I know we're feeling a little frenzied today - and the tick, tick, tick of the clock just adds to the suspense.
Throw in a stream of qwazy news headlines, truly BREAKING every five minutes,
tick, tick, tick . . .
and the realization that this is
reallio,
trulio,
almost over !!!!!
has me thinking about how we win in November - which brings me to the issue of campaign surrogates.
Looking back at the Kerry campaign, I believe we were "out-surrogated" by the Bushies for various reasons - but primarily because we had too many unknown, inexperienced surrogates. Effective advocacy requires a calm demeanor and positive presentation with the ability to contrast candidates' positions without sounding catty or silly.
I recall the Kerry surrogates all too often engaging in shouting matches with the Bush surrogates. At times, it was downright embarrassing. What crazy criteria did the Kerry campaign use when selecting its surrogates? I sent a few emails to both the DNC and the Kerry campaign pointing out the problem but never received a reply.
Persuasive voices are seldom loud and choppy. Interrupting, attempting to talk at the same time, launching immature personal attacks against the other surrogate - these are behaviors that should not be tolerated this time.
Without naming names, I'm trying out the unity mode thing
I believe several of the Clinton surrogates damaged her cause by coming across too angry, too cheated, too exhausted, too rambling and even at times, the disheveled look of having pulled an allnighter.
Senator Obama has developed a team of outstanding surrogates - Claire McCaskill, Tom Daschle and Katherine Sebelius all come to mind. If anyone associated with the Obama campaign should read this, please jot a note that reads something like this:
MATURE, INTELLIGENT AND EXPERIENCED SURROGATES ONLY!
NO ARROGANT AIRHEADS !
NO GRAD STUDENTS LOOKING TO LOVE THE CAMERA !
NO ONE TALKING ABOUT RURAL VOTERS LIKE THEY'RE REFERRING TO AN EXHIBIT AT A ZOO !
NO ONE TALKING ABOUT RURAL VOTERS WHO'S SPENT THEIR ENTIRE LIVES IN NYC OR D.C. !
NO ONE TALKING ABOUT WORKING AMERICANS WHO'S NEVER HELD A JOB IN THEIR LIVES !
AND NEVER, EVER, EVER ALLOW A SURROGATE TO USE THE TERM "DOWNSCALE VOTER".
There . . .I feel better now