Norm Coleman pulls negative ads in Minnesota.

[techs]

http://voices.washingtonpost.c...gative_a_gop.html#more

As McCain Goes Negative, a GOP Senator Makes a Positive Turn

CHICAGO -- Falling behind in a sheaf of polls amid one of the nastiest campaigns in the country, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) announced today that he will unilaterally disarm: He will pull his negative advertising and urge his supporters to do the same.

At a St. Paul press conference, the onetime Democrat-turned-Republican sounded as though he was channeling Sen. Barack Obama, who has taken a strong lead in Minnesota polls. Coleman said he would change his tactics and his tone, traveling the state "to connect with people and let them know there's hope."

"At times like this, politics should not add to negativity -- it should lift people up with hope and a confident vision for the future," Coleman said in prepared remarks. "And second, I decided that I was not all that interested in returning to Washington for six years based on the judgment of voters that I was not as bad as the other two guys."

Coleman told reporters that he would not be appearing at a planned rally with McCain this afternoon. Could it be McCain's sliding polling numbers in Minnesota? His attacks on Obama? Coleman said he needs the time to work on suspending his own negative ads.



Wow. Rats deserting a sinking ship comes to mind.
I gotta admit, by sticking to his generally positive campaign Obama, win or lose, may actually turn the negative campaiging around in the next few weeks.
Congrats, to all Americans for rejecting the politics of the smear.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

The polling here had been showing that voters disliked the negative tone of the Coleman-Franken race, and something like 3/4 of them blamed Coleman for starting the negativity. His turn toward positive campaigning is being done by necessity, as he is sinking in the race. I do find it interesting that he chose not to appear for the McCain event - it certainly suggests a lack of confidence in McCain's chances. Coleman claimed he wasn't going to the rally because he had to focus on cleaning up his negative ads, but it's far from clear to me why he would need to be personally involved in that process, and that it would prevent him from appearing at a rally for a couple of hours.

 

[techs]

Originally posted by: Don Vito Corleone
The polling here had been showing that voters disliked the negative tone of the Coleman-Franken race, and something like 3/4 of them blamed Coleman for starting the negativity. His turn toward positive campaigning is being done by necessity, as he is sinking in the race. I do find it interesting that he chose not to appear for the McCain event - it certainly suggests a lack of confidence in McCain's chances. Coleman claimed he wasn't going to the rally because he had to focus on cleaning up his negative ads, but it's far from clear to me why he would need to be personally involved in that process, and that it would prevent him from appearing at a rally for a couple of hours.

I agree. How long does it take to say don't run those ads?
Oops. I already did.

 

[Moonbeam]

I want to see the ad he does where he accuses himself of being a negative campaigning dirt bag unworthy of being elected and how he is withdrawing from the race.

 

[TechAZ]

He's not doing it for any reasons beyond his own political situation.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: techs
Wow. Rats deserting a sinking ship comes to mind.
I gotta admit, by sticking to his generally positive campaign Obama, win or lose, may actually turn the negative campaiging around in the next few weeks.

Congrats, to all Americans for rejecting the politics of the smear.

I wouldn't give that congrats that.

Maybe Minnesotans are smarter than Ohioans

McCain-Palin Republican Rally in Strongsville Ohio

 

[Thump553]

Originally posted by: Don Vito Corleone
The polling here had been showing that voters disliked the negative tone of the Coleman-Franken race, and something like 3/4 of them blamed Coleman for starting the negativity. His turn toward positive campaigning is being done by necessity, as he is sinking in the race. I do find it interesting that he chose not to appear for the McCain event - it certainly suggests a lack of confidence in McCain's chances. Coleman claimed he wasn't going to the rally because he had to focus on cleaning up his negative ads, but it's far from clear to me why he would need to be personally involved in that process, and that it would prevent him from appearing at a rally for a couple of hours.

Given the nature of the McCain rallies the last few days in WI and MN, I don't think any sane person would choose to attend them either-regardless of their affiliation.

We are cycling back to the days of the GOP convention, when a large number of GOP candidates found some reason not to attend. It reminds me of back in 1972, when most of the Democratic establishment would give only lip support to George McGovern.