(Like taking hurricane advice from Michael Brown – promoted by Colorado Pols)
{First, a cheap plug for my blog Senate Guru.}
Expert strategist Dick Wadhams tells the national Republicans how it’s done:
“Defining the terms of the debate early on is terribly critical,” said Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party. In the 2008 cycle, Wadhams hammered now-Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.), labeling him a “Boulder liberal.”
Though Udall went on to beat ex-Rep. Bob Schaffer (R-Colo.), the label showed up in countless news stories about the race. “The headwinds were just too strong and nothing cut through,” Wadhams explained.
Dick Wadhams showed “Boulder liberal” Mark Udall what’s what, I’ll have you know. What ever happened to “Boulder liberal” Mark Udall?
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at losing. Keep up the same Dick strategy and it’s bound to work any day now! When will the R’s ever learn?
“Dick Wadhams Gives the National GOP Some Advice On How To Put Lipstick On The Pig.”
I love the fact that this guy can’t admit he completely bungled this campaign out of the gate.
DickWad, The “Boulder Liberal” label never stuck and we wish you’d quit bringing it up.
NeoCon News Flash: Bob Shaffer LOST (and badly). George Allen LOST (and handed the Senate back to Democrats). Wise up and quit putting eggs in the DickWad basket. This guy has nothing to offer you but a lost cause.
…signs on to give the GOP “advise” and now our own Dickie Boy. With that kind of brain trust, how can the GOP go wrong?
The real repubs are Palin, and Limbaugh…beauty and the beast. Limbaugh stopped house repubs from voting for the stimulus. Now, the dems cannot pass it in the Senate….that is pure power…based on command of the public means of communication…
Wadhams is the birdie…..limbaugh is the camera.
At least that’s what Dems would like to think. Unfortunately, it ain’t so. Wadhams is at his best running against the establishemnt, not protecting it. His strand of slogan-driven pseudopopulism has been effective in the past, and it’ll be effective in the future. How will he characterize Michael Bennet, come 2010? “Ivy League Liberal”? Job-hopping opportunist? Ritter’s elite senator? Won’t he say, to good effect, that “Colorado doesn’t need two Boulder Liberals in the Senate!” Don’t underestimate Dickie-the pit bull may be behind the chainlink fence now, but not for long.
There has to be a factual basis behind the slogans that the public is aware of and which the public accepts as true. Merely making-up a slogan and then using it like “Boulder liberal Mark Udall” is meaningless. Dick Wadhams has been an effective campaign manager in the past and he may be again but lately he has put too much stock in his belief that he can control the debate by merely making-up a slogan.
isn’t trying to control the debate with his sloganeering, he’s trying to control the tenor. The fact is that the uglier things get in a campaign, the better off the GOP is. Liberals have consistently shied away from dirty campaigns, instead putting stock into the belief that there is the existence of some magical “high road” for morals.
The difference is, now liberals have shown the gumption to fight back, not necessarily through the candidates themselves, but through proxies that are willing to take the fight to the GOP (think ProgressNow and Big Oil Bob).
I agree that Wadhams ain’t done, however he may be put on the bench for a while.
(I just like using that as a subject line in a thread about Wadhams.)
but I think lately he has lost track of that and has engaged in telling tales about the candidate he represents or the opponent that turn out not to be factually true. In the past, he would stick to the facts. For example, when he called Tom Strickland a lawyer/lobbyist he was telling the truth because in fact Mr. Strickland was both. Admittedly, this is my speculation and interpretation of what happened last fall during the senate race, but it certainly appeared he thought if he said it, it would be believed whether he had his facts straight or not. He lost his credibility because of that. I’ve studied the Allen/Webb race and the same thing happened to him in that race. He needs to stick to the facts in the future.
Please please don’t run that campaign against Michael Bennet! Please! Anything but that! It was a miracle we survived the genius of “Boulder liberal” once! We’ll never survive it twice!
Hey, if I donate $20 to the COGOP, will they hire this guy to run campaigns? How about if I donate $100?
“Tote around a gas pump while gas prices are plummeting, to remind folks that your ideas about energy policy are ‘running on empty.’ ”
“Focus your attacks on issues most Coloradoans won’t care about at a time of economic turmoil, like the fact your opponent once supported creating a Department of Peace. Then lie to cover up the fact that he became opposed to it years and years and years ago.”
“Have your campaign manager be the face and voice of your campaign, especially if that manager is a physically and mentally odious presence.”
Look at you guys. You are in control of everything, and you’re still fixated on the GOP.
Don’t worry about us, we’ll be just fine.
I wanted to post about this before – why all the newfound concern for the GOP and its survival?
When the Republicans are in power again (it will happen, and then it will cycle back again just like it always does) I’m not going to pine about how the poor Dems can reform themselves and get back into power.
I’m going to hope they keep putting absolute bimbos like this…
…in power and then I’ll be quiet and let them keep doing their business.
Yeah, that’s pretty bad. I’m no Pelosi fan.
And I have this vague recollection that Republicans spent all of 2002-2006 complaining that Democrats occasionally mounted a filibuster.
And despite all my partisan attacks (I’m still a fucking Democrat, what did you think I would do?), I’m still interested in hanging out this weekend, so I hope you’re not failing to reply because you’re taking all this shit personally.
Not my style. Crazy week. Look forward to a beer on Fri. if you’re still avail.
Send me email with your favorite place.
Leave us our Dick Wadhams bashing.
That’s AWESOME!
How’d that work out for you Dick? A headwind? You mean people (including reporters) are finally over your childish name calling an on to real issues. I’d guess your advice is just about right to the national Republicans. Because if they start talking about issues and how they feel about them, they’ll be in more trouble than they already are. Can you say not a national player or “regional party.” They’re fixin’ to go the way of the Dixicrats. Won’t it be sweet. You’ll be sorry you didn’t listen to us “RINO’s” a little bit earlier when your party is gone. Then what you going to do for a living. Live off your pension like Mike Rosen? Hahahahahahaha.
During the election I was hoping that the Republicans would realize that their party chairman was an idiot. Now I just want him to stay in as chair for life.
Get ready for some “Denver Liberal Michael Bennet” 30-second ads to get shoved up our asses next year.
Connecticut Liberal, but that doesn’t roll off the tongue (and up the ass) quite as well.
The other half is up to Dick Wad’s patented digital exam.