Democratic bloggers aim to reshape campaigns - Tom Curry - MSNBC.com
posted by PJG at 12:59 PM
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Monday, August 15, 2005
Wednesday, September 15, 2004
Monday, September 13, 2004
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Girls Gone Riled: Will Single Women Break Bush's Heart?
Trend-conscious candidates beware: Do not get caught courting soccer moms or NASCAR dads. They’re so over. This year’s hot new swing voter is the single woman.
And with very good reason: Although single women account for one-fifth of the U.S. electorate, they historically turn out to vote in much smaller numbers than married women or, for that matter, married or single men.
The stats are simply stunning: According to Women’s Voices, Women Vote, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to engaging unmarried women in the electoral process, 22 million unmarried women didn’t vote in the last presidential election.
And what’s more, they are seriously ticked off: Over two-thirds of them believe that the country is moving in the wrong direction and want real change
Although it’s impossible to pigeonhole a group as diverse as single women there’s a reason they tend to have the political opinions they do: The vast majority of them find themselves living on the economic edge, radicalized by the struggle to provide for themselves, their children and their older parents, mostly on one income.
They occupy the front lines of the Other America. They know what it means to have a child in a failing school. They live the reality of being forced to use an ER as the family doctor because they can’t afford health insurance. They understand the feeling of being one paycheck away from poverty. To them the WalMartization of our economy is not a theoretical concept.
The issues single women are most concerned with — job security, affordable health care and decent educational opportunities for themselves and their children — also skew heavily in the Democrats’ favor. When you’re barely making ends meet, another round of tax cuts for millionaires doesn’t tend to be very high on your political must-have list. Neither is spending mega-billions fighting preemptive, ideological wars based on misleading premises — especially when, more often than not, it’s your loved ones coming home in body bags.
It can’t be helping Karl Rove sleep at night to know that single women are also more likely to support gun control, gay rights and, especially, abortion rights. Talk about your potential culture war blowback.
So if untold millions of single women voters are likely to reject Bush faster than a bucktoothed blind date with bad breath and a crummy car, why isn’t the Kerry campaign busy drawing up the guest list for its Inaugural Ball?
Because the trick is getting these progressive-minded women to turn up at the polls.
ARIANNA ONLINE - March 31, 2004 - Girls Gone Riled: Will Single Women Break Bush's Heart?: "Girls Gone Riled: Will Single Women Break Bush's Heart?"
And with very good reason: Although single women account for one-fifth of the U.S. electorate, they historically turn out to vote in much smaller numbers than married women or, for that matter, married or single men.
The stats are simply stunning: According to Women’s Voices, Women Vote, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to engaging unmarried women in the electoral process, 22 million unmarried women didn’t vote in the last presidential election.
And what’s more, they are seriously ticked off: Over two-thirds of them believe that the country is moving in the wrong direction and want real change
Although it’s impossible to pigeonhole a group as diverse as single women there’s a reason they tend to have the political opinions they do: The vast majority of them find themselves living on the economic edge, radicalized by the struggle to provide for themselves, their children and their older parents, mostly on one income.
They occupy the front lines of the Other America. They know what it means to have a child in a failing school. They live the reality of being forced to use an ER as the family doctor because they can’t afford health insurance. They understand the feeling of being one paycheck away from poverty. To them the WalMartization of our economy is not a theoretical concept.
The issues single women are most concerned with — job security, affordable health care and decent educational opportunities for themselves and their children — also skew heavily in the Democrats’ favor. When you’re barely making ends meet, another round of tax cuts for millionaires doesn’t tend to be very high on your political must-have list. Neither is spending mega-billions fighting preemptive, ideological wars based on misleading premises — especially when, more often than not, it’s your loved ones coming home in body bags.
It can’t be helping Karl Rove sleep at night to know that single women are also more likely to support gun control, gay rights and, especially, abortion rights. Talk about your potential culture war blowback.
So if untold millions of single women voters are likely to reject Bush faster than a bucktoothed blind date with bad breath and a crummy car, why isn’t the Kerry campaign busy drawing up the guest list for its Inaugural Ball?
Because the trick is getting these progressive-minded women to turn up at the polls.
ARIANNA ONLINE - March 31, 2004 - Girls Gone Riled: Will Single Women Break Bush's Heart?: "Girls Gone Riled: Will Single Women Break Bush's Heart?"
posted by PJG at 7:03 PM
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The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnists: Westerns and Easterns
posted by PJG at 8:45 AM
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Thursday, September 02, 2004
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Ridenbaugh Press
Ridenbaugh Press: "Oregon switch
Among the prominent folks switching sides in the presidential campaign this year is an Oregonian who may make some national difference.
He is - the Salem Statesman-Journal reports - Merrill �Tony� McPeak of Lake Oswego, a retired Air Force general. He was state chair in 1996 for Republican Robert Dole's campaign, and was a visible backer in 2000 of Republican George W. Bush. But this year, he's taken a national role with the campaign of Democrat John Kerry - joining his 20-member 'truth squad', calling the Bush campaign out on its allegations, and defending Kerry.
In the article, he says simply that Bush didn't live up to his aspirations, and �I�m equally distressed at his attempts to mislead the American people about John Kerry�s record.�
McPeak has been a Republican but changed his affiliation to independent. His alliance with Kerry was visible a week again, though, when he joined several other top retired military commanders on stage at the National Democratic Convention.
Northwest significance? Maybe some in closely-watched Oregon, where he could become a compelling local speaker for Kerry's side. 08/05/04 11:21 "
Among the prominent folks switching sides in the presidential campaign this year is an Oregonian who may make some national difference.
He is - the Salem Statesman-Journal reports - Merrill �Tony� McPeak of Lake Oswego, a retired Air Force general. He was state chair in 1996 for Republican Robert Dole's campaign, and was a visible backer in 2000 of Republican George W. Bush. But this year, he's taken a national role with the campaign of Democrat John Kerry - joining his 20-member 'truth squad', calling the Bush campaign out on its allegations, and defending Kerry.
In the article, he says simply that Bush didn't live up to his aspirations, and �I�m equally distressed at his attempts to mislead the American people about John Kerry�s record.�
McPeak has been a Republican but changed his affiliation to independent. His alliance with Kerry was visible a week again, though, when he joined several other top retired military commanders on stage at the National Democratic Convention.
Northwest significance? Maybe some in closely-watched Oregon, where he could become a compelling local speaker for Kerry's side. 08/05/04 11:21 "
posted by PJG at 2:05 PM
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Ridenbaugh Press
Ridenbaugh Press: "With just a couple of months yet to go until election day 2004, there's a lot of interest in central Idaho political circles in election day ... 2006.
2004 being, of course, of scant interest, a handful of state legislative and county races aside. Everything of large scale on the ballot in Idaho this year - governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House - is a foregone conclusion in the Gem State.
Even the candidates seem to understand that. With that in mind, note a fascinating invitation to a reception-type event to be conducted in a couple of weeks on behalf of Republican Representative C.L. 'Butch' Otter.
Otter's campaign this year has been low key, but that's no criticism: Wastage of money or effort is never a virtue. Not that Otter or his political people have been inactive. This campaign event upcoming, to be held in Boise, is a good case in point. It was carefully and thoughtfully put together, and it may yield measurable dividends, the more so in that it is just one of a series.
Key people expected to be present include the House Republican leadership, half of which comes from outside the 1st Congressional District Otter represents. There is also an intriguing additional list of invitees - non-incumbent Republican legislative candidates running in relatively challenging districts (such as Bannock County and parts of Boise and the Moscow area). Some of them are in the 1st CD; some are not.
But don't imagine this has anything, realistically, to do with Otter's campaign for re-election to Congress. What everyone political in Idaho knows is that Otter is positioning himself for a run for governor in 2006, and this series of events looks like a very smart organzing tool for that run. After these campaign events Otter could wind up with an additional network of support around the state.
As all this indicates, Topic A in Idaho politics these"
2004 being, of course, of scant interest, a handful of state legislative and county races aside. Everything of large scale on the ballot in Idaho this year - governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House - is a foregone conclusion in the Gem State.
Even the candidates seem to understand that. With that in mind, note a fascinating invitation to a reception-type event to be conducted in a couple of weeks on behalf of Republican Representative C.L. 'Butch' Otter.
Otter's campaign this year has been low key, but that's no criticism: Wastage of money or effort is never a virtue. Not that Otter or his political people have been inactive. This campaign event upcoming, to be held in Boise, is a good case in point. It was carefully and thoughtfully put together, and it may yield measurable dividends, the more so in that it is just one of a series.
Key people expected to be present include the House Republican leadership, half of which comes from outside the 1st Congressional District Otter represents. There is also an intriguing additional list of invitees - non-incumbent Republican legislative candidates running in relatively challenging districts (such as Bannock County and parts of Boise and the Moscow area). Some of them are in the 1st CD; some are not.
But don't imagine this has anything, realistically, to do with Otter's campaign for re-election to Congress. What everyone political in Idaho knows is that Otter is positioning himself for a run for governor in 2006, and this series of events looks like a very smart organzing tool for that run. After these campaign events Otter could wind up with an additional network of support around the state.
As all this indicates, Topic A in Idaho politics these"
posted by PJG at 1:39 PM
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