Scheduling Conflicts Tell the Tale

When Russ Feingold skipped out on a Labor Day appearance by the Commander In Chief in Wisconsin, he cited a scheduling conflict.

Feingold's campaign manager George Aldrich says in a statement issued Friday that Feingold intends to honor his commitment to participate in the Labor Day parade held in his hometown of Janesville during the time when Obama is speaking.

This reminds me of a Jay Leno routine: a lady went before Judge Judy with curlers in her hair. She is on national TV, Leno said with exasperation. Where is she going to go later? I think the same question is reasonable for Feingold. He missed an appearance next to the President for a parade in Janesville? That's where he went later?

The truth, of course, is that Feingold didn't want to be photographed next to the President, because one Barack Obama is not an asset these days in Wisconsin.

Something similar happened in Pennsylvania. Senate candidate Joe Sestak and gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato were present when Obama spoke to a Philadelphia crowd. Obama, who isn't on the ballot, spoke for 27 minutes. Sestak and Onorato, who are on the ballot, took up about three minutes together. At least they didn't have curlers in their hair.

It isn't just Democrats who play this game.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday urged a roaring crowd of Republicans to exhaust themselves over the next two weeks to take back California and the country for the "little guy."

Palin is the closest thing the Republicans have to an Obama. She is a national figure who might well be a contender in 2012. But Palin isn't on the ballot in California this year. Who is?

The state's two most prominent Republican candidates this year - gubernatorial hopeful Meg Whitman and Senate candidate Carly Fiorina - were absent from the rally, citing scheduling conflicts. At a campaign stop in Chico, Whitman said she appreciated Palin's support, without embracing Palin's views.

Ah, those scheduling conflicts. As if the campaigns could not coordinate their schedules. I am sure that Chino is important, but is it really more important than Anaheim?

A scheduling conflict is the new "Sorry, but I am washing my hair." It is what you say when you don't want to show up. President Obama and Governor Palin are assets and liabilities for their respective sides. If Republicans are indeed positioned to do very well a couple of weeks from now, it is largely because right now Obama is a much bigger liability than Palin. That may change if and when Palin forms an exploratory committee. Both Republicans and Democrats would do well to ponder these things.

Comments

[Matt Staab]

Sarah Palin isn't President of the United States. I hope she runs for President, but I wouldn't have changed my schedule to appear next to her in California either.

The coming tidal wave will be bigger than most are predicting. The House may push a 75 or more seat change. The Senate is nearly a clean sweep for Republicans and they take control. I was in Wisconsin this past week and if that state is any indication, it will be a quick night. We will know enough results by midnight. Sad to say, we all know what will happen next - the Republicans fumble the ball on the 2 yard line and we conservatives will all be sadly disappointed two years from now.

[William]

SHS has been a "no show" at some notable events this year due to "scheduling conflicts", as well. Since she's not avoiding another politician's endorsement, perhaps she's just avoiding her own constituents.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/article_f5b47084-bc7c-11df-9295-001cc4c002e0.html

http://www.dakotavoice.com/2010/09/kristi-noem-speaks-at-family-heritage-alliance-luncheon/

[William]

Matt,

Since Obama will remain in office for the next 2 years and the GOP will NOT have a veto proof majority, the best we can hope for is that the GOP will "hold the line" until 2012.

[Matt Staab]

William:

Holding the line would be ok. What worries me is the RINO's who couldn't interpret an election result if it bit them. We will see these RINO's side with the Dems (remember Jim Jeffords, Arlen Spector, Olympia Snowe, etc., etc.,) on too many key issues. That is why I celebrated the Castle defeat in Delaware and the impending defeat of Crist in Florida - the list goes on, you know the players. Everyone that reads SDP knows this country is in real trouble, unfortunately too many of our politicians from township supervisors all the way up to POTUS seem to ether not be aware or not to care.

[William]

The defeats within the GOP primaries (and Spector after switching parties) SHOULD be a wake up call for incumbents. At the grassroots level, the GOP has gained a significant number of committee and precinct leaders that might best be described as "Tea Party" conservatives. I think we've reached a tipping point where the GOP realizes the country is "center-right" and RINOs are an endangered species within the party.

[Donald Pay]

Unfortunately you keep spinning stories regarding the the Feingold Janesville Labor Day appearance. Yes, he had a long-scheduled appearance at the Janesville Labor Day rally, and didn't want to break it. Janesville, in case you didn't know, is Feingold's hometown, and it's a swing voting area of the state. It's also been hard hit by the economic downturn. It has lost good labor jobs in the last three years, and appearing at that rally was considered more of a priority. Perhaps your ignorance makes you keep repeating your particular slant to this story. It seems correcting your faulty impression would detract from your storyline. Whatever it is, it's dishonest. Feinghold has himself called your implication that he didn't want to be seen with Obama "a lie." In fact, he was seen with him the next time Obama came to the state at the Madison rally. But you've got your little myth to uphold for all the ignorant people who will buy into it. But it is a lie.

[Donald Pay]

Your assessment that "Barack Obama is not an asset these days in Wisconsin" doesn't have any context, some of which was presented in the article (but you didn't quote). Obama is hugely popular in Milwaukee and in Madison, even though most would like to see him be much more forcefully liberal than he has governed to this point. Obama rallies in Madison and Milwaukee have been huge, raucous events. He's helping to drive what will be record off year turnout in student and minority precincts. If these precincts turn out, Feingold is re-elected.

[KB]

Donald: I'm sure Feingold, being a Democrat, always tells the truth. But as usual, you are missing something. If Russ absolutely, positively had to be somewhere else on that day, couldn't Obama have changed his schedule? He didn't have to be in Wisconsin. It might have made more sense to show up in West Virginia. You are naive if you don't think that the President can get together with whom he wants, and that Senators can show up next to the President if they think its good for them. All over the country Democrats have been running away from Obama. Your love affair with Feingold doesn't make that situation look different to me.

[Donald Pay]

Well, all the evidence is lined up against you, including eyewitness testimony of Feingold and the fact that Feingold and Obama were at the same rally in Madison a few weeks later. What evidence do you have? Oh, your own hallucinations.

Why do I have to go over all of this three or four times with you? You can disabuse yourself of your hallucinations easily enough by just doing some minimal research. This myth is no longer being pushed here in Wisconsin because the Republicans don't want to look as stupid as you do, plus they don't want to encourage the free media response showing an enthusiastic crowd with Feingold and Obama at the Madison rally. I realize you're writing for a mainly South Dakota audience that is not likely to pay attention close attention to the Wisconsin race, but since I'm participating in this discussion you can't expect to simply lie your way through this myth you're trying to create.

Now some more facts for you. Feingold tried to get Obama to change the schedule. That's also well known here in Wisconsin. He asked Obama to move the rally to Janesville. That's also well known here.

The fact that you have gotten every single fact so wrong here in Wisconsin makes me very suspicious that you are just as guilty of hallucinating this "running away from Obama" meme you're concocting nationwide. I just saw a huge rally for Democratic candidates in Ohio, a swing state. I guess they're not running away.

[Donald Pay]

Not only is the fact that Feingold tried to get Obama to change the schedule well known, it was referenced in the article you provided as a link. It might behoove you to read your link before you ask me some rhetorical question that is already answered in your own link. Reading is FUNdamental!!!

[KB]

Reading is indeed fundamental, Donald. Not only is Feingold's explanation in the article I cited, its in my post! Yes, Feingold says he wanted to appear with Obama, its just that they couldn't get together. Guess, what Donald. Every single Democrat that goes AWOL when Obama is in town has an excuse. So do Whitman and Fiorina have excuses for not showing up with Palin. The difference between the two of us is that I am not naive. I know the difference between facts and excuses, a distinction that seems totally invisible to you.

[Donald Pay]

No, you know the difference between a made up political meme and the truth, and you choose to reject the truth and bend the truth to fit your storyline. Sad.