"Save it for 2050"

[DanS]

So said Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton's chief strategist, regarding the appeal of Obama's multicultural background.

In the same note, Penn laid out his ideas for attacking Obama over his "lack of American roots" -- a fierce approach that caused a great deal of strife inside the Clinton campaign, as others warned that Clinton needed to build herself up rather than tear the first viable African American candidate down. "All of these articles about his boyhood in Indonesia and his life in Hawaii are geared towards showing his background is diverse, multicultural and putting that in a new light," Penn wrote. "Save it for 2050."

Do you agree with Mark Penn that Hillary should have highlighted Obama's lack of American roots more heavily? Would that be too cynical or would it just be normal rough and tumble politics?

By extension, what do you think about McCain taking this approach in the future?

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/08/12/clinton_memos_lay_bare_early_p.html?hpid=topnews

[Whoha]

Nope, she should have stuck to why she was a better candidate.

[DanS]

Read page 3 from Penn's internal campaign memo under "Lack of American Roots." Revealing and interesting.

http://www.theatlantic.com/a/green-penn-3-19-07.mhtml

[Zkribbler]

I thought Hawaii was in the U.S.

[DanS]

Apparently, middle America doesn't relate to windsurfers.

[MarkG]

does this sound a bit pathetic??

every speech should contain the line you were born in the middle of america to the middle class in the middle of the last century

let's explicitly own "american" in our programs, the speeches and the values. he doesn't. make this a new american century, the american strategic energy fund. lets use our logo to make some flags we can give out. lets add flag symbols to the backgrounds.

[DirtyMartini]

Penn's bitter and meanspirited -- CNN.com has him complimenting McCain's Paris Hilton/Britney Spears ad.

[snoopy369]

How is the Rodham family middle class?

[MarkG]

Originally posted by snoopy369
How is the Rodham family middle class?

do you have to prove everything you say in a political speech? come on...

[DanS]

Originally posted by MarkG
does this sound a bit pathetic??

It appears that Mark Penn believes the main of the electorate to be rather conservative in its presidential choice. He believes that the voters will go with the known commodity -- somebody well within their comfort zone that they think they can trust.

[Arrian]

It also appears that Mark Penn ****ed up Hillary's campaign.

Would that be too cynical or would it just be normal rough and tumble politics?

Um, both?

By extension, what do you think about McCain taking this approach in the future?

I'd be quite put off by that, but I'm not the target audience. Neither is the group that already believes it fervently (that Obama isn't "one of us") - they're already pro-McCain. It's about the middle group who might be swayed, but also might be turned off by the tactic. Gun to my head, would it work? Yeah. That's MY cynicism talking.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

It also appears that Mark Penn ****ed up Hillary's campaign.

Well that's why this is coming out now. Penn is trying to show that he DIDN'T **** up Hillary's campaign. Hillary wouldn't listen to him.

[Victor Galis]

Wasn't McCain born in Panama though?

[Ramo]

By extension, what do you think about McCain taking this approach in the future?

Um, future?

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Victor Galis
Wasn't McCain born in Panama though?

Not McCain! Not McCain!!!!