Dean Jabs Gephardt
The big national news on the campaign in the past week was John Kerry's firing of key campaign aides as he tried to breathe some life into his run for the Democratic nomination. Kerry also came out with a new ad on November 10th that portrays him as more active and less wooden than previous ads. ("Who can take on George Bush and change the direction of the nation? John Kerry," the ad begins.) But, whatever he might have gained by the new faces on the staff and the latest TV ad was lost in Kerry's Harley ride into Jay Leno's studio on November 11th.
This silly looking gimmick recalls the Dukakis tank ride of 1988. Both from Massachusetts. One (Dukakis) trying to appear knowledgeable about military issues, one (Kerry) who has the military credentials but who is just trying to be a regular guy. Both unable to play against type. If you missed the bit on Leno, see Kerry's Web site at www.johnkerry.com.
The real news, at least in Iowa, is the battle between the two top candidates in the caucus run, Dick Gephardt and Howard Dean. Gephardt's campaign is running plenty of TV ads and sending out reams of direct mail. In fact, I've received two Gephardt mailings in the past week, which brings the current direct mail totals received at my house from Gephardt to 10. Gephardt's way ahead of all others in that regard, with just 2 from Dean, 2 from Kerry, 1 from Lieberman (now out of the running in Iowa), 1 from Bob Graham (now out of the running everywhere.) No direct mail from anyone else. In a lot of ways, the direct mail is nice, because you can experience it for longer than 30 seconds, and it tends to carry more information than a TV ad.
The two latest Gephardt direct mail pieces are full color and glossy, and deal with health care and the economy. The health care brochure has Gephardt in a V-neck sweater on the cover, with the quote "Because It's the Right Thing to Do." The economy piece has a cover photo of Bush with a smirk on his face, repeated from left to right, with each repeated image gradually blurring out. Inside is Gephardt's bulleted economic plan, under the headline "George W. Bush Made Millions of Jobs Vanish--Now It's Time to Make Him Vanish from the White House." Below, he hits on a clear weak spot for Bush: "Under Bush's failed policies, America has lost over 3 million job--more than under the last 11 presidents combined!" If Gephardt wins the nomination, he can only hope that the upswing in the last quarter's economy doesn't become a long-term trend.
Which brings us to the other great issue of the campaign--the war on Iraq. Gephardt has been putting a lot of heat on Dean in recent weeks, and has overtaken Dean in statewide polls. This week, Dean swung back with a direct hit on Gephardt's one weakness. The new mail piece from Dean (full color, glossy, and slightly smaller than the Gephardt pieces) features American troops on the cover; the one young soldier in focus, laden with equipment, looks tired. The front reads "130,000 American Troops in Iraq with no end in sight . . . and a price tag that is measured by more than dollars."
Turn the page, and the left hand side contains the photo that Gephardt must now wish he had never been in. The photo shows Bush speaking outside at a lectern. To his right is Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert. To his left are Senator Trent Lott and Dick Gephardt.
Just in case the reader doesn't get the message, the rest of the page explains that "Gephardt Wrote the Iraq War Resolution," and recites three key dates of Gephardt's involvement:
October 2, 2002. Stands shoulder-to-shoulder with President Bush to announce the authoring of the Iraq War Resolution.
October 10, 2002. Votes in favor of the Iraq Resolution (HJRes 114).
October 17, 2003. Votes in favor of the $87 billion Iraq Supplemental Funding package (HR 3289).
The opposite page shows Dean (sleeves rolled up past elbows!) with a long quote that begins "I opposed the war from the start because I want a foreign policy consistent with American values." To make the piece seem principled and not a mean-spirited personal attack, further down in the quote Dean says "I supported Dick in 1988, but I think he has made a terrible mistake supporting President Bush in Iraq."
This new direct mail piece by Dean is much more pointed and aggressive than the earlier TV ads by Dean in October that were deemed "negative" by the national news media. Those ads didn't even mention Dean's opponents by name. But there is little news coverage (aside from a brief mention in the Washington Post) on Dean's latest tactic.
Do you think all those
Do you think all those mailings by Gephardt in Iowa have helped him jump in the polls?
It makes sense. People know more about Gephardt than Dean.
Another question, where any of Gephardt's prior mailings critical of Dean?
I've heard that Gephardt has attacked Dean's stances on Medicare, + SS in person. But has he done it in print or TV?
Wasn't Dean the candidate
Wasn't Dean the candidate who very recently said the other candidates should put their guns in their holsters and run a more positive campaign? Dean's attack on Gephardt is consitent with the attacks he has made against other candidates throughout the campaign on the issue of Iraq and accusing them of not being from the Democratic wing of the Democratic party or Bushlite. If Dean can dish it out, he better learn how to take his fair share.
I just updated my posting
I just updated my posting above. Shortly after I posted, I did see a small mention of Dean's new direct mail piece in a Washington Post article. But, no mention in the Des Moines Register or the New York Times. Also, Gephardt has done at least 10 mailings, not nine (I missed one earlier).
Yes, Gephardt may be tougher on Dean in person, but he isn't doing any attacks on anyone but Bush in print and TV. So,none of Gephardt's prior mailings were critical of Dean.
I agree -- with 10 direct mail pieces for Gephardt versus two for Dean, the direct mail campaign may be the big unsung advantage for Gephardt. I honestly know a lot more about where Gephardt explicitly stands on issues. Direct mail may not be as sexy as TV, and it's low-tech compared to Dean's use of the Internet to rally supporters at meetup.com, but in the Iowa caucus race, it might be a critical factor.
If we want a President who
If we want a President who goes to war without the UN with a country that is not of significant, immediate threat to the US; if we want a President who supports tax cuts that run up the deficit and becomes the excuse for no social justice----why would we vote for Gephardt when we already have a President doing these things? Dean is the only viable alternative to Bush...I'm glad he's making his case...whether or not it makes some people uncomfortable.
The business of politics in
The business of politics in the U.S. has been a nasty business for many decades. It is fueled by corporate and anonymous money. Republicans (and some Dems) have played fast and loose with truth, both of a personal and political nature. If one is in the kitchen, then one better get used to the heat and stop whining like the Repubs are currently doing. What goes around is coming back around to smack them upside their heads! And it couldn't happen to a nastier and more stupid group.
Dean doesn't make me
Dean doesn't make me uncomfortable. I just think he is a one-note candidate -- the war -- who is all about the money he is raising and motivating his cult following with lines like "you have the power." I think that's fine for the Democratic primary, but he doesn't stand a chance with that gimmick against Bush in the general election. How many moderate swing voters are going to be moved by Dean's shouting "you have the power" at them? Come on. Dean may "have the power" to out spend the Democratic primary field, but beyond that, he is toast. Can you say Hillary in '08?
I feel very confident that
I feel very confident that Dean WILL stand a chance against George Bush if the American population can look beyond the distractions of brutal campaign competition to knock Dean off his horse and check out the facts. As Americans we should focus on the fact that Dean has proven to be a powerful opponent of Bush by making explicit early on how flawed W's decisions have been regarding the war, education, health care, environmental issues, civil rights, the economy and so many other issues it's frightening. If Dean has an edge, then the rest of us should have daggers!