June 03, 2010 04:58 AM UTC

Romanoff Resorts to ....Weirdness

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• by: MADCO

For a campaign that has struggled to find a penetrating and compelling message, and that has had a tail-wags-dog feel to the media cycles (Photoshopgate, Caddell, still-running-for Senate press conference) the campaign seems to have shifted into a new gear.

Weirdness.

1) “A Senator For the Rest of Us”

I’m all for religious freedom and fictional holidays.  But a campaign message that directly rips “Festevus for the rest of us” from Seinfeld is …weird.  It is funny, and I’m usually all for funny.  But aside from the obvious anti-Christmas implication,  it just does not seem to cut through the media fog as a good way to brand a campaign for a serious candidate.

It would be funny, if the US Senate was somehow less serious.  But because the Senator we elect in November is going to serve 2011 – 2017 and will have to contribute to the Senate leadership of how we handle Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo, Net Neutrality, campaign finance reform, healthcare the sequel, banking reform continued, the 2012 presidential election and litterally dozens if not hundres or thousands of other serious issues, it doesn’t seem helpful to be so …irreverent and silly.

I was hoping any minute Romanoff would stop with the one-liners and quips. If only to pretend to aspire to the kind of gravitas I prefer in elected leaders.  But Senator Festavus is what we get.

http://www.facebook.com/photo….

2) Backbone America is a right wing whackjob organization run by John Andrews.  Ok- that might be a bit harsh- Backbone America describes themselves this way

… Backbone America Citizens Alliance, John Andrews, Chairman. The alliance stands for America without apologies, America with steel in her spine, America as it was meant to be according to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. John is a fellow of the Claremont Institute, former Colorado Senate President, appointee of four US Presidents, US Navy veteran, Presbyterian elder, father and grandfather – as well as mayor-for-life of Backbone, Colorado, his imaginary hometown of the heart.

And Backbone America produces a radio show

“Backbone Radio with John Andrews,” every Sunday afternoon. We broadcast for liberty from the rooftop of North America, high atop the continental divide. We’re the most principled, most patriotic, most faith-based, most Colorado-proud spot on your weekend radio dial. We bring you America without apologies, America with steel in her spine.

Sure, others make the claim to be the backbone of America- Highway 66 fans, American steel workers, teachers, entrpreneurs, grad schools,  power grids, even internet cable and fiber.  But in  Colorado political circles, the common inference  is a connection to Senator Andrews’s radio show and organization.

And so earlier this week when the Romanoff campaign announced “The Backbone Tour” it struck me as …. weird.

No comedy here. John Andrews  was about as right as he could get in Colorado and still be electable.  And different politics aside, he is kind of mean.

And so the Romanoff campaign “Backbone tour”  in the “Backbone Express”  just seems….weird.  Does the Romanoff Campaign want everyone to be reminded of John Andrews?  Do they not realize that John Andrews will do everything he can to help R’s take this Senate seat?

It’s just weird.

Meanwhile, I have doubt that the Backbone Tour on the Backbone Express by Senator Festavus can help the campaign attract new following and articulate a compelling message that will penetrate the media fog.

Perhaps it’s the result of budgeting for staff and media on a tight budget. Perhaps it’s just AR’s humor showing through.  Perhaps it’s the precursor to his next media director.  It’s just weird.