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BRUTAL: LARRY JACOBS AND DAVID SCHULTZ UNLOAD ON TEAM FRANKEN; JACOBS SUGGESTS PUTTING “HANDCUFFS” AND “A GAG ON FRANKEN”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | May 15, 2008
“The move, however, comes at a time when the Franken camp has been beset by questions about his personal finances, most notably failing to properly pay $50,000 in income taxes in 17 states. Recent polls have consistently shown him trailing Coleman by up to 10 points.
DFL’ers and political analysts have been grumbling for weeks about the lack of a seasoned political operative at the top of Franken’s staff. ‘What took so long?’ asks Lawrence Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota. ‘If they’d had a proven individual two years ago a lot of the trouble they’ve run into probably could have been avoided.’
Jacobs and others point out that Franken’s record should have been stringently vetted well before the campaign got underway so that any potential controversies could be dealt with internally. ‘When I hear and see these tax stories, that’s a signal to me that they don’t know what they’re doing,’ he says.
Jacobs points to three areas that the campaign must deal with immediately if Franken is going to present a credible threat to Coleman in November. Foremost the candidate’s background must be thoroughly scrutinized to ensure that there won’t be any more embarrassing news developments. In addition, he argues that the campaign’s spending needs to be tightened and Franken’s sometimes cantankerous dealings with the media must improve. ‘Put some handcuffs and maybe even a gag on Franken,’ Jacobs suggests. ‘He’s got to be put under control. The upside is he’s got plenty of time.’
Hamline political science professor David Schultz is hardly more kind in assessing the state of the Franken campaign. ‘Is this the classic putting lipstick on a pig?’ he asks. ‘Does Franken have fundamentally bigger problems that changing campaign managers won’t solve?’
Schultz is struck by the static nature of the polls in recent weeks. ‘Unless the Franken campaign can get a bunch of people to rethink Coleman and therefore rethink Franken the race is over.’” Source: Minnesota Monitor, May 15, 2008
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14 Responses to “BRUTAL: LARRY JACOBS AND DAVID SCHULTZ UNLOAD ON TEAM FRANKEN; JACOBS SUGGESTS PUTTING “HANDCUFFS” AND “A GAG ON FRANKEN””
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May 15th, 2008 at 9:52 PM
Handcuffs, a gag, putting lipstick on a pig?
I think that much of this is trash talk is unnecessary, along with some of the rough and raw language that sometimes permeates the posts of Minnesota Democrats Exposed (MDE).
I think that all that needs to be said/written is more of a Minnesota nice that it appears that the Franken Campaign is in a pickle.
It’s not necessary for Karl Rove to spew forth his Angry Al diatribe because, generally, I don’t think that Al Franken is an angry person.
Anger is an emotion like other emotions, and it should be dealt with in HEALTHY WAYS.
I don’t think that Karl Rove’s way of talking about anger is a healthy way of psychologically dealing with the emotion of anger.
May 15th, 2008 at 9:54 PM
I had Larry Jacobs for a class at the U on the “Constitutional Crisis,” and was not impressed by his analysis of politics. We all looked forward to the point where Jacobs would be quiet and let Walter Mondale, the real star of the class who actually had interesting things to say, talk.
May 15th, 2008 at 10:56 PM
BRUTAL – savagely violent; punishingly hard or uncomfortable; without any attempt to disguise unpleasantness
—————
“BRUTAL:” is how MBB titled the criticism of Jacobs and Schultz. [Then MBB went ahead and printed what that brutal criticism was.]
“~” wrote that (s)he was not impressed by the [instructional] political analysis of Jacobs.
Franken’s in a Minnesota pickle, makes a point without being so BRUTAL.
[Also hats off to TwoPuttTommy for his article on Ms Laurie Coleman posted on MnBlue.]
May 15th, 2008 at 11:13 PM
[Also hats off to TwoPuttTommy for his article on Ms Laurie Coleman posted on MnBlue.]
Because if it wasn’t mentioned on a site that people actually read, nobody might ever go to Tommy’s little website. Great work EP, pimping somebody else’s work on Michael’s dime. Stay classy.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:22 PM
I’m afraid the good professors are right.
It’s a long way until November, but barring another game-breaker this race will be as much about Franken as it is Coleman (if not more so). Cruddy way to run a challenger campaign.
May 15th, 2008 at 11:41 PM
The last time I read the Christopher Truscott blog I thought that it was upbeat.
Generally, I liked it.
I think that this USA Senate race might have the potential to be a tad different, than the kind of Senate race than most Minnesotans would usually imagine.
May 16th, 2008 at 6:18 AM
Al Franken you’ve just been eliminated from contention Jesse Ventura might not win but he sure as heck shuts Al’s door.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:27 AM
After Franken gets the endorsement, it’ll be cryin’ time for ol’ Smokescreen.
The number of those elected in the small tent party is gonna get a lot smaller.
May 16th, 2008 at 8:54 AM
It would be very interesting to see the polling data on a VENTURA-COLEMAN-FRANKEN matchup. How much did Ventura hurt Coleman in the Gov’s race?
May 16th, 2008 at 11:13 AM
Say, dolt #1?
You must be feeling a little dissapointed because Angry Al didn’t put you in the drivers seat of his campaign.
I mean no one has ‘put out’ more when it comes to helping Al ‘man up’ than you, dolt #1. How long does Al think you can maintain your wide stance?
I suggest you put on your very best K-mart special ops uniform, pin on all of your E-bay medals and picket in front of Al’s campaign HQ.
May 16th, 2008 at 11:44 AM
On June 11, 2007, Larry Craig, Republican USA Senator from Idaho, was arrested at MSP International Airport.
Could it be that Swiftee is planning a “Y’d” sign party?
May 16th, 2008 at 11:54 AM
If I do, you’ll be the first to know “el p”.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:55 PM
After Franken loses, it`ll be crying time for ol’ taxcheat.
May 17th, 2008 at 12:52 PM
John F Not Kerry,
Generally, I liked the direction in which TwoPuttTommy’s article was going. I thought that it was preferable than the former direction.
I don’t necessarily look at my comments as “pimping” TPT’s work on MBB’s “dime.”
Take care so that your foolish concentration on small change “dimes,” doesn’t make you appear to be as MBB/MDE’s “pimp.”