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Mark Penn Politics

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 04:42:29 AM EST
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I am not sure if this is for real or not but it does point to one of the biggest problems the Hillary Clinton campaign has - Mark Penn.

Instead of taking the obvious opening on the partisan Dem front, the Mark Penn contingent of the Hillary Clinton campaign apparently wants Hillary to attack Obama from the right. Not only would that be engaging in Right Wing politics, it is immensely stupid politics. In case Mark Penn does not know this, Hillary is running in a Democratic primary. Obama's vulnerability is with Democratic partisans.

As far as I can tell, these stupid tactics did not seep into Hillary's own campaigning or in any official campaign statements. It was just offered in background discussions with reporters. But that is bad enough.

If people are looking for a good reason to oppose Hillary, the association of Mark Penn with her campaign is as good a reason as any. He is horrible. He is bad for Democratic values. He is a terrible political consultant. His demise in the political world will be a good thing for Democratic politics.

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    Mark Penn Politics | 8 comments (8 topical)

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    About Penn, lest we forget (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by scribe on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 08:49:48 AM EST
    when he's not running campaigns, his company makes big bucks busting unions and, now, lobbying for outfits like, um, Blackwater.

    If HRC wants to be associated with him (and keeping him on indicates she does), that's her problem.

    Fire Mark Penn (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by GOPmurderedconscience on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 09:16:35 AM EST
    BTD,

    I totally agree with you. The problem partisan like me have with Obama is his questionable commitment to a truly progressive agenda and his willing to compromise before the negotiations.

    I saw that "line of attack" and was infuriated. I hope they don't go down that road. Maybe Mark Penn is as bad a strategist as he is on TV.

    These comments don't sound like (none / 0) (#1)
    by MarkL on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 05:12:40 AM EST
    Hillary.
    I don't trust this story at all.

    Absolutely (none / 0) (#4)
    by koshembos on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 09:17:11 AM EST
    I couldn't agree more. Although, I believe that Hillary was doomed from day one because the profound hate for her on both the right and the left (the left because they see Bill as Satan). Watching Mark Penn on TV in the past has always left with an impression of a light weight. By listening to Penn Hillary caused herself even more damage. After all, Hillary represent the mainstream of the Democratic party and one could do much worse than that. The need for change that is the latest hallucination of Democrats, and is a poor substitute for a fully progressive agenda, could have been made ridiculous by a better campaign by Hillary.

    In this case, I believe, we are all losers (Democrats).

    Oops (none / 0) (#5)
    by Satya1 on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 10:11:57 AM EST
    From your link:
    Hillary's aides point to Obama's extremely progressive record as a community organizer, state senator and candidate for Congress, his alliances with "left-wing" intellectuals in Chicago's Hyde Park community, and his liberal voting record on criminal defendants' rights as subjects for examination.

    It's for real and its getting out via multiple news outlets.  Sen. Clinton's campaign is attacking Sen. Obama for being too liberal.  On top of her AUMF vote and her claim that she did it to help press for stronger diplomacy (a nice rewrite of history) and her tepid record on government ethics and transparency, I'm not sure I can vote for her in the GE if she were to win the nomination.

    TIME magazine (none / 0) (#6)
    by Satya1 on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 10:29:54 AM EST
    They are looking at issues like gun control, where he previously took a harder stand that may not play well with gun-loving voters in New Hampshire

    http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1700129,00.html

    Parent

    Sen. Clinton on mandatory minimums (none / 0) (#7)
    by Satya1 on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 10:31:49 AM EST
    http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2008/01/05/hillary-clinton-slams-obama-for-position-she-prev iously-took-on-mandatory-minimums/

    Parent
    how? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Judith on Sat Jan 05, 2008 at 02:20:35 PM EST
    I dont know how you would attack him from the right anyway other than take the same arguments one could use against Clinton.

    Mark Penn Politics | 8 comments (8 topical)

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