Friday, July 16, 2010Friday Summer Blogging: Buzz From The Guv Campaign Trail; Di & Susana's Stump Styles Appraised; TV Ad Talk, And: New Mexico Ranked On Biz Climate Insiders attending the myriad of mini-fundraisers Dem hopeful Diane Denish is holding give the lieutenant governor points for her knowledge, but the insiders still complain about her being mundane. They want more spirit from her. That cuts both ways. Di's in-person style has always been low-key. Not much to get the crowds cheering. On the other hand, the laid-back way translates well for her on the hot medium of television. Martinez is not going to take the crowds by storm either, but she has a solid media presence. If you want an early taste of it, here's a long-form interview sent in by Susan Loubet of KUNM-FM's"Women's Focus." Denish could benefit from stepping it up a notch, keeping her speeches short and inject more humor into them to better the pace. Martinez is eloquent when she is familiar with the subject, but she will have to guard against stepping in potholes when asked impromptu about subjects she is not well-versed in. Both candidates are going to need to be prepped for the statewide prime time TV debates, a format neither has experienced. For now the political doctors recommend for Di more podium practice and for Susana it's more time with the issue books. THE DARREN AD  Reader Robert Johnson writes of that pro-death penalty ad from GOP Guv hopeful Susana Martinez that features a testimonial from ABQ Public Safety director Darren White. He asks:Is Darren White impersonating a Sheriff's officer in that Susana Martinez ad? By wearing that flak jacket with "sheriff" stamped on it, it makes me believe he is a sheriff or a deputy. But he works for the city of Albuquerque. Which is he, a city employee or a sheriff? White told the newspaper he was careful not to use his title or current position in the ad and says he wore the vest that identifies him as "sheriff" intentionally. But White is no longer the elected Bernalillo County Sheriff, and there remains the question of the appropriateness of the city's supposedly nonpartisan public safety director appearing in political ads. It's a line that has never been crossed before and it is up to Mayor Berry or the city council to decide if it merits attention, or the city ethics board if it were to receive a complaint. Normally, such an appearance would undergo the scrutiny of the city's chief administrative office. But current CAO David Campbell has been stripped of his authority to supervise the public safety director. SUSANA'S RECESSION Is Martinez suffering an idea recession? Critics are attacking her economic plan as skimpy, saying it lacks the depth and comprehensiveness they see from Dem hopeful Diane Denish. "The dog ate the homework" chides syndicated columnist Sherry Robinson of Martinez's economic plans. The Martinez campaign is apparently feeling the heat. They trotted out an early endorsement from the Associated Builders & Contractors of NM: I am very proud to have the endorsement...Job creators are supporting my candidacy because the economic plan I have put forward will make New Mexico competitive and reverse the failed policies supported by Richardson’s “good, loyal soldier. An expected, but still worthy endorsement. But what happened when Susana was putting together her small business leaders' coalition? Among those on the steering committee are oilman and NM GOP Chairman Harvey Yates. The Yates empire is worth hundreds of millions--hardly in the category of "small." But R's say Diane is a millionaire too and that doesn't disqualify her from weighing in on small business concerns. And so it goes... NOT 50TH Your blogger  We're not at the bottom of a list--for a change.The Land of Enchantment ranked No. 38 this year, up from No. 43 in 2009, in CNBC's list of America’s Top States for Business 2010.The rankings are based on 10 categories: cost of business, work force, quality of life, economy, transportation and infrastructure, technology and innovation, education, business friendliness, access to capital, and cost of living... That's the good news. The bad new is that Texas is ranked #1 in the nation by CNBC for doing biz and Colorado is #3. That's some pretty stiff competition for our neck of the woods... This is the home of New Mexico politics. Email your news and comments. Interested in advertising here? Drop us a line. (c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2010 Not for reproduction without permission of the author |
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