David Axelrod: James Baker (Episode 176)

Worked for Gerry Ford, ran 2 Campaigns against Reagan

Treasury Secretary under Reagan (tax reform)

Chief of Staff for Reagan

Dissolution of Soviet Union under Bush

Campaign operative for George W. Bush, etc

Slogan: Don’t start any fights you can’t win.

Florida Recount

It was a political event with legal elements

The Willy Horton Ad:

I told them to stop running it (after several weeks)
I don’t know if it was Identity politics.

Scapegoating

After Reagan did poorly, people were looking for a whipping boy and they wanted to fire __________.

After the Soviet Union, don’t know why the relation soured, but maybe it was good local politics to blame the US.

David Axelrod Interviews Jeff Roe (Episode 177)

(29:50 min)

Running negative ads that have enough of a kernel that you can keep a straight face, though others might say you were taking liberties

Ran ads arguing that an opponent sold ads for Penthouse (a scientific journal owned by Omni magazine, which owned Penthouse).

I “own” my ads. Every candidate signs off on the ads.

Defense: It was a very tough year, you can’t let opponent “hang around” after Labor day.

Implied that an opponent was drunk when accident occurred  (knew had a few DUIs, but not necessarily then).

Are there any boundaries?  Have you ever written a script that goes too far?

The voters set the limit.  You can’t run ads that don’t work, that are not believable.  Candidate have a brand.  You can’t run ads contrary to their brand.

An opponent committed suicide.

 

Rush Limbaugh is my hero (42 min)

I would be to the right side of the Freedom Caucus.

Litmus Test: abortion, guns

Republican Base

  • very conservatives: 20-50%
  • somewhat conservative: 25%
  • establishment: 25%
  • 80% approval rating
  • 1/3 of the party would leave with Trump