The New York Times looks at the young voters Obama has inspired and I wonder how Democrats can keep them engaged in politics. At the same time, MSNBC says young voters didn't matter.
Also, coverage of Rahm Emanuel's interview with the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek has more "secrets."
The New York Times looks at "Generation O" - the millions of young voters who were inspired by Obama to get involved in politics:
These young voters and those slightly older, who together may forever be known as Generation O, were the ground troops of the campaign. They opened hundreds of Obama offices in remote areas, registered voters and persuaded older relatives to take a chance on the man with the middle name Hussein.
They saw in Mr. Obama, 47, who was born at the tail end of the baby boom era, the values that sociologists and cultural critics ascribe to them.
(Lucas Jackson/Reuters)
Now that all these younger voters are involved, how do we make sure they stay that way? How can Democrats help younger voters stay engaged for the midterm elections? Meanwhile, MSNBC says young voters didn't matter.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution also reports on young voters and whether their enthusiasm for politics will last:
Obama has two options to keep young voters engaged, Levine said: encourage non-partisan community service, or use his volunteers to support his agenda.
What the president-elect should not do: "Treat people as dumb."
"The Obama campaign did an excellent job of treating people as if they were smart," Levine said. "If you’re ... trying to scare them to act in a particular way or giving out skewed information, young people have a low tolerance for that."
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Rahm Emanuel is interviewed in today's Wall Street Journal:
Asked what Barack Obama was elected to do, and what legislation he's likely to find on his Oval Office desk soonest, Mr. Emanuel didn't hesitate. "Bucket one would have children's health care, Schip," he said. "It has bipartisan agreement in the House and Senate. It's something President-elect Obama expects to see. Second would be [ending current restrictions on federally funded] stem-cell research. And third would be an economic recovery package focused on the two principles of job creation and tax relief for middle-class families."
also:
"Do what you talked about on the campaign. If you got elected, that's what people expect. Don't go off on tangents where part of your party is demanding an ideological litmus test. Neither of those things was part of the campaign."
Emanuel will also be on This Week with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday.
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Most of the coverage of Obama's press conference seems to be centered around the Nancy Reagan/séance quip. Some of the folks at the Corner are playing up the angle that Obama "insulted" Reagan and Drudge is all over it too.
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Following up on our discussion yesterday on the myth of the "center-right" nation, a new poll shows that a vast majority of Americans want Republicans to work with Obama to pass his agenda:
"By nearly three to one, voters think the Republicans should support Obama's policies," Robert Borosage, co-director of CAF told reporters.
Even among Republicans, nearly half -- 45 percent -- thought their party should work with the new Democratic Party president elect and help him bring about change.
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Speaking of Republicans, McConnell is trying to lure Lieberman over to the GOP caucus. Good riddance.
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BusinessWeek thinks marketing executives could learn a thing or two from the Obama campaign:
His advertising messages and his tone and demeanor throughout the campaign consistently communicated his upbeat themes of hope and "change you can believe in." The emotional appeal was buttressed with solid and specific policy details. The ability to combine emotional with functional benefits and the discipline to be consistent in positioning and message delivery are core to all successful branding campaigns. Ads that dealt with specific policy issues, even ads criticizing McCain, all continued to communicate the core themes.
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For those of you following the Newsweek "secrets" extravaganza, the final chapter about the last few days is now online:
McCain's advisers had been frustrated when Palin refused to talk to donors because she found it corrupting, and they were furious when they heard rumors that Todd Palin was calling around to Alaska bigwigs telling them to hold their powder until 2012. The day of the third debate, Palin refused to go onstage with New Hampshire GOP Sen. John Sununu and Jeb Bradley, a New Hampshire congressman running for the Senate, because they were pro-choice and because Bradley opposed drilling in Alaska. The McCain campaign ordered her onstage at the next campaign stop, but she refused to acknowledge the two Republican candidates standing behind her.
I hadn't heard that rumor that Todd Palin was in touch with fundraisers in Alaska. He definitely seems to be the brains behind this duo. I really can't stand the thought of Palin running in 2012... I just don't want to hear about her anymore. But she's not going away and I bet you anything she will run.
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Also in Palinland, she claims the anonymous McCain aides leaking to the press are "jerks" and "cowards" while in the same sentence calling them immature. Wouldn't it have been more mature of her just to quietly go back to Alaska?
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Robert Novak writes in today's Washington Post that it is actually Newt Gingrich on the minds of many Republicans for 2012:
Gingrich is far from a unanimous or even a consensus choice to run for president in 2012, but there is a strong feeling in Republican ranks that he is the only leader of their party who has shown the skill and energy to attempt a comeback quickly.
Novak goes as far as saying that "there are no other serious candidates inside the party at the moment."
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Ugh, any good-will I had for John McCain after his gracious concession is gone after reading this:
John McCain will be campaigning for Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) in the all-but-assured runoff against Democrat Jim Martin next month, according to Chambliss' campaign.
Chambliss is one of the worst, and I really hope he loses in the runoff. Obama has not confirmed whether he will campaign for Martin.
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Unfortunately, Darcy Burner lost her fight in WA-08. She conceded to Reichert late last night.
Meanwhile, the Coleman campaign is trying to raise questions about Franken's gains in the MN Senate race.
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And finally, I applaud the Obama family for making it a priority to adopt a dog, rather than buying one from a pet store. Can you believe all the media attention the future first dog is getting? So I will use this opportunity to gratuitously post a picture of my baby (and rescue dog) who is celebrating his fourth birthday today:
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So what's on your mind? Be sure to check out Patch Adam's very well-researched diary on our Vice President-elect if you haven't seen it already! Maybe he will have a new one for us today...