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Don't Try This Strategy at Home, Kids

by: Colorado Pols

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 12:31:39 PM MST

Colorado has had it's share of non-media savvy candidates and campaigns over the years, with Republican Senate candidate Jane Norton's campaign leading the way in 2010 where screwing up the earned media side is concerned. But for all the mistakes of candidates like Norton and "Master of the Terrible Press" Ali Hasan, nobody has quite gotten bad media relations down to a science like California Republican Meg Whitman's gubernatorial campaign. As "The Fix" explains:

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman has faced a steady drumbeat of criticism from her Republican primary opponent -- state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner -- for ducking debates and non-choreographed media appearances in her run for the California governorship.
Yesterday at an event in Oakland, Whitman handed Poizner considerable fodder to make that case -- refusing to take questions and then watching as reporters were moved out of the room and some sort of blockade was put in place so the cameras couldn't shoot film of Whitman standing around. (You must watch the video [below]; it is b-r-u-t-a-l.)
Of the back and forth, San Fransciso Chronicle veteran political reporter Carla Marinucci wrote:
"Veteran reporters, who included KTVU's Randy Shandobil and KPIX's Hank Plante, were among the crowd that wasn't amused. Question: is Whitman a candidate for governor, or a museum piece to be 'watched' by reporters?"
Ouch.

As "The Fix" says, you've got to watch the video, which is embedded after the jump. It's just...plain...weird. Why (why?) would you intentionally antagonize the media like this? Can you guess which state's media is now going to go out of its way to investigate every little tip they receive about Whitman?

Colorado Pols :: Don't Try This Strategy at Home, Kids

Tags: jane norton, ali hasan, meg whitman, (All Tags)

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Don't Try This Strategy at Home, Kids | 36 comments

That WAS brutal

The best part was the news anchor at the end:

"Yeah, and you'd like to think that the candidate running for office is the one in charge."

Vote for Campaign Handlers for Governor 2010!

by: redstateblues @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 19:39:41 PM UTC

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Her campaign is over.

You don't survive this.

by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 19:50:39 PM UTC

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What if

she hires better press team?

You know, actual political pros who might expect invited press to ask questions and expect access to the candidate.

I mean, she did call to apologize to the guy who did the report. I think she gets a ton of earned media now - if it goes well, and she has a message she could revive.

But she appears to be a terrible candidate.

"Why do Republicans get to be stupid and win while whenever we're stupid, we're just stupid?" sufimarie Feb 2010

by: BICora @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 20:21:27 PM UTC

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I love that her meeting is with the UP

the most bureaucratic, customer unfriendly, incompetent organization in existence today - and anyone who deals with them will tell you that. When you have no competition I guess thats what happens.

" The webinar is free, however, there are only 250 spaces available "

Some douche

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 20:55:47 PM UTC

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Kinda reminds me of a Nixon press conference during Watergate

Things got a little testy. Like when Nixon shoved his press secretary Ron Ziegler out of his way.

It's only class warfare if you fight back

by: allyncooper @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 20:53:24 PM UTC

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He was shoving him in front of the press !

I remember watching that tape and thinking what a great boss Nixon was.

" The webinar is free, however, there are only 250 spaces available "

Some douche

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Fri Mar 12, 2010 at 04:41:56 AM UTC

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Ohhhh myyyy godddd!!

That was so crazy man, I'm like tripping man! Like, she didn't even answer a question man!

You think the carpet pissers did this? -The Dude

by: Ben Stein's $$ @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 20:34:14 PM UTC

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You totally nailed it

She shouldn't change her media strategy one bit. And Colorado Republicans should look to Whitman as a role model. She's a billionaire, after all, she must be a political genius!

by: RedGreen @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 20:54:05 PM UTC

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Just uncomfortable

I felt like I was watching the office.

" The webinar is free, however, there are only 250 spaces available "

Some douche

by: Fidel's dirt nap @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 20:56:32 PM UTC

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I love her frozen smile

and creepy laugh when she says she's not taking questions. At least she's wearing a lovely checkered shirt to show she's a woman of the people!

by: RedGreen @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 21:00:55 PM UTC

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The creepy smile got me too n/t

by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 21:05:12 PM UTC

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Are you guys still telling hippie jokes?

Are you from the 60s?

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

by: sxp151 @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 21:32:43 PM UTC

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Since most of the 60s really happened in the 70s,

yes.

by: Gray in Mountains @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 02:30:03 AM UTC

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SHE invited the press to the event

It's not just that she didn't ask questions -- the problem is that her campaign set this up as a press event and then refused questions after they came.

by: Colorado Pols @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 22:00:16 PM UTC

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Ali is not so bad--this year

No one can disagree that the press Ali got early in his '08 was bad--very bad. However, as that race went on he got better and better. This year he seems to be doing much better and he is everywhere. His problem is the missteps from '08 will haunt him for along, long time

by: SaveCoH2O @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 20:44:49 PM UTC

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CBS News?

Come on! They're a left-wing commie organization that hates billionaires. I'm sur they edited out the parts that make her look human.

ITLDUSO
Honk hello when you see my license plate!

by: caroman @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 21:11:52 PM UTC

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lmao

by: MADCO @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 21:30:47 PM UTC

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Apparently, they edited out her neck, too.

Am I the only one that noticed she doesn't appear to have one?

"I wouldn't characterize caloric intake as "professional development." c rork

by: Middle of the Road @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 22:17:10 PM UTC

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Am I the only one

who thinks she looks like Ann Coulter?

"Have a Bobby bar! My dad made them." --Jon Huntsman Jr.

by: sxp151 @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 22:22:10 PM UTC

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Wow, you weren't kidding about all blondes... :)

"I wouldn't characterize caloric intake as "professional development." c rork

by: Middle of the Road @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 22:24:49 PM UTC

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or Karl Mecklenburg

when he didn't have a neck.

by: WesternSlopeThought @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 22:58:44 PM UTC

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What's really weird about this

is she had a reputation of listening to those that disagreed with her and discussing things through at eBay. From that you would think she would be fine taking questions.

Very strange.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

by: DavidThi808 @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 21:22:56 PM UTC

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reputation of listening to those that disagreed with her

Strange as it may sound, it's easy to foster that reputation when you're listening to people who work for you, or who rely on you for business deals. The state of California, not to mention the press, isn't a subsidiary of Meg Whitman, and she's just not used to dealing with that kind of messiness.

by: RedGreen @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 21:25:55 PM UTC

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CEOs are the ultimate control freaks.

Coming from positions of power in the private sector, they are accustomed to calling the shots and having everyone around them jump at every command. It all takes place out of public view and under strict control. Playing politics in public is a whole different game, and Whitman apparently is still figuring out that fact.

by: OneEyedOwl @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 04:21:23 AM UTC

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Some are, some are not

I've known some that were. I've known others that were a voice at the table but rarely just rendered a decision. One example, Bill Gates respected the word no - you just had to have the arguments to back up your position.

What all the good ones are intolerant of is stupidity and ineffectiveness. Get it done well and get it done quickly - that they do expect.

Where all the cool kids will be on Saturday - Code War!

by: DavidThi808 @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 05:08:54 AM UTC

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True.

But some of the same traits that are so valuable in the boardroom and in business can be deadly when a corporate CEO tries to compete in the political arena. Many of them simply don't like scrutiny, and they really hate the second-guessing that comes from the peanut gallery in politics.

by: OneEyedOwl @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 19:14:23 PM UTC

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We had a name

We called it CEO-itis.

It's not necessary for the CEO to be a control freak.
All that's required is that the employees and vendors are politely (and appropriately) deferential to the boss, even when they say no.

The boss doesn't always see the deference, instead feeling like there is an exchange between peers. And then you put the boss in the room with the customer, or the bank, or the press or any group which feels no deference. And sometimes hijinx ensue.

by: MADCO @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 15:28:49 PM UTC

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What a maroon.

by: MADCO @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 21:31:48 PM UTC

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This has to be the RNC strategy this year

With Scooty refusing to debate Penry early on and I guess Maes now, with Norton trying to stay true to the script given her, with no scheduled Republican debate appearances between Buck, Weins and Norton, with Wadhams keeping his head securely placed between his legs, one has to wonder if all the blundering done by Bush and Palin have made Republican strategists gun shy. Or is it just that they do not want to be embarrassed by the poor slate of candidates they put forth this time around?

"Three or four years from now, we're not going to have a conversation about jobs and all of that kind of stuff." -Scott McInnis

by: WesternSlopeThought @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 22:34:22 PM UTC

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no scheduled Republican debate appearances between Buck, Weins and Norton

Let's not go overboard here. They met last night in El Paso County and were at the Douglas County Tea Party thing this weekend. They're not exactly debating -- these are true glamor-shot style forums -- but they are out there speaking before groups a lot.

I do not disagree with your final possibility.

by: RedGreen @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 23:11:15 PM UTC

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Better to remain silent and thought a fool?

n/t

Its just like Further, but with tax cuts! - Fidel's Dirt Nap

by: ajb @ Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 23:17:16 PM UTC

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Maybe it was the particular question?

She got quite a look on her face when she was asked about a website (wikimeg?) Maybe she was going to ask questions and then decided she didn't want to deal with it.

by: Tazistan Jen @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 01:16:01 AM UTC

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Doesn't matter

It's all fair game. What she should have done is gotten someone to ask a less confrontational question first, and then field the rest of the tough ones.

She could have at least said something but instead she just froze. Politics FAIL.

by: redstateblues @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 01:22:14 AM UTC

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It's weird

I seem to remember meeting her years ago (it might have been during the original Ebay roadshow) and liking her (I met a lot of people back then, so I could be wrong).

The frozen look was just so terrible and the handlers acting like they were protecting an indicted senator was just so bad you can expect to see it a million times, despite WikiMeg http://www.wikimeg.com/ being nothing but a public oppo site.

by: Danny the Red (hair) @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 01:32:10 AM UTC

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http://www.wikimeg.com/

by: MADCO @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 15:24:35 PM UTC

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Thank god, the democrats are smarter than this

To avoid stupid mistakes or any misfires, they have decided not to run a media campaign in 2010. WAY TO GO.

For politics, geezers are golden.
by: BlueCat @ Tue Aug 16, 2011 at 19:19:14 PM MDT

by: dwyer @ Thu Mar 11, 2010 at 15:16:54 PM UTC

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Don't Try This Strategy at Home, Kids | 36 comments