Hello Mr. President, I hear you’re coming to town tomorrow. It seems this sure thing is falling apart. Talk about a c#$k block. We don’t have to go over the ramifications affecting so many things and people if this particular seat goes to this particular Republican, at this particular time. Man. “When the Walls Come Tumbling Down” will be the song to play.
So it all comes down to us little ole Massachusetts voters to prevent this ‘who left the iron on’ moment from turning into the entire block burning down.
With that in mind Sir, I suggest you have to give the kick as of kick ass speeches tomorrow.
It must be your best.
As a life long Massachusetts Democrat who has in the past voted Republican (do not forget our love for Republican governors, there will probably be another one here next year) may I give you some advice from this perspective?
In no particular order:
1. Please remember that clips and sound bites of your speech will be played over and over for the next 48 hours. 98% of what people see and hear in television/radio media will be tailored towards Scott Brown (don’t estimate Gail Huff factor too)to proven the theme the Repubs are running with.
2. The majority of voters are center of the curve with shades going in either direction. We don’t mind Republicans or conservatives (we don’t mind Republican governors) but we don’t want far right wing stuff. They also don’t want far left things.
3. Do not mention the words “health care”. 98% of our residents have health care. The voters’ self-interest is against it. People are happy with their health care and think things moved too fast
4. Emphasis the Scott Brown policies and the votes he will make for things that play too far right up here. There are tons of stuff in the file. Mostly related to jobs, economy, jobs, jobs, civil rights (crazy Patriot Act stuff)
Don’t give them socialists sound bites!
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. _What will Scott Brown do that will stand in the way of jobs and economic growth for Massachusetts.
Doesn’t Scotts immigration policy encourage illegal immigration by rewarding big businesses that sub contract as much work out including savings gained by hiring illegal immigrants? (Are you listening Bob Kraft?)
Doesn’t Scott favor intellectually dishonest foreign policy when it comes to homeland security by denying that the underpants bomber doesn not belong in an American prison for the rest of his life, just like the last guy that tried this EIGHT YEARS AGO.
It’s that kind of take no prisoner thinking that got us into one needless war and the other one we are in now.
Mr. President, my people are scattered about. You need to reel them back in. First may I suggest, let them know that this is different from electing the previous Republican Governors. Show you understand us. You’re down with us.
Then let them know that from your three years in Washington and from your experience in Illinois senate you know, just like Democrats, there are many types of Republican, with different concerns and different degrees of conservative thought. To be in favor of “x”, like Scott is, means he favors “y”.
Hit my people with facts. Facts. Facts. Then Jobs Jobs Jobs.
And mention Ted Kennedy once and in tribute. And that’s it. And please Sir, Do Not Mention The Red Sox! If you do then I will serve fried chicken and watermelon if you ever come to visit.
Do, I repeat Sir, DO NOT make this a ‘Do It For Teddy’ rally. That is why Scott Brown is Kicking butt.
So get that Holy Cross kid going on the speech. He’s from around here and he’s smart. He’ll do a good job. I mean it’s not like you have a Boston College kid writing it.
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There’s speculation that a national non-profit or organization may be formed to make FCC complaints and possibly pursue court action against WRKO, WTKK, and a few other stations around the state’ FCC licenses. Are they following standards and guide lines laid down by Congress governing FCC licenses under the Equal Time Rule?
The show tapes do not lie and it is hard pressed to listen to them in totality and not come to the conclusion that a decision was made by the FCC license holders and very specific actions and non-actions were taken to insure that the coverage of the campaign was one sided.
If court action, including administrative complaint with the FCC, Scott Brown volunteers and staffers will be called as witnesses testifying as to what they knew and what they did and who told them what to do. This only applies to the radio call-ins. (so don’t worry, you don’t have to tell who is screwing who on the campaign)
Discuss
32 Comments . Comments are closed.Announce The Firing of Larry, Timmy, Rahm
And the other crypto-Republicans in your administration.
That would be a tangible way to show that you're back to favoring real change.
It's true that in the past few days your administration has suddenly decided that banks should pay back a little of what you and Bush gave them, that oil prices should be regulated, that BPAs are dangerous in food containers, and that we can use reconciliation to a way to pass health care reform. Good start. But, given your history, you'll forgive us if we're highly skeptical of the outcome of these announcements.
Let's Not Forget
Fannie and Freddie - their CEOs are making millions while still owing the taxpayers billions, as in a hundred billion and more. Come out and say that Geithner's decision to remove the ceiling was the last bad one he will make and he is being replaced. Say that ridiculous salaries fall into this group of companies as well so you are setting their salaries at $400,000 - if you can put up with everything you do for $400,000 why can't they!!
Come out and say that the deals being made for Health Care don't make sense and you are going to work to get a bill passed that doesn't grant special concessions to my neighbor because he is in a union and I am not. That you will rescind the Nebraska Compromise and Louisiana Purchase II as ALL AMERICANS need to be treated equally. Finally, come clean and say that you will be giving daily updates on where we are on health care and what is and is not being traded, not the Family Guy, not some flunky, but you, President Obama. If you aren't going to let us see what is happening ourselves then at least you can come out and tell us what you did for us today, and the truth would be nice.
UNLIMITED Fannie/Freddy Bailout: Geithner's Decision or Recommendation?
Didn't Obama sign the thing?
Executive Order
So presume Obama signed off on it, but he could spin it as Timmy providing guidance and his counsel has not been sound and send him packing, throw him under the bus, or whatever phrase you choose.
If he wants to really shock the country and take the lead in setting himself up for a good 2012 run and get the people back on his side he could delivery a HUGE message by asking for a panel / commission to review Congress' and, in particular, Barney Frank and Chris Dodd's role in the Fannie and Freddie fiasco. While he's at it he could also ask where the ethics committee report is on Rangel's tax issues which was due over a year ago.
Would tick off Congress to say the least, but its either his political life or theirs. Their approval is lower and it may be the best way for him to turn things around.
Downside is Congress refuses to work with him, but seems to be heading that way already and this way he takes the lead.
Upside he scares the living daylights out of them and he gets kudos from the voting public for his stance (he's on our side even if it means calling out his own party).
Just a random thought.
More Advice
Yes, jobs, for sure, and tax cuts for the middle class. Tax cuts for households that earn less than $200,000/yr. That's 95% of households, President Obama. Do you want those votes, or do you want the other 4.2%.
Remind people that George Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy resulted in federal cuts to states which has resulted in higher state and local taxes, which disproportionatley affects the middle class. Tell them that Scott Brown supports those tax cuts for the wealthy. Let people know that you haven't forgotten that the middle class is still struggling.
Kudos for the fees on banks. It's a great idea. Banks love fees, fees, and more fees. They charge them all the time. As a matter a fact, when a middle class person struggles with financial difficulty, they get slammed with aggressive fees. When the banks struggle with financial difficulties, they get a blast of taxpayer dollars to pull them out. Wrong on so many levels. Please do mention your bank fee proposal. Very popular idea in the voting circles I travel in.
Don't make jokes about anything. We are not in a joking mood. Seriousness is definitely the way to go.
I hope so much that your visit here to Massachusetts does the job of electing Martha Coakley to the US Senate.
Good Points Ernie
You are so right about this...
also, calling it Ted Kennedy's seat. This is rallying the Repubs to get out and vote. For some reason, it really irks them. So please avoid those statements, for real. We can talk about Ted Kennedy after the election.
It irks me too.
And I've first wrote that before the primary election. It isn't Kennedy's seat. It never was.
It is, was, and always has been we the people's seat. We hire our representative. Every six years we re-hire or hire someone new.
First its Teddy's seat
Then its the peope's seat. Then Teddy again. PICK ONE! Oh, silly me, democrats are allowed to lie, they're entitled. Flip-flop. Flip-flop. And these flip-flopping commercial ran with ten minutes of each other on WBZ this afternoon.
I perfer to think of it as Daniel Webster's seat
That or Charles Sumner's. Teddy was a good senator, but of the seat "belongs" to anyone both of those men have him beat by a mile.
Teddy's seat until 2012
"We" elected Ted Kennedy to occupy a seat in the Senate for 6 years in 2006. "We" said, "See that seat in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body? We want it occupied by Ted Kennedy until 2012."
For reasons known only to Himself, the same God who levelled Port-au-Prince last week gathered Teddy unto Himself last year.
Now, you can decide that God gets a vote or a veto in American politics, and therefore He cancelled the reservation -- so it's no longer Teddy's seat in any possible sense. If that's your view, who am I to preach otherwise?
All I can suggest is this: if Coakley and Cosmoboy were running for a new 6-year term, I'd have less of a problem with the pearl-clutching fetch-the-smelling-salts reaction to the phrase "Ted Kennedy's seat".
I also prophesy that the Republicans and the Teabaggers and the goddamned Chamber of Commerce will absolutely declare themselves to have "won Ted Kennedy's seat" first thing Wednesday morning, should the Maker who made us all indulge Himself in yet another bit of macabre humor.
So spare me the indignation, from the Right OR from the Left, over the phrase "Teddy's seat" in the narrow context of THIS election.
--TP
Well put. I figured it was technically Teddy's seat until '12, too
And you know the teabaggers will have no compunction whatsoever to claim victory of 'Teddy's seat', should the unthinkable happen on Tuesday, Hypocrites that they are.
I have no problem with it being called $quot;Kennedy's seat$quot;.
But it's riling up the Repubs, and some Independents. So in the interest of winning this election, and not giving the opposition a reason to stop at the polls on Tuesday, let's just give it a little sssshhhhhh for right now.
Riling up is what elections are ABOUT
I'm no political strategist. So I don't know what the right tactic is. But I know this much:
We hold elections because people DISagree about stuff. Winning elections by downplaying disagreements seems a bit like getting your pilot's license by cheating on the exam. Sure, you "win" -- but do you really want to fly the airplane afterwards? I want the Democrat to win this election. I want the Democrat to win because I want somebody in the office who will unabashedly carry on in the spirit of Ted Kennedy. If the Democrat can only win by cowering before every little hissy fit the Republicans throw now, including the transparently silly idea that THIS election is NOT about filling the unexpired remainder of Ted Kennedy's term, then I despair of having a Senator who can act like a Democrat for the next two years.
Of course, the right moment has already passed. The right moment for Martha Coakley to have made the point that THIS election IS about filling Ted Kennedy's seat was the moment when Cosmoboy prattled prettily about it being "the people's seat" during the debate. You ARE allowed to counterpunch in "debate", even against pious platitudes. Alas, Martha Coakley didn't think of it on the spot. I didn't either -- but I'm not the one asking the voters to elect me to Ted Kennedy's seat.
Or, if you prefer, to "the seat the voters elected Ted Kennedy to, many times, for damn good reasons."
--TP
Generally speaking
I would also say not to cower to Republican "hissy fits", but when the polls are this close, everything counts.
Avoid calling voters cynics or cynical.
It makes you appear out of touch and without understanding of what is going on in American lives. It's insulting.
Obama and Coakley should walk from NU
to Dudley Square after the speech to shake hands with people. Get out there and meet the voters- remind folks to vote.
With commoners?
No way. Martha is way to high in her ivory tower for that. The nerve of you rabble!
As far as I know, Coakley has a much more modest financial profile
Than everyone's favorite sexy WASP, who reportedly owns five properties. But he drives a truck, so I guess he's blue collar.
And his daughter owns a horse.
I don't begrudge Gail and Scotie their success, but please-don't paint yourself as some middle-class hero when your wife wears a sable coat and your daughter has a horse.
Afraid of gun-toting
teabaggers slipping in from New Hampshire, maybe.
A Conservative
Is a man trying to stay a step and a half ahead ahead of the death mongering Social Darwinist democrats. I'm an amputee. Why don't you do a Joe Biden and tell me to stand up? Asshole.
Nice language there, Bill.
I Guess
Its only funny if you're not the disabled one. Why don't you go steal a baby's bottle.
Victimhood doesn't become you.
I Know
But if I don't look out for my disabled brethren, who will? Certainly not democrats.
Who you talking to?
If elected, I'm sure Scott Brown will take care of you. He's big on the social safety net as were all the Republicans who fought for parking spaces and building access for disabled folks.
I'm going to have to disagree with you, David
I don't find much of this advice very useful at all...
Couldn't Ernie have just left it at "Have a kickass speech, Mr. President, because it's important and will be played for days to come?" Because that much was true...
Hey Ernie, I'm going to enjoy a healthy chuckle when Deval Patrick comfortably enters his second term and Charlie Baker finishes third... if he makes it past the primary.
I'm with David
I especially like the bit about skipping any more than a perfunctory mention of Kennedy. This is a new race for a new seat.
I don't disagree with everything he had to say
just the 'run away from the liberal boogeyman' crap, etc. The voters aren't pissed because of ebil liberals, they're pissed because of ineffectual ones...
More advise...
And definitely, do not call Curt Shilling a Yankee!
Good advice, here's one more
Mr. President I campaigned in Iowa for you, in NH for you, and I voted for you in both the primary and general election. I am certain you'll get my vote again. I respect you tremendously.
But please, please my state is pronounced Mass-a-choo-setts not Mass-a-two-setts. For the love of God please learn to pronounce the name of our state correctly-you have already lived here for four years before so this shouldn't be too hard.
What if the Prez supports Scott?
Gee, with the wars, Patriot Act, torture of men, women and children (albeit in others back yards) and other sins of the past administration still going on, the Prez could be a Republican (Republicrat?)
I'm shocked that Scott has a good chance to win. Here, in Democratic Party owned Massachusetts. Could it be a backlash from the false promise of "Change" to the reality of another GW Bush term? That kind of cut "Hope" off at the knees. Maybe the People are really pissed. Maybe Barry isn't the one to call...
Who has the election machine keys to make it a Diebold victory?
Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half. ~Gore Vidal
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