Hillary Clinton ad asks people who aren't Democrats to caucus for her in Iowa.

[Eric J in MN]

Rules of Iowa Democratic Caucus:

"You must meet the following qualifications...Be a registered voter, registered as a Democrat (you can register at the caucus.)

New Hillary Clinton web ad, "Caucusing Is Easy:"

Man says, "You don’t have to be registered or even be a Democrat."

Apparently, the Hillary Clinton campaign wants people who don't consider themselves Democrats to register as Democrats in Iowa, even though it could be deceitful for people like that to register as Democrats. (If a man considers himself an Independent but likes Hillary Clinton and registers as a Democrat, that wouldn't be deceitful. If a man considers himself a Republican and hates Hillary Clinton and registers as a Democrat because he thinks she would be the easiest to beat of the Democratic candidates, that would be deceitful.)

It would OK if the ad said, "You don't have to be a registered Democrat, you can register as a Democrat there." But that's not what the ad says.

[MADem]

1. That's hysterical!! What a great ad!!!! You are being disingenuous about

the commercial though--it's: You don't have to be registered, or even be a Democrat (as in BE ONE ALREADY) -- that is followed by "YOU can REGISTER at the caucus that night."

It seemed pretty clear to me. I watched it twice, and that's how I took it. You don't "presently"--as in already-- have to be a Democrat to do it, but you must register as one if you want to support Clinton.

The former President running for that burger, though--that was funny!!!

[Eric J in MN]

3. If they said "You can register as a Democrat" that night, fine, but...

...the ad exploits the ambiguity between registering TO VOTE and registering AS A DEMOCRAT.

The ad makes it seem like you don't have to consider yourself a Democrat at all to caucus for Hillary Clinton.

[MADem]

8. Well, it is all a matter of perspective. Here's how I took it.

You don't have to be a voter, you don't have to be a Democrat, you don't have to be ANYTHING except eligible to participate. IF--IF-- you wanna support Clinton, you can go and register as a Democratic voter who supports her at the caucus.

That's how I took it. I took it as--you wanna support Clinton? Go to the caucus, register as a Democratic voter, stand around for an hour or so, and support her. Then go watch TV.

YMMV. But that's how it 'read' to me. It seemed to me to appeal to the person who wants to jump in, likes Clinton, wants to support her, but has never done it before.

[MethuenProgressive]

38. What a BS OP subject line.

Clever ad.

[fadedrose]

2. Honey, let's face it. .

A lot of us don't view Hillary as a Democrat anymore. May as well she let the non-Dems know what we already know.

[JDPriestly]

5. While tabling, I have talked to Republicans who like Hillary.

Hillary is the only one of the candidates who is like by Republicans that I have talked to while tabling.

[Eric J in MN]

6. Did any of them indicate what they like about her? NT

NT

[JDPriestly]

7. No. I ask, but don't get an articulate answer. Just that she is ahead.

I should ad that, in contrast, while Dems for Hillary tend to also just say that it looks like Hillary is winning, some say they like Bill and want a "twofer." I think that is ridiculous. Hillary is not Bill.

[Eric J in MN]

10. I don't think the policies of a Hillary Clinton administration would....

...be much different from a theoretical third term of Bill Clinton if he could run, again.

Do you?

[JDPriestly]

13. Times have changed.

The country has veered right. Bill and Hillary Clinton stayed afloat in the swampy politics of Arkansas by never rising too far above the swamp. Bill continued to follow that strategy in the White House. When Greenspan said Bill had to balance the budget on the backs of welfare mothers, Bill said, I'll force the welfare mothers back to work -- without making sure they have adequate child care. When big business said, we want NAFTA so we can inundate America with products made with cheap, cheap labor and push down wages everywhere including in America, Bill said "Where do I sign?" Bill and Hillary compromised the interests of American working men and women. We are paying the price for the compromises they made. Thanks to the increased role of big corporations in government under Bush, the swamp that is American politics has become even swampier. But, instead of calling on Americans to drain the swamp, Hillary is wading in. Her campaign is being buoyed up by the stinking mists of corporate donations. Bill and Hillary -- a continuation of swamp politics in the Democratic Party. We don't need more of that stinking stuff. We need to drain the swamp. The huge corporations will always play their role in politics. But they should not be allowed to turn the whole country into their stinking, fetid swamp.

[fadedrose]

20. That pretty much says it

Bill's halo is getting dimmer and dimmer . . .

[Evergreen Emerald]

49. who is your "honey?"

And who the hell is "Most of us?"

[JDPriestly]

4. Reminds me of Lieberman -- in more ways than one.

[JackORoses]

9. what shenanigan's

come one, come all
everybody's a Democrat as long as they vote Hill

[whirlygigspin]

11. they'll be lining up to vote Hillary

[Adelante]

15. Very much over the line

Indecently so.

[ronnykmarshall]

22. Straws are being grasped.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

12. What a corrupt post

you are complaining about a non-existent issue with a smear headline. There is nothing improper in that ad whatsoever.

[Eric J in MN]

43. The Iowa Democratic caucus is for Democrats.

I didn't like the line in the ad, "You don’t have to be registered or even be a Democrat."

[Debi]

14. I don't understand the problem

You only have to be a registered Democrat at the time you caucus. Many No-Party folks who want to participate register as a Democrat upon entering the caucus and take a voter registration form home to re-register as No-Party the next day. I had three republicans attend our caucus last cycle who were Democrats for a day.

[Critters2]

16. Yes, but why would a candidate encourage this?

Why doesn't she feel she can win with Democrats?

[Debi]

17. Obama has been openly courting republcians and No-Party voters

and just put out a list of Iowa republicans who will be 'Democrats for a Day' to caucus for him.

http://www.essentialestrogen.com/2007/11/obama_touts_republican_crossov.html

So maybe HE doesn't feel like he can win with Democrats? :shrug:


On edit:

That came out pretty strong - sorry - I don't see a problem with any of the candidates courting all voters. After all, any of them are going to need cross-overs to win in the GE. :hi:

[ronnykmarshall]

23. WHAT?????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHjFxJVeCQs

[Debi]

27. THAT

was awesome! :rofl:

[avrdream]

39. Damn you, RKM, now I'm watching prairie dog vids instead of posting insightful comments here.

Back to the ad about caucasing: I watched it while trying to keep in mind the OP's point. In fairness, you COULD take it that way based on the way they emphasize the word EVEN in "you don't EVEN need to be a Democrat".

I don't think I would have noticed it without having it pointed out, though.

[Capn Sunshine]

29. That's how the game is played

You think Kerry went from 3% to 58% in '04 without help ?

[Debi]

33. Oh, I know

You'll see that my post was a response to one that questioned why Clinton needed to court republicans. Why shouldn't candidates reach out? It will only help them in the GE.

[jenmito]

34. Yes, HE has, while Hillary does nothing but say she can FIGHT the Repubs.

Big difference.

[Critters2]

36. With money from her friend

Rupert Murdoch :eyes:

[Debi]

40. Did you read the OP or the post I was responding to?

How did I end up here?

[Bucky]

31. News flash: she's doing great with Democrats.

It's called widening the base. A smart politician will do exactly that. Or do you prefer a base-only, 51% strategy?

[dflprincess]

18. Were these Republicans challenged?

At our caucuses we can challenge someone who shows up if we have good reason to believe they aren't there to really support the DFL or Democrats candidates.

For example, if the loony tune who lives across from my mother and has a "God Bless George Bush" sign in his yard and has had various anti-DFL signs in his yard at one time or another showed up at a DFL caucus, his participation could be challenged.

[Debi]

24. Why would they be?

If they declare themselves Democrats at the door then they are Democrats for the purpose of the caucus and until they switch their party persuasion back to whatever they were before they walked in.

[dflprincess]

35. These are the DFL's requirements for challenging a caucus attendee

(from the 2008 Official Call)

Participant Eligibility and Challenges
All registrants may participate in caucus business unless challenged.
To be eligible to participate, a person must satisfy all of the following requirements:
a. The person must reside in the precinct.

b. To run for, or vote for, county unit convention delegate oralternate, or to vote on the preference ballot, the person
must be at least 18 years old and otherwise qualified to vote by November 4, 2008. To participate in all other caucus
business, the person must be at least 16 years old by November 4, 2008.

c. The person must agree with the DFL principles as stated in the State DFL Constitution and Bylaws.

d. The person must not be an active member of any other political party.

The above are the only possible grounds for a challenge. If the right of a person to participate is challenged, the question of
participation shall be settled by a majority vote of the whole caucus.

Individuals shall not vote on the question of their own right to participate.

The above requirements are listed on the sign in sheet so everyone who signs in agress that they are a DFLer.

So, at least in Minnesota, if you have good reason to believe a person at your caucus is a troll, you may challenge them. I have only done that once - but it was an easy case. I was caucus chair and one woman had refused to sign in and loudly said she did not consider herself a DFLer. When she tried to participate in caucus votes, I had to tell her that she was welcome to observe but could not participate as the parties have the right to limit participation to party supporters.

Another time, one of the precinct chairs had to do this to the Republican state rep who showed up at the DFL caucus thinking he could promote himself (again, an easy case).

As the Republicans do have a presidential race, I wouldn't expect to see much of this in 2008 - it's in the years where they have no contests that they think they can be funny.

[Debi]

41. No such rules in Iowa

all voters are welcome. :shrug:

[dflprincess]

46. It may be because Minnesota does not have party registration

that state law does gives the political parties the right to decide who may participate in the party caucus.

Anyone who will be eligibile to vote by election day is welcome to attend and run as delegates to the next convention or local party office - and I don't think it's out of line for the DFL to ask that those participating be DFLers (or the Republicans to expect their participants to be Republicans).

[Debi]

48. Yep, looks like we just have different rules in different states

:hi: Thanks for the info from up north!

[Eric J in MN]

44. The ad could have said, "You don't have to be a registered Democrat. Register as a Democrat there."

Instead it says that you don't have to be a Democrat at all.

[Debi]

47. Now you're mincing words - the person caucusing doesn't have to be a Democrat at all

Just like people who attend the republican caucus don't have to be republcians - only for the time it takes to caucus - then they can go back to being whatever they wish. You're looking for a problem where there isn't one. Not here in Iowa at least.

[cobalt1999]

19. With the public's dissatisfaction and abandonment of the republican party

That seems like a great message for all the candidates to send. Some may be "democrats for a day", but many will probably stay, they just need to know they can participate and get that republican stamp removed from their good names.

[ronnykmarshall]

21. Nevada is also an open causus state.

sooooo?

Your point is???

So I take it Edwards, Obama and the others are going to block any Indy voters from cacusing for them?

[Capn Sunshine]

26. Nope

I don't know about Edwards. See my post below.

[Eric J in MN]

45. The ad is for Iowa. NT

NT

[Capn Sunshine]

25. Oh damn

they discovered our outlier strategy.
Not like it was a huge secret, but now they are playing catch up.

[slick8790]

28. The last sentence of your post.

"It would OK if the ad said, "You don't have to be a registered Democrat, you can register as a Democrat there." But that's not what the ad says."


The ad says exactly that, actually.

[Bucky]

30. Uh... I think that's how it's supposed to work.

She's reaching out to swing voters. I commend that. People who aren't Democrats are allowed to join in either Republican or Democratic voters at the Iowa caucuses. It's a legitimate group to target in advertising. I don't think it'll help her much, but it's certainly a proper and respectable caucus strategy.

[jenmito]

32. I don't think anyone has to worry about Repubs. caucusing for Hillary...and what's hypocritical

is that her camp mocked the young supporters of Obama's at the JJ-D convention. Now she's going after those voters. :eyes:

[rucky]

37. That was an excellent ad. n/t

[Life Long Dem]

42. Don't boo me but Hillary takes money from lobbyist.