I don’t know about you guys, but I am getting a little tired of the filth and dirty tricks of the Brownback campaign. It seems to never end.
Now we have this from Cyclone Conservative in Iowa:
Tonight, I listened to a message on my parents’ answering machine that literally made my jaw drop. Senator Sam Brownback’s campaign is calling supporters of Bob Vander Plaats’ gubernatorial bids and asking them to support Senator Sam at the Straw Poll.
If you know anything about this race in Iowa, you know that Bob Vander Plaats is the State Chairman for Huckabee’s campaign, which is one of Brownback’s chief rivals in this campaign.
This is a very misleading phone call.
The girl who left the message on my parents’ machine said her name and then thanked us for our support of Bob’s bid in 2006. She then said that because of that, we should then support Brownback at the Straw Poll as he is pro-life and in favor of the Flat Tax. Obviously, Huckabee is a staunch supporter of the Fair Tax and not the Flat Tax.
She then urges my family to come and enjoy some good bbq and Christian bands at the Straw Poll in Ames next weekend.
I’m wondering when the Huckabee campaign will respond to this. My parents knew enough to know where Bob stood in this race, but there are thousands of Bob supporters around the state that may not know of Bob’s position in the Huckabee campaign.
Sam, can you please stop all the frontal and backhanded attacks? Other than your supporters, no one likes it. You have some good things to run on: Third World help, Flat Tax, the unborn, etc. If you can be personally compelling you should be able to do well without attacking all those with whom you compete. At this rate, should you win, you will have no friends to support you, and will face the undaunting task of wooing moderates and centrist democrats on your own.
From one Conservative GOP’er to another, Sam, clean up the filth in your campaign. Start running a decent and honest fight you promised:
“We are looking forward to running a strong issue-based, positive campaign.”
-Sam Brownback campaign manager Rob Wasinger (The Associated Press, April 2, 2007)
August 6th, 2007 at 8:55 am
His campaign’s tactics have really run counter to the man I presume he is. From someone I’ve always respected, it has been a very disappointing couple of months.
August 6th, 2007 at 9:01 am
desperate tactics for a desperate man
August 6th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Amen…Brownback/Switchback is quickly becoming unpopular among the conservative conservatives…
August 6th, 2007 at 9:33 am
The desperation angle is the weird part. Sen. Brownback’s still a young man. He has 3, maybe 4 more Presidential cycles to compete in, if he’s so inclined. A well-run failed effort can be the springboard to a successful effort next time out, as with Reagan. But why pigeon-hole yourself as the “dirty” guy? That’s a one-shot deal. If you don’t pull it off, you’re going to have a hard time reinventing yourself later. Nixon’s the only candidate I can think of who overcame that stigma, and he had to sit on the sideline for years and take great pains to convince folks he wasn’t the same old tricky Dick. Gingrich is another case in point. Would he not be a clear top tier candidate this year if not for the perception that there is something less than savory about him?
August 6th, 2007 at 9:33 am
The desperation angle is the weird part. Sen. Brownback’s still a young man. He has 3, maybe 4 more Presidential cycles to compete in, if he’s so inclined. A well-run failed effort can be the springboard to a successful effort next time out, as with Reagan. But why pigeon-hole yourself as the “dirty” guy? That’s a one-shot deal. If you don’t pull it off, you’re going to have a hard time reinventing yourself later. Nixon’s the only candidate I can think of who overcame that stigma, and he had to sit on the sideline for years and take great pains to convince folks he wasn’t the same old tricky Dick. Gingrich is another case in point. Would he not be a clear top tier candidate this year if not for the perception that there is something less than savory about him?
August 6th, 2007 at 9:43 am
Word.
I liked Brownback but the level of negativity in his campaign is even too much form me, someone who doesn’t really have a problem with going negative.
The intensity of his followers hatred for romney is suprising. I saw it for myself at CPAC when none of them even followed brownback around. instead they were chasing romney who has the guts to speak to bloggers row in contrast to brownback, and yelling at him while he was trying to speak to the media.
I agree. if you are compelling enough and are a good campaigner, then you will do fine and may need to strategically go a little negative, but to this degree, romney is right, pure desperation. it reflects really badly on him.
reminds me of his calls to mccain supporters who say, if you support mccain, vote for me at the ames straw poll. does he really think this will work?
August 6th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Nothing that Brownback is doing is Negative folks, its just a clever way of campaigning everyone, yes it may be different but it could very well work, and i think it will. They have alot of volunteers and great staff in the state and they are coming up with any way they can to get more votes, and i beleive that is very clever and it will pay off in the end when he wins the straw poll this Saturday! Go Get Em Sam!
August 6th, 2007 at 10:06 am
I don’t see how this is bad. They’re not saying Vander Plaats endorses Brownback but instead there is an issue saliency between him and the Senator. It’s smart but not underhand. It’s like going to a group and saying “im here not to ask for your support, but to say i support you”.
August 6th, 2007 at 10:06 am
steady strain Jason.
These “attacks” aren’t in the same galaxy as swift boat or the tactics used in south carolina’s 2000 primary.
if you can’t handle these cream puff attacks, you’re in the wrong business.
August 6th, 2007 at 10:07 am
clever? Looks more desperate than clever to me.
so you don’t think it is negative to give the impression that an influential person supports you when he doesn’t? And in fact he supports another candidate? Seems downright dishonest and desperate to me. but we all have our opinions. I am not impressed.
August 6th, 2007 at 10:15 am
Yes i believe its clever! These are not attacks folks, does anyone remember the 2004 election, now those were attacks, these are just very clever things that he is doing that probably will have a positive outcome.
August 6th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Bryan, Sampo,
These attacks are doing no damage to he candidates, they only hurt Sam. He is quickly becoming the victim of his self inflicted wounds. And he has no one to help him.
August 6th, 2007 at 10:21 am
#9: The problem though is that even if they aren’t as dirty as other attacks (i’m curious why
you chose Republican attacks instead of democrat ones) but they smell of underhandedness and
the willingness to be at least slightly ruthless. Besides why go after Huckabee the man polls
8% for God’s sake?
August 6th, 2007 at 10:30 am
How is this an attack? All he’s saying is that their positions match up well and that if you supported Bob, you probably line up well with Sam. Mitt is mailing free ticket information to everyone in the freakin state and probably to hundreds of thousands of Bob’s supporters.
Jason is just a PMS-fest.
Ron Paul ‘08
August 6th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Jonathan,
He is not going after Huckabee, he is just pointing out that many of his positions match up well with Bob, and if you supported him you might as well support me, thats all he is saying.
August 6th, 2007 at 10:38 am
Quote:
“These attacks are doing no damage to he candidates, they only hurt Sam. He is quickly becoming the victim of his self inflicted wounds. And he has no one to help him.”
that’s odd. the debate on ABC led in with the Brownback/Romney feud. Millions are now aware of it and Romney’s inconsistencies.
but in your mind, if it makes no difference, then drop it. Let brownback fizzle into nothingness by himself.
August 6th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Well actually sampo, the problem with intra-party negative attacks are that it weakens both candidates. It’s the degree to which they’re real or trumped up that depends which candidate is hurt more. In this case, that’s gonna be Brownback, since Mitt’s been front and center about being a convert to the pro-life cause and Sam’s disingenously trying to make it sound like he’s been hiding the fact.
The most puzzling aspect to this whole thing, as stated earlier, is that Brownback should know he’s not winning in this cycle. That said, he should be laying the groundwork for success in the future. He’s squandering that opportunity.
August 6th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Yawn!
Have any of you people ever witnessed a goddamn political campaign before?
I don’t see the problem with the phone call, anyway, but attacking Brownback right now is kind of silly — who cares? He’s a non-entity. Huckabee’s on the upswing right now more than Mr. Brownback is, and that seems to have been cemented by debate performances and poll numbers. Huckabee will best Brownback, whose negative campaigning is 1) normal and 2) working well for him — he’s never been talked about so much!
But there’s nothing new in these ads — it’s a typical negative campaign. So what? This happens in *every political season.* As long as there’s nothing untrue — and there isn’t — I wouldn’t go around labeling it “filth.”
August 6th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
stop whining you little wussy!
August 6th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Exactly.
August 6th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
Its not an attack but it is a dirty trick. Brownback is trying to associate himself with someone who isn’t endorsing him. Doesn’t he have actual supporters in Iowa whose names he can drop instead? Brownback is hurting his political future with this campaign. I think he’s the worst person in the field.
August 6th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
You know what? I’m sick and tired of both Brownback AND Romney!
Romney was my favorite candidate, by far, throughout 2005 and 2006. He no longer is.
Up until recent weeks, I have respected Brownback immensely and thought he was running a terrific campign. I no longer believe that.
Brownback needs to quit the half-truth mud-slinging and Romney needs to quit dancing around his record.
August 6th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
There was a time I hated Brownback..Since he started telling the truth about Mitt I have grown respect for him..
Go Sam!
August 6th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
While I don’t agree with it and don’t like his tactics, I will give Brownback a little credit, at least he’s not pulling the “rival campaign” tactic. He’s not hiding from the attacks, at least these ones. Still, all it does is turn others against him.
August 6th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
I don’t like Brownback’s negativity, but reading the post I don’t think this is terrible. Does he say that Plaats supports him? Doesn’t seem so. (Its a bit like Richardson agreeing with Clinton about bombing Pakistan. Doesn’t mean Clinton supports Richardson.)
However, I agree that given Brownback’s relative youth his negative campaigning is costing him another bite at the cherry in 2012/2016 when he can run as Kansas Governor, with former Senate and foreign policy experience. But if he’s remembered as a negative guy, he won’t be able to do that.
August 6th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
Bobl, Billy Valentine, and Bryan– you Brownback supporters will look so silly once Brownback pulls a 4th place finish at Ames. He should dropout once he loses to Romney, Rudy, Huck, Paul… Maybe he will get 5th and not 4th….
August 6th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
I’m looking forward to a “Sam Brownback Elimination Celebration” thread.
August 6th, 2007 at 8:35 pm
Husky- When us Brownbackers are smiling because of victory on August 11th…I’ll make sure to remember what you have wrote here.
August 6th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
bobl,
And how will you qualify victory? Not coming in last place?