Mark Penn Sighting: He Now Says Obama Has Good Chance At Winning
Wouldn't you know it, but former Hillary chief strategist Mark Penn now thinks Barack Obama has a good shot at winning the general election -- after spending months bad-mouthing his chances.
Penn arrived at this conclusion in a fairly novel way, however: He says that the key to the election will be a group of people he describes as "active grannies."
"In the coming months, the big viewers of cable television, the conventions and the debates will be the active grannies," Penn writes in a new column for the Politico, "and they will be torn between wanting to vote for the kind of change they voted for in 1992 and wondering whether Obama has cleared the experience hurdle they are concerned about."
"If I had to handicap the race now, Obama has a huge opportunity with this group," Penn later adds.
Of course, this is the same demographic that was supposed to deliver the nomination to Hillary...
Jesus, now I'm a little worried.
July 29, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Me too.
July 29, 2008 12:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Active grannies"?
Gawd, the political establishment seems hell bent on finding that slice of the electorate that will mythically deliver the election to a particular candidate. Just shoot me.
And given the bang-up job that Penn did with Clinton's campaign, why is anyone listening to him? Why does he have a megaphone? Most of us, if we executed our own jobs with the same degree of "success" htat Penn displayed would be on unemployment right now.
July 29, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Damn. I washoping we wouldn't hear from Penn again. He is optimistic for Obama may not be good news for our team. Go away mark..you are not relevant anymore!
July 29, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
If I fail horribly at my job like Mark Penn, would I get to play TV pundit and write columns for newspapers?
July 29, 2008 12:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
[rolls eyes]
Penn, you are a moron in addition to being one sleazy son of a bitch. Please shut up and go away.
July 29, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
And, amazingly, still not giving a rat's ass what this gasbag has to say about anything.
July 29, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mark Penn saying Obama can win is TERRIBLE NEWS FOR OBAMA.
http://strategy08.wordpress.com
July 29, 2008 12:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
The "active grannies" part really is funny, when you think about it. Here, in 2008, we've had great turnout among the "young". Unprecedented interest on the part of the under 30 crowd in this election.
So who does Penn focus on? The seniors, who turn out, already, on a pretty good basis.
Yep. Masterful strategery, that.
July 29, 2008 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bad Omen. Shit. LOL
July 29, 2008 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
CNN just reported a standing senator is in serious trouble....
July 29, 2008 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
That would be the Honorable Senator Ted Stevens
July 29, 2008 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ted Stevens was indicted today:
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSWBT00948220080729?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true
July 29, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
O my god - the little baby Jesus really does love me!
July 29, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Active grannies? God damn he is an idiot. And I'm sorry but Hillary was an idiot for hiring the moron.
Active grannies are what it is going to come down to...bah!
July 29, 2008 12:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
damn i prefer him on the other side..... now i'm a little nervous.......
July 29, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, let's give Penn a credit for slicing the electorate. he may be right...but i won't hold my breath.
July 29, 2008 1:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kind of a cheap shot, isn't it? The 'active grannies' did turn out in force for Clinton; they're a powerful block. It was a failure to connect with other demographics that lost her the nomination, just as Obama will fail in the general if he can't attract a broad coalition from all demographics.
Thankfully, a lot of active grannies dig Obama.
Also, as an aside, this is a cool tool from NYT.
July 29, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
When are they going to indict Karl Rove and his cronies?
July 29, 2008 1:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'd sooner trust the NEW math, then listen to Mark Penn!
July 29, 2008 1:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mark Penn, now there's someone I really listen to!
July 29, 2008 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mark Penn is such a huge clown that I sometimes have trouble believing that he's as big a clown as he clearly trying to present himself as.
July 29, 2008 1:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
i hate to admit or give credance to penn. but he is actually right.
my mother has never, ever, ever gotten actively involved in politics.
she is 77 years old and attend senior's organizing home event in springfield, ohio YESTERDAY!!!
she has her yard signs out, will be registering people to vote (at her bowling alley during her season)
obama is going after them hard in the midwest.
(please go easy on me, this is only my second post EVER) ;-)
July 29, 2008 1:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Okay, you get a pass this time.
July 29, 2008 2:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Like i said before...Mark is probably right but his ego is the problem.
July 29, 2008 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I see a lot of egos around. Penn's seems warranted, even this year's. A convenient scapegoat.
July 29, 2008 5:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is it legal to pay for a political consultant to work for your opponent? Cause if so, I say Obama should put Penn on a massive retainer for John McCain, or as Chris Kelly* calls him, The
2000-Year Old Prick.
* http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-kelly/mccain-has-mole-like-skin_b_115462.html
July 29, 2008 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Counter Coulter,
I object in the strongest terms, the use of the words "honorable" and "Ted Stevens" in the same sentence.
As for Mark Penn, who cares? If Obama wants to win over any demographic, all he has to do is meet with them and let them get to know him. It was proved during the primary that the better voters got know Obama, the more they liked him. If various groups he needs get to know him, he'll win in a landslide.
July 29, 2008 1:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Eric,
Could you link to the video? I could have sworn he said "active trannies".
July 29, 2008 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
If anyone knows any active grannies, can you please send Mark their number? Thanks!
July 29, 2008 2:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here you go.
Enjoy Mark.
July 29, 2008 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
my mom is an active granny for obama. but i would not let mark penn near her if she was on fire and he had the only hose.
July 29, 2008 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did he mean "sexually" active grannies? What a novel idea! How to reach that demographic is the next big thing.
July 29, 2008 2:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Look out!!! I just heard that in many of the swing states with republicans holding the office of Secretary of State, are going about a voter registration purge. In Colorado they have managed to purge 20% of the registered voters. Florida, New Mexico and other states are doing the same. Up to 80% of these resistrations that have been purged are of minority voters.
July 29, 2008 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, you "just heard"' huh? How about a link or some proof like has been given on other sites for the black ACORN workers who have been registering dogs, cats, and dead people again. You Osamapukes are something else.
July 29, 2008 4:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Every active granny I know will be working hard to see Obama gets elected this fall while Penn will be sitting around getting fat.
July 29, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mark Penn could predict that i'm going to win the lottery and marry Scarlett Johansson, and i still wouldn't care what this fat idiotic pig has to say. nobody should care what he says, he's a comprehensively amoral liar. the less we know about him and his statements the better.
July 29, 2008 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is a qualification for the job as pudit that you fail at a political job?
July 29, 2008 9:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Now, now, everyone: be nice. Of the several threats to Obama's chances for victory, the ego of Clinton supporters is likely the easiest to overcome. Hardcore Hilary lovers will scrape up every insult that they can find on liberal blogs and email them to their friends.
July 30, 2008 5:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
LoriInMo, sorry I didn't get back to you earlier. The voter registration purge was on the Thom Hartman show 7/29/08.
July 30, 2008 8:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
if there was ever a guy who could challenge doug feith for the title "Dumbest fucking guy on the planet", it's mark penn
this is a guy who had a $35 million advantage, and the best known candidate in the Democratic Ptimary, and still lost
now he thinks Obama is a winner ???
Most people figured that out in 2004
August 11, 2008 7:51 AM | Reply | Permalink