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October 22, 2010 08:50 PM UTC

Buck Campaign Makes Strategic Move: Don't Let Buck Talk Anymore

  • 59 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck was scheduled to appear with Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet on “The TODAY Show” this morning. According to a press release from the Bennet campaign, Buck canceled the 5:00 a.m. appearance (yes, that’s 5:00 a.m. Mountain Time) due to a “scheduling conflict.”

It’s probably pretty unlikely that Buck’s scheduler accidentally double-booked the candidate at 5:00 in the morning, but in fairness to Buck’s campaign, there’s really not a good excuse for the likely real reason: Because Buck is absolutely killing himself this week seemingly every time he opens his mouth, just letting him talk to Al Roker would be too dangerous.

In fact, it’s fair to say that Buck may very well have lost the election this week with his double-whammy of comments that started with comparing homosexuality to alcoholism and then continued with an affirmation that global warming is a hoax, which Buck’s campaign has been desperately trying to clarify. As we discussed yesterday, Coloradans are holding onto their ballots thus far, which makes this a pretty terrible time to be offending voters.

Buck’s campaign has been spinning out of control all week, reeling from one misstatement after the other, so it makes good strategic sense for his campaign team to just try to stop Buck from talking altogether. Given his silly mistakes this week, Buck is either rattled, or not ready for such a big spotlight (or maybe both); either way, there doesn’t appear to be any net positive left for Buck in sitting down with reporters, even if they only ask softball questions.

It wouldn’t surprise us if Buck just sort of quietly slips away from public view until Election Day. It says a lot about the candidate himself that we would probably advise the exact same thing from a purely strategic perspective — it’s a sad state of affairs when your candidate has a better chance of winning an election if he just stops talking altogether.

Comments

59 thoughts on “Buck Campaign Makes Strategic Move: Don’t Let Buck Talk Anymore

  1. Did they seriously give that excuse?

    Did Bennet get to appear by himself? Did the Today show at least have some fun with the “scheduling conflict” claim?

  2. but aside from the first debate he has seemed totally lost when debating Bennet. That look on his face with the doughnut hole question was priceless.

  3. Runneth over, did the Tea Party’s cup,

    Until Bennet began bouncing back up;

    Each time Buck opened his mouth,

    His polling numbers went South,

    Until at last, they shut the Buck up.

    1. So if Buck wins, that phrase will enter the lore of proven political consultant wisdom.

      If he loses, it will simply enter the common slang as a term for justifiable derision.

      The real problem is if this loose-lipped, intellectual flyweight actually makes it into the Senate, those guys will make him a laughingstock, and Coloradans will be the ones paying the price.

  4. Bennet had a great week.

    Buck had a horrible week.

    In fact, I am sure he lost the election this week. (didn’t I see three seperate polls this week each showing Buck ahead?)

    I have a feeling you will be eating those words as soon as Sunday. I think the newspaper that can not be mentioned might be printing the results of a new poll taken this week.  

    If you are right, Bennet would be ahead, right?

    If he is not ahead, then you must be mistaken, right?

    I can’t wait to see what the new poll says. I have a pretty good idea what it is going to show and I am already working on a diary.  Keep up the insightful comments.

    1. Bennet internal polling is very positive.  More than having a “pretty good idea” I know what that is showing. I have mentioned it before but their internal polling was way more accurate for the primary.  

      Micahel is not takign anything for granted but they are encouraged.

        1. His internal polling was much more accurate than the polls that showed Romanoff winning. Another cute thing about Buck. his spokesman complains that he keeps getting asked gotcha questions instead of questions on what he wants to talk about: Jobs, jobs, jobs.  Then why aren’t jobs among the 11 top priorities listed on his website and why should reporters be clamoring to ask him about something that isn’t even in his top 10?

        2. PPP had Bennet/Buck at 46/43 before the primary and 46/45 two weeks ago. Little has changed.

          So I guess I don’t really care what the other polls are showing because PPP’s results have been consistent over a 2-month period.  Their next Colorado poll will be out next week.

          The race will be won on election day, not any sooner.

          1. The first PPP (rated D at Real Clear Politics, as in not independent but Democrat leaning) was a registered not likely voter poll.  Bennet is ahead with people that are not going to vote.

            The second PPP poll which showed Buck down by 1% under their likely voter model was completed three weeks ago has been followed by four seperate polls showing Buck +5, Buck +2, Buck +1 and most recently Buck +3.  Check out the Poll that will come out shortly at the DP which I suspect will also show Buck winning outside the margin of error.

            Unless PPP wants to confirm their lack of credibility like their predecessor at Daily Kos who have admitted to fraud in their polling, they will change their likely voter model in their poll next week and you will see Buck is ahead there as well.

    2. The Buckpedaler can’t be seen in public anymore – he doesn’t say anything at his arranged appearances, he can’t be allowed to say anything at neutral sites, and and now he can’t face his opponent and say his insane ideas where they’ll be challenged.

      Con-men do this all the time – the grift is laid out, so you can’t do anything to screw up the con before the suckers bite on it.

      If he wants to be a US Senator and debate the issues on our behalf with his party and against the Dems, he needs to “man-up” (GOP Nevada line) and drag his lying, con-man ass up to the mike and face his opponent.

      If he’s afraid to say something, then that’s a pretty good indication that he’s incapable of representing Colorado in the US Senate.

      ’nuff said.

        1. But more importantly, Bennet has never been afraid to speak in public. His events, neutral debates, impromptu interviews, and even softball national appearances on the Today Show.

          Buck accepted, wet his pants realizing that both the reporters and Bennet were going to pummel him with questions about his various nutjob statements.

          Realizing this, he fled into the morning air and is in hiding somewhere, terrified someone is going to show up with a microphone and a camera. THAT’S someone I want representing me in the Senate!

          It’s less than two week before the election, Shill-man. Is Buck going to post some policy on Veterans, esp his never-ending flip-flop on privatizing the VA? ANY Vet issues?

          1. Why are you bothering with sense?  You could use that reasoning on a squirrel and the results the same – a run up a tree to ignore you before randomly jumping to another tree.

    3. Was from responses that came last week. That would be before Buck had his terrible week of press. Do you really not understand this?

      Maybe we’re wrong, and maybe Buck hasn’t been hurt by the events of the last week. But there is no currently available poll that would indicate one way or the other.  

      1. as part of your “Buyer’s Remorse” tv spot diary?

        But before this scandal even made it into a TV spot, which we knew from the moment it broke that it would, it was already harming Buck in polls–just from the press coverage.

        1. …which may have captured some reaction from Buck’s Sunday “Buyers alcoholic remorse” moment. The Reuter’s Ipsos post polled through Sunday. That poll showed Buck up 3 but 6 points worse than their last poll.  I would be shocked if 10% of the people polled on Sunday had watched meet the press and as it was a 3 day poll I am guessing it had been a non-issue in polling so far.  

          1. it’s not only ‘old’ people like you who don’t have landlines. I’ve got 16 years on you and haven’t had one for 5 years.

            Fortunately, the callcenters haven’t found my 970 cell # yet; I’ve only had 3 robocalls this entire 2010 cycle.. 🙂

        2. I turned 40 this year and I do not have a hard line. I do have Vonage but never answer my home phone. I know that if anyone wants me they know my cell.  I have heard people say that public polling today misses most people under 30.  They also miss more and more old people like me.  

    4. We are just delusional wishful thinkers.  And if wishes were horses…

      No one is going to “break” or switch or do whatever needs doing for Bennet to win.  You know it.  Most of the R’s know it. Buck knows it. All the smart posters here know it.

      Your work is done.  All the votes that matter are cast.   It’s raining now, that’s good. If it snows hard before 11/2, your guy is into double digits.

    5. that the GOTV networks that Democrats built in 2008 didn’t suddenly go away.  The Tea Party fringe have been getting all the press but the grassroots organizations that Democrats put together and trained in 2008 are still in existence.  I can tell you that in my little county the local Democratic organization is better than at the start of 2008.

      While you have been spending all your time sitting on your bony ass sifting through the polls to convince yourself that Buck is pulling away, Democrats have been quietly engaged in GOTV efforts and will be chasing every vote until the 7pm November 2nd.  This is the little fact as to why Buck needed to be way out in front going into the last week.  Democratic networks are smooth running operations at this point and Democrats are going to turn out for this election.

      The fact that Republicans have got to shut the Buck up is a clear indicator that the guy has run a really mediocre campaign and could get smoked at the finish.  The Buck campaign has been a series of stupid and unnecessary blunders by someone who isn’t ready for prime time.

      Now back to your regular trumpeting of how invincible your guy is while the Democrats continue to go about contacting voters and discussing the issues with them.

       

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