August 21, 2006
Michigan: Land Of Innovators
David All, the Republican conference's uber-web-geek-cum-online-evangelist, will spend the last two months of the cycle in Michigan as communications director for Michigan Senate candidate Mike Bouchard.
With the blessing of his boss, conference vice chair Jack Kingston, All has revolutionized how Kingston communicates with his district, with national media, with national conservative activists, and even with his fellow members of Congress. His sophisticated understanding of the new media and his peripatetic willingness to try something new (interns, blogging, for goodness sakes) has earned him a healthy dollop of media attention.
All will not admit this, but several '08 campaigns are admirers.
In Michigan, All will join another Republican media innovator. Saul Anuzis, the state party chairman, was the first and is the only Republican Party state chair to spend time each day actually blogging and actually blogging something worth reading.
His posts contain insider nuggets about the latest ads put out by Team GOP, his daily thoughts on Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D), unblinkered calendar information about visits by upcoming presidential candidates, and updates from meetings of county chairs and major fundraisers.
Anuzis's penchant for transparency has made some Republicans at upper levels of the GOP nervous and led some others to conclude that he subtly plays favorites, but his posts don't reveal strategy or tactical decisions. And the success of the Michigan GOP at reaching and exceeding party goals speaks for itself.
BTW: All's opponent, bracketwise, is Brent Colburn, formerly a top aide to Howard Dean and a creative and canny researcher at the Democratic National Committee. Colburn is communications director to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D).
Posted at 06:26 PM
Comments
David...welcome to Michigan. I look forward to meeting you...and working with you.
Keep an eye on Michigan folks...I have a feeling the best is yet to come!
Saul Anuzis | 08.21.06 10:17 PM
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David...welcome to Michigan.
Both Charlie Cook and Stu Rothenberg rate Michigan as one of the few states that Republicans have a chance of beating an incumbent Democrat.
Bouchard will have a coat tail effect both from the top and the bottom of the ticket. We have one of America's most competetive Governor's races with Dick DeVos challenging Jennifer Granholm and a Republican majority in the State House and Senate defending and building on their majorities.
With the help and creativeness of folks like David All...keep an eye on Michigan.
Saul Anuzis | 08.22.06 06:24 AM
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Mr. Anuzis is welcome in the blogosphere, but his contribution here and in other comment sections is entirely content-free.
As a salesman, don't ask him to describe his wares. Dick DeVos made his money where? (Amway, which realizes how awful it is and now calls itself Alticor.) Did he do a good job? (Well, he isn't running it anymore.) What's his plan for fixing Michigan's economy? (It's a secret. But you might like to know that in a state wracked by outsourcing, DeVos himself was responsible for sending thousands of jobs to China.)
I see tentative steps to engage the web. The DeVos campaign has videos up at YouTube -- but you can't embed them on another page if you want. The Michigan GOP SAYS that it likes the blogosphere, but its actions show that they really don't.
Interrobanger | 08.22.06 03:59 PM
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U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ruled in favor of the ACLU that “warrantless Internet and phone surveillance violates the U.S. Constitution.” (There were no phones when the Constitution was written).
Counter-espionage agents need to analyze suspicious phone calls in order to “connect the dots.” Suicide bombers must communicate with their leaders and realize cell phones are necessary, cheap and disposable. A crucial conversation can begin on one phone and continue on another while our agents obtain warrants on discarded phones. Two young men just purchased thousands of cell phones from Wal-Mart. They claim to have buyers for them—probably true!!
Taylor was appointed judge by Jimmy Carter, the president who could not solve the Iranian hostage crisis and gave away the Panama Canal. Judicial appointments by President Bush have been stalled by Senator Debbie Stabenow. Removing her could be one step toward a more intelligent legal system.
Hank Borgman | 08.22.06 04:12 PM
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