October 28, 2002
THE COED ADVANTAGE:
In New Hampshire, It's Closing Time: Shaheen Catches Up With Sununu (Helen Dewar, October 27, 2002, Washington Post)Republicans say Shaheen has closed the gap by "nasty" attacks on Sununu and his record, diverting attention, they say, from her troubled experience as governor -- especially the protracted fight over school funding that dominated most of her six years in office. Never in his 15 years in New Hampshire politics has he seen so much spent on negative advertising, said Pat Griffin, Sununu's media consultant."Every campaign that Jeanne Shaheen has been in has been run this way," Sununu said in an interview. "She knows only one way: to attack, attack, attack her opponents."
Not so, Democrats say. They contend that Shaheen took the offensive only after months of being tarred as a failed governor by GOP-financed ads during the primary season. Sununu's smooth blend of conservative philosophy and moderate style, they say, looks different when compared to Shaheen rather than the aggressively conservative Smith, who sealed his fate when he angrily left the GOP to make a brief independent bid for president in 1999.
"I think a lot of his [Sununu's] positions are positions that people didn't know he had and he didn't want them to know," Shaheen said in an interview. All she has done, she said, is point them out.
This is the great advantage that women candidates always have, that no matter how nasty a campaign they run they are still viewed as sweet and demur personally, while when their male opponents attack, it's no way to treat a lady. Posted by Orrin Judd at October 28, 2002 10:07 AM
An addendum to the "coed advantage" was seen in the Lazio/Clinton debate, where Lazio was tarred as being "aggressive" towards Clinton for merely approaching her podium. I'd say if that was enough to scare her off, than what is she doing running for senator, much less dreaming of being POTUS?
Posted by: Buttercup at October 28, 2002 9:25 AMAnd she's got as harsh a public image as any woman candidate will ever have.
Hey Buttercup:
Please email me so I can send you a book. :)
Congratulations, Buttercup. I hereby dedicate my failure to see any Susan Sarandon films this year to you. But be careful giving your address out to strangers you meet on the Internet.
And, Christophers, confusion to the French, although that's a bit like coals to Newcastle.
David:
I need yours too. I'll come up with books for all three of you, though I only have one Ike bio.
Well, the good news is most of the idiots like Susan Sarandon haven't put out any movies I'd pay to see any way. The one she was in with Goldie Hawn sounded lame. And other idiots like Woody Harrelson haven't put out any movies period. I didn't like The People VS. Larry Flynt (they tried to make a scumbag a hero) and I flat out hated Natural Born Killers and the more I forget about that one the better. At least it sounds like Spielberg and Cruise have some sense.
Posted by: Buttercup at October 28, 2002 5:56 PMWoody did participate in one of the funniest moments in TV history, when Rebecca tricked him and Sam into kissing each other on Cheers.
Posted by: oj at October 28, 2002 6:14 PM