2008Central.net Presidential Election Podcast (06/29/08)

Today, we take a look back at this week in the election and also have an in-depth discussion about the Obama Campaign’s general election strategy.

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Feel free to email us questions/suggestions for our next podcast (you can also email an audio file of your question and we’ll include it in the podcast).

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Ralph Nader Is Your Crazy Uncle Who Says Bizarre Things

I don’t even need to comment on this. But I will anyways:

“There’s only one thing different about Barack Obama when it comes to being a Democratic presidential candidate. He’s half African-American,” Nader said. “Whether that will make any difference, I don’t know. I haven’t heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What’s keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn’t want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We’ll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards.”

Frankly, if Karl Rove had said this, it would set off a far bigger firestorm than just the country club comments that he recently made.

The strangest thing about Ralph Nader is that apparently no one ever told him that in order to be elected president in America, you have to build a broad coalition. At this point, he’s just an old man ranting about big bad corporations and playing the race card with all the subtlety of Al Sharpton.

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2008Central.net Presidential Election Podcast (04/05/08)

During this show, the gurus discuss the state of the race, the Clinton tax returns, Obama’s strategy in Penn., McCain strategy, a general election preview and much more….

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Feel free to email us questions/suggestions for our next podcast (you can also email an audio file of your question and we’ll include it in the podcast). 

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Give It Up For Mike Bloomberg…

He certainly knows how to keep his name in the news, as he is introducing Barack Obama today for an economic speech in NYC.

I’m not expecting him to formally endorse, but he’d probably consider it if he were otherwise going to get ignored.

Read more

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Notes From The Rest Of The Campaign…

Virtually all the coverage is focused on John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. So, what else is going on in Presidential Election land? Some notes…

• Politically irrelevant (and justifiably so) candidate, Daniel Imperato draws the ire of a librarian. Apparently, Imperato has been placing press releases framed as news stories in foreign news release services that are subsequently getting pick up by Google News and Yahoo News and making their way into readers mailboxes. Some headlines from Imperato’s stealth stories (I do not suggest reading them):
  • Imperato on the Road to Recovery after Surgery - An article about Imperato’s “major eye surgery”
  • 2008 US Presidential Candidate and Papal Knight D. Imperato Named as Grand Prior of Orden Bonaria for the US and Canada, & Wife Jan Deborah
  • Media Alert: The G8 Summit: Subject Africa; Presidential Hopeful Dan Imperato Comments on the G8 Summit and Their Dealings with Africa
  • Leading 2008 Presidential Candidate Imperato Speaks on Corporate America
• Some guy’s been fasting for 3 weeks in hopes of persuading Nader to drop his bid for the presidency. Thus far, this effort has been unsuccessful and will likely remain so, especially given that in the recent Zogby poll, Nader’s polling between 5-6% nationally (caveat emptor: it’s Zobgy). Also, Nader’s picked a running mate - Matt Gonzalez.
• Libertarian George Phillies leads his rivals in individual contributions, which will no doubt be one of his arguments at the Libertarian Party’s Convention (they choose their nominee at the convention). At a recent Libertarian candidates debate, Phillies argued that he had the strongest organization (or one of the strongest organizations) of all the candidates (video of the debate available here). For what it’s worth, Phillies’ claim is probably true. Of all the Libertarian candidates, he’s certainly the most active based on my experience/research/reading.
• In a bold move demonstrating what can only be characterized as confidence, Democratic contender Mike Gravel (yes he’s still in the race despite what you may have heard) has expressed support for Green party hopeful Jesse Johnson. I guess this means the pain train is headed for one of Johnson’s Green Party nomination rivals, Cynthia McKinney?
• Behind, Behind The Scenes: Sam Nunn’s been mentioned as a potential running mate for Mike Bloomberg, when talk of a Bloomberg run was in vogue (but that’s soo yesterday) and there was also talk of him running as an independent a while back. Last month, an article Newsweek named Nunn as a suggested Secretary of State for Obama. Recently, George Will upped the ante by suggesting that Obama pick Nunn as his running mate. Historical note: Nunn was also mentioned as a potential running mate for Kerry in 2004. It’s highly unlikely that Nunn would make Obama’s short list, even with Nunn’s respect as an independent person. Moreover, even if Nunn was on that VP list, it’s also unlikely that he’d accept. But, at least George Will is trying, right?

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Clinton to Appear on SNL Tonight and other notes.

Let’s hope she’s funnier than in the debates. Video will be posted as soon as it’s available.

In other news:

The Texas caucus has disaster written all over it. There needs to be some sort of permanent leaders in these from now on who know what they’re doing. It’s ridiculous to elect a chair and secretary every time. Or, at least, let’s encourage campaigns to work together for on this.

Obama picked up a superdelegate in Alabama.

John Kerry of all people caused the Clinton campaign headaches in Texas.

The Washington Post editorial board (rightly) says both Obama and Clinton are pandering on NAFTA.

Kevin Sheekey, formerly the Bloomberg aide seemingly in charge of floating rumors of Bloomberg running for President, now floats rumors of Bloomberg being Obama’s VP.

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Bloomberg Officially Rules Out Run For President

In an op-ed published in today’s New York Times, Mayor Mike Bloomberg officially rules out a run for president, writing:

I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president.

He ads some optimism about the remaining candidates and Read more

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Ralph Nader’s In, Obama And Clinton React…

Yesterday, on Meet The Press, Ralph Nader announced his candidacy for president this election, saying:

Let me put it in context, to make it a little more palatable to people who have closed minds. Twenty-four percent of the American people are satisfied with the state of the country, according to Gallup. That’s about the lowest ranking ever. Sixty-one percent think both major parties are failing. And, according to Frank Luntz’s poll, a Republican, 80 percent would consider voting for a independent this year. Now, you take that framework of people feeling locked out, shut, shut out, marginalized, disrespected and you go from Iraq to Palestine/Israel, from Enron to Wall Street, from Katrina to the bungling of the Bush administration, to the complicity of the Democrats in not stopping him on the war, stopping him on the tax cuts, getting a decent energy bill through, and you have to ask yourself, as a citizen, should we elaborate the issues that the two are not talking about? And the–all, all the candidates–McCain, Obama and Clinton–are against single payer health insurance, full Medicare for all. I’m for it, as well as millions of Americans and 59 percent of physicians in a forthcoming poll this April. People don’t like Pentagon waste, a bloated military budget, all the reports in the press and in the GAO reports. A wasteful defense is a weak defense. It takes away taxpayer money that can go to the necessities of the American people. That’s off the table to Obama and Clinton and McCain.

The issue of labor law reform, repealing the notorious Taft-Hartley Act that keeps workers who are now more defenseless than ever against corporate globalization from organizing to defend their interests. Cracking down on corporate crime. The media–the mainstream media repeatedly indicating how trillions of dollars have been drained and fleeced and looted from millions of workers and investors who don’t have many rights these days, and pensioners. You know, when you see the paralysis of the government, when you see Washington, D.C., be corporate-occupied territory, every department agency controlled by overwhelming presence of corporate lobbyists, corporate executives in high government positions, turning the government against its own people, you–one feels an obligation, Tim, to try to open the doorways, to try to get better ballot access, to respect dissent in America in the terms of third parties and, and independent candidates; to recognize historically that great issues have come in our history against slavery and women rights to vote and worker and farmer progressives, through little parties that never ran–won any national election. Dissent is the mother of ascent. And in that context, I have decided to run for president.

Nader’s entrance into the campaign is more significant for the Democrats than Republicans. Accordingly, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton responded to the news.

Barack Obama:

“I think anybody has the right to vote for president if they file sufficient papers. And I think the job of the Democratic Party is to be so compelling that a few percentage of the vote going to another candidate’s not going to make any difference.”

[When reporters reminded Obama that Nader had said some not-so nice things about him, Obama replied]

“He had called me and I think reached out to my campaign. My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who if you’re — don’t listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you’re not substantive. He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work. Now, and by the way, I have to say that historically, he is a singular figure in American politics and has done as much as just about anybody on behalf of consumers. So in many ways, he is a heroic figure and I don’t mean to diminish him, but I do think there’s a sense now that um, you know if somebody’s not hewn to the Ralph Nader agenda then you, you must be lacking in some way.”

Hillary Clinton:

“Obviously it’s not helpful to whoever our Democratic nominee is. But it’s a free country.

“I don’t know what party he’ll run on. Where did he run on last time? Does anybody remember? … Was it on the Green Party?

“Well, you know, his being on the Green Party (ticket) prevented Al Gore from being the greenest president we could have had, and I think that’s really unfortunate. I think we paid a big price for it.”

[Photo Credit: Achievement.org]

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Why Is Bloomberg Not Considered In Electability Scenarios?

Mike Bloomberg has dropped hints of running as someone who can fix bipartisan bickering and get things done. He gave a major economic speech in Washington today. People are more than happy to cover what Bloomberg is doing.

But no one, and I mean no one, looks at Bloomberg in the context of election scenarios. He’s less likely to run against McCain or Obama, as either of them would take away a lot of his bipartisanship appeal. But the rest of the candidates certainly seem like fair game. Even against Hillary Clinton, Bloomberg rumors have floated.

Take this entry from the Plank. Electability is gone over with a fine tooth comb, just completely around the elephant int he room. Angelo just pointed out that absolutely no one is considering Bloomberg when discussing Edwards electability issues.

Or more recently, Obama commented to David Brody that while he could get Clinton’s supporters, he did not know if she could get his. And people went into a tizzy (see here, here, and here), speculating on whom Obama’s supporters might gravitate towards. Did any of them consider Bloomberg? Absolutely none of them. (Props to the commenters who did, though.)

Look, I’m not saying he’s definitely going to run against Clinton or definitely will not run against Obama. I doubt even he’s made up his mind. But it’s absurd to discuss him as a potential candidate and refuse to look into how he actually might affect things, particularly when you’re trying to look into the future.

If you want to know why so much horserace analysis is so bad, this is a perfect example. People need to look at what is right in front of them, and not just what they think is right in front of them.

When you have the likes of Al Gore, Mike Bloomberg, and Newt Gingrich going far beyond what candidates from either side are saying, it’s worth considering the viability of a candidate who could literally drop billions in the race, especially with the delegate leaders being those of limited appeal like Clinton and Romney right now.

[Image Credit: Flickr User wallyg under a Creative Commons license]

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Bloomberg Talks Economy In California; Takes Additional Steps Toward Run, Maybe

Mike Bloomberg, who continues to deny that he will run for president, visited the electoral college rich state of California this past weekend to discuss the economy. Appearing with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, Bloomberg announced the creation of a nonpartisan coalition, focused on infrastructure projects across the US, called “Building America’s Future.” The coalition is described as follows:

It is envisioned that the coalition will be comprised of state and local elected officials from around the nation and will become a repository of best practices on infrastructure funding issues. In the short-term, the coalition will work with the presidential candidates and the platform committees of the national political parties to ensure that the next president understands the enormity of the infrastructure crisis and is committed to increasing federal funding for infrastructure. The Rockefeller Foundation has committed to provide funding for coalition staffing and resources.

Keeping in line with his independent status, Bloomberg blasted both parties in Washington for not doing enough about infrastructure, saying:

“We cannot hand our children a nation that is crumbling from neglect…But Washington, as you know, spends money on winning votes and collecting campaign cash, no matter what the real needs are.”

Following up with the economy theme, the NY Times offers a glowing insight into Bloomberg’s ideas to battle poverty:

The official poverty line is itself one of the main things the mayor wants to do something about. The federal government currently puts it at income of $20,650 a year for a family of four, a calculation set at three times the annual cost of basic groceries. Mr. Bloomberg wants to break free of that archaic formula, and he seems unafraid that the new metric could reveal that there are even more poor New Yorkers than we thought.

The mayor, who made his personal fortune analyzing data, seems inclined to factor in what households spend on the real big-ticket items of urban life. That includes housing, child care and utilities — expenses that did not loom as large 40 years ago. Food, meanwhile, now claims a smaller proportion of income — about one-seventh — thanks in part to mass-production.

Mr. Bloomberg, who is working with the National Academy of Sciences and other experts, appears to be leaning toward factoring in housing costs and counting assistance, like food stamps, as income. The resulting yardstick should not only be more reliable, it should also help gauge the success of investments that New York is making — about $150 million, mostly in private funds — to help the poor. It could also provide a model for cities that have struggled with poverty.

As if the California event wasn’t enough, on his way out there, Bloomberg met with a ballot access expert in Texas:

Bloomberg met privately Friday with Clay Mulford, who is well-versed in third-party ballot access and served as campaign manager for Perot, according to an individual close to the mayor. The Texas businessman sought the presidency in 1992 and 1996.

The meeting with Mulford came less than two months before Bloomberg would be able to start gathering signatures to get on the ballot and meet Texas’ early deadline.

If Bloomberg wants a chance at winning the state’s large slice of electoral votes — 34 — he would need to collect about 74,100 signatures by May 12, and he could not begin circulating petitions in Texas until March 5. Not only does he have a short window to petition — the signatures need to be from Texas residents who did not vote in a party primary.

During a news conference, Bloomberg was asked about the significance of being in Texas, with its early ballot deadline. He seemed irritated with the question, having denied being in the race only a moment earlier.

”I just said I’m not a candidate — it couldn’t be clearer,” he said. “Which of the words do you not understand? People have urged me to do it, but I’m not a candidate.”

Despite his public denials, Bloomberg has been consulting with people such as Mulford and is conducting an analysis of voter data in all 50 states to better understand his chances as a third-party candidate. Aides have said he would delay a decision until after the major parties produce clear front-runners.

I’m still not convinced a Bloomberg candidacy is more likely than not. That said, I’m working on a longer post that looks at the potential issues a Bloomberg run raises for both the Mayor and the potential Democratic and Republican nominees.

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Bloomberg Featured In Ads In Iowa And New Hampshire

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg may deny that he’s running for president, but you wouldn’t be able to guess that with his Google Adwords buy, issuing a statement on international events and now by running newspaper ads in Iowa and New Hampshire. Yesterday, Mayors Against Illegal Guns ran ads in The Des Moines Register and The New Hampshire Union Leader that asked where the candidates stand on illegal guns and contained a picture of Mayor Bloomberg and several other mayors from the organization.

It was a gentle reminder about the questionnaire that the organization submitted to all the campaigns earlier this month that they asked the campaigns to return to them by January 2, 2008. Thus far, none of the surveys have been turned in yet.

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Candidate Statements on the Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

Bill Richardson:

“Benazir Bhutto was a courageous woman. Her death, and the deaths of so many of her supporters, is more than just a tragedy. It is a testament to the will of the Pakistani people to see democracy restored. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who died today.

“Ms. Bhutto knew the dangers to her safety. But she would not be intimidated. We also must not be intimidated.

A leader has died, but democracy must live. The United States government cannot stand by and allow Pakistan’s return to democracy to be derailed or delayed by violence.

We must use our diplomatic leverage and force the enemies of democracy to yield: President Bush should press Musharraf to step aside, and a broad-based coalition government, consisting of all the democratic parties, should be formed immediately. Until this happens, we should suspend military aid to the Pakistani government. Free and fair elections must also be held as soon as possible.

It is in the interests of the US that there be a democratic Pakistan that relentlessly hunts down terrorists. Musharraf has failed, and his attempts to cling to power are destabilizing his country. He must go.”

Hillary Clinton:

“I am profoundly saddened and outraged by the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, a leader of tremendous political and personal courage. I came to know Mrs. Bhutto over many years, during her tenures as Prime Minister and during her years in exile. Mrs. Bhutto’s concern for her country, and her family, propelled her to risk her life on behalf of the Pakistani people. She returned to Pakistan to fight for democracy despite threats and previous attempts on her life and now she has made the ultimate sacrifice. Her death is a tragedy for her country and a terrible reminder of the work that remains to bring peace, stability, and hope to regions of the globe too often paralyzed by fear, hatred, and violence.

“Let us pray that her legacy will be a brighter, more hopeful future for the people she loved and the country she served. My family and I extend my condolences and deepest sympathies to the victims and their families and to the people of Pakistan.”

John McCain:

“I was deeply saddened today to learn about the death of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. My deepest condolences go out to the family and supporters of this remarkable woman, an individual who paid the ultimate price for her embrace of moderation and rejection of extremism.

“The death of Benazir Bhutto underscores yet again the grave dangers we face in the world today and particularly in countries like Pakistan, where the forces of moderation are arrayed in a fierce battle against those who embrace violent Islamic extremism.

“Given Pakistan’s strategic location, the international terrorist groups that operate from its soil, and its nuclear arsenal, the future of that country has deep implications for the security of the United States and its allies. America must stand on the right side of this ongoing struggle.

“In my numerous visits to Pakistan - to Islamabad, to Peshawar, even to the tribal areas of Waziristan - I have seen first hand the many challenges that face the political leadership there, challenges so graphically portrayed by today’s tragedy. There are, in Pakistan, brave individuals who seek to lead their country away from extremism and instability and into the light of a better day. America, I believe, must do all we can to support them.”

Mitt Romney:

“We are still learning the details of today’s tragic events in Pakistan, but this is a stark reminder that America must not only stay on high alert, but remain actively engaged across the globe. Pakistan has long been a key part in the war against extremism and radical jihadists. For those who think Iraq is the sole front in the War on Terror, one must look no further than what has happened today. America must show its commitment to stand with all moderate forces across the Islamic world and together face the defining challenge of our generation – the struggle against violent, radical jihadists.

“At this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go to the family of Benazir Bhutto, and to all the people of Pakistan who are fighting against extremist forces that would commit such heinous acts as the whole world has witnessed today.”

Barack Obama:

“I am shocked and saddened by the death of Benazir Bhutto in this terrorist atrocity. She was a respected and resilient advocate for the democratic aspirations of the Pakistani people. We join with them in mourning her loss, and stand with them in their quest for democracy and against the terrorists who threaten the common security of the world,” said United States Senator Barack Obama.

Rudy Giuliani:

“The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a tragic event for Pakistan and for Democracy in Pakistan. Her murderers must be brought to justice and Pakistan must continue the path back to democracy and the rule of law. Her death is a reminder that terrorism anywhere — whether in New York, London, Tel Aviv or Rawalpindi — is an enemy of freedom. We must redouble our efforts to win the Terrorists’ War on Us.”

Mike Huckabee:

“I am deeply troubled by the news accounts this morning of Pakistani opposition leader and former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in a suicide attack. This is devastating news for the people of Pakistan, and my prayers go out to them as we follow developments regarding this dire situation.

”The terrible violence surrounding Pakistan’s upcoming election stands in stark contrast to the peaceful transition of power that we embrace in our country through our Constitution. On this sad day, we are reminded that while our democracy has flaws, it stands as a shining beacon of hope for nations and people around the world who seek peace and opportunity through self-government.”

John Edwards

“Benazir Bhutto was a brave and historic leader for Pakistan. Her assassination is a sad and solemn event, and our hearts go out to her family and to the Pakistani people. But we will not let this contemptible, cowardly act delay the march of progress in Pakistan for a single second.

“I have seen firsthand in Pakistan, and in meetings with Prime Minister Bhutto and President Musharraf, the instability of the country and the complexity of the challenges they face. At this critical moment, America must convey both strength and principle. We should do everything in our power to help bring the perpetrators of this heinous act to justice and to ensure that Bhutto’s movement toward democracy continues.”

Joe Biden

“This is a terrible day. My heart goes out to Benazir Bhutto’s family, friends and followers.

“Like her father before her, Benazir Bhutto worked her whole life – and gave her life – to help Pakistan become a democratic, secular and modern Muslim country. She was a woman of extraordinary courage who returned to Pakistan in the face of death threats and even after an assassination attempt the day of her return, she did not flinch. It was a privilege to know her these many years and to call her a friend.

“I am convinced Ms. Bhutto would have won free and fair elections next week. The fact that she was by far Pakistan’s most popular leader underscores the fact that there is a vast, moderate majority in Pakistan that must have a clear voice in the system. Her assassination makes it all the more urgent that Pakistan return to a democratic path.

“This fall, I twice urged President Musharraf to provide better security for Ms. Bhutto and other political leaders – I wrote him before her return and after the first assassination attempt in October. The failure to protect Ms. Bhutto raises a lot of hard questions for the government and security services that must be answered.

“I know that Benazir’s followers will be tempted to lash out in anger and violence. I urge them to remain calm – and not play into the hands of the forces of destruction. I urge Pakistan’s leaders to open a fully accountable and transparent investigation. We must find out who was behind this and bring those responsible to justice. And the United States should offer any assistance necessary, including investigative teams, to get to the bottom of this horror.

“The way to honor Benazir Bhutto is to uphold the values for which she gave her life: democracy, moderation and social justice. I join with the Pakistani people in mourning the loss of a dear friend.”

Chris Dodd:

“Today’s news from Pakistan is both shocking and saddening. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, I have had the opportunity to travel to Pakistan and come to know Former Prime Minister Bhutto very well over the years. I spoke to her personally several weeks ago and have stayed in close contact with her since. She was a respected leader who played an important part in moving Pakistan toward democracy.

“As we recognize the loss of a leader today, we must also recognize the implication of today’s tragedy to the security of the region and to that of the United States.

“At this critical time we must do everything in our power to help Pakistan continue the path toward democracy and full elections. Our first priority must be to ensure stability in this critical nuclear state.

“The United States should also stand ready to provide assistance in investigating this heinous act. And as Pakistan perpetrators to justice, it should also demonstrate that it will not allow such violence to derail democracy and proceed with elections in a timely manner.”

Dennis Kucinich:

“This is a very dangerous moment for the world. Prime Minister Bhuttorepresented the forces of reform and the hope for an end to repression in a troubled region, and her death is a major loss to those efforts.”

“This terrible tragedy also underscores the need for the United States to adopt a new foreign policy toward the entire region because our current policy is all wrong. Our interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan has opened wide the doors of repression and violence. At this very moment, we should be working with leaders of the region to convene a meeting at the highest levels to begin a new effort towards stabilization and peace.”

“The United States must take a new direction in Pakistan and throughout the region. I met her several times, both in Washington and New York. She was deeply and genuinely dedicated to Pakistan. This is a tragic loss.”

Mike Bloomberg:

“Today all New Yorkers, including the more than 100,000 who can trace their heritage to Pakistan, are saddened to learn about the assassination of Pakistan’s Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Hers was a voice for democracy, and the silencing of it — by such brutal means - is a shock to us all. Ms. Bhutto’s death — and the deaths of the many other Pakistanis who were killed today simply for expressing their views - is a great loss for friends of democracy and for everyone who is united in the fight against terror. It’s also a grim reminder that many people consider the freedoms we cherish a threat. The perpetrators of this violent act must be brought to justice, and it is my hope that President Musharraf will follow through on free and fair elections in January as a testament to Ms. Bhutto’s legacy.”

Any other comments by other candidates will be added as soon as possible.

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South Carolina Democratic Party Denies Colbert Access To Primary Ballot

In a 13-3 vote, the Executive Council of the South Carolina Democratic Party denied Colbert access to the primary ballot. Colbert’s $2,500 filing fee will be returned to him.

The criteria principally used in this decision were: 1) Whether Colbert is a “bona-fide” Democrat and 2) Whether he has spent time campaigning in the state.

S.C.’s party director provided the basic rationale: “The general sense of the council was that he wasn’t a serious candidate

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How Punditry Is Awful: The Stephen Colbert Edition

From the Washington Post blog the Trail:

Each of the presidential candidates have their own profile on Facebook, the social networking site of the moment. Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) has 158,000 supporters on his page, tops among the Democratic candidates, and Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.), the online star of the Republican field, has 34,000. There are also dozens of pro-candidate and anti-candidate groups. The most popular pro group, “Barack Obama: (One Million Strong for Barack),” has 392,000 members and was created by 26-year-old Farouk Olu Aregbe. Stephen DeMaura, 22, founded the largest anti group, “Stop Hillary Clinton: (One Million Strong AGAINST Hillary),” which lists 514,000 members.

But Vachhani’s Colbert group beats them all.

“At a political level, comparing Mr. Obama and Mr. Colbert is patently unfair. To join Mr. Obama’s group … requires an explicit statement of political beliefs. Joining Mr. Cobert’s group signals that you’re a fan of his hilarious TV personality. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this — but to comapre Obama and Colbert is truly to compare apples and oranges,” Fred Stutzman, a doctoral student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, blogged Monday on TechPresident, the hub of online presidential campaigning.

Added George Washington University’s Michael Cornfield, who teaches about political strategy and message development: “Colbert is entertainment and entertainment always outrates politics. People want to be entertained. That’s all this means.”

Well, maybe.

Facebook has gotten increasingly political in recent months — and why not? YouTube has its CNN/YouTube debates, and MySpace has partnered with MTV for its live instant messaging forums. Earlier this month, Facebook — with more than 44 million members, the core group being high school and college age students — hosted two two-hour seminars for congressional and campaign staffers in Capitol Hill.

Maybe punditry would be more meaningful if they took more time looking at real candidates instead of fake ones. Or at least didn’t use fake candidates for anything but comedic relief. (Articles about Colbert threatening Georgia: fine. Comparing MySpace friends as a lead-in to serious analysis: not fine).

This amount of attention paid to Colbert by anyone but Colbert himself is embarrassing, or at least an indictment of the inane year and a half long election process. Especially when they make direct comparisons with Facebook or something of that ilk. Yes, people are more likely to sign up with Colbert than Obama because it means far, far less. It’s as if pundits get paid not to think.

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2008Central.net’s Presidential Election Podcast (10/29/07)

This podcast covers: (1) Poll craziness - Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney; (2) Romney’s speech on faith; (3) Obama ratcheting up pressure on Clinton; (4) Consequences in Florida for DNC; (5) Chris Dodd on Meet The Press; (6) Tom Tancredo is not running for re-election; (7) Kucinich, Richardson and UFOs; (8) Edwards brings the hammer on UNC student reporter; (9) Mike Bloomberg buying Google AdWords; (10) and more…

Feel free to email us questions/suggestions for next week’s podcast (you can also email an audio file of your question and we’ll include it in the podcast).

Subscribe to 2008Central.net’s Presidential Election Podcast

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Mike Bloomberg Buying 2008 Election Related Google Adwords

Just saying is all…

I noticed today that Mike Bloomberg has purchased Google Adwords, some of which must be related to the 2008 election, since they are popping up with other election related links on election related stories. I don’t think this means anything other than an attempt to drive some traffic to his website, while putting in minimal effort to keep his options open should an opportunity arise for him to enter the race.

Related at 2008Central.net:

• Bloomberg Continues to Deny He’s Running (8/21/07)
• A Taste of Who Mike Bloomberg Is (7/3/07)

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Stephen Colbert Officially Announces Candidacy For Presidency

This evening on his show, The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert officially announced that he will be running for president in the state of South Carolina as a “favorite son” candidate. Following his announcement, Colbert discussed the impact of his decision to run with CBS News’ Senior Political Correspondent, Jeff Greenfield.

By Colbert’s admission, his intention is to get enough support to qualify for a delegate at the conventions. I’m not quite sure of the specifics of the law regarding the legality of this. It sounds as though it shouldn’t be legally possible, but I imagine there are plenty of loopholes for something like this, especially when the candidate isn’t serious (or is he?…dun dun dun). Prior to his announcement, Colbert appeared on The Daily Show with John Stewart to announce that he was considering whether or not to announce that he would be running for president

Given the limited information available, it’s tough to say how serious Colbert is. Regardless, I’m sure this will generate plenty of excite in the political realm and the blogosphere. This post will be updated as additional information becomes available.

As an aside, the last time the “favorite son” strategy was used (considered) in order to gain political leverage was during the 1998 Presidential Election. Sen. Moynihan (NY) tried to convince convice New York Governor Mario Cuomo and New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley to run as “favorite son” candidates. Colbert…as a modern Moynihan?

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Bloomberg Continues to Deny He’s Running

This time, he added that he couldn’t win anyways:

“Nobody’s going to elect me president of the United States,” he told Dan Rather for a program that will air Tuesday on cable’s HDNet channel. “What I’d like to do is to be able to influence the dialogue. I’m a citizen.”

The billionaire left the Republican Party recently to become an independent, throwing into overdrive the speculation that he will make a run for the White House.

Bloomberg likes to throw water on the rumors while simultaneously keeping them alive behind the scenes. His aides are not bashful about promoting the idea that he could jump into the race next year as a self-financed independent candidate.

Rather, after interviewing Bloomberg, went on to tell Chris Matthews that he would not bet against Bloomberg running against NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer when his term was up.

We’ve said constantly that Bloomberg would run only if both parties nominated candidates towards their extremes; perhaps if Edwards and Romney were nominated, but certainly he would only run if he thought he could win. With the current political winds seeming to indicate that moderates will probably be nominated - and Bloomberg will certainly not run against fellow NY politicians Clinton or Giuliani - it’s time to put the Bloomberg idea on the back burner.

[Photo Credit: flickr user DavisMcDavis]

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