In reference to last night's conference call with Jeanette Moll, a Republican strategist with knowledge of OH-18 emails: “It is reassuring that Jeanette Moll has discovered the internet. However, one conference call and a few press releases doesn’t constitute outreach. You look at a candidate, for example, Paul Phillips, he has two published interviews that I have seen and more that are apparently pending. That’s outreach.”I don't blame a campaign for not treating the blogosphere like media, especially when there aren't any established blogs in the district anymore...
“You can't toss the bloggers table scraps and call that outreach. You have to serve them a complete meal. You have to air your views and respect them, just as you would provide your time to any newspaper or television outlet.”
“No one should be impressed with her prepping for one conference call. Where is her intricate command on the trail? She’s pro family? Who isn’t? She supports the troops? Who doesn’t? She supports the Fair Tax? Obviously, she caught a Mike Huckabee rally. Bottom line, momentary depth is meaningless. Daily, consistent issue discussion is what the district needs.”
I will say this: while Jeanette's knowledge of the district and its issues certainly is wide, I am not sure just how deep that knowledge is...but then again, I am not overly sure if the issues that face the district are as complex as some would make them either.
At the moment, I probably do lean in the direction of one candidate over the other but am not ready to divulge my preference just yet as I continue to gather information and evaluate what I am seeing and hearing. This is a hard choice, as both candidates bring unique qualities to the race that the other does not possess, but neither candidate has an Ace up their sleeve...at least, not that I have detected so far.
This much I can say with authority: Fred Dailey has a brilliant career ahead of him as a writer (I can see him becoming a Republican version of Garrison Keillor), but he ought to withdraw from this race. If all Fred has to say about the issues facing OH-18 are on display on his issues page, then Fred might as well hang 'em up and hit the hay.
UPDATE: Justin has a "high-ranking" Ohio Republican source who says, among some things that do actually make sense, this:
Ms Moll has no idea how to bring jobs to the area, nor has she (until now) recognized the need for it, but then someone neither born, nor raised in the district wouldn’t.”Because you have to be born and/or raised in OH-18 in order to know how the economy works and how job creation works...or something.
Look, I get what this source is trying to say: that Moll is weaker on the jobs issue than Phillips; but there has GOT to be a better way of approaching that issue than this. The other day I approached this "residency" issue by saying this:
Paul Phillips is a veteran who was born in the district, but now works outside of the district and is on a "leave of absense" from that gig while he campaigns. Jeanette Moll is a legal eagle who wasn't born in the district, but has lived there for the last 15 years.I am actually offended by the notion that somebody who has lived somewhere for fifteen years is somehow incapable of understanding the district or its needs. If that is the case, I guess I had better resign my position on Central Committee in Butler County because I've "only" lived there for seven years.
Let's call that one a draw...
