2012 Republican politics are playing hard.
It's just my sense that the GOP 2012 race is really heating up.
At this point in the cycle, the competition is not over Q rating or popularity (that can be done later.) The battle is very much about lining up the party power players, locking in donors, etc, and part of that competition is about keeping those power players away locking in with your opponents.
So, when you see little blurbs that add doubt to someone's presidential star, like the cleverly placed "Jindal for Senate" rumor, or today's "party leaders doubt Palin," remember to judge these in context.
These operations don't have to be anything beyond a rumor. They're only supposed to raise doubts and spawn discussions. It's all about moving the players.
Also, I would note that the busiest little bees appear to be Huckabee, trying to work hard in Iowa and SC (short on money,) Mitt Romney, who is trying to do every local "social conservative" event he can below the national radar, and Newt Gingrich who is trying to be everywhere.
You can talk about Palin or Jindal or Pawlenty or Huntsman, but it's Huckabee, Romney, and Gingrich who are working the hardest right now to build that early 2012 machine.
At this point in the cycle, the competition is not over Q rating or popularity (that can be done later.) The battle is very much about lining up the party power players, locking in donors, etc, and part of that competition is about keeping those power players away locking in with your opponents.
So, when you see little blurbs that add doubt to someone's presidential star, like the cleverly placed "Jindal for Senate" rumor, or today's "party leaders doubt Palin," remember to judge these in context.
These operations don't have to be anything beyond a rumor. They're only supposed to raise doubts and spawn discussions. It's all about moving the players.
Also, I would note that the busiest little bees appear to be Huckabee, trying to work hard in Iowa and SC (short on money,) Mitt Romney, who is trying to do every local "social conservative" event he can below the national radar, and Newt Gingrich who is trying to be everywhere.
You can talk about Palin or Jindal or Pawlenty or Huntsman, but it's Huckabee, Romney, and Gingrich who are working the hardest right now to build that early 2012 machine.
posted by mikevotes at
1:29 PM
2 Comments:
Do you think appearances on Fox News is a barometer of where the power brokers are leaning?
By
-epm, at 1:59 PM
No, however, it depends on the tactics. Romney doesn't need those because he's already known and his base and interest are clear. His goalis to win over some of the farther right who have their own more influential media.
The national media is somewhat secondary to Huckabee who is running an early state campaign, counting on his 2008 campaign and momentum to carry him after he "wins" the earliest states. Huckabee is focusing on gladhanding insiders in the early states. He's never going to outraise a Gingrich or Romney.
If we're talking Gingrich it does sort of matter because he needs some sort of platform to reidentify himself.
Gingrich needs national appearances, Huckabee and Romney don't. They're already defined to those insiders.
And the other new ones need exposure, but carefully. On one issue or two. Enough to help definition, but not enough to make big mistakes. (See: Palin/Jindal.)
So, no, you can't just count appearances because they all have different needs in their media.
By
mikevotes, at 3:48 PM
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