Citizen Brand

Filling the Republican vacuum

No one loves it more than him. The fact that Rush Limbaugh has become the center of all things Republican since Barack Obama moved into the White House makes him very happy. His ratings are probably strong which means he can charge his advertisers more for his daily dose of entertainment disguised as political discussion. His pronouncements that he hopes President Obama fails continue which begs the question, what is it you are for Rush? We always know what you are against.

What right thinking Republicans must be asking themselves now is how did we get here? The party of Lincoln, T. Roosevelt and Reagan is in search of their next leader. The Party apparatus elected an African American as Chairman, but no one seems to be showing him respect yet. They sent out poor Bobby Jindal to follow the President and he didn't fare so well. But who would with the tired and worn out format of the "opposition response" to the President. It's not a fair fight and should be scrapped in the future. Why not set a speech the next day for someone in front of a friendly crowd to lay out the loyal opposition's agenda.

Right now, Republicans are in search of their voice and in desperate need of focused leadership. Romney, Palin, Jindal, Gingrich and the GOP leaders in Congress are talking all at once. Which brings us back to the loudest voice the Republicans have right now - Rush Limbaugh. He has the biggest megaphone and any Republican who doesn't fall into line gets called out on the air and forced to apologize to the big guy if they dare criticize him.

The Obama White House is stoking the fire. From the Chief of Staff to the Press Secretary to the President himself, all have said over and over that it is obvious that Rush Limbaugh is the defacto leader of the Republican Party today. This political sideshow is interesting to watch. Who will be the Republican to step up and try to wrest the megaphone away from Limbaugh? Will the Democrats keep throwing logs on the fire to keep Rush the face and voice of the GOP? Will Limbaugh sacrifice the Party that has kept him in the lifestyle to which he has become accustomed in order to keep the spotlight on him?

Stay tuned. It can only get more interesting.

This is really change

 

I have to give the Republican National Committee credit. An African-American is the new Chairman of the GOP. Michael Steele won it on the sixth ballot, but he won. There was apparently a bit of idiocy by one of his opponents that helped. But old habits die hard. Something about a CD with a song slamming President Obama in a not so nice way.

Enough of that. Focus on the positive here. Steele beat the incumbent chairman and three other challengers garnering 91 votes on the sixth ballot. 85 were needed to win the chairmanship. He is a former Maryland Lt. Governor and his election signals that at least part of the leadership of the GOP is paying attention to the 2008 election results.

All this in a week when radio personality Rush Limbaugh tried to assert himself as the GOP leader and House Republicans played politics with the American economy.  Perhaps Steele's ascendancy to the head of the RNC will provide Republicans who want progress, and want to work with Democrats to fix America, a place to go.

This is another good sign for our country.

Barack Obama for President

The tipping point

Jack Cafferty of CNN called this one in September.

Colin Powell endorsing Obama?

From Howard Fineman  at Newsweek :

Will Powell Endorse Obama?

Is Gen. Colin Powell getting ready to endorse Sen. Barack Obama on "Meet the Press" this Sunday? Two sources close to Powell, speaking on the condition of anonymity, predict that he will. On the record, a third, Ken Duberstein, a Washington lobbyist and former White House chief of staff, didn't flatly deny it. "You can say what you want," he told me, "but I didn't tell you that and neither did Powell."

OK, true enough.

If Powell does endorse Obama, racial pride will have something to do with it, which is understandable. Powell has been a trailblazer himself, and he admires Obama's unflappability and skill in rising so quickly through the ranks of American politics.

While Powell is personally close to McCain, and has been for many years, he seems to have taken a special interest in making himself available, behind the scenes and from time to time, to discuss foreign policy and defense issues with the novice Illinois senator. I believe Powell feels a responsibility to help Obama out, almost as if a member of the family were taking on a tough new job.

However, if Powell does endorse, it will have less to do with American sociology than world affairs. Powell simply has no use anymore--if he ever had any--for the neo-con cowboys he thinks misled the country (and him) into a mistaken and costly war in Iraq.

Powell has been careful in public not to criticize his colleagues in the Bush administration nor bluntly call the war a mistake. He came close to saying that at the Aspen Institute's Ideas Conference last summer, but remained droll and elliptical.

An endorsement of Obama would be an indirect but powerful way of expressing his resentments and regrets: refusing to support a fellow Republican who has very Bush-like ideas about how to make America more secure in a world of terror.

"It's not so much about race as it is about foreign policy," a friend of Powell's told me. "He thinks Obama has a lot to learn, but that he has the capacity."

Lazy media

It's funny how the media can't tell us enough about how political conventions these days are four day "infomercials" for the parties.  And yet, their coverage of them actually ends up validating them as infomercials.  The 24 hour cable networks keep repeating the same spin and punditry all day long and the three old school networks treat them as a four hour mini-series with a one hour episode each night.  Jon Stewart probably has it right.  Thanks to the Bulldog Reporter for this take on convention coverage via the host of "The Daily Show.

As Convention Coverage Locks In, Jon Stewart Hammers Mainstream Media for Lazy Campaign-Spin 'Regurgitation'

As Comedy Central's "Daily Show" descends on Denver for four days of coverage, Jon Stewart took after the "established" media for getting too cozy with candidates and regurgitating campaign spin when it comes to political coverage. In a breakfast with reporters, Stewart directed most of his ire at the 24-hour cable news networks, which he called "gerbil wheels," and said the media at-large had "abdicated" to what he called the "slow-witted beast." He said the never-ending television news cycle creates a "false sense of urgency" and forces reporters to "follow the veins that have been mined," instead of pursuing serious and in-depth reporting, CNN reports. Even as Stewart shredded reporters for, in his estimation, getting too cozy with and used by political candidates, he readily admitted that candidates flock to his show to attract his much sought after younger audience. "It's just one part of their sales pitch," he said, reports CNN political producer Sasha Johnson. Stewart said he found neither Sens. McCain or Obama particularly funny and it was "absolutely irrelevant" which one takes the White House because "the jokes will be there." He dismissed criticism that comedians are having a hard time joking about Obama because of his race and said "the age joke with McCain is somewhat meaningless because it's already trite." The choice of Joe Biden as Obama's runningmate, Stewart said, was refreshing because of the Delaware senator's large personality and endless possibility for jokes. "Biden is really nice. His style is so effusive and unguarded," Stewart said. "He's emotion plus." Stewart said politicians in recent campaigns are "animatronic" because all of the "humanity has been managed out of campaigns." He referenced the back-and-forth during the Pennsylvania Democratic primary over Obama's lack of bowling skills. "It's stunning where this election is going to be decided on," he said. "Or what we allow it to be decided on."

Back to School

I didn't intend to take the summer off from Citizen Brand.  It just happened.  But I'm going to take that one small step back into the 'sphere and see how it feels.It was a great summer.  A lot of successful work and some great play made it a full season.  The weather in the heartland has been rare.  More rain than usual and less heat.  If we had more summers like this we would attract tourists.

I will write more about two incredible trips to the Rockies this summer and provide some art to go with it.  But I can't resist a trip down the political lane tonight as Citizen Brand returns to the fray.  The political conventions are upon us and as of this writing, we still don't know who Masters Obama and McCain will select as their running mates.  Speculation runs rampant and conventional wisdom is all over the board.  Let's dissect what we know to date.

McCain floated Tom Ridge, a social moderate, and it landed with a thud among the right wing of the GOP.  The right would embrace Romney, but why is it that he left the race as fast as he did when he had all the dough in the world?  McCain has entertained young governors and the rumor of Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice rears up a couple of times a week.  

  Which brings us to Obama.  Conventional wisdom currently centers on Joe Biden.  He would be a solid choice.  Biden shores up the gray hair some think Obama needs on the ticket.  But does he communicate change?  Evan Bayh and Tim Kaine round out the white guys Obama has on his short list.  But what about a woman?  A black man and a woman would be about as different - well let's face it - that would be completely different than the previous 44 administrations that have served as the executive branch since we became a nation.

Our own Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius has remained on the Obama Veep list, likely as a placeholder for a woman.  And that brings us to Hillary Clinton.  The first woman to run a serious and near successful campaign for President of the United States.  After all the noise of the past year and the incredible campaign that Obama and Clinton waged to try to win the Democratic nomination, there may be only one answer to the question of who Obama should select as his running mate.  I can make the case that Hillary gives the Democrats the best chance to reclaim the White House in November.

It was both Obama and Clinton that drove up voter registration and raised record amounts of money.  Obama certainly led the way in both, but looking back, it's fair to say that the combination of the first serious African American and the first serious woman to run for President energized the electorate together and brought hundreds of thousands of new voters into the fold.

Yes, I have opined more than once that it was time to end the two decades of Bush, Clinton, Bush.  But the practical politician in me says Obama/Clinton could prove to be the ticket that has Obama raising his right hand and taking the oath in January, 2009.

Game on.  The final chapter of this epic and important election is about to unfold.

A Russert postscript

Thanks to one of my Barkley colleagues, Reid Stella, for pointing me to this perfect summation of what Tim Russert meant to us.  The piece is by Eugene Robinson of the Post.  Here is the link.

The question is who will take his place?  And not just in the chair on the Meet The Press set, but is their a journalist who can truly fill the Russert role?  I hope so.

Of Bobby and Barack

It took 40 years.  America has fought four wars, one of which is still raging.  The world is a remarkably different place in June of 2008 versus June of 1968, but there is one very strong connection.  Barack Obama is the true heir to the presidency that should have been.

My personal political hero is Bobby Kennedy.  It has taken me four decades to find a candidate that I believe will make the kinds of changes we need.  Bobby Kennedy would have been a much different president than even his brother was.  Barack Obama will be a much different president than any we have had in the four decades since that turbulent year of 1968.  A year that shaped a generation's thinking and actions, including yours truly.

And yet Obama will mean much more than even RFK could have hoped to mean.  His is a truly historic campaign as was that of his worthy competitor, Hillary Clinton.  But the Clinton campaign did not comport itself consistently as one that deserved the historic tag.  It was at times difficult to watch and listen to the Clinton campaign.  In 1992, the Clintons represented change.  It was a change that was never fully realized as scandal and impeachment politics sidetracked the promised progress.

And now there are two.  McCain and Obama.  An aging war hero versus the young gun.  Two United States Senators.  Two men once again when many expected the first woman to grace the presidential stage.  The questions begin.  Can Obama convince Hillary's female and white male base to stay in the Democratic fold? Will the hundreds of thousands of young Americans who have been energized by Obama stay tuned and vote in November?  Will John McCain figure out a way to distance himself from his promise to stay in Iraq for 100 years?  Will Obama pick Hillary for VP?  Would she take it or tell him to take a hike?

But those are the questions of practical politics.  Obama has raised our sights to look beyond the mundane day to day politics.  He is challenging us to step up, get engaged and embrace real change.  He is a reminder to this child of the 60's of a time when politicians could be respected and be believed.

It took 40 years.

Horse Race Journalism

As the famous line goes - "We have seen the enemy and it is us."  We want to believe that we are paying attention to presidential candidates and their stands on issues so we can make informed and competent decisions in the voting booth.  But we can't help ourselves.  We get sucked into the "horse race."  Who is ahead in the Zogby Poll today; the New York Times poll tomorrow; and, the Nickelodeon/ESPN/O Magazine Poll due out tomorrow.....

As Super Duper Tuesday approaches, the latest national polling shows Barack Obama surging and closing the gap on Hillary Clinton.  It shows John McCain building a lead over Mitt Romney and it seems clear that Mike Huckabee is submarining Romney by splitting the "conservative" vote.

Polls are instructive.  They do give us a sense of where things stand at that moment in time.  But then we need a new poll right away to keep the buzz going....is Obama still surging?  Is McCain really starting to pull away from Romney or will the next poll tell us something different.

And so it goes.  The media serves as the drug dealer on the corner feeding the horse race frenzy.  Read this piece by Jay Rosen over at Pressthink to go a little deeper on this subject.  As you will see in Jay's piece, the media hasn't faired so well in their horse race predictions this year which has further contributed to this once or twice in a century electoral experience.  Of course the media's lack of success has also caused us no shortage of roller coaster rides as they attempt to fix their errors.  Jay points to one ray of sunshine in this exchange between Tom Brokaw and Chris Matthews on the night of the New Hampshire Primary:

"“BROKAW: You know what I think we’re going to have to do?

“MATTHEWS: Yes sir?

“BROKAW: Wait for the voters to make their judgment.

“MATTHEWS: Well what do we do then in the days before the ballot? We must stay home, I guess.”

Matthews was being the realist: Without who’s-going-to-win, “we” might as well stay home. Brokaw (now long retired as the face of the NBC brand) gave him an apt warning in response: “The people out there are going to begin to make judgments about us if we don’t begin to temper that temptation to constantly try to get ahead of what the voters are deciding.” But he was speaking as if the media had a mind and could shift course."

A novel concept indeed.....let the voters vote and then report on how they voted.