Missteps dog Swann campaign

[maxrandb]

Sorry it's from the Mooney Times, but this is some interesting stuff. Maybe Rove is not the evil "genius" some think he is.


http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060607-104132-9741r.htm

"Political fumbles by the White House, the Pennsylvania GOP and gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann are turning the NFL Hall of Famer's campaign into a bad joke, Republicans in the state say.
Republicans thought they could knock off Gov. Edward G. Rendell this fall by running a famous athlete against the former Philadelphia mayor. But now they say the Swann campaign is looking like a loser.
Pennsylvania Republicans say President Bush's campaign strategist, Karl Rove, picked Mr. Swann as the nominee over Mr. Scranton, working through Republican National Chairman Ken Mehlman and then-state GOP Chairman Eileen Melvin to force Mr. Scranton out of the gubernatorial primary. But the RNC says it played no role in the gubernatorial primary and had nothing to do with choosing as Mr. Swann's chief campaign adviser Mr. Holman, a former White House aide and former chief of staff to Mr. Ridge when he was governor of Pennsylvania. Mr. Holman chose New York GOP operative Leonardo Alcivar to run Mr. Swann's campaign press operation, but Mr. Alcivar acknowledges that he has scant knowledge about Pennsylvania politics."

[gauguin57]

1. Ed Rendell will chew through him like a Philly cheesesteak!

Stay tuned, sports fans! Politics is never pretty, here in the Keystone State (a blue state with a red "T" across the top and through the middle).

[TomInTib]

2. Arrogant prick.

"It would have been embarrassing for him to come to the state committee and watch me blow past him."

Yeah, right, Swannie.

[MADem]

3. That is friken BRUTAL...and surprising, given the source

But now some Republicans in the state who were initially sympathetic to Mr. Swann are critical of a campaign they describe as arrogant and inept. Lacking guidance from the White House or the Republican National Committee, they say, Mr. Swann has failed to reach out to the state's most influential Republicans.
He has taken an ambiguous position on taxes, offered no clear philosophy of governance, arbitrarily cancelled speaking commitments, failed to file required financial statements and hired as chief campaign spokesman a New Yorker unschooled in Pennsylvania politics. ...

Sounds like a bad case of incompetence, made worse by hubris.

Maybe, just maybe, Swann doesn't really want it, he's changed his mind and is just going through the motions. Or maybe Rover is too busy trying to cover his ass to help out in effective fashion.

[rocktivity]

4. Rove isn't Swann's problem, Schwarzengger is

...Republicans thought they could knock off Gov. Edward G. Rendell this fall by running a famous athlete against the former Philadelphia mayor...

And rightly so. That's how Arnie got in as governor of California--purely on his fame as a movie star. But Arnie's neophyte "performance" has been so dismal, I think it's permanently spooked voters away from hiring politicians with more name recognition than political experience. And rightly so.

:headbang:
rocknation

[NMDemDist2]

5. good! n/t

[LynneSin]

6. I find it interesting that Rove picked Swann over Scranton

Perhaps Rove knew if Scranton was elected that he was more like Arlen SPecter - republican but a bit of an independant thinker whereas Swann would have been easy to control and help setup illegal voting in the state!

[happyslug]

7. Swann was ALWAYS expected to Lose.....

That is why Swann was picked, he can NOT win, but will bring out enough Republicans in Western Pennsylvania to help Republicans retain their Gerrymandered Congressional, State Assembly and State Senate Seats. That is ALL that is expected of Swann, a good showing to help the GOP further down the voting lists.