel’s new government, criticism of his party’s campaign tactics, and his American political consultants, has begun.

Thursday Must-Reads: The Ad Wars

With politicians looking ahead to 2010, the ad wars over the stimulus package are heating up. And the media is all a-twitter over Twitter.

Murphy On Air First In NY-20

Democrat Scott Murphy is out with a one minute bio spot that will start airing Thursday in upstate New York. Murphy is on the air first in the special election battle to fill Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s former congressional seat. The spot was produced by Democratic media firm Murphy Putnam.

Date Set for Special In NY-20

New York Gov. David Paterson Wednesday set a date for the special election to fill the congressional seat of Now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. The election will take place March 31, giving both candidates another month and a half of politicking.

Wednesday Must-Reads: Keep on Fundraisin'

As Geithner struggles to explain his bank bailout, money seems to be on the mind.

Obama Debuts a New Catchphrase

In a public image makeover, "Yes we can" is on the way out.

Reed Awards Gallery

A full gallery of the winners of 2009 Reed Awards is now available on our website, featuring streaming audio and video of radio and television spots and images of direct mail pieces.

Tuesday Must-Reads: The Stimulus Squeaks By

The morning's big news is the narrow 61-36 passage of the stimulus compromise and the surrounding media blitz. But the campaign maneuvering never stops.

Monday Must-Reads: Woe to the GOP?

Bloggers and journalists start the week off by bemoaning the sorry state of the Grand Old Party—and seeking out a few hopeful strategies for how Republicans might recover.

The Terry McAuliffe Bat-Lights

Gubernatorial candidate and former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe was not going to be outdone at Virginia’s annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Richmond. His campaign’s largesse was on full display here Saturday, and for most of the day his Democratic rivals were nowhere in sight.

Batman for Governor: An Advertiser's Dream?

Val Kilmer is talking about running for governor of New Mexico. We asked some top consultants to dream up the ads they'd make for him.

The Issue Environment

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that there are a lot more people worrying about the economy than there were a year ago. A Pew Research Center national survey conducted in the second week of January showed that the number of Americans who picked the issue as a top priority increased a full 10 percent from 75 to 85 percent in the last year. The number of Americans who picked jobs as a top priority mushroomed by 21 points from 61 to 82 percent.

Filming Underwater

So how do make your candidate stand out in a special election field with at least 10 other candidates? How about filming an underwater TV spot? That’s what adman Bill Hillsman did in the race fill Rahm Emanuel’s congressional seat.

Steele: Time for Something Completely Different

Friday’s voting to decide the next chairman of the Republican National Committee was a messy affair that took hours and left the impression that many Republicans are divided on where their party should head next.

Emanuel: How to Beat a Republican

“The untainted Republican has not yet been invented,” wrote Rahm Emanuel in Campaigns and Elections magazine in August of 1988. Parts of the article penned by the man who is now President Obama’s chief of staff were featured on Meet the Press and in the New York Times recently.

Some Wisdom From Our Readers

As more than one news outlet pointed out yesterday, Hillary Clinton’s 3 a.m. ad was voted the “Best TV Spot” of the 2008 cycle in a poll of Politics magazine readers. The spot won the approval of 31 percent of our readers in the internet survey conducted by Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates.

An Ode to the Past

For President Barack Obama, Tuesday was a day to showcase his rhetoric on his grandest stage to date. With an assist from his young speechwriter Jon Favreau, Obama penned an inaugural address laden with history and one that marked a clear break from the rhetoric of the past eight years.

Size Does Matter

For Americans, support for Barack Obama’s economic stimulus program is less than the sum of its parts. Only a bare majority of Americans support the concept of a $775 billion package in its entirety, but about three in four Americans support most of the plan’s individual parts.

A Roger Mudd Moment?

Here’s a question Caroline Kennedy should be able to answer: Why do you want to be the next senator from New York? But, as some have pointed out in recent days, it’s the one question she’s having the most trouble answering, and it could spell the end of her Senate hopes. READ MORE

The High Road

This month's ethical dilemma: While doing due diligence, our researchers dug up some troubling information on our own candidate. Fortunately, it didn’t come out during the campaign. But it could be helpful—especially if I ever run a campaign against this particular candidate in the future. Should I destroy all sensitive records after my campaign is over? READ MORE

The First Annual Robos

Shaun Dakin over at the National Political Do-Not-Contact Registry has posted the picks for the worst, and the weirdest, robocalls of 2008. READ MORE

The Best and Worst of 2008

The 2008 cycle was like the Energizer Bunny ... It kept going, and going, and going. So there’s plenty to pick over in our search for the best and worst political moves of 2008. Here are my faves.

A Holiday News Dump?

Late Tuesday afternoon we learned that President-elect Barack Obama’s incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel has spoken personally to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about potential candidates to fill Obama’s U.S. Senate seat. But all of the contact was “appropriate and acceptable,” according to top Obama lawyer Greg Craig. READ MORE

Ready for a Fight In Texas

A Republican primary for governor in Texas is still a long way off—incumbent Gov. Rick Perry isn’t up for reelection until 2010. But the ideological battle lines are already being drawn. If a race between Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Perry materializes, it will likely be a nasty intra-party fight, and one that Perry has been anticipating for a while. READ MORE

Bailout Fatigue

President Bush has acted to rescue the American auto industry but some troubling questions remain. First why did Congress refuse to act with the prospect of an economic disaster that is laying waste to states like Michigan and Ohio? READ MORE

Plane Crash Kills GOP Consultant

Michael Connell, a leading Republican Internet consultant, was killed Friday night after the small plane he was piloting crashed in Ohio. READ MORE

You Get What You Pay For

Governors around the U.S. earn anywhere from $70,000 to $200,000 per year. Most members of Congress now earn $169,300. Considering median personal income for American workers is less than $30,000, running for office might seem like a good job.

A Good Start--But a Long Way to Go

Last month I suggested that Republicans were standing on the ledge the short-term outlook was worrisome and the long-term future bleak.

So Far, So Good for Obama

If first impressions count, Barack Obama has gotten off to a rip roaring start according to a new national survey conducted by CNN. Four out of five Americans (79%) believe that the President-Elect is doing a good job with the transition. READ MORE

GOP Bright Spot In 2008 Was Indiana

In 2008 one of the nation’s longest GOP streaks for President was broken. Barack Obama was the first Democrat since LBJ in 1964 to win Indiana. So with Obama’s wave of change sweeping over our state the GOP must have taken a beating and lost the Governor’s race right? READ MORE

Avoiding the Clashes and the Leaks

The Obama White House will be chock full of big personalities and, naturally, some fairly large egos. It could be a recipe for some early disharmony—and for the most dreaded of all things in Obamaland—leaks. READ MORE

Lessons from Obama Overseas

We all know that Europeans have been watching the U.S. presidential race very closely, but one thing that’s not gotten enough coverage, I think, is how our overseas friends in the campaign industry will apply some of this year’s strategies to win their own races. READ MORE

Can Obama's organization propel Martin?

With Democrats one closer to 60 in the Senate, the runoff between Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin is shaping up to be the final showdown. And while the grassroots can’t flex much muscle in Minnesota, the race in Georgia could be a chance for Obama’s vaunted grassroots operation to prove its worth. READ MORE

Huckabee: Don't Marginalize Social Conservatives

Less than a month after the dust settled on the 2008 Presidential election, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has a new book out and lots to say about where the GOP goes from here. READ MORE

Will Leahy Oppose Holder?

A big potential stumbling block for President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for attorney general, Eric Holder, is his involvement in the 2001 presidential pardon of financier Marc Rich. And the top Democrat on the senate committee that must approve Holder was highly critical of the Rich pardon seven years ago. READ MORE

Viguerie: GOP Needs Gingrich

Richard Viguerie, direct mail pioneer and one of the founders of the modern conservative movement, tells Campaign Insider that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich might be the only hope for the hapless GOP. READ MORE

The GOP Nightmare: A Pragmatic Obama

It’s not difficult to think up a few scenarios that lead to a GOP resurgence quicker than most people think. For Republicans, it’s comforting to come up with any scenario that has the country looking kindly on them again. But to stay encouraged, they have to ignore a scenario that is just as likely to happen, and that could keep them wandering in the wilderness for a long time to come. READ MORE

High Court to Hear Judicial Recusal Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could have a major impact on the way judicial elections are funded. In Caperton v. Massey Coal Co. the court will step into the thorny issue of judicial recusal. READ MORE

Obama's Replacement

With President-elect Barack Obama resigning his senate seat this weekend, most of the attention turns to the man who will name his replacement. And it seems fair to say that the Illinois governor is just about the least popular politician in the nation. READ MORE

Questions from Abroad

In the last week, I’ve spent as much time answering questions from outside the U.S. as I have from in. The questions from foreign press and foreign political junkies are vastly different than what we discuss here in America. READ MORE

Obama's Strange Coattails

Like so much else about this election, Obama’s electoral coattails were unconventional. Normally a landslide election has reverberations all the way down the ballot. But Obama didn’t have strong coattails everywhere. READ MORE

Republicans on the Ledge

Two years ago I wrote a post mortem on the election titled, “Did Microtargeting hurt or help the GOP’s voter turnout efforts?”

My opening salvo of that article stated: “12 years after the Republican Revolution began, voters summarily tossed the majority out of office on November 7th. Too many House Republicans became, to quote Dean Wermer in the movie Animal House: 'fat, drunk and stupid…'" READ MORE

The "Wired" Presidency?

The incoming Obama administration is set to undertake a major expansion of the White House communications operation, according to the Washington Post. It will provide the administration a vehicle to reach out directly to the formidable grassroots organization the campaign has built over the course of the last two years. READ MORE

McInturff: Campaign Finance Dead, Thanks to Obama

Bill McInturff, lead pollster for the campaign of Sen. John McCain, declared campaign financing for presidential candidates dead given the massive spending of Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign. READ MORE

Aristotle Grows

In a big industry move, the consulting firm at the top of the voter list and campaign technology heap, Aristotle, has acquired competitor Complete Campaigns. Aristotle CEO John Phillips tells Politics magazine it’s a marriage that will allow Aristotle to expand its client base and build relationships with candidates on the state and local level. READ MORE

What About the Turnout?

After huge registration drives by both campaigns and thousands of new registrants this year, turnout in 2008 didn’t look much different than it did in 2004. READ MORE

One Tough Ballot Campaign

Convincing voters in a cash-strapped state to approve billions in financing for new transportation projects, including a high-speed bullet train, is tough enough. But, what if three days before the official launch of that campaign you had to deal with one of the deadliest passenger rail crashes in U.S. history? READ MORE

Two Wrong Lessons from the Election

Democrats are in a chest-thumping mood and Republicans are in a chest-beating mood, just as you’d expect after the results on Nov. 4. They know there are lessons from the election, too, but that’s where it gets tricky for both sides—and potentially dangerous. Some of the “lessons” we’ve been hearing are completely wrongheaded. Two in particular. READ MORE

Could Obama be Kingmaker in Georgia?

Late today word came that the razor thin senate race in GA will be heading into a Dec. 2nd runoff between Republican incumbent Saxby Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin. Chambliss failed to reach 50 percent, extending the campaign by another four weeks. READ MORE

Three Myths About McCain's Defeat

In the wake of what turned out to be a very decisive victory for Barack Obama, many McCain/Palin loyalists and party stalwarts will try to employ a multitude of excuses, explanations and revisionist history in the days ahead that could quickly become engrained as part of this election’s mythology. READ MORE

Emergent Governance: Who Needs Bees When the Grassroots Swarm the White House

As we transition from the presidential campaign to an Obama administration, the looming question is, "What will become of all those people networked via My.BarackObama.com (MyBO) and Obama's massive email list?" Is there a place in government for the swarming grassroots masses? And can we capitalize on its collective intelligence in order to make its contribution meaningful? READ MORE

The Success of Hope

Campaigns are all about emotions. They are not rationale or logical and voters, despite their best protestations, don’t make their choice based on the “issues.” People vote based on how they “feel.” READ MORE

An Opportunity for Palin?

Aside from John McCain giving Sarah Palin a pretty nice shout-out during his concession speech Tuesday, the apparent re-election of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens could hand her political career a golden opportunity. READ MORE

By the Numbers: Obama's Win

Democrat Barack Obama’s victory Tuesday was impressive—the most impressive for any Democrat since Jimmy Carter won just over 50 percent of the popular vote in 1976. READ MORE

McCain's Exit

Sen. John McCain was about as gracious in defeat Tuesday as he possibly could have been. For a man who has spent the better part of the last decade working to become president of the United States, having to leave the national stage after such a resounding defeat clearly wasn’t easy. READ MORE

Yes We Can...Start Running for 2010

The Campaigns & Elections’ Politics magazine party just wrapped up about two hours ago, as I write this. That's exactly the amount of time the 2010 campaign has been underway. It may seem silly to open the next season while the Obama victory parties have just started but that is the mood among the most successful political professionals- the ones too busy to celebrate. READ MORE

Will the Passion Last?

Whether or not your candidate won on this election night, America’s electoral system was a winner. But the good news is not just that a large number of new voters, especially young people, seem to have shown up at the polls. It’s that so many people immersed themselves in the details—even minutiae—of politics this year. READ MORE

The Politics of Race?

My grandfather came to America in the early part of the 20^th century. He was a Lebanese man who could not speak English and who could not find work. His response to the pressure of life in racist America was to find a job, irrespective of cost. As a result he moved to the coal regions of Pennsylvania and went to the mines in a quest to gain the only job he had any chance of being hired to. READ MORE

The Shifting South

Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole's early defeat in North Carolina Tuesday is a really bad sign for the GOP on a night when Pennsylvania has already been called for Democrat Barack Obama. One Republican strategist tells Campaign Insider Dole's defeat may mean a new day is dawning in Southern politics. READ MORE

Problems Continue, But No Meltdowns Yet

Despite what looks like record turnout, Tuesday hasn’t yet seen the Election Day meltdown at the polls that some watchdogs feared. But Democratic political consultant Chris Sautter warns that the real potential for chaos is just beginning. READ MORE

It's Not Over Yet

It might take a “miracle” in the words of one Republican strategist, but the McCain campaign isn’t giving up hope. Some Republican strategists think McCain can make a race of it today, and they doubt some of the polling that has Obama solidly ahead. READ MORE

Long Lines and Problems In Virginia

The Election Protection Coalition has an updated list of problems at the polls that are happening right now in some key battleground states, including Virginia. They report problems with voting machines in at least 10 polling stations across the state. READ MORE

At the Bottom of the Ballot

In a year where the presidential race has practically consumed all of the oxygen, one question is what impact the predicted record turnout may have at the bottom of the ballot. A grand total of 153 ballot measures will be decided by voters Tuesday, and control in a handful of state legislatures is also up for grabs. READ MORE

Shattering the Bradley Effect?

I haven't been able to find one major pollster who thinks the so-called "Bradley effect," (the notion that voters overstate their support for a black candidate to pollsters for fear of being perceived as racist) will be a factor Tuesday. In fact, some think this election could finally shatter what they see as the "myth" of the Bradley effect. READ MORE

The Homestretch

Here is how the presidential race has changed in the last week. READ MORE

Searching for Republican Optimism

A day before the presidential election there are very few metrics from which the McCain campaign can take encouragement. The Republican is down in every national poll, and most polls in battleground states have Democrat Barack Obama ahead as well. So where are Republicans taking solace? I scoured the conservative blogs and news sites to find out. READ MORE

And Now, the 12th and Final Round

Twenty-two months have passed, millions upon millions of dollars have been spent, and as I am writing this, we are down to the final 48 hours. We all know what the pundits are saying. We know what the campaigns are saying. We obviously know what the candidates are saying, at least verbally. READ MORE

A Different Take On Voter Turnout

Let’s assume the polls are right…Obama is up but McCain is closing fast. Do their voter turnout efforts really matter then? Of course they do, but maybe not in the way you think. READ MORE

The Army of the Potomac

A friend of mine got up very early Sunday morning and drove to a large parking lot in Bethesda, Maryland—and no empty lot, but one teeming with campaign workers busily dispatching troops. She was there to knock on doors for the Obama campaign, and told me later of the martial precision of those in charge of volunteers like her. READ MORE

Could Obama’s Tech Prowess Translate from Campaigning to Governing?

According to TechPresident.com, which tracks the use of technology in the presidential campaign, YouTube alone has generated more than 14 million hours of ad view time for Barack Obama. So besides the stunning amount of free media Obama has been able to get from the web, he also now has a huge foundation of support in this online community that he can mobilize as president to potentially engage in his legislative agenda. READ MORE

The Pulse of the People

I have a weekend before Election Day ritual which I have practiced since my first real campaign in 1995. On the Saturday before Election Day I go to a supermarket and listen to people talk in line. Usually, after only 10 minutes or so, I will over hear a conversation about the upcoming election and it will tell me who is going to win. READ MORE

Ready, Willing and Able to Win

The campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain is promising a political comeback of epic proportions—of course, that’s their job at this point in the race. “We fight back,” Rick Davis, McCain’s campaign manager told reporters on a conference call Friday. “And we are witnessing one of the greatest comebacks you have seen since John McCain won the primary.” READ MORE

Mapping the Robocalls

"You have just received a robocall from one of the robots that wants to take over our democracy.” That’s the message on Shaun Dakin’s new robocall tracking form. Dakin runs the political-do-not-contact registry and has tracked down as much of the robocall audio he could get his hands on this election season. READ MORE

Why Robocalls Work

I am reminded of when my four-year-old got a toy tool set for Christmas one year and suddenly everything in the house needed hammering. Robocalls are cheap. They are easy to launch. They don’t require days of creative thought. So yes, they are overused. READ MORE

Obama's Half-Hour

So what will it be as you settle down in front of your TV Wednesday night? “Pushing Daises,” “America’s Next Top Model,” or Sen. Barack Obama’s half-hour ad? Those are pretty much your only 8 p.m. viewing choices—unless of course you count the 300 or so cable channels you probably have. READ MORE

Show Me the Money

All the legitimate data and studies show that robo calls don’t work. Not now, not ever. So, I ask you robo call guys and gals, to show me the money. Show us the data that you have that proves that robo calls do more than turn voters off from elections, candidates and democracy. I have 85,000 members that all detest robo calls and want to stop the madness. READ MORE

The Coming Democratic Wars

Liberals are celebrating, and conservatives are bemoaning, the seeming dissolution of the old Reagan coalition. As we’ve written recently in our magazine, the GOP is needing to revitalize the conservative brand, and it’s likely to be a contentious process. But don’t think the Democrats have an ideological unity either. READ MORE

When You Have a Face and a Functioning Mouth

So I got made fun of on the Daily Show. And it wasn’t brief. I was lambasted for a solid two minutes that concluded with a graphic of a woman jumping in the air with my face superimposed on it. Jon Stewart made so much fun of my last name that random people at the grocery store three days later recognized it when they heard it. READ MORE

Rallying the Suburbs

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was in friendly territory Monday. She rallied a couple thousand supporters in Leesburg, Virginia. The location was just over the border of Virginia’s Fairfax County, into Loudon County—a place that has picked a Republican for president in every election dating back to 1968. READ MORE

Great Resource for Election Day

When I first moved to Washington, the first project with which I was involved was developing poll location software that would translate to robocalls. We would mail-merge poll location information into tens of thousands of calls. It’s the kind of information that Yale Professor Donald Green argued would boost turnout a few percentage points. READ MORE

Who's Still Undecided?

With the polls showing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama leading his Republican rival John McCain, who could still make a difference? The undecided voters, of course! Depending on which poll you look at, the undecideds range from 5 percent to 12 percent of the electorate. READ MORE

Testing the Mettle of the Pollsters

With just over a week to go, Sen. Barack Obama is solidly ahead in practically every nationwide poll. And in some key battleground states, Obama’s margins are at or near double digits. But each new poll brings with it the reminder that this year’s pre-election numbers present an enormous challenge to political polling, and the ultimate question of whether the numbers are right. READ MORE

McCain At His Best

No one likes to lose. But John McCain hates to lose with an almost surreal passion. And as the North Vietnamese certainly discovered, he doesn’t know how to surrender. So here’s my prediction regarding the last days of this election: You will not see a grim John McCain, or a John McCain losing it in anger or desperation; instead, you will see the steel backbone that has always defined him. READ MORE

Is McCain Wishing He Picked This Guy?

The last two weeks have seen Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s numbers fade fast. Really fast. The latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll showed that some 47 percent of respondents now have a negative view of Palin, and a full 55 percent said she wasn’t qualified to be president. Shortly after the Republican convention, Palin’s national favorability was near 60 percent.

It begs the question, who might be better? READ MORE

Why Obama Would Like to Be Reagan

With his latest report on the election trends, John Zogby stole a bit of my thunder. (If you don’t happen to check the Drudge Report regularly, you probably don’t know what I am talking about, which is good). In any case, I said all this on radio last week, so dammit I’m going to claim these insights as fully my own. READ MORE

Zogby: Looks Like a Landslide

The latest Zogby daily tracking poll out Wednesday is the second poll in as many days to give Democrat Barack Obama a big lead over John McCain. It’s just about a 10 point lead over the Republican with 51.6 percent for Obama and 42 percent for McCain. And Zogby says it's shaping up to be a blowout. READ MORE

Early Voting Numbers

Early voting in a number of key states has been going Barack Obama's way according to the numbers. In the battlegrounds of Ohio, New Mexico and Nevada Democratic early voters are far outpacing Republicans. Early voting is expected to have a greater impact in 2008 than ever before. Experts predict more than a third of the electorate will cast a vote before Election Day. READ MORE

Will Obama's Absence Hurt?

Barack Obama is leaving the campaign trail for two days this week to visit his ailing grandmother, but just how much difference will his absence make? Electorally (not personally) speaking, the pros will probably make up for the cons. READ MORE

DCCC Spending Dwarfs GOP

With Democrats looking to pad their congressional majority next month, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is significantly outspending its GOP counterpart—the National Republican Congressional Committee. A new analysis by the Campaign Finance Institute shows that the DCCC has spent at least $1 million in 19 separate races so far. The NRCC has spent that amount in just one House race this cycle.

Problems at the Polls?

2008 presents the greatest challenge ever to America’s election system. That’s the conclusion of a new report from Electionline.org and the Pew Research Center. A combination of new voting technologies, a surge in new registrants and the potential for record turnout next month only serve to heighten the potential for problems at the polls on Election Day. READ MORE

Which Change Would Obama Bring?

The Obama team and its ardent supporters have been declaring something that the candidate himself sure wishes they wouldn’t—a 100% guaranteed (Nancy Pelosi) big-time Obama win. Sure seems McCain is right that there’s a lot of drape measuring going on among the Obamacons. READ MORE

A Big Week for Judicial Contests

The U.S. Supreme Court may take a case that would place campaign spending in judicial races in the spotlight. The court is expected to announce sometime Monday whether it has granted cert in the case of Caperton v. Massey, a case that originated out of a 2004 race for a seat on West Virginia’s Supreme Court. READ MORE

Still Fighting In Pennsylvania

Despite polls painting a bleak picture for the Republican ticket in Pennsylvania, the McCain campaign is still fighting in the state. Cindy McCain has two Pennsylvania events planned for Monday—one in Philadelphia and another in Yardley. READ MORE

Trust Is Often More Visual Than Verbal

Trust is the ever elusive brass ring in political campaigns. Any candidate who can gain an electorate’s trust is tough to beat. But how does a candidate do that when voters have low opinions of politicians from both parties? READ MORE

politicsmagazine.com > Blog

Demon Sheep and Fred Davis

Campaigns & Elections’ Politics magazine Arrives in Canada

Recapping The 2010 Reed Awards

SCOTUS Campaign Finance Decision a Boon for Consultants?

SCOTUS Opens The Door For Corporate Spending

The Supreme Court’s Decision in Citizens United

An Online Model for the GOP?

Five Lessons from the Massachusetts Special Election

About Last Night – The Massachusetts Senate Edition

A New Source of Coercion in Fundraising?

Campaign Control Is Back!

What To Watch For In Massachusetts

Are Small Contributions The Key To Campaign Finance Reform?

AFF Withdraws FEC Request on Robocalls

About The January Issue of Politics

Hawaii's Brewing Political Storm

The Pennsylvania Influencers

Testing The GOP’s Litmus Test

The Reid Boys Having Trouble

Politics Magazine En Español

Revista Politics En Español

Big Surprise: Democrats and Republicans Don't See Eye To Eye

Politics Magazine Wins Prestigious Award

McCain: Another Joe Lieberman?

Pollsters Tell Us What 2009 Means For 2010

Enter Now For The 2010 Reed Awards

FEC May Negate Robocall Law

Get Listed In The 2010 Political Pages

Court to Decide Whether Campaign Falsely Claimed President's Support

Paterson's Defense Starts On Offense

Christie Pollster: Win Was Never In Doubt

Palin Dismembers the GOP on a Whim

About Last Night: Election 2009

Key Counties Will Tell the Story in New Jersey

Election Eve Potpourri

Guts Vs. Nuts In Grayson Race

Judges Announced For The Second Annual Reed Awards

Why All Republicans Should Support The NY-23 Nominee

Ludacris Rolls Out For Atlanta Mayor's Race

Jump-Starting the GOP on Social Media

Bipartisanship Never Sounded So Good

Is There Hope In Virginia?

Schmidt And Plouffe Team Up For New College Program

Sex Sells, But Will Voters Buy It?

What's Daggett's Real Number?

Oxen And Rats And Ferrets, Oh My

An Emotional Journey With Gavin Newsom

National Parties Flooding Virginia With Resources

Mazel Tov, Norm Coleman

RGA Ad Shows Daggett Is A Threat

Checking The Polls In The New Jersey Governor’s Race

Endorsed By Paper, Independent Could Be A Spoiler in New Jersey

The Road To The White House Is Paved With Books

What TiVo Can Tell You About Your Politics

Photos from the Healthcare Roundtable

Healthcare Roundtable: Current and Former Members Say Some Version of Reform Will Pass

Healthcare Roundtable: PhRMA Says 'We Gave Plenty'

Healthcare Roundtable: Dean Says Dems Need To Pass Reform To Stay In Power

One of These Ads Looks Like the Other

The Celeb-Reality-Political Complex

Call Center Firm Runs Afoul Of Labor Department

Redistricting: A Preview

Hello, My Name Is _____. I Am Running for ______.

Fiorina Flops Out of the Gate

Wilson Still Wins

The 30 House Dems at the Top of the GOP's Target List

Sing a Song for a Good Cause

Good Press, Bad Press: It’s All Money In The Bank

All Staff, No Brains

NGP Acquires Patton Technologies

Targeting Democrats in McCain-Friendly Districts

Court To Rule On Supreme Amounts of Corporate Cash

Wednesday Is Campaign Finance Day at the Supreme Court

Begin Your Campaign As Summer Ends

Sanford's Ex-Communications Director Launches Consulting Firm

Why Obama Is Struggling With Independents

Sources: Meehan Won't Run for Teddy's Seat

Did the Dog Days Bite Democrats?

Firing Clients: It’s All About Trust and Image

Hello, My Name Is _. I Am Running for __.