MyDD :: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming

SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming

by mcdave, Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:36:56 PM EST

The Clintons are desperate to regain power - so desperate that they are considering funding an "anyone but Obama" 527 whose main aim would be to destroy Barack Obama forever - to destroy his image and to make people hate him.

This is typical Clinton tactics, from the camp that brought you "Barack Obama may have sold drugs" and attacks on his kindergarden essay record. You'll note the Barack Obama hasn't even run a negative ad this cycle or sent a negative piece of mail. He hasn't even run a contrast ad (correct me if I'm wrong here)! He had some contrast mail, however.

Huffpo has the details:

some top independent expenditure groups supporting Clinton have been exploring the creation of an anti-Obama "527 committee" that would take unlimited contributions from a few of Clinton's super-rich backers and from a handful of unions to finance television ads and direct mail designed to tarnish the Illinois Senator's image.

[snip]

Three groups conducting independent expenditure campaigns in behalf of Clinton - Emily's List, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) - have explored the possibility of trying to put together a multi-million dollar effort privately dubbed the Anybody-But-Obama 527 Committee, but they have run into problems finding any Democratic operative willing to become the director of a campaign against the man who now is the odds-on favorite to become the party's nominee.

"You might make some good money in the short term, but your chances of getting any Democratic contracts in the future, especially if Obama wins, would be zilch," said one operative. "I wouldn't go there." The effectiveness of a 527 that goes negative was demonstrated by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which attacked John Kerry's war record in the 2004 campaign.

Any individuals who work for these 527s will of course be blackballed forever from ever working for the Democratic party (I'm not kidding. It works like this). Any consulting firms who accept contracts from these 527s will also be blackballed.

Tags: 527, obama, hillary (all tags)

Permalink :: 31 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

I think they'll think twice about this.

If Obama looks like our best shot in the general--the party is going to have to step in.

Of course, up until now, the "party" has been synonomous with the Clintons.

by Louverture on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:41:33 PM EST

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Any individuals who work for these 527s will of course be blackballed forever from ever working for the Democratic party (I'm not kidding. It works like this).

You almost made me spit out my latte with this howler. Tell me, was Robert Gibbs blackballed for this?

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:42:28 PM EST

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Robert Gibbs probably has trouble getting some jobs after that. Yes. The fact that people know about it doesn't help his employment situation.

Then again, Dean didn't win the nomination. He's the DNC chair...so I doubt you'll see Gibbs doing DNC consulting any time soon...

by mcdave on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:45:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

obama hired him immediately after you fool!

obviously now, after he has trashed and slandered the clintons for a full year.

Payback is a BITCH!

bring it on!

Offend the Media - Vote for Hillary!

by Seymour Glass on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 06:21:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

LOL Exactly, Steve. Can you imagine what the Obama folks would say if that ad was replicated word for word, replacing "Howard Dean" with Barack Obama? What would they say, "We would never tolerate such..." Yet they hired Robert Gibbs.

The sharpest criticism often goes hand in hand with the deepest idealism and love of country. ~RFK

by Vox Populi on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:46:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Ha - That ad is so poorly crafted and over the top, you wonder how gibbs got another job. It's almost laughable!

by mcdave on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:48:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

With Mr. New Politics of all people! It was an extremely effective ad.

The sharpest criticism often goes hand in hand with the deepest idealism and love of country. ~RFK

by Vox Populi on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:49:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

No it wasn't. Give me a break. That kind of crap does not work in the primaries.

by mcdave on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:09:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

It's not clear to me if you're rewriting history or if you never understood it in the first place.

"Another problem we have...is that in election years we behave somewhat as primitive peoples do at the time of the full moon." --Harry Truman

by Steve M on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:10:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

i am soooooo anybody but obama (none / 0)

he cant win in nov

president john...fine

hed of won in 04, why not now?

bo for vp - but not prez

Offend the Media - Vote for Hillary!

by Seymour Glass on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 06:26:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

My guess is the folks bankrolling this committee have no interest in serving an Obama administration. And in 8 years, the "blackball" will be lifted as new Democrats use every resource possible to win. Not a huge deal, I look forward to their ads.

The sharpest criticism often goes hand in hand with the deepest idealism and love of country. ~RFK

by Vox Populi on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:44:09 PM EST

Re: New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

good bet!

Offend the Media - Vote for Hillary!

by Seymour Glass on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 06:30:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

I'm not denying that they haven't used the media effectively (people fault them for this, for some reason). And yes, they push negatives stories, you're right.

But there's a difference between that and running campaign ads.

The one thing that could stop this is if Al Gore and John Kerry step in and endorse Obama...

by mcdave on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:46:21 PM EST

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Since it looks like one of Clinton's new attacks is to go after Obama for taking his anti-Iraq War speech off his website during the 2004 Presidential Campaign, something he did out of deference to Kerry's support of the War, it will be interesting to see if Kerry steps up and endorses someone.

by Piuma on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:54:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Actually... I hear kerry endorses Thursday...

by mcdave on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:09:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - (none / 0)

Truly, are all Obama supporters as clueless as you? Gore endorsing Dean didn't stop anything.

No longer a Democrat, now proudly an independent voter!

by Ga6thDem on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:39:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - (none / 0)

Just because Gore endorsing Dean didn't stop anything does not necessarily mean Gore endorsing Obama won't stop anything.

Dig?

Slash and burn politics baby! Say anything do anything lie cheat steal railroad the opposition into submission: CLINTON FORMULA FOR 2008.

by crackityjones on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 04:41:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

I would imagine Gore understands Obama's commitment to research in it's true spirit, not in the sense it has been distorted by some. Laurie David is an active supporter of Obama, something I imagine she would not be if Gore had a negative opinion about him.

by Piuma on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:46:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

all those who trashed al are now obamas closest pals!

dowd, rich, matthews, russert, arianna. its disgusting!

al will not, no way, until this is done.

Offend the Media - Vote for Hillary!

by Seymour Glass on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 06:29:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Billions of 527s ads against Hillary and Bill... What crazy fantasy world are you living in?? There haven't been any 527s against Bill and Hillary. Groups spent money to investigate them, yes, I know about the Arkansas project. But these are Republicans doing this...not Democrats doing it to their own...

by mcdave on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:47:53 PM EST

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Well, Obama ran a radio ad in Iowa criticizing Edwards and Clinton's health care plans by name.

He stood next to Clinton at the Philly debate and called her "disingenuous". His campaign themes have been all about how she runs a "textbook Washington campaign" and how we need to get past the divisive peace and prosperity of the 90s.

As for this, well, in principle I don't like negative advertising. But I'm not going to scream bloody murder until you know, they actually do it, instead of having a reporter say that some folks are "exploring" whether to set something up.

by OrangeFur on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 02:51:19 PM EST

Obama's campaign printed a flier (none / 0)

distoring Edwards' record on labor issues, then distributed that among union members in Iowa.

I regret that the Edwards campaign did not respond with some lit educating union members about how Obama booked his Oprah event at an arena with a picket line in front of it.

John McCain: 100 years in Iraq "would be fine with me."

by desmoinesdem on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:12:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

You'll note the Barack Obama hasn't even run a negative ad this cycle or sent a negative piece of mail.

Completely false. I spent some time in Iowa just before caucus day. I saw (and heard) the Obama ads sleazily attacking the Clinton and Edwards Health Care plan.

by blueflorida on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:00:25 PM EST

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

I stand corrected.

But why were these ads sleazy? Because they went against your chosen candidate?

Some people don't think mandates are the way to go...that's not in itself "sleazy". It's actually policy-related.

by mcdave on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:11:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

they used right-wing rhetoric (none / 0)

reminiscent of the Harry and Louise ads from the early 1990s.

That is why they crossed a line, in my view. If Obama becomes president, does he really think the Republicans will not throw all that stuff back at him? He seems to think that his personality will cause opposition to melt away.

John McCain: 100 years in Iraq "would be fine with me."

by desmoinesdem on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:13:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

It's one thing to say that mandates don't work in achieving the goal of universal health care. It's another thing to imply that your opponents want to put poor people in jail for not having health care. Obama did the latter. That's sleazy.

by blueflorida on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:21:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Right...because they were attacking his. So what if he used their names. He should.

by Louverture on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:13:09 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: SLASH AND BURN - New anti-Obama 527 coming (none / 0)

Lets wait and see what happens tonight.. A lot depends on whether Obama wins and if so what the margin is..

Slash and burn politics baby! Say anything do anything lie cheat steal railroad the opposition into submission: CLINTON FORMULA FOR 2008.

by crackityjones on Tue Jan 08, 2008 at 03:27:14 PM EST