2008 Primaries, Grass Roots Organization, Leadership, Messaging • June 30th, 2008

The best use of resources…?

by Chris Lato

Good-government types are always bemoaning the fact that Wisconsin’s legislative incumbents often sail to re-election without even facing a legitimate challenger – which makes this piece from Wispolitics all the more interesting.

Take a poll of friends and neighbors of what they think of their representative, and the answer is often the same when you drill down to it: the Legislature is corrupt, but MY representative is A-OK. Why? Because if the incumbent has half a brain and wants to keep his or her job, a constant presence will be maintained in the community. Appearances at parades, mailers to constituents, open houses/townhall meetings, good constituent relations, etc. are all part of keeping up appearances with those who put you in office. A good level of contact typically keeps constituents satisfied and maintains the profile of the politico.

Anyway, Wispolitics reports the Democrats are taking it to the GOP, fielding candidates in all but a handful of Wisconsin’s 99 Assembly districts. There are two ways to look at this development.

The first: the Democrats are clearly counting on a repeat of ’06, when virtually anyone with a ‘D’ next to his or her name rode the wave of anti-GOP (and anti-Bush) sentiment, regardless of actual merit as candidates. It’s also a perception game: give the impression that Dems will be out in force and aggressively take it to the other team. Remember the ‘Barack Obama invades Wisconsin’ story?

The other side of that coin is that Assembly races are extremely localized and people will respond not just to the political affiliation, but to the person doing the job. Some of these districts are so safe that Democrats are running as little more than cannon fodder.

Also, a lot of it depends on resources. If the Dems are actually willing to commit to supporting those candidates, then this tactic will be interesting to watch play out. However, if it’s all a smokescreen - these candidates are sub-par and are only out there to put someone with a ‘D’ on the ballot, and are left to twist in the wind without support from the state party - then local voters will be smart enough to see through the ploy and will likely vote accordingly.

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Leadership, Views on News, public relations • June 27th, 2008

Surveying the landscape

by Chris Lato

The weekend is almost here, and my short attention span won’t allow me to focus on any one topic – a few things grabbed my attention this morning.

First, were you listening to Wisconsin Public Radio at 8 this morning? If not, shame on you. Catch the Week in Review in the archives here. Thanks to Joy Cardin, her staff and Matt Rothschild for a fun and enlightening hour.

Next….is there any doubt that Scott Walker is going to veto this thing? It’s the tax idea that simply won’t die in Milwaukee County- and great timing to boot, what with the economy and all.

Supporters say the money will go to aid parks and mass transit, while cutting back on property taxes…whenever politicians start talking about tax shell games such as this, alarm bells should start ringing and you should put one hand on your wallet at all times.

Granted, this has a long way to go before it would get before the voters as an advisory referendum. One thing’s for sure: if this ever did go before the voters in Milwaukee County, it’s safe to say this would go down in giant, red-hot flames.

A suggestion: if revenue is needed, consider such moves as outlined in the story – privatizing Mitchell Field, competitive bidding for transit services, concessions at the parks, etc. Consider trying something new and different. Imagine the points that could be scored if some of the tax-supporting supervisors got together and put some new thinking on the table, instead of beating their collective head against the wall with this notion of raising the sales tax.

Next, we travel to UW-Parkside, where a PR nightmare is brewing over the selection of a Chancellor with a highly controversial past. Turns out Robert Felner had received a ‘no confidence’ vote back in 2006 from another university, and has a criminal fraud investigation pending against him. Oops! I know, I know, innocent until proven guilty, but really, let’s be real: this can’t be the best choice to lead UW-Parkside. If it is, then it doesn’t bode well for the UW System.

You can read all about it here, here and here. Felner has handed in his resignation already, but the common theme from the school’s muckety-mucks is troubling: a defensive posture, a ‘what, me worry?’ stance, a refusal to take responsibility, and concern over what this means to Felner’s career instead of trying to remedy this big blunder in future hiring moves. Not the course of action I would recommend.

This properly raises questions about the process of selecting these top dogs for the UW. One spokesman for Parkside says this presents an opportunity for a ‘teachable moment’ and that officials will take ‘a moment’ to review the process. That observation earns the Understatement of the Week award. Hopefully they spend a bit longer than that and reconsider their public approach to this flap.

And, last but not least, WMC is paying the price for its spending in the recent state Supreme Court races. This is hardly surprising, given the bitterness that surrounded this contest and the political leanings of those involved. Something tells me WMC weighed the pros and cons here, and decided it could survive. After all, Shirley Abrahamson’s race is right around the corner.

And, with WMC under heavy ongoing fire, will WEAC continue to get a free pass on the criticism? Hmmm….

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2008 Primaries, Leadership, Messaging, Views on News • June 5th, 2008

Well, duh

by Chris Lato

Not to beat a dead horse, but if you needed more evidence that Barack Obama doesn’t want Hillary Clinton as his VP, here you go.

I have said before that an Obama-Clinton ticket would be awfully tough to beat – but that it isn’t going to happen for a variety of reasons.

It’s not just the Clinton finances, though – it’s also the years of Clinton baggage and Obama’s fairly obvious desire to be his own leader and not have the Clintons looking over his shoulder and potentially starting slash-and-burn campaigns when they don’t like how President Obama is handling things.

More importantly, consider the message sent if Sen. Obama were to select Sen. Clinton. The Clintons represent the past – Obama says he’s looking to the future. Wouldn’t that be something of a contradiction, going back to the bad old days of divisiveness and scandal, to have the Clintons back in the White House? I think Team Obama is smart enough to know that. Luckily, Team Obama has all sorts of reasons to smack down talk of a ‘dream ticket.’

There’s also the bitterness – the divide within the Democratic Party that one senses will be extremely difficult to repair. Robert Novak writes of the sense among Democrat women that 2008 was their time to shine – and that they were denied yet again. Race and gender disputes are bubbling under the surface. It threatens to erupt in outright ugliness.

It is an open question whether the party can heal itself in time to rally ‘round Obama in November. Much like John McCain has to woo conservatives back to the tent, Obama now has to figure out how to navigate the minefield of simultaneously embracing Clinton, distancing himself from the VP talk, and uniting a fiercely divided Democratic Party.

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Leadership, Messaging, Views on News • June 4th, 2008

Today’s bad news is tomorrow’s campaign issue

by Chris Lato

My first thought upon hearing this news: what a devastating loss for Janesville, the GM workers, and the state of Wisconsin as a whole. The impact of this cannot be overstated. Generations of families have worked for GM (including an uncle of mine) and to lose such a vital part of Wisconsin’s economic identity is a serious blow.

My second, more callous thought: the first big campaign issue of the 2010 gubernatorial race has surfaced. And the GM news does not help Gov. Doyle one bit (assuming, of course, that he will actually run for re-election and is not snapped up by the Obama administration).

On matters such as these, perception is everything. Politicians will puff out their chests, talk about the inhumanity of corporate America, how shocked they were by the news, blame Bush and John McSame, and so on.

The problem for Doyle is that this happened on his watch, and leaves him, fairly or not, looking inefficient and helpless to control his state’s economic situation. No amount of ripping GM can hide the perception that this is a devastating loss. No matter how much his administration was involved in working to keep GM viable in Wisconsin, what matters is that GM is on its way out, and may make its final exit in, you guessed it, the election year 2010. The TV ads practically write themselves and they won’t be pretty.

It will also be interesting to watch how the issue of the $10 million commitment plays out. The Doyle administration committed the cash to support GM’s $175 million investment to prep the plant for a new line of big SUVs. More than $9 million of the cash has been paid out, according to the administration.

No doubt trying to get this money back will be a Doyle administration rallying point, and I have no special insight into the terms of that deal and whether Doyle has a leg to stand on. The administration did what it thought was necessary to spur economic development. But again, perception is everything, and the point could be made that this was a risky and short-sighted bit of taxpayer-funded corporate welfare for a plant that seemed to be perpetually on the brink of closure.

The question now is, what can Doyle do to put some lipstick on this pig? 2010 is a long ways off, and a lot can happen before then. GM could be convinced to change its mind or find a way to use the trained Janesville workforce in a different capacity. It remains to be seen how the administration moves to manage the situation, but if they can generate positive news out of this, it had better be big, bold, economically sound and headline-grabbing to counter the barrage of hits the Doyle campaign will surely take over this.

It’s always tough when a company operating in Wisconsin reduces its workforce or closes its doors. But this one is the equivalent of a nuclear blast, and the aftershocks will still be felt two years from now.

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2008 Primaries, Leadership, Messaging • May 27th, 2008

The vast left-wing conspiracy?

by Chris Lato

The Clintons are crying cover-up again – this time, it’s the Democrats and their friends in the media that are working to take them down, not the vast right-wing conspiracy.

There aren’t a lot of ways that Hillary Clinton could actually become the nominee at this point. But for all his missteps on the campaign trail this year, Bill Clinton is no dummy and he understands the messages that resonate - the victim card, the underdog pose, and the notion of the party bosses denying a voice to the disenfranchised voters. It is one last desperate swing for the fences.

Any of this ringing a bell? It’s the same thing Democrats accused Republicans of doing in 2000 in Florida, in 2004 in Ohio, and in 2008 in goodness-knows-where. It is the same thing that Wisconsin Republicans have been dealing with for years in trying to require a photo ID when voting. That perfectly reasonable requirement is just common sense, and is supported by a clear majority of Wisconsin voters (including – horrors! – a fair number of Democrats). But Wisconsin Democrats, including our governor, have blocked it at every turn. It disenfranchises voters, opponents claim.

Watch the video that comes with the CNN story I linked to up top. Clinton takes a dig at the Florida situation – 2000 vs. 2008 - that will become a rallying cry as this thing plays itself out.

The Clintons are on the ropes, but they know how to play the game and keep on punching until they officially throw in the towel. Needless to say, the leaders of the Democratic Party have their work cut out for them.

From a messaging perspective, the Clintons also understand their last, best hope is to appeal to the sense of disenfranchisement and victimhood. And this time, considering all the ludicrous complications built into the system of selecting a Democrat nominee for president, the Clintons have a point.

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Leadership, public relations • May 22nd, 2008

Pistol-packin’ pitchman

by Chris Lato

I have long held Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke in fairly high regard. As a former reporter, I admire his willingness to shoot straight and call them as he sees them. Sometimes that lack of a filter causes him to step in it, but I get the sense through his public persona he is a no-nonsense, law-and-order guy who surely rubs some people the wrong way and doesn’t tolerate insubordination – that’s part of his appeal.

Of course, his fellow Democrats don’t like him much. He’s a Republican in Democrat clothing, they say. Eh, whatever. Both parties have plenty of those. It is what it is. If I lived in Milwaukee County, he’d have my vote.

At the same time, I can’t imagine working on one of his political campaigns or being in the position of handling his communications – he seems like the type who knows exactly what he wants and isn’t open to guidance. That can be disastrous. Sure, he headed successful campaigns for sheriff, but the less said about his run for Milwaukee Mayor, the better.

With that in mind, if Clarke had any advisors with a lick of sense, they would have urged him not to do a radio ad for Valvoline oil change shops, under the guise of sending out a safety message before the big Memorial Day holiday weekend. And apparently, Clarke wouldn’t have listened.

You can see the story here, courtesy of my friends and former employers at WTMJ-AM.

I heard the ad this week while listening to Mark Belling. At first, I thought, “No big deal.” He’s talking about ways to make sure your car is safe to drive. Then, toward the end of the ad, Clarke says, “Visit any Valvoline instant oil change, your car care expert.”

And with that, the sheriff crosses the line from concerned public official to pitchman. He claims he thought it would be edited out, but come on. Is the sheriff really that much of a rube? And if what he claims is true, why hasn’t he demanded the ad be changed?

I recall hearing an on-air version of the WTMJ story that indicated Clarke wasn’t paid to do the spot - that it was strictly in exchange for the opportunity to get out the safety message.

I don’t know that this is unprecedented, and I’d like to hear any examples of public officials doing something similar, but Clarke’s move opens a big fat can of worms.

Does Sheriff Clarke have any standards when doing the ads? How can he say no to anyone who approaches with a script that offers some sort of safety message? What’s next, Clarke telling folks to enjoy delicious Miller Lite as long as the spot has an anti-drunk driving statement? Will Clarke be telling listeners to head down to the local gun store, as long as the ad contains a bit about trigger locks?

Also, the argument can be made that Sheriff Clarke is potentially compromised if any wrongdoing tied to Valvoline has to be investigated by his office. There are ways around that, but why put yourself in that position in the first place?

Sheriff Clarke continues to blaze his own trail – good for him. But that independent streak also leads to some head-scratching moves – and when it’s coupled with a bull-headed unwillingness to listen to advice or admit to misguided decisions, potential PR disasters are always lurking.

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2008 Primaries, Leadership, Messaging • April 28th, 2008

The Bill Clinton legacy

by Chris Lato

This article crystallized some thoughts I’ve had about whether Bill Clinton is wrecking his legacy with his behavior on the campaign trail in support of Hillary’s run for President.

It’s clear he is really bitter, feels he hasn’t gotten his due as a ‘great’ President, and feels he was shafted by the press. That has all built up and now, in the heat of another campaign, Bill Clinton is letting loose and showing some of that famous temper.

But what about his legacy within the Democratic Party? Will the Clinton ‘scorched earth’ policy of campaigning mean he’ll have a lot fewer friends left, assuming likely nominee Barack Obama ascends to the throne? Or will everyone have a short memory about these things if all goes well for the Dems in November?

Because this race is going down to the wire, and is historic for a number of reasons, it will almost certainly be one for the books, a race that is talked about for decades to come. That cannot bode well for the Clintons.

Presidents care about their legacies. Richard Nixon went to great lengths to beef up his foreign-policy bona fides after his shameful exit from office. Jimmy Carter’s spectacularly mediocre tenure has been buffed up somewhat by his activities for Habitat for Humanity - although he still steps in it on a regular basis – just Google ‘Jimmy Carter Hamas.’ The whole Iran hostage thing must still chafe him because he’s busy trying to prove he can broker peace in the Middle East – and to hell with anyone who tries to tell him otherwise.

Ronald Reagan gradually disappeared from the public eye, due more to illness and the fierce determination by his handlers to protect the Reagan Legacy. Then there’s Bush 41, who recently scored points by pairing up with Bill Clinton to raise money for tsunami relief efforts. He also parachuted out of airplanes, in addition to racking up huge speaking fees.

Bill Clinton is making a post-Presidential mint, which is his prerogative. He raked in more than $80 million from book and speech income, according to the Clintons’ 2000-06 tax records.

In the wake of 2008’s bitter campaign, will the Clinton legacy be irreparably dented?

Put it this way. If we are all watching the comings and goings of President Obama a year from now, Bill Clinton will continue to fade away while his own legacy should remain relatively intact. He will still be a force. But unless Obama chooses to involve the Clintons in some meaningful way, a lot of pain is going to linger for a long time to come, and you can’t count on Bill Clinton to keep his thoughts to himself.

And really, at this point, Bill Clinton’s own worst enemy is himself - not the press or the vast right-wing conspiracy.

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2008 Primaries, Events, Leadership, Speeches • April 15th, 2008

Random campaign trail notes…

by Chris Lato

I see no exciting theme from today’s news feeds, but here are a few fun items of note:

• Union members picket DNC in Michigan and Florida. How low will Hillary go to sew up the nomination???? Actually, it’s just an educated guess that the Clinton team is behind it. Have fun working that little snafu out, DNC! Having said that, those states made their bed and now they have to lie in it, as my mama used to say.
• From the ‘Worst Kept Secrets’ File: McCain prefers to run against Clinton. No s**t, Sherlock, what was your first clue?…as an old buddy used to say.
• The “We’ll Pass, But Thanks for Playing” Award goes to Bob Barr, who is striving to become the Ralph Nader of 2008. Always aim higher, as my teacher used to say.
• The Idiot of the Week Award goes to this guy. Geez, racist much? Keep it up and I’ll wash your mouth out with soap, as my grandma used to say.
• Barack Obama is a liberal elitist who looks down his nose at Middle America. Paging John Kerry! He knows a thing or two about answering to this charge (belatedly). This line of attack pretty much writes itself and rest assured, you have not heard the last of it. As for Obama’s awfully misguided comments, never forget your audience, as some former bosses used to say.

Now get your butt outside and clean up the yard, as my daddy used to say.

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2008 Primaries, Leadership, Views on News • April 3rd, 2008

Filling the silly season void

by Chris Lato

Some random musings, as there’s a big lull in national political coverage right now, with everyone waiting to see what the next round of primaries will bring.

With that lull comes the usual silly-season stuff: who will John McCain pick as a running mate? (At this point, who knows? Certainly not John McCain.) Will Al Gore sneak into the 2008 Presidential contest and save the Democratic Party (and by extension, The World As We Know It)?

And this story, while not surprising, offers more insight into the, shall we say, insistent behavior of Sen. Hillary Clinton and the former president.

Meanwhile, the Dems are worried, with good reason, about the image being conveyed by all this bitter in-fighting. As the thinking goes, if the party can’t unite and show decisive leadership, how can they lead the nation? Howard Dean gets a lot of credit for turning around the financial situation of his party, but if the presidential nomination thing crashes and burns in front of a national audience, he will have to take the hit.

And, for the truly geeky among us, check out this article that presents a scenario in which Clinton could win the popular vote in the primary. Some people truly have too much time on their hands.

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Leadership, Speeches, Views on News • March 25th, 2008

Oops!

by Chris Lato

Wow, Hillary Clinton really stepped in it this time. This video is positively damning.

I have no idea what Senator Clinton was thinking when she made these claims, but in a race this tight you have no margin for error - especially the kind of error that can be easily fact-checked.

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