tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post6492591567450086854..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: Parties MatterJonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-81720899415145742702011-02-08T13:58:06.162-06:002011-02-08T13:58:06.162-06:00Jayant, I mostly agree with you---with a couple of...Jayant, I mostly agree with you---with a couple of quibble:<br /><br />*Charisma is, in my view, an overused word. Obama's closest competitors (Clinton and Edwards, especially Edwards) were/could be charismatic, inspiring speakers too.<br /><br />Obama was able to nab the anti-Iraq War faction of the party. (Just as there's always room for a social conservative in Republican primaries, there's always room for a "peace" candidate in Democratic primaries.)<br /><br />Next, Obama was able to organize---people and even more importantly money. It was clear from the 3Q 2007 fundraising reports that Obama would be able to fund a Super Tuesday campaign if he won in Iowa or New Hampshire (traditionally the shoals on which Democratic insurgent campaigns crash, e.g., Howard Dean).<br /><br />Finally, Obama's campaign had a strategy they were able to implement for February 2008 by which they won delegate-rich caucus states disproportionately. In retrospect, the key strategic error by the Clinton campaign was not recognizing the full implications of the 3Q 2007 fundraising reports, and developing a "Plan B" for a drawn-out primary battle.massappealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883213166005005577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-84580185167523659352011-02-08T12:55:39.698-06:002011-02-08T12:55:39.698-06:00Agree totally with you and Jamelle, Jonathan. But...Agree totally with you and Jamelle, Jonathan. But I would add that what you describe in the GOP '12 primaries is what we had on our side in '08. There was very little ideological or issue separation between the candidates, and personal identities and resumes ruled. It was a nomination decided by the 1st black Prez vs. the 1st woman; someone with stunning charisma vs. a field that lacked it; and someone who opposed the Irsq War at the start vs. someone who voted for it. On issues going forward (as opposed to looking back, like on Iraq), disagreement on teh individual mandate was the only thing that got major political media attention, and even then it didn't get much attention from primary voters.Jayant Reddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11002669437081807466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-61375730914367722112011-02-08T11:22:56.781-06:002011-02-08T11:22:56.781-06:00the shorthand is tripping you up.
Foreign policy ...the shorthand is tripping you up.<br /><br />Foreign policy ultimately isn't about parties -- it is about disposition. Some people are weak (George W) and tend to last out; others are indecisive (Carter and Obama); yet others are process (Geroge HW and H. Clinton).<br /><br />What is interesting about Obama is he is a bit more direct in allowing party actors into the foreign policy apparatus (see Donnilon). <br /><br />But coming up with false labels and then trying to ascribe subscriptions to them is a fools game.charlienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-44836779953677075012011-02-08T10:53:59.570-06:002011-02-08T10:53:59.570-06:00No, I'm not thinking of Beck. I'm thinking...No, I'm not thinking of Beck. I'm thinking about basically the George H.W. Bush realists vs. the George W. Bush idealists (again, those words don't quite do the job, but I'm not sure "neocon" is any better, and I'm trying to stick to shorthand here. A synthesis is possible, and muddling through is possible, but there really are significant differences.Jonathan Bernsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-27625966701277716662011-02-08T10:49:14.088-06:002011-02-08T10:49:14.088-06:00serious rift of foreign policy?
Hmm. Straw man. ...serious rift of foreign policy?<br /><br />Hmm. Straw man. Glenn Beck is crazy, but I don't see many people really following him on this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com