More on CPAC, this time from a Democratic Pollster named Pat Caddell. His discussion in a panel was the surprise hit of the day:
Caddell on GOP consultants: When you have the Chief of Staff of the Republican National Committee and the political director of the Romney campaign, and their two companies get $150 million at the end of the campaign for the fantastic get-out-the-vote program some of this borders on RICO [the 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act] violations, Caddell told the crowd. Its all self dealing going on. I think it works on the RICO thing. Theyre in the business of lining their pockets. The Republican Party, Caddell continued, is in the grips of what I call the CLECthe consultant, lobbyist, and establishment complex. Caddell described CLEC as a self serving interconnected network of individuals and organizations interested in preserving their own power far more than theyre interested in winning elections. Just follow the money, Caddell told a rapt audience. Its all there in the newspaper. The way it works is thisever since we centralized politics in Washington, the House campaign committee and the Senate campaign committee, they decide who they think should run. You hire these people on the accredited list [they say to candidates] otherwise we wont give you money. You hire my friend or else. On the GOP Establishments lack of fire in the belly: As a Democrat, Caddell said he could tell the truth about the failings of the Republicans 2012 campaign efforts since I have no interest in the Republican Party. He compared Republicans unfavorably to Democrats.In my party we play to win. We play for life and death. You people play for a different kind of agenda Your party has no problem playing the Washington Generals to the Harlem Globetrotters. On Mitt Romney and his dismal campaign: Caddell also said Romney failed to back his campaign with his own money when it was most needed. My question for Romney is, you spent $45 million [of your own money] in your 2008 campaign where you didnt have a chance. Why didnt you give your campaign a loan in the spring instead of letting Obama define you? Romney, Caddell said, was not on top of his game when he failed to anticipate attacks based on his business career. You didnt know Bain was coming? Ted Kennedy used it against you. Romney lost to Ted Kennedy in the 1994 Senate election in Massachusetts. Caddell was equally caustic in his evaluation of the Republican consultants who managed Romneys campaign. Of course this election could have been won. It should have been won, he said. The Romney campaign was the worst campaign in my lifetime except for ninety minutes [in the first debate] thanks to Barack Obama. There was a failure of strategy, a failure of tactics, a massive failure of messaging. Most of all there was a total failure of imagination. Caddell singled out Stuart Stevens, a key figure in Romneys campaign, in a particularly withering critique. Stevens had as much business running a campaign as I do sprouting wings and flying out of this room, he said to an audience that applauded. On the GOPs failure to capitalize on Obamacares unpopularity: A majority of the people wanted to repeal Obamacare, [an issue that] the Republican Party abandoned, Caddell noted. He added that on the issue of bigger or smaller government, one-third of the people who want smaller government voted for Obama. Think about that for a moment. Caddell wasnt finished. He also predicted that the GOP will become extinct if they continue down the road of the Republican Establishment: Caddell predicted that the Republican Party, unless it became the anti-establishment, anti-Washington party, would become extinct, like the 19th century Whig Party. These people [in the consulting-lobbying-establishment complex] are doing business for themselves. They are a part of the Washington establishment. These people dont want to have change. J - Ninety percent of politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation. - Henry Kissinger Politicians are people who, when they see light at the end of the tun ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:361888 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
