Monday Buzz: Obama @ 100, the Honeymoon Continues, Cable Chatter, more
It was a strong week for NDN in the news. Simon had an op-ed which led on the Huffington Post front page about why Congress should pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform this year. His argument was quickly picked up in a range of blogs, and even in an internationally syndicated Associated Press analysis of how Justice Souter's retirement might reignite debate over social issues:
On immigration, some mainstream Democratic activists have joined Latino groups in urging Obama to get the legislative process moving soon. Simon Rosenberg, president of the New Democrat Network, says there are several reasons to tackle the difficult issue this year. They include better pay scales for blue-collar workers if employers cannot exploit illegal immigrants, and better U.S. relations with Latin American countries.
Simon was also quoted in Politics Daily on Senator Specter's party switch:
Specter's latest swivel can be seen as a potent symbol of the Republicans' fast-dwindling political base through the Northeast. Pennsylvania now has two Democratic senators for the first time in 62 years. "This is further evidence that there is a major realignment taking place," said Simon Rosenberg, the president of the center-left New Democratic Network. "But Specter's shift also has other major implications. It puts more pressure on the congressional Democrats to deliver on President Obama's agenda."
Morley and Mike had a piece published in the Huffington Post this week, entitled "The Honeymoon Isn't Over Until the Public Sings." They were also quoted in a San Francisco Chronicle story on Obama's 100 Days:
Morley Winograd and Mike Hais, co-authors of "Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube and the Future of American Politics," say Obama's buoyant numbers are pegged in large part to a demographic marker - his continued appeal to millions of so-called "millennial" voters.
"They think he's honest, straightforward and transparent. ... They have not lost any of their enthusiasm for him - and they drove the election in 2008," said Hais, who notes that the millennials "accounted for about 80 percent of the (Obama) margin over John McCain," and voted for Obama by a 2-to-1 ratio.
These younger voters represent the largest and most diverse generation in American history and are still the focus of intense political outreach by Team Obama, the authors say.
Morley and Mike also spoke to Politics Daily about Obama's distaste for cable news:
There is also a strong generational component to Obama's seeming contempt for cable. Veteran Democratic strategist Morley Winograd, the co-author of "Millennial Makeover" that shrewdly anticipated Obama's appeal to young voters, points out, "Division and confrontation are not what the millennial generation believes in. They believe in social networks, not cable news. You don't shout on social networks."
In unrelated news, NDN's Rob Shapiro went on Fox News last week to discuss the GM bailout plan. I think it's safe to say that he owned it:
Lastly, the Huffington Post posted an abbreviated version of UK Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander's address to NDN at the Harvard Club in New York last week. Check it out!
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