Penalty Box Watch

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It is largely media driven and egged on by rival candidates, but every presidential contender sooner or later spends time in the campaign penalty box. It’s the place where they can do nothing right and just about everything they say or do gets slammed -- until the political world grows weary of the hazing and moves on to someone else.

If Hillary Rodham Clinton has any luck at all, last weekend’s Des Moines Register endorsement of her bid for the Democratic nomination might have come at just the right moment to let her out of penalty box where the New York senator has suffered for nearly two months.

Republican contender Rudy Giuliani got in the penalty box a week ago with a poorly handled session on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Host Tim Russert spent most of the hour pounding the former New York mayor’s personal and professional misdeeds. The GOP’s emerging frontrunner, Mike Huckabee, is also in the box as the news media grinds through difficult moments during his days as the governor of Arkansas. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney seems to be on probation for the moment, while former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson earned what appears to be a permanent sentence with a lackluster launch of his campaign right after Labor Day.

But Arizona Sen. John McCain is finally out of trouble. Written off last spring when he failed to raise as much money as expected, the Republican hopeful is now enjoying what often comes after time in the media stockade -- the comeback narrative.

On the Democratic side, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama did their time in the penalty box over the summer. Edwards got a drubbing for his $400 haircut and cozy deals with hedge funds. Obama was skewered for running a lackluster campaign.

But both Obama and Edwards have been back in vogue for the last couple of months -- which means that, if they are not careful, either one could be due for another round of media punishment before the voters begin weighing in next month.

 

Craig on "Imus in the Morning"
Tuesday (12/18) 6:29 AM EST
RFD-TV or WABC-AM

 

    Comments

  1. holding breath --

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 2:07 PM

  2. Reposting from last thread...

    pogo...Edwards wasn't voicing his opposition to the corporate ownership of our political ship of state in 2004...at least not loudly.

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 2:08 PM

  3. YOWZA!!!

    From the las thread - HW, you're not saying that Edwards has a different message this time around are you? Someone might notice and accuse him of fli-flopping.

    The penalty box only counts against you if you're in it just before or when the votes are cast.

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 2:10 PM

  4. Well, pogo...I'm one of those people who believes that thinking is good...even if it leads to changing your message...or expanding your message...or whatever it is that he's actually done.

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 2:11 PM

  5. I gotta remember to use the preview function. I just am not that accurate a keyboarder - but then, I didn't have to tell you that, did I?

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 2:12 PM

  6. hw, I am of that mind too. I think that linear thinking a la Bushco (believes the same thing Wed. that he believed Mon., no matter what happened on Tues. - thanks, Colbert) is stupid and dangerous. Actually, I'm just surprised that he was not beating the corporate control of Wash. drum 4 years ago. (And if I didn't have such a bad case of CRS, I'd be able to speak more cogently about it).

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 2:15 PM

  7. The media cycle sounds like high school cliques behavior. It's pretty sad when the cool guy in your crowd is Drudge or one of those clowns from Politico.

    Cinton is going to force Obama to be snarky and he will deiiver. He already needs to be signifcantly a head in the polls to keep his lead in caucus turnout (it could be different but based on historical performance)
    and I think history will look back and say the timing of the Oprah tour could have been better....some have aready said that (Craig Crawford for one)

    Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | December 17, 2007 2:17 PM

  8. I recently watched one of my all-time favorite movies again..."Mindwalk"...which is essentially a conversation between a politician, a poet, and a scientist. The movie is more than 15 years old, but I found myself amazed at how relevant everything they were saying is in today's political climate...and it occurred to me that 'people of vision' are often limited by what the slowest common denominator among the general population can accept. What led me to that thought was that they were talking about global warming. The term barely registered with me 15+ years ago, but it screams at me now. I can only imagine how frustrating the past years must have been for people like Al Gore, who could see what was coming, but who had to wait for enough of the rest of us to catch up with them before they could begin to make headway against the problem.

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 2:25 PM

  9. pogo,
    "I just am not that accurate a keyboarder "

    I thought you played guitar?

    Posted by: dnd | December 17, 2007 2:25 PM

  10. Dang it, dog! It's Christmas...I can't write the nasty headlines I'm thinking....

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 2:27 PM

  11. dnd...wouldn't have thought to try butternut squash in the chili...no sweet flavor...but it sounds interesting.

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 2:29 PM

  12. "Explosion injures 1 at Fox News Building"

    O'Reilly blows a gasket
    assistant struck will flying loofah

    Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | December 17, 2007 2:29 PM

  13. dog,
    ""Explosion injures 1 at Fox News Building""

    Bill-O's head explodes. Geraldo suffers serious injury covering the blast.

    Posted by: dnd | December 17, 2007 2:29 PM

  14. Reached on the phone Sunday evening, Kerrey said that's not at all how he meant it.

    "What I said was an answer to a question," Kerrey said.

    He'd been asked by a reporter from the Omaha World-Herald about the fact that the Clinton folks are hammering home the idea that Obama has little experience, while both Obama today and Kerrey in 1992 ran for president in their first Senate term.

    "My answer was yes, but I finished third in the primary. Obama's smarter and more talented than I ever was, and he has two things which are connected to his life experience that give him special capacity," Kerrey recalled. "First, he is African American and can speak to underperforming Black youth in a way that no other candidate can. He gave a speech in Selma that was incredible, that no white person could ever give. No government program could ever do what Barack Obama can do.

    "Second," Kerrey continued, "his name is Barack Hussein Obama. I know that middle name is seen as a weakness by Republicans, but I don't think it is. I think it enables him to speak to a billion Muslims around the world."

    Kerrey said he's spoken to Obama and his staffers and told them to "lead with it as a strength. There's this nonsense out there about him being a Muslim Manchurian candidate. He should do a commercial, look the camera straight in the eye, and say, 'My wife Michelle and I are Christians, but my father was a Muslim and my paternal grandfather was a Muslim, and that fact and my name means I can speak to a billion people around the world" who need to hear from the United States.

    obama is claiming Kerrey raised the race card...he didn't mind it so much when Oprah did it.

    Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | December 17, 2007 2:39 PM

  15. Back to the thread's sports metaphor, if any candidate manages a hat trick: IA, NH and SC, I'd say they'll probably get the nomination.

    Posted by: dnd | December 17, 2007 2:41 PM

  16. Thanks Dog

    It's pretty funny how close we all were though

    heads exploding ............

    Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | December 17, 2007 2:43 PM

  17. dnd, typist just sounded so quaint. I'm not that accurate a fretboarder, either. What I do with a guitar wouldn't be called playing by most people.

    Damn. Go a way for a minute and 19 people steal my Billo's head explodes line - or have you all been peeking?

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 2:43 PM

  18. KGC,
    To paraphrase Dave Berry, "Flying loofah" would make a great name for a rock band.

    Posted by: dnd | December 17, 2007 2:47 PM

  19. harborwoman,
    Native Americans here in the southwest combine squash and beans all the time. Adding stuff like chili pushes it from bland to bodacious.

    Posted by: dnd | December 17, 2007 2:52 PM

  20. "Explosion injures 1 at Fox News Building"

    Alan Colmes, co-anchor of the popular Hannity And Colmes program on FOX News was injured today when the gruel he was attempting to eat exploded. "Oh, give me a break, it was a harmless prank, and Alan's just being a big baby," quipped FOX anchor Sean Hannity, who then admitted replacing Colmes' usual gruel with an exploding variety from China. Colmes is expected to recover fully and will be returned to the dungeon at the FOX News building, where he is kept when the show is not in production. "Suck it up and deal, pink boy!" Hannity was quoted as saying, before delivering a sucker punch to Colmes' stomach as he was being wheeled to the ambulance.

    Posted by: Julia | December 17, 2007 2:57 PM

  21. Dumya's visitor log gambit- having the Secret Service turn them over to the WH - didn't work. (Duh - don't they have any lawyers over there?) Judges orders Bushco to turn 'em over.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071217/white-house-secrecy/

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 3:13 PM

  22. This is a curious line from the article about the visitor logs.
    "The ruling is a blow to the Bush administration and prominent religious conservatives."

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 3:15 PM

  23. You guys are sweet...my headlines all involved death...I'll leave the 'who' to your imaginations.

    Okay, dnd...I'll try some beans and squash together. Any recipe suggestions?

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 3:15 PM

  24. That is a curious line, pogo. Can hardly wait for enlightenment....

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 3:17 PM

  25. Anyone watching Dodd in the Senate re the FISA bill?

    The Republicans are arguing for continued surveillance of Americans and amnesty for the communication companies. Dodd wants to enforce the Constitution ... How strangely archaic.

    Posted by: Jamie | December 17, 2007 3:27 PM

  26. kgc...They're talking about Huckabee, his son, the dog, the gun, etc. on MSNBC right now.

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 3:34 PM

  27. harborwoman
    what did they say...
    mostly I've heard the excuse...it was all a long time ago..except the gun incident was last April

    Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | December 17, 2007 3:39 PM

  28. Julia

    Excellent work.

    Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | December 17, 2007 3:40 PM

  29. Heehee, thanks, DEV, I could've made it better but the timer dinged and I had to go rinse my hair. XD

    Posted by: Julia | December 17, 2007 3:41 PM

  30. kgc...I missed much of it, but it clearly wasn't positive. I believe it was Michael Isikoff (sp?) who was talking, and he was discussing both the dog and gun incidents, as well as Huckabee-the-candidate's efforts to cover the son's behavior by requesting favors, firing people, etc.

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 4:04 PM

  31. Nope, he's fine! I just had an email from him with a photo of his neighbors playing in deep snow. Said they were without power on and off for about 6 hours yesterday, but they're up and running now.

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 4:21 PM

  32. kgc...It is Michael Isikoff reporting, and they're playing it again right now. If you're online, go check it out!

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 4:31 PM

  33. Apparently, this week's Newsweek has an article outlining the claims made about Huckabee-the-candidate's behavior in response to his son's incident with the dog.

    Posted by: harborwoman | December 17, 2007 4:34 PM

  34. dog, yep, it was the religious conservative comment I wasn't sure about - except I know that a bunch of those critters would show up on the list. I think that Cheney's energy buddies will be on those lists, too - get ready to see who showed up (once the appeals are exhausted of course).

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 4:58 PM

  35. Bad news for your civil rights - Senate advances the FISA bill with protection for the telecoms that cooperated. Apparently the House bill has no such immunity.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/washington/17cnd-nsa.html?hp

    Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 5:05 PM

  36. Posted by: pogo Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 5:17 PM

  37. "Explosion injures 1 at Fox News Building"

    Must have been the Monday chili luncheon.

    Posted by: Corey Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 5:47 PM

  38. For the Hillary ladies. LOL!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AE847UXu3Q

    Posted by: Corey Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 5:57 PM

  39. "In vogue" and out of vogue in such a short time?

    As for me, I read Vague.

    tt

    Posted by: tiptoe Author Profile Page | December 17, 2007 6:09 PM

  40. For the "spacier" people on the list: A Death Star Galaxy courtesy of NASA

    http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/news/07-139.html

    Posted by: Jamie | December 17, 2007 6:35 PM

  41. Jamie (C-list's Biden babe),
    Spectacular NASA link. Don't you just hate it when your neighbor blasts jets of radiation at your house?

    Posted by: dnd | December 17, 2007 6:47 PM

  42. If your frame of reference for Clinton is Tweety no wonder you think she has entered the vale of tears.

    Tweety's ratings now rival Tuckers. Not even worth making fun of...

    still waiting for the Biden surge tweety.
    Why would anyone find anything he says credibble.This is the guy who had his wife interview him and is afraid of Jon Stewart so he made jokes about his height. And complains about persona attacks in politics....yeah he is credible

    Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | December 17, 2007 7:35 PM

  43. Tweety is forecasting Obama to win Iowa
    another time when he will be wrong

    Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | December 17, 2007 7:43 PM

  44. He's a punk.

    Posted by: sturgeone | December 17, 2007 7:45 PM

  45. he's so confused between ratings and truth that he's compromised himself well into the 2070's.

    Posted by: sturgeone | December 17, 2007 7:47 PM

  46. texas blues video from friend of der friend in foat wuth:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edskF2ErvdQ

    Posted by: sturgeone | December 17, 2007 7:57 PM

  47. Lets see. Katie Couric asks the candidates when was the last time they lost their temper. NBC's voice leading into the Nightly News is Michael Douglas. No wonder people are tuning out of the MSM.

    WWWCD? (What would Walter Cronkite do?)

    Posted by: dnd | December 17, 2007 8:04 PM

  48. I could only hope most democrats have lost their tempers too many times to count lately......

    Posted by: sturgeone | December 17, 2007 8:11 PM

  49. I couldn't believe Lieberman actually said he supported Bush and McCain because it was the moral thing to do after 9/11.

    Someone send him the memo about Iraq having nothing to do with 9/11. Where is the moral concern for the American and Iraqi dead?

    Posted by: Jamie | December 17, 2007 8:28 PM

  50. Need to send Sen Dodd an "Atta Boy"

    He got the FISA bill tabled until next year.

    Posted by: Jamie | December 17, 2007 8:39 PM

  51. As someone who used to iron her own naturally curly hair with an actual iron (ahhh, the 1970s), I dig Alison's reasons for straightening her hair, but still...WTF with the straightening. =/ Plz to be going back to the lovely curls, Miss Thang.

    Katherine Graham Cracker, Jon Stewart verbally bitchslapped both Tucker and Tweety, think they get together over drinks and snark about him? I bet they do. ;~D

    Posted by: Julia | December 17, 2007 9:19 PM

  52. This damn Lieberman..I just can't stand him.
    An honest Democrat like Dodd who supported Lamont after the loss of Lieberman is relegated to the second tier and forgotten by MSM, and here's the turncoat scumbag Lieberman using his election to the Senate as an indy to jump for this ridiculous Bush-loving McCain.
    Enough of this bull about McCain not liking Rummy and wanting to flood Iraq with hundreds of thousands more US GIs, like that would have done more to stabilize Iraq. For all we know, it just would have created thousands more dead US GIs.
    Lieberman and Bush and McCain all bought the lie that Saddam's policies were enough to forget all about OBL and just jump into Iraq because Saddam and OBL were cohorts.
    Rubbish! McCain and Lieberman are ridiculous clowns...both should be exposed as liars and if they really believe their statements, should be locked up in looney bins!
    What about Bush telling us he was going to smoke OBL out of his cave?
    Why has this war gone on and we can't even get the oil?
    Why , pray tell, has Osama bin Laden been given a free pass?
    Mc Cain and Lieberman are in some way WORSE than Bush43!
    They want to escalate the war against Iraq even to a degree of unimaginable proportions , compared to the current status.
    Petraeus is the genius with the success? And if a little Surge is good...a BIG SURGE would be better?
    Of course Rummy was wrong but how is throwing good money after bad going to fix anything?
    How the hell has McCain re-surfaced to this extent?
    I am furious to see Lieberman and McCain and The Register commanding attention like this.
    The last thing we need is a President like McCain to destroy the country with military madness.
    I swear to Jesus I'd pray for a Huckabee presidency if it came to putting McCain into history's dustbin as a last-ditch alternative.
    Holy Mother of God, what we will will do to save the Republic!
    So, you may ask of me...will I vote for Hillary then, if she faced McCain?
    Please...waterboard me before I answer a question like that...it woud be more pleasant.

    Posted by: Dexter Author Profile Page | December 18, 2007 12:11 AM

  53. Gee...scary...Hussein Osama...or is it Obama? same=-same-right?
    Clinton's campaign has me hating Bill Clinton for the first time in my life!
    And I actually hate Hillary for the first time, too!
    If Richardson doesn't pull off a miracle, I will jump on the Edwards bandwagon right-quick.
    Edwards will just have to win NH,though, and I have already given that to Clinton.
    But if it comes to Obama v. Clinton...ditch the bitch!
    Sorry, Jamie, sorry Patsi...but the gloves hafta come off.
    Hillary has turned into a meany in her desperation, and I have had enough.

    Posted by: Dexter Author Profile Page | December 18, 2007 12:36 AM

  54. I dunno...but I do know that I have never made frosting in my life. For brownies and the few cakes I make I nevah use da stuff.

    Posted by: Dexter Author Profile Page | December 18, 2007 1:43 AM

  55. Hillary Clinton after checking in with the latest Rasmussen...

    http://data1.blog.de/blog/z/zipper/img/quasimodo-20whipped-20closeup.jpg

    Posted by: Dexter Author Profile Page | December 18, 2007 1:49 AM

  56. "there are few things easier to make than butter cream frosting"

    one of those things is opening a can

    I miss microwave cupcakes, mix the batter, put it in those little cups, place them in the little tray, put the little tray in the microwave, smoke a bowl

    DING

    Cupcakes!!!!

    Posted by: ran | December 18, 2007 2:33 AM

  57. Let’s see… Turkish troops and warplanes attacking Kurdish forces in Northern Iraq, the British turn over security to warring militias in Southern Iraq, the Pentagon pushes to move forces from Iraq to Afghanistan to prop up a deteriorating situation there, still no progress on Iraqi reconciliation and yet everyone thinks that Iraq is no longer a pressing election issue.

    The republicans see the Surge as a fig leaf to get them past the election and the democrats see it as a dense jungle to avoid.

    Two more Friedman Units, stat!

    Posted by: MadMustard Author Profile Page | December 18, 2007 4:24 AM

  58. Good morning all those up at ungodly hours. It's Stupid O'Clock on the west coast getting ready to ship grandchild off to Indiana for Christmas. Might as well stay up to listen to Fearless Leader on Imus.

    Posted by: Jamie | December 18, 2007 5:39 AM

  59. Patsi,

    You have it right. In a man, they would call the Hillary laugh "full bodied" or "boistrous". No in a woman, it is a "cackle".

    I thought the Kerry remark was actually complimentary of Obama, but nooooooooooooooo one of the Hillary haters crawls out of the woodwork and all the little sir echos start echoing the talking points. They learned well their Clinton hating lines courtesy of the neo cons and if it wins a Democratic primary, might as well use them.

    Posted by: Jamie | December 18, 2007 5:51 AM

  60. Bill Clinton: George H.W. Bush will help President Hillary

    ORANGEBURG, South Carolina (CNN) – Former President Bill Clinton said Monday that the first thing his wife Hillary will do when she reaches the White House is dispatch him and his predecessor, President George H.W. Bush, on an around-the-world mission to repair the damage done to America's reputation by the current president — Bush's son, George W. Bush.

    Will this assistance be offered if another President is elected? If not, why not?

    http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2007/12/penalty-box-watch.html#comments

    Posted by: MadMustard Author Profile Page | December 18, 2007 5:57 AM

  61. It is tradition for former Presidents to assist current Presidents if the assistance is requested. The question should be, which of the candidates would take advantage of the willingness and experience.

    Posted by: Jamie | December 18, 2007 6:11 AM

  62. Dexter,

    The portrait an aging Edwards keeps in his attic

    http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/6/6c/250px-Doriangray_1945.jpg

    Posted by: Jamie | December 18, 2007 6:31 AM

  63. Just one more dump truck?

    Now that is appropriate for a political site.

    Posted by: Jamie | December 18, 2007 6:49 AM

  64. NEW THREAD!!

    Posted by: Jamie | December 18, 2007 6:58 AM

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