The Note
W A S H I N G T O N, Jan. 28—<br> -- TODAY SCHEDULE AS OF 9:00 am (all times ET):
— 7:00 am: Gov. Howard Dean and Sen. John Edwards appear on network and cable morning shows — 10:00 am: Sen. Edwards kicks off his "Bringing it Home" South Carolina tour at South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, S.C. — 11:25 am: President Bush meets with the Prime Minister of Turkey, The White House — 12:00 pm: Senator Kerry takes victory lap in Boston, Mass. — 12:45 pm: Rev. Al Sharpton attends a rally at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, Mo. — 1:00 pm: Gen. Wesley Clark meets with supporters at Oklahoma State University, Tulsa, Okla. — 1:00 pm: Politics Live on ABCNews.com and AOL — 1:45 pm: Rev. Sharpton tours the Construction Prep Center, Wellston, Mo. — 2:00 pm: RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie, Convention Chairman David Norcross, and Convention CEO William Harris speak at the RNC Winter Meeting, Washington, D.C. — 2:30 pm: Sen. Edwards participates in an "America Works Best When It Works for All of Us" town hall at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durhant, Okla. — 2:45 pm: Rev. Sharpton visits the Homer G. Phillips Senior Center, St. Louis, Mo. — 3:00 pm: Sen. Joe Lieberman and Rep. Dennis Kucinich attend the National Health Policy Council forum at the University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Okla. — 4:00 pm: Rev. Sharpton meets with black elected officials and holds a press conference, St. Louis, Mo. — 5:10 pm: Rep. Kucinich meets with supporters and speaks to the media at the University Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Okla. — 5:15 pm: Sen. Edwards attends a rally at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Tusla, Okla. — 5:35 pm: Gen. Wesley Clark meets with veterans at the American Legion Post 99, Albuquerque, N.M. — 5:30 pm: Sen. Lieberman attends a Democratic Party presidential primary rally, Oklahoma City, Okla. — 6:00 pm: Sen. Kerry attends a "Rally for America's Future" event at St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, Mo. — 6:00 pm: Rev. Sharpton attends a fundraiser at the Mayfair Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. — 6:30 pm: Rep. Kucinich tapes the Tavis Smiley Show with Danny Glover — 7:40 pm: Rep. Kucinich attends a get out the vote rally, Oklahoma City, Okla. — 7:00 pm: Rev. Sharpton attends a rally at Gateway Classic, St. Louis, Mo. — 8:00 pm: Rep. Kucinich attends a concert fundraiser sponsored by college students, Oklahoma City, Okla. — 8:15 pm: Sen. Edwards meets with voters at Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Mo. — 8:25 pm: Sen. Lieberman meets local supporters, McAlester, Okla. — 9:05 pm: Gen. Clark meets with supporters at Kids Street Park, Phoenix, Ariz. — 10:15 pm: Sen. Edwards meets with voters at Blueberry Hill, St. Louis, Mo.
NEWS SUMMARY
Will there be a more unbelievable political story in 2004 than the collapse of Howard Dean in Iowa and New Hampshire?
Well, the stunning comeback of John Kerry is in some ways more amazing.
Let's not take anything for granted about what happens next -- although Kerry is in a commanding position, we think -- but just the achievement of coming back from the dead to win the two first-in-the-nationers is quite stunning.
Back in November, when Kerry fired his campaign manager and revamped things, it was fashionable among the Gang of 500 to write the Massachusetts Senator off completely.
At the time, on Nov. 10 and 12, The Note published two Kerry campaign memos.
One was from ousted campaign manager Jim Jordan to his incoming replacement, Mary Beth Cahill; the other was from departing communications spokesguy Robert Gibbs to the arriving Stephanie Cutter.
We generally try to be forward looking, but we feel these missives, read in light of January's events, are worth re-reading (and we remain proud that the Globe and Herald were never able to match our reporting!).
So, for those of you who want to go directly forward to Feb. 3, skip the next section. But for those who want to give Jordan and Gibbs their due for the advice -- and Cahill and Cutter and Co. THEIR due for executing it all brilliantly, we re-publish both memos below.
Sen. Kerry speaks in Boston and St.. Louis this afternoon.
Gov. Dean is in Burlington, Vt. today and has no public events, but lots of satellite interviews (3.5 hours worth!!).
Gen. Clark is in Oklahoma early this afternoon and New Mexico and Arizona later in the day.
Sen. Edwards is in South Carolina this morning, Oklahoma this afternoon, and Missouri this evening.
Sen. Lieberman and Rep. Kucinich are in Oklahoma today where they will both participate in the National Health Policy Council forum.
Rev. Sharpton is in St. Louis all day.
The Jordan and Gibbs memos:
TO: MBC FROM: JJ RE: Big Bad John
Congratulations -- you are inheriting a great national staff, a great Iowa staff, a great New Hampshire staff, and Judy Reardon's agita.
There ARE, however, some things to watch out for to make sure the machine continues to hum.
1. At the slightest provocation, particularly during live television interviews, The Candidate will throw the staff under the bus. For instance, I was once sacrificed on "Meet the Press" for some on-the-record criticism of HoHo that in retrospect reads in tone and substance like a Connie Morella press release compared to what The Candidate is now saying about Dean.
2. Make some sort of deal with a Boston-area milk company to get Michael Whouley's picture on cartons. We have to find the guy.
3. The Candidate is in Iowa today; may I suggest no custard stops?
4. The corollary of "Let The Spouse Be the Spouse" is "Let Chris Black Be Chris Black." You'll know what I mean shortly if you don't already.
5. I have no fu***** (REDACTED) idea what Cam is doing, but The Candidate seems to believe he is the second coming of Tad Devine.
6. Jeanne Shaheen seems smart, ruthless, and knowledgeable about how to win New Hampshire. But, then, I gather you two have been spending some time together lately, so you probably knew that.
7. If you can find a way to get the national political press corps to hold HoHo accountable for the things he says, more power to you. Most of them don't much like The Candidate, and don't cut him a break - ever. And I think there is a connection between those things.
8. You'll be tempted to ask the research shop to get you a memo on The Candidate's achievements in Congress. Save yourself some time and don't.
9. Often, we line up endorsements and come up with a plan about how to unveil them for maximum strategic effect. Remember: this works best if the endorsers don't just blurt out their support whenever they feel like it. Also, if you set up endorsement press conference calls, remind the endorsers not to trash the significance of their own endorsements.
10. Getting into Canada requires proper ID. (Actually, that one belongs on a different list - ignore it … .)
11. Bob Shrum was right -- "The Courage to do What's Right" is a really effective campaign slogan.
12. Going to war publicly against the Boston Globe might make you feel good, but it won't effect what is the most relentlessly negative coverage of any presidential candidate EVER by a hometown paper -- and I mean the news page. Don't even get me started on the op-ed page.
13. Your friend Jill Alper should run the world -- see if you can make that happen.
14. You'll be wondering what the fourth-quarter fundraising number will be like. It's not something I want to commit to paper. Just have Gibbs practice in front of a mirror: "We'll have enough resources to get our message out."
15. I think we finally have an answer on the Iraq vote that works. As John Sasso always says, "8th time's the charm."
16. Best to get The Candidate to stop musing in public about decisions that he hasn't made yet. And, since we have budgeted to take those matching funds, make darn sure that The Candidate is fully ready to write a personal check before you let him make any announcement. In fact, I'd suggest having the check in hand -- certified.
17. Finally, have fun. There are still a lot of people in the party like you who believe that The Candidate is the party's best and only hope of beating George Bush, and we have all seen moments and flashes in which John is That Man.
Your task, in the few short weeks you have, is to somehow make him perform at that level each and every day. There's no evidence it can be done, but you gotta try. You and New Hampshire can make The Candidate The Comeback Kid.
TO: SAC FROM: RG RE: Big Bad Media
Congratulations -- you are inheriting a great Iowa press shop, a former New Hampshire governor with a big Granite megaphone, and Bob Shrum's yellow pad.
There ARE, however, some things to watch out for to make sure the machine continues to hum.
1. Okay, you're here, but you're not sure what your title is, what your duties are, who exactly will be left for you to work with and who you really report to. That's normal.
2. You worked for Kennedy. The Globe was your friend. Welcome to a new reality.
3. We used to take so much heat for being such a male-dominated campaign when I worked there (Granted -- the Budweiser wall calendar didn't help.). With the arrival of the whole Kennedy team of gals, y'all boast more estrogen than a roomful of CNN bookers. You might want to play that up. On the other hand, if you thought the convention staff was white, wait until you see our gang.
4. When Halperin tells you, after a debate, that only one candidate on the stage looked presidential, he doesn't necessarily mean your candidate.
5. My very best lines and information comes from Gehrke, the finest research director in the entire business. But tap that well of knowledge fast, as he has at least 4 job offers (including 3 presidential campaigns not named "Kerry") from which to choose.
