With both presidential primary seasons now complete it is time to look forward to the general election in November. Interestingly, Missouri’s status as a Super Tuesday state may have also enhanced our perception as a bellwether state, with both eventual nominees squeaking out small victories here last February 5th.
Oddly, Barack Obama started off his Missouri campaign with a very questionable choice. Obama tapped Buffy Wicks to run his operation in Missouri. Wicks’ connection to Missouri seems to be non-existent. She worked on Obama’s campaigns in Texas and California. In both those states Obama actually lost the popular vote (though he received more delegates than Clinton in Texas.)
Wicks also worked as Political Director for “Wake-Up Wal-Mart.” One writer says the executives at Wal-Mart referred to her as "Buffy the Wal-Mart Slayer.” The Source is guessing she won’t be a guest of David Glass in the owner’s suite for a Royals game. Wicks was also a registered lobbyist for the United Food And Commercial Workers International Union. It will be interesting to see how the Democratic establishment in Missouri responds to an outsider, an activist and a lobbyist being put in charge of the state.
So, why not hire one of the many Democratic campaign operatives in Missouri? Was the Obama campaign not impressed with the local talent? Why didn’t Obama’s main Missouri squeeze, Claire McCaskill, promote someone on her bench that knows the state better than Wicks? Since Missouri Democrats are declaring easy wins for Jay Nixon and Robin Carnahan, couldn’t they spare some local staffer?
The Source thinks it either says a lot about Missouri’s Democratic talent, or a lot about Obama’s view of his chances here, that he brought in an outsider. Only time will tell which is truer.
McCaskill wrote the book on being a urban leader and then presenting herself as a rural girl in her campaign. That is the new campaign 101 tactic in Missouri. Barnes is reading the playbook carefully and trying to figure out how not to cross messages into the wrong market. It is tougher now that interenet makes sharing information easier. Dig deep into your past for the connection to regular folks long forgotten and tell their stories so you sound in touch again. Prior to campaigns neither have spent any quality time with rural America.
Posted by: appletree | June 16, 2008 at 08:35 AM
Obama put the second string in Missouri because he doesn't plan to carry the state. McCain does plan to carry Missouri. I think the two campaigns agree on Missouri, in other words. There are three cases for how Missouri goes:
1. Close race in US, Missouri goes to McCain. Either might win US.
2. Clear McCain win in US, and Missouri for McCain
3. Clear Obama win in US, and Missouri for Obama.
Posted by: Burke | June 17, 2008 at 08:48 AM
Obama put the second string in Missouri because he doesn't plan to carry the state. McCain does plan to carry Missouri. I think the two campaigns agree on Missouri, in other words. There are three cases for how Missouri goes:
1. Close race in US, Missouri goes to McCain. Either might win US.
2. Clear McCain win in US, and Missouri for McCain
3. Clear Obama win in US, and Missouri for Obama.
Posted by: Burke | June 17, 2008 at 08:49 AM