Here is a New Year’s resolution for presidential candidates: Stop whining about negative campaigning and go for it. You know you want to hammer the daylights out of your opponents, so quit pretending you’re above it all and let the mud fly.
Mike Huckabee’s peek-a-boo press conference on Monday was beyond the pale. The Republican contender called in reporters to unveil an attack ad against rival Mitt Romney, who has been bashing Huckabee this week in an Iowa television spot. But Huckabee then had second thoughts and pulled the ad moments before his Des Moines press conference began, essentially saying that he is too pure to stoop to such things.
Despite piously claiming the high ground, Huckabee still showed the spot to the assembled media -- probably hoping that reporters will do the dirty work for him by publicizing the ad’s message.
Let’s get over the skittishness about so-called negative campaigning. Factual attacks based upon legitimate issues are not only acceptable, but actually help voters make informed choices. Bring it on.
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Comments
First, Happy New Year to y'all on the Right Coast!
Second, here's the latest Intrade data:
http://www.central.edu/publicdocs/12%2D31%2D07FuturesMarketGraphs.pdf
IOWA RACE SO TIGHT THE FAT LADY IS SCREAMING!
On both the Democratic and Republican sides, the markets continue to tighten.
On the Democratic side, the data suggests Obama should begin to rebound, Clinton should remain steady, and the question remains whether or not Edwards can sustain his current momentum.
The Republican race in Iowa is an example of contrasts. The data suggests Hukabee is poised for a big rebound, and Romney poised for a downturn. The bell has rung to begin the fifteenth and final round.
With only two days remaining, the races here are the closest in modern Iowa caucus history.
Posted by: Spike
| January 1, 2008 12:41 AM
Found a New Year's typo, Craig. Third paragraph, first line...Huckabee STILL, not sill.... That should qualify me for a GREAT 2008, doncha' think!?!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN TIME ZONES! TWO HOURS TO GO OUT HERE IN THE WEST....
Posted by: harborwoman | January 1, 2008 12:58 AM
got 'er done, harborwoman, thanks. all out of door prizes, could always send a piece of my ankle cast when they take it off.
Des Moines Register poll tonight great news for Obama and Huckabee -- both outside MoE at 32 percent:
Dems:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/NEWS09/71231044/-1/caucus
GOP:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071231/NEWS09/71231042/-1/caucus
Posted by: Craig Crawford
| January 1, 2008 1:07 AM
Careful, Craig...send a piece of that cast and I'll put it on eBay and get rich! Ha! (Do I sound like Chris Matthews?)
Posted by: harborwoman | January 1, 2008 1:14 AM
worthy a try, harbor -- or how about my crumbled up final pack of cigs (it's been a week now, so far so good)
Posted by: Craig Crawford
| January 1, 2008 1:24 AM
Craig, in your last post you said that "if you're explaining you're losing."
Can you explain the new DMR poll? And what does it say about Mark Penn that he's explaining? And what does it say about Obama's power as a general election candidate that he pulls independents like this?
Amazing.
Posted by: Justin | January 1, 2008 1:30 AM
Ooooh...I'll take the crumpled cigarette pack! (Just kidding, of course...) Very serious congratulations! A week is a good, solid accomplishment on the quitting road. I didn't offer any advice when everyone was telling you how to quit 'cause I did it when I got pregnant...figured you'd not find that advice too useful.
Are you still at that beautiful hotel/bed and breakfast place you posted a few days ago? Looked wonderfully peaceful....
Posted by: harborwoman | January 1, 2008 1:34 AM
DMR might be gamblin, Justin, with 1st-time caucus goers making up 60 percent of its sample -- if that is what caucus day voting pool looks like, that'll be truly historic, and really cool
Posted by: Craig Crawford
| January 1, 2008 1:42 AM
nah, i wish, harbor, doin my surgery rehab at the parental units pad
Posted by: Craig Crawford
| January 1, 2008 1:46 AM
Well..looking at the bright side, you'll get excellent care there at your parents' place. How are you feeling? And what sort of prognosis do the docs give you?
Posted by: harborwoman | January 1, 2008 1:54 AM
Happy New Year, dex! No cogent comments about your chosen topic, but thought I'd tell you that I found two copies of Some Are Called Clowns on Amazon's secondary market site. I've been trying to find one at a library, but no luck so far. May buy one....
Posted by: harborwoman | January 1, 2008 2:00 AM
harborwoman: We rang in the new year with Carrie Underwood on ABC. Was she an "American Idol" winner a while back? Seriously, I have heard the name but never heard her sing. My god! She positively ROCKS !
I am glad we decided to get our butts home and beat this snow...we are getting hammered by snow and wind, again.
I saw the sat-map and we seem to be right at the center of the worst of this one. Seventy miles south of here it's all rain.
Oh well...50's by mid-next-week!
Posted by: Dexter
| January 1, 2008 2:05 AM
gee...that book couldn't be more than 5 bucks by now.
Dmitri Gat wrote the book along with Bill Heward. Heward played, but Gat must have had the pull with the publisher.
They played a few years after I had gone into the army and given up playing baseball. It's too bad Heward couldn't have played when I did, cuz we rode that ancient former Greyhound Bus (maybe a 1950 model), all painted up red with clowns and baseballs painted on. Heward and that crew rode in station wagons...not even as cool!
Posted by: Dexter
| January 1, 2008 2:11 AM
New Year's Rez: Go to President Bill Richardson's Inaugural Ball.
Posted by: Dexter
| January 1, 2008 2:15 AM
Andy Borowitz is evil. His prediction, taken as an excerpt from his list of 2008 monthly predictions:
April: Monica Lewinsky will announce her candidacy for President of the United States. She will offer herself as an alternative to Hillary, saying, “It worked before.”
Posted by: Dexter
| January 1, 2008 2:19 AM
and...from Borowitz...
"September: At the Republican National Convention, G.O.P. nominee Mike Huckabee will select Jesus Christ as his running mate."
Rim shot, please...g'nite , Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are.....
Posted by: Dexter
| January 1, 2008 2:23 AM
dex...I'm on the Carrie Underwood channel, too...32 minutes to go out here.... Not sure if she won American Idol or not....
Wrong on that price! The more affordable copies of Clowns are on the Amazon site...$15 and $17.50. the copies for sale on half.com were all $30-$50+.
Posted by: harborwoman | January 1, 2008 2:28 AM
good god! That book isn't that good! Happy New Year! We're off to dreamland...well, she is...I am gonna watch a Phillip Marlowe mystery with Bogie and Bacall , with headphones on .
Sleep is for the dead!...hey! remember those old-style shredded wheat cereal pieces that were as big as a small pillow? They're BAAAA__AAA__CCCKKK!
I think I'll have one before I plop in the tape...
Posted by: Dexter
| January 1, 2008 2:46 AM
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
-from the beautiful Pacific Northwest!!!
Posted by: harborwoman | January 1, 2008 2:59 AM
Happy New Year C-Listers!!!
Huckabee's bizarre stunt yesterday was one of the cheapest and most phony things i have ever seen. He has truly earned the "Hucksterbee" Moniker.
CC- Keep the leg on ice.
-Hipster
Posted by: redst3
| January 1, 2008 5:25 AM
Re: Hillary
If Hillary can do it, can we all start claiming credit for what our spouses do at work?
Posted by: redst3
| January 1, 2008 5:27 AM
CC-
Good going on quitting smoking. I quit when i found out it kills you!
Keep up the good work.
-Hipster
Posted by: redst3
| January 1, 2008 5:31 AM
Does Iowa really matter???? No
It is like the preseason of any sporting event - can create a false hope. Based on a suspect listing of actual players in the voting both.
So why do the Dems continue to punish Florida? This will be a Mistake that could bite them.
What is the history of the predictive value of Iowa and NH?
Posted by: Ping Pong
| January 1, 2008 9:13 AM
Dex... Your distain for HRC regarding her war vote, has she not changed her position, and message to capture those that are against the war? Has she not tried to minimize her vote for this group of voters?
How will HRC position react and change again as the news continues positive from Iraq and if by many measures success (yes at a high cost) is achieved in Iraq?
Will she reverse again?
(OK HRC lovers please this is not an attack, Mud Slinging, This is a factual question - depending on the Rep Candidate I might have to vote for her)
Posted by: Ping Pong
| January 1, 2008 10:04 AM
ping
get a fact
the reason some people don't like her
is because she hasn't changed her position
you are just repeating what you hear everyday from Limpballs
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker | January 1, 2008 11:02 AM
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