Time Magazine remembers when Mark Penn nearly sank the Gore 2000 campaign

[Bucky]

How do these people keep getting new clients?

The Mark Penn Factor
by Karen Tumulty

Just up on Time.com is this story I have written on Hillary Clinton's not-quite-fired former chief strategist, the complications that come with all of his outside work and some questions that have been raised about his research methods.

As I was writing the story, I happened to come across another story that Michael Duffy and I had written for dead-tree TIME the week before Penn was (actually) fired from Al Gore's presidential campaign in 1999. It included this tidbit, which I had forgotten:

While a bloated, imperial operation could hardly be expected to pick up on warning signs, Gore insiders particularly fault Mark Penn, the lead among Gore's half a dozen pollsters. Penn shares his energies with the President, Hillary Clinton and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates. Over and over, Penn told the Vice President that Bradley posed little or no threat, that Bush was not as far ahead as public polls suggested and that most voters were confusing the Texas Governor with his father. At one point, when Penn was insisting that Gore was no farther than 10 points behind Bush, a campaign official quietly asked another pollster to check Penn's work. The number came back: Gore down by 18. Penn declined to be interviewed but let it be known through an intermediary that his position is secure.

[mod mom]

1. Gore had the good sense to dump this oaf-Hillary appears loyal to a fault like the current

pResident. Not always a good trait.

[Bucky]

2. In Penn's case, she's literally loyal to a fault

[Zachstar]

4. Well if she wants to have a chance of winning this thing she needs to fire Penn soon

[Zachstar]

3. Wow that is what I call FAIL!

I urge Clinton to remove him from her Campaign.

[NashVegas]

5. The Press Is Blaming Someone Other Than Their Own Anti-Gore Campaign?

Sheesh.

[Zachstar]

6. Well atleast they did not blame ManBearPig

[Zachstar]

7. Kick

:kick:

[davidpdx]

8. No kidding

I'm sure he wasn't the only reason Gore lost, but when the same guy is on so many sinking ships, you have to ask yourself what effect is he having?

He essentially is saying, "Hillary won't fire me and I know it." If I was one of her supporters, I'd be pissed at what he's done to the campaign.

How many chances does this guy get?

Heck of a job Penny!

(note: I'm copyrighting that and charging anyone a quarter that repeats it)

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

9. so Penn is more help to the republicans

than the democratic candidates he is employed by.

Considering who his other clients are, this doesn't surprise.

[lefty from jersey]

10. Bob Schrum

Call Bob Schrum he has led Presidential candidates for a generation into the abyss. How the hell do these losers keep getting hired?

[blm]

11. BushInc had to STEAL 2000 and 2004 because both candidates had more voters.

But I am pretty sure TeamClinton was on board with that and made sure the party leaders they tapped to lead the DNC showed no interest in securing the election process for 2000, 2002 and 2004.

[Major Hogwash]

12. She should never have hired that garbage man.

He lied back then about Al's chances, and spent all year last year lying to Hillary about her chances.

[SoCalDem]

13. He's Bob Shrum's clone apparently

:)

[Stand and Fight]

14. She should have dumped the tub of lard ages ago.

Better yet, he should have never been allowed to get close to her campaign.

[Cha]

16. Who knows? Maybe team hilary and bil

owed him?

[Cha]

15. mark penn sounds like he was a dino horse

for hilary back then and now..he's just a hasbeen dino.

"While a bloated, imperial operation could hardly be expected to pick up on warning signs, Gore insiders particularly fault Mark Penn, the lead among Gore's half a dozen pollsters. Penn shares his energies with the President, Hillary Clinton and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates. Over and over, Penn told the Vice President that Bradley posed little or no threat, that Bush was not as far ahead as public polls suggested and that most voters were confusing the Texas Governor with his father. At one point, when Penn was insisting that Gore was no farther than 10 points behind Bush, a campaign official quietly asked another pollster to check Penn's work. The number came back: Gore down by 18. Penn declined to be interviewed but let it be known through an intermediary that his position is secure."

Another irony that hilary gets such bad advice from mark tuna boy penn..no wonder she's not letting him go..hmmm.

[samsingh]

17. the idiot strikes again - unfortunately this guys a democrat