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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJim Messina, How Could You Flip From Barack Obama to David Cameron?
WTF, Jim Messina? How does a person go from running Barack Obamas reelection campaign to working for David Cameron and the Tories? Well, you might be thinking, perhaps there really isnt all that much space between Obama and Cameron. The big-C Conservatives over there, after all, arent remotely like our small-c conservatives over here. I say thats about as faint as praise can possibly be. I also say, and will hope to show you, that it isnt as true as you think it is. How an operative willing to tether himself to some of Camerons policies can come back home and work again in Democratic politics without facing some very tough questioning indeed is hard to imagine.
Lets start with immigration. A pretty hot topic in America, and one on which Obamas positiona course toward citizenship for 11 million people who are here illegallyis well-known and universally shared within the Democratic Party. Turns out immigration is pretty hot stuff in the U.K. toospecifically, illegal immigration. Earlier this year, the Home Office reported 863,000 undocumented people living in Britain. Thats about 1.3 percent of the total population, considerably less than the United States roughly 3.6 percent. Still, the people are in a state, or some of them are. So the Tory government has just recently begun a campaign. What kind of campaign, you ask?
Well, imagine if a border-state conservative governorRick Perry of Texas, Jan Brewer of Arizonastarted sending a billboarded van into immigrant neighborhoods advising illegals to go home. That would be rather controversial here, dont you think? And I daresay that nearly every Democratic politician I can think of, starting with Obama, would denounce such an effort.
Yet that is precisely what Camerons government is doing now, in six London boroughs. Vince Cable, the governments own business secretaryhes from the Lib-Demscalls the policy stupid and offensive. Thats the kind of politics that Messina wants to sign on to? Its Mitt Romneys self-deportation made flesh. Its right out of the Joe Arpaio playbook, but Im not sure even the Maricopa County sheriff would try that one. Closer to the Arpaio spirit, however, police have also just begun instituting spot checks of people acting suspiciously near suburban Tube stations. The Home Office defends this, as it does the vans, and says, of course, that a persons skin colour plays no role in the spot checks.
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Maybe the same thing he was doing back in 2002, when he made whats often called the most homophobic ad in U.S. political history for his old mentor, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT). But Cameron, it seems, wouldnt have liked that ad. Two weeks ago he said he wants to export gay marriage around the world. So at least Messina wont be proposing any ads that poke fun at male hairdressers. I suppose thats progress.
Political consulting isnt a profession known for its demanding ethical standards. But no matter how flexible your relationship to the truth or how sleazy your ads, there is one line you arent supposed to crossgoing to work for the other side. The Tories arent the Texas Republican Party. But they are the other side. I hope the Democrats who consider hiring him in 2016 understand that.
More: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/05/jim-messina-how-could-you-flip-from-barack-obama-to-david-cameron.html
I thought the same thing.
I realize there is money to be had," but first, kill all the political consultants."
stuckinodi
(113 posts)It's what he does for a living. Pay him money, he'll work to get you elected. Non-story.
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)rejected for employing him. It is important to remember and to remind candidates that Messina is poison.
Paulie
(8,462 posts)truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)since in Europe the Democratic Party would be considered conservative.