NDN Blog

Quick '08 Update

- John Heilemann draws an interesting parallel between the campaigns of U.S. Sen. John McCain and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton in his New York Magazine piece.

- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama is about to deliver a speech in DC today on Iraq and Security. Watch it live on Obama's blog and check out this primer from the AP. This follows yesterday's speech to the NAACP Annual Convention, which Jake Tapper analyzed on Political Punch.

- Mark Thoma wonders what John McCain's plans for Social Security are given his recent statements.

- The MSNBC team at First Read notes that Mitt Romney might be higher on McCain's short list than was previously thought. (via Marc Ambinder)

- The WSJ's Washington Wire has two interesting posts: The first is a glimpse at how Latino bloggers are reacting to candidate outreach; and the second takes a look at how the McCain family will profit from the recent Anheuser-Busch deal.

- NDN plug: if you want a deeper look at the efforts of John McCain and Barack Obama in courting the Latino vote, NDN staff are posting from San Diego where the NCLR Conference is taking place.

- Lastly, in AdAge Evan Tracey goes over the campaigns' ad strategies in key states and outlines their metrics for success. Speaking of, check out Barack Obama's new ad, "America's Leadership":

Plouffe Update #2

Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe gives another strategy update in the video below:

Sleeping Giant Shakes Up '08

In the past few days alone, NDN's research and commentary have been cited in various news outlets - from the AP to The Hill - on the power and significance of the Hispanic electorate in 2008 and beyond. Want to know how the presidential candidates are doing among Latinos? Or how New Mexico and the broader Southwest will play an important role in choosing the next President? Read the stories, check out our commentary and let us know your thoughts:

06/28, The Hill - Roxana Tiron, McCain, Obama battle for Hispanic votes

07/01, New Mexico Independent - Marjorie Childress, Swinging for Latinos

07/01, AP - Stephen Ohlemacher, Hispanic voters gaining strength in key states

Quick '08 Update

- Happy July!

- In The Fix, Chris Cillizza takes a look at the speech U.S. Sen. Barack Obama delivered on patriotism.

- Via Andrew Sullivan and Peggy Noonan, The Next Right takes a look at how stories in Google news mention Obama and not U.S. Sen. John McCain by a 3:1 ratio. Not to mention the similar advantage in Google searches. So what does all this mean? More internet traffic and more money for Obama. The GOP could learn a thing or two...or more.

- Eric Alterman thinks U.S. Sen. Barack Obama could be the most effective President since Franklin Roosevelt and is running the most progressive campaign since Jimmy Carter. (via PrezVid.)

- In a look at how online strategy can mix with messaging, the Obama campaign is embracing its critics online. (I'm just waiting for the "Wall Street Wants Change" group...)

- Even though he can't pay taxes on his properties, John McCain wants everyone to have a mansion.

- Ben Pershing at the Washington Post's Capitol Briefing blog shines light on the PAC activity of a handful of folks on Barack Obama's potential VP list, particularly Gen. Wesley Clark.(Note: if you want to try to ask Clark about his comments, he'll be on CNN's Situation Room so submit your video now.)

- Speaking of VP candidates, Mike Allen writes in the Politico that Mitt Romney tops McCain's list.

- Bill Clinton and Obama spoke. Shocking. Marc Ambinder has the statements from both campaign spokesmen.

- In light of his trip to Colombia, John McCain is up with a new web ad in support of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. (Check out NDN's letter to President Bush on the Colombia FTA.)

- Meanwhile, Dan Restrepo, Obama's chief adviser for Latin America, commented on a possible Obama trip to Colombia, saying that Obama has said he's thought about visiting Latin America during the campaign, but that it's not easy. (via Economists for Obama.)

Quick '08 Update

- As this is being posted, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are appearing together in Unity, NH. Quoting Obama: "She rocks".

- In The Fix, Chris Cillizza looks at the presidential politics of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn DC's ban on handguns. On the same subject, PrezVid offers a video of Obama expressing his belief that the Second Amendment is an individual right. For more of the legal aspects, keep checking SCOTUSblog.

- Will there be a new debate format this Fall? According to the WSJ's Washington Wire, the Commission on Presidential Debates is hoping so.

- The Obama campaign continues to push the PowerPoint that Campaign Manager David Plouffe went over in DC this week, showing the strength of the campaign as well as highlighting fundraising realities among the candidates and party committees. All this comes as two more states shift to Obama.

- Michael Bush has an article worth reading in AdAge entitled "The Web Is Where It's At for Youth Vote". Here's a provacative quote:

"The good news for Democrats is that they [have proved they] can connect with voters, and the good news for Republicans is that this isn't about party or candidate; it's about the tool," Mr. Irving said. "So the candidate who is good at using these tools will have better success at reaching these voters. These voters are going [online] to find information because they can shape the message they receive and that's the watershed."

- As I wrote this morning, both U.S. Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama will be addressing the 25th Annual NALEO Conference tomorrow.

- John McCain has a new ad, "Purpose". Check it out below:


Obama and McCain Address NALEO

Tomorrow in Washington, DC, U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain will address the 25th Annual National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Conference. Their presence at the conference alone verifies that the Latino community is truly an emerging power in American politics, both in terms of size and impact. But be mindful of the tone and tenor of each candidate's speeches considering these facts from our recent report, Hispanics Rising II:

  • At 15% of the US population today, Hispanics are now America’s largest “minority” group, and are projected to be 29% of all those living in the United States by 2050.
  • Hispanics have become one of the most volatile and contested swing voting blocks in American politics. Realizing this helped deliver George W. Bush to the White House.
  • In 2005, the immigration debate introduced a new dynamic in this electorate. The GOP rejected Bush's "Nos Conocemos" approach to Hispanics and adopted a much more anti-immigrant, anti-Hispanic approach. This approach was instrumental in fueling the massive immigration rallies in the spring of 2006, and swinging Hispanics significantly to the Democrats and increasing their turnout in the 2006 elections.
  • Initial data from 2008 shows that Hispanics have tripled their turnout from the 2004 primaries and increased their share of the vote in the Democratic primaries by 66%. Seventy-eight percent of Hispanics who voted in the presidential primaries this year have voted Democratic.

These facts present a bleak outlook for Sen. McCain in particular, who will address NALEO at 11 a.m., immediately before Sen. Obama's address at the Renaissance Marriott Hotel. For more background, check out these recent columns from Carla Marinucci, Andres Oppenheimer, Gebe Martinez, Peter Wallsten, Sam Stein, Bill Lambrecht, and Tyche Kendricks.

Tune in, San Francisco!

For those of you who are in the Bay Area, be sure to tune into Green 960 AM this Saturday at Noon to hear Simon on The Gavin Newsom Show. In the interview, Mayor Newsom and Simon talk about the 2008 election and the importance of engaging a younger demographic that is bigger then the Baby Boom generation. Also discussed is the increasing importance of the Hispanic vote for Democrats.

For those who will not be in the Bay Area, the interview will be streamed live online. So be sure to check it out!

Broadening the Conversation

As some of you have noticed, we've started adding our voice to other sites so that we can engage as many in the community as possible. A great example of this is Simon's latest post on the Huffington Post, which you can check out here.

You can also find NDN commentary on Huffington Post Green, as well as Gristmill, so be sure to check those sites out as well. If you have any other sites you think we should post to, let us know in the comments section. Need help leaving a comment? Check our help page.

Quick '08 Update

- MTV will now accept political ads according to Ad Age. Ira Teinowitz explains:

The Viacom MTV Networks channel -- once known for round-the-clock music videos and now home to a host of reality shows -- says it will now take political ads, though only from political candidates and party political committees, not from third parties.

- Rolling Stone has a cover story on U.S. Sen. Barack Obama. If the picture speaks the truth, not only does Obama know how to use a computer, but he's also an Apple user!

- The Obama-Clinton relationship is starting to take shape. Obama is saying he needs the Clintons' help, and is reaching out to help Sen. Hillary Clinton retire her campaign debt, placing calls to Clinton fundraisers and hearing some criticism in return.

- Yep. Ralph Nader just went there. (via TPM)

- The WSJ's Washington Wire blog shows U.S. Sen. John McCain is heading to Colombia to talk trade, with a stop in Mexico City scheduled on the way back.

- For those paying attention to the Supreme Court decisions, check out SCOTUSblog.

- Ben Smith from The Politico has insight into Obama's plan to focus resources in 14 states George Bush won in 2004.

- Las Vegas is the place to talk energy, as McCain will be there today to boast his green credentials and raise money. (Sorry CBS, but it's kind of ironic that a post on John McCain's energy policy is advertising ground for Exxon Mobil...)

Using Our Blog

NDNBlog readers take note! Building off a prior post, I just want to make sure you all know about our help section. If you have trouble posting comments, registering, or are just having difficulty using our blog, this should serve as a good reference tool. If this doesn't address a problem you are having, feel free to e-mail me and let me know!

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