The Note: The Permanent Campaign

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2004 — -- FUTURES CALENDAR

77 Days Until Inauguration Day

NEWS SUMMARY

One election is over, but The Note goes on.

So even as we were preparing for election night, we were mapping out the rest of the calendar year.

And even while some of you spent time yesterday on the masseur's table or on Travelocity, we were on the phone working our sources.

(Note: the best time to get secret documents and insider accounts from said sources is when they are thrilling in victory or agonizing over defeat. We learned that from the legendary Roone Arledge.)

Thus, here is what we have planned for the coming days:

Friday, November 5: Exclusive: for the first time anywhere, you will read the polling data that Ken Mehlman and Matthew Dowd used to determine exactly how to deploy Laura Bush on the campaign trail, on the talk shows, and in the paid media, to ensure her husband's reelection. You won't believe the part about stem cell research. (special First Family wedding anniversary issue)

Monday, November 8: ABC News 2008 Republican Invisible Primary Ratings: We will take a look at all the leading candidates for the 2008 Republican nomination for president, ranking them in such key categories as fundraising, message, grassroots support, staff, TV skills, and more. Our ratings are nearly complete, but e-mail us here if you want your boss/client/candidate/self to be included. politicalunit@abc.com

Tuesday, November 9: ABC News 2008 Democrat Invisible Primary Ratings: We will take a look at all the leading candidates for the 2008 Democratic nomination for president, ranking them in such key categories as fundraising, message, grassroots support, staff, TV skills, and more. Our ratings are nearly complete, but e-mail us here if you want your boss/client/candidate/self to be included. politicalunit@abc.com

Wednesday, November 10: Whither David, Elisabeth, Dana, Mike, Dick, Dick, John, Ed, and the rest? With the Bush White House sure to maintain its fidelity to open government and appreciation for the importance of a rigorous and free press in a thriving democracy, how will each member of the world's most, er, glamorous beat answer the Clash's immortal question: should they stay or should they go now?

Thursday, November 11: How Hillary Clinton can, with very little (overt) effort, keep herself at the top of the heap in the Democrat Invisible Primary Ratings for the next 2 ½ years.

Friday, November 12: How John McCain can, with very little (overt) effort, keep himself at the top of the heap in the Republican Invisible Primary Ratings for the next 1 ¾ years.

Monday, November 15: Has Harry Reid turned his back on Chris Dodd or Dick Durbin since Election Day?

Tuesday, November 16: We handicap the race to be the next chair of the Democratic National Committee. (Note we didn't write "chairman.")

Wednesday, November 17: We publish exclusive excerpts from Al From's November/December phone logs, travel schedule, and fundraising goals.

Thursday, November 18: A peak at the blueprint of how lame duck architect Karl Rove will (legitimately) use the powers of the federal government to continue to try to restructure the American political map and make the Republican Party overarching and dominant from sea to shining sea.

Friday, November 19: Exclusive: Shrum's first draft of the Kerry Senate floor speech in which he announces his co-sponsorship of the president's new multi-billion dollar request for more military spending in Iraq WITH NO TAX INCREASE OFF-SETS, because those, Senator Kerry will intone, "could cut off the economic vitality that is so needed to be as strong at home as we are abroad under this President's great leadership and (Note: the following is an adlib that does not appear in the Shrum text) who among us does not love economic vitality?"

Monday, November 22: Behind the scenes at America Coming Together — who has stolen which data bases and lists and what do they plan to do with them?

Tuesday, November 23: National publication date of the book "A Barrel of Googling Monkeys and the Gang of 500: ABC News and the Best of The Note on Campaign '04." (Note: Lisa Todorovich appears on GMA; Mary Hood on Today; Marc Ambinder on Live with Regis and Kelly; Annie Chiappetta on The View; David Chalian on Inside City Hall; Brooke Brower on Larry King Live; and Nick Schifrin, Alex Avnet, Teddy Davis, and Maria Tio on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.)

Wednesday, November 24: We'll publish long, self-flagellating excerpts from the left-wing and right-wing attack e-mails we've gotten all year.

Thursday, November 25: Thanksgiving.

The future Note schedule will be announced at a later date.

"The dialogue between client and architect is about as intimate as any conversation you can have, because when you're talking about building a house, you're talking about dreams."