Several media sources (Crain's, CBS-2, others), are quoting a Kirk campaign media advisory that states that Kirk will announce his plans for "statewide office" on Monday, July 20th, at 10:30 a.m. Some outlets are making the obvious leap that Kirk will announce for U.S. Senate, but there has been no official announcement yet.
As I mentioned over at Capitol Fax Blog, for anyone who doesn’t think Team Kirk knows what there are doing with respect to media savvy, consider how many times they have gotten press out of an announcement that there will be an announcement to announce something, soon. Maybe. Considering the media frenzy every time an “announcement” goes out, it seems Kirk will have little trouble moving his name recognition beyond the 10th District and reaching the rest of the state. Some may sneer, but Kirk seems to have everyone on the edge waiting for him to speak. Not a bad kickoff to a statewide campaign.
As I mentioned over at Capitol Fax Blog, for anyone who doesn’t think Team Kirk knows what there are doing with respect to media savvy, consider how many times they have gotten press out of an announcement that there will be an announcement to announce something, soon. Maybe. Considering the media frenzy every time an “announcement” goes out, it seems Kirk will have little trouble moving his name recognition beyond the 10th District and reaching the rest of the state. Some may sneer, but Kirk seems to have everyone on the edge waiting for him to speak. Not a bad kickoff to a statewide campaign.
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15 comments:
Am I correct in thinking that Capitol Fax Blog, while informative, is basically a mouthpiece for Michael Madigan political spin. Is this common knowledge, or does Rich Miller pretend to be unbiased?
Thanks?
Miller is not nearly as unbiased as he thinks he is, but he's certainly not a shill for MMadigan. In fact, he's pretty tough on him personally, from what I've seen.
I'm already itching to put up a Kirk for Senate yard sign - this is great news for Illinois!
Miller is virulently anti-Mark Kirk and trashed him on the communist show chicago tonight earlier this week. He thinks that anything that is low brow and that comes out of springfield is god. On numerous occasions i have called him out on a bias in favor of Alexi Giannoulias such as his junket to greece. He loves lisa madigan, and will spend the next 16 months or whatever trashing mark, so be aware.
As for Mark, the last 2 weeks have been amateur hour for the press operation. most members of congress have 1 low level press staffer. team kirk has 2. After 5 terms his popularity in the district is very low despite the fact that he out works every other member of the Illinois, they haven't built a good enough brand for him the way David Kohn did for porter and mark kirk did for porter. They are going to need to get a much more experienced veteran team. They won't be dealing with a seals team which probably ran the worst campaign in America last year after the romney team.
FOKLAES
Hey guys, gals, and everyone else. Now that it's official can we please agree to stop this damn back biting and mud slinging directed at the Kirk staff. Proof that you're wrong, Foklaes, is that Mark Kirk has won each of his last 5 elections. We need to look forward, help, not hinder, offer some positive suggestions and work together to achieve success in November of 2010. No, I'm not a pollyanna, notlooking thru rose tinted glasses, but Mark Kirk has faith and trust in his hard working staff who have gone the distance to help him return to office each cycle. No, I'm not on the staff. I AM an observer of the people Mark has chosen to help him. That's good enough for me. I am sure he's going to be bringing in some additional fire power to help him in this already fast moving Senate race. Come on, Foklaes, get involved, help Mark become our next Senator, one who really can help make a difference.
Anon, this is arguably the 2nd best chance we've had to get a senator in 25 years, and the best chance to get a moderate who represents our values and who could turn around the state party all at once. We can't squander it. I will be going full out as will many others, but we need better leadership.
FOKLAES
So what's your suggestion as to leadership? Mark IS a leader. What leadership are you talking about? I just know that in-fighting, back biting, gnawing away at our own is not very productive. I'm sure you have some ideas to share. I will be waiting to read your reply. Just think about this one, if Mark Kirk has faith in the team, many who have been with him for several years, why should we question his decision and his wisdom?
(/beginsnark\) FOKLAES, I'm totally behind you in any criticism you wish to deliver in regards to Kirk's campaign operation. Public attacks of an inside-baseball nature are truly the most effective way to advance Kirk's Senatorial ambitions. This is empirically supported by the waves of positive press that came in the wake of the Kirk-Makenna drama. I wish as full an airing as possible to your concerns. :-P (/endsnark\).
Honestly, this has been an even more embarrassing week for Kirk media-wise, as the troubles at Broadway Bank have been completely swept aside in favor of the GOP internal backbiting. Even though he's dodged a Makenna primary, he's still not running alone. Kirk hasn't been able to strike a real "message," either positive towards himself or negative towards any of his opponents.
There's lots of time to turn it around, sure. The ups and downs of a rollout, particularly one this early, aren't generally indicative of anything broad. However, this past week has certainly been a teachable moment, both in regards to media tactics and Kirk's personal attributes. I find TA's headline particularly apt: Kirk's been "inching" towards this run forever, and it's in the nature of campaigns that, at some point, you have to jump into it with both feet. Given the continuing push-back of campaign schedules, he needs to throw himself into it full-bore Monday. Given the amazingly dissolving not-so-chaos anymore of the Dem primary, I'm liking Kirk's chances less and less.
FOKLAES- you've been deleted for nasty language. C'mon- you know better than that!
Feel free to repost if you clean up the potty mouth.
FOKLAES-
I actually agree with most of that, especially the numbers at the end. As important as the percentages are, turnout might be the issue with Kirk. I just don't see him as being able to unite the base and independents. It's not necessarily his fault, it's demographically uphill. The point of my post was more to celebrate, as a Democrat, the amount of GOP infighting that has marked [pun :-)] the opening moves of Kirk's Senate bid.
More specifically, your call for him to appeal to independents is almost impossibly tricky, considering the establishment reaction to his last attempt. He nearly got pushed out of the race in favor of your buddy, Makenna. As much indie support as Kirk will need, this being Illinois, the GOP base has got to be there right along side them. I don't see it happening.
P. S.- FOKLAES-
Could you clean up and re-post so I don't look insane? Thanks!
Sorry for the potty mouth, my ellen is hurting as I sat on something sharp.
Mark has a great staff, remember most republicans of mark's vintage, have been defeated(simmonms, shays, kelly, leach (who actually worked for this district in the 1960's under rumsfeld), quit or primaried and defeated. He just needs to get them in big league mode.
The numbers aren't exact but Mark can't win if the GOP base isn't behind him. He needs a message that will simultaneously satisfy them, win indepdendents and peel off dems-my numbers aren't exact but he needs a good chunk of dems, to win indys outright big, and to dominate with republicans.
That's the formula for moderate Republicans winning statewide and locally (tim stratton, keith, brendan, matt) and remember 10 years ago Durbin was the ONLY dem elected statewide. It can be done, he's the guy to do it.
He's been blessed with a local political enviornment that will be TOTALLY consumed with an explosive blago trial ALL next year which will take the focus off obama and off the head to head differences. But he'll still need to come up with a campaign agenda (moderate Republicans do best when they run on economics) that appeals to all 3 groups.
Much as I hate to see TA leave, Mark would be a FOOL not to have TA involved in his campaign. the Blogroots are a CRITICAL part of campaigns today and TA would be a great advocate for him in that part of his press team and in building a blogmachine for Mark to get his word out to the faithful.
Fan of King Louis Astaves Ellen Slayer
FOKLAES- thanks for cleaning things up. Never fear, TA will be involved in the Kirk campaign and will still try to keep the blog involved in IL-10 and lake County. I need to find a broader name, though. Thoughts?
Since you have kids, you probably have one of the best toys for little boys around your house, and even stepped on them in the middle of the night...How about "Lincoln Blogs"?
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