Mark Penn is not a non-issue, much as HRC might want us to believe that.

[hisownpetard]

First of all, let me say that if Penn is the one who made her stop wearing those black pantsuits with that damned recurring pink blouse,
then at least he's not totally worthless.

Seriously, though - this is not a non-issue. If the changes in Hillary that I've perceived
as positive ones in HRC were just part of a programmed scheme and not a sign that HRC has actually evolved;
as a person and a candidate;

and if her positions on various issues were all dictated by her chief pollster, based on current polling numbers
rather than conviction,

and if the closer-to-center positions she's taken up do not indicate a change in her outlook but, rather, a change
in what Mark Penn perceives to be acceptable,

then she is, indeed, the Hillary I didn't like before,
before she became the Hillary I thought I could find acceptable.

Nah. Back to square one. Obama or Edwards will get my vote.

Some things never change.

[Tellurian]

1. You forgot to factor in...What if your WRONG...

There goes 100% of you theory!

[hisownpetard]

2. Isn't that always the case? n/t

[bigdarryl]

3. Penn if Hillary ever see's the White House will have a crucial roll in her administration

[emilyg]

4. When Penn runs for president - he'll become an issue for me. Not till then.

[hisownpetard]

5. He IS running for President - haven't you heard? n/t

[JackORoses]

6. He's the one wearing the Hillary mask...

[jgraz]

8. So you really don't care who your president chooses to hire?

Does this mean you think that the choices of Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales and Condoleeza Rice say nothing about Bush's leadership? I guess you really believe that, if you keep hammering this excuse for Hillary.

[hisownpetard]

18. Good point. n/t

[Forkboy]

11. That's disturbing.

You should care who people choose to align themselves with.

[emilyg]

15. hey all have skeletons in their closets. All.

[hisownpetard]

19. Perhaps. But some skeletons are uglier than others. n/t

[killbotfactory]

7. If you want to know how the Clinton's run a campaign

watch the documentary "The Century of the Self". In particular, Part 4, which you can find all over the web as well as here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6884155963216756796

here's the episode guide:

This episode explains how politicians on the left, in both Britain and America, turned to the techniques developed by business to read and fulfil the inner desires of the self.

Both New Labour, under Tony Blair, and the Democrats, led by Bill Clinton, used the focus group, which had been invented by psychoanalysts, in order to regain power. They set out to mould their policies to people's inner desires and feelings, just as capitalism had learnt to do with products.

Out of this grew a new culture of public relations and marketing in politics, business and journalism. One of its stars in Britain was Matthew Freud who followed in the footsteps of his relation, Edward Bernays, the inventor of public relations in the 1920s.

The politicians believed they were creating a new and better form of democracy, one that truly responded to the inner feelings of individual. But what they didn't realise was that the aim of those who had originally created these techniques had not been to liberate the people but to develop a new way of controlling them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/century_of_the_self_episode_4.shtml

Needless to say, I have a big problem with the way they do business.

[Maribelle]

9. Am I mistaken to believe Town Hall meetings function as focus groups?

I have been to a few Town Hall meetings. In each one, the congressperson took the pulse of the group, listen to the varying opinions, and I always left assured that by conducting the meeting the congressperson was doing a very good thing for his/her constituents.

[hisownpetard]

21. I think Town Meetings are good; but there's no guarantee that the politician is going to

alter their position on the issues, even if the people at the meeting disagreed.
Depends where the votes are.

[killbotfactory]

24. It's different.

Their method of campaigning basically negates any traditional leadership ability with poll-driven decisions. There is no dialog and no inspiration. It practically guarantees the status quo, and it's a shallow way of governing. It means we would have never put a man on the moon if the idea didn't poll well, for instance, or maybe we would never have civil rights legislation.

[Forkboy]

10. It's one of the things I've been mentioning to people all along.

And the one thing that has gotten their attention.

I plan on letting them know about this shit too.

[gateley]

12. Has Hillary and/or her camp commented on this? Thanks. nt

[hisownpetard]

20. Not that I've seen. Maybe they've chosen to ignore it or are waiting for the week-end to be over.

[MonkeyFunk]

13. I doubt 3% of americans could tell you

what Blackwater is.

Less than 1% will be aware of this.

Most of those won't give a shit.

It's a non-issue. A Clinton advisor has a PR firm that was hired by a subsidiary of a lawfirm to help out on a short-term contract for Blackwater. It's meaningless.

[Carrieyazel]

14. She's run a lackluster, devoid of passion, "front-running" campaign

I wonder how much of that is Mark Penn. In many ways, a predictable, overcautious campaign. Hopefully, it meets the fate of other front-running campaigns of the past.

[calteacherguy]

16. And what if strategists for Edwards and Obama are doing exactly the same? nt

[hisownpetard]

22. BMaybe they are; but, as far as I know, they are not affiliated with any companies that made

miliions of dollars from the very conflict we, as Democrats, are trying to put an end to.

[killbotfactory]

25. If Obama's top advisor was exposed as a union-busting creep

I'd put my support behind someone else, unless he fired the son of a bitch.

[illinoisprogressive]

17. Once a republican always a republican... like Penn and Clinton.

[hisownpetard]

23. Oof! n/t