BOP2008 | Stories

Coulda Been a Contender: Catching Up With ’08 Presidential Also-Rans

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:33:01 -0800

PaperTrail is going through withdrawal. Memories of once-regular characters like Fred Thompson, Chris Dodd, and the slew of other presidential contenders are beginning to fade. And though Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden have stayed in the picture — benefiting from President-Elect Obama’s “Team of Rivals” approach — what about the remaining cast of challengers we grew to know (and occasionally love) over the past two years?

Two-Party Debates

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:00:00 -0700

On the night of September 30, 2004, few of the estimated 62.4 million viewers watching President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry square off on national television likely took any notice when moderator Jim Lehrer announced, “These debates are sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates.” Many voters tuning in for arguably the most important 90 minutes of the race probably didn’t know what the Commission is, either: a largely secretive tax-exempt organization, created and run by former chairmen of the two major parties, funded by a small group of unidentified major donors, and designed, it seems, to exclude nearly all third-party candidates.

Mixing Oil and Politics Is Formula for Newt’s “Solutions”

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:58:00 -0700

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich isn’t running for president this year, but due to a gusher of support for his campaign to promote opening up more offshore areas to oil drilling, he’s chairing the election season’s hottest conservative advocacy group.

The Millionaire’s Media Megaphone — Part Three

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 12:50:01 -0700

It was just days after Air America’s March 2004 launch and already things looked grim. The highly anticipated liberal talk radio network, launched only eight months before Democrat John Kerry was to face President Bush at the polls, had been on Chicago’s affiliate station WNTD-950 AM for only two weeks when station owner Arthur Liu complained about a bounced check. Air America, he claimed, owed him more than $1 million, and he dropped its programming.

The Millionaire’s Media Megaphone — Part Two

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:56:00 -0700

When Illinois Senator Barack Obama secured the Democratic presidential nomination on June 3, becoming the first African-American ever to do so, he and his wife, Michelle, took to the stage in St. Paul, Minnesota. They hugged, and kissed, and then she raised her right hand in a fist and knocked knuckles with her husband in a celebratory gesture familiar to millions of Americans, especially sports fans.

Three days later, that gesture made news on the Fox News Channel program America’s Pulse. Host E.D. Hill promoted an upcoming segment based on the Obamas’ display of affection witnessed around the world: “A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab?” she said to her viewers. “The gesture everyone seems to interpret differently. We’ll show you some interesting body communication and find out what it really says.”

The Millionaire’s Media Megaphone

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Rich people live lives that most everyone else can only imagine. They can buy the nicest cars, drink the finest wines, afford the best doctors, and secure the highest priced lawyers. But when it comes to making donations to their favorite presidential candidates, they are like ordinary Americans in that the most they can donate is $2,300 per election cycle. Still, there is another way that only someone with megamillions can influence an election: buy a newspaper, radio network, or cable channel and use it to help a candidate get to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Checkbook Diplomacy - Part Three

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:00:02 -0700

Richard Nixon’s personal lawyer went to prison for soliciting money from major donors who wanted ambassadorships, and when Jimmy Carter showed up at the White House in the wake of Nixon’s scandal-scarred presidency he was determined to clean things up.

Checkbook Diplomacy - Part Two

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:00:02 -0700

When George W. Bush took office, the White House personnel director, Clay Johnson, was inundated with more than 1,700 applications from would-be ambassadors. And why not?

The salary may be relatively modest, but the job — at least at the choicest postings — sure has it perks: beautiful surroundings, domestic staff, the potential to hobnob with the elite. Ambassadorial residences are often located in choice real estate. For instance, Villa Taverna, the ambassador’s residence in Rome, is a restored 16th century villa that includes seven walled acres of gardens, making it the largest private park in the city. The compound, which takes up an entire city block, includes a movie theater and a swimming pool.

Checkbook Diplomacy

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0700

In October of 1969, Vincent de Roulet, the newly appointed ambassador to Jamaica, arrived in Kingston aboard his 90-foot yacht, soon to be joined by 17 of his race horses. Wealthy by birth as well as by marriage (his wife was a Whitney), the 44-year-old dilettante had no experience in international diplomacy, his résumé instead boasting a variety of club memberships, horse-racing activities, and board service for various Long Island hospitals.

Broken Elections, Stolen Votes – Part Five

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:53:01 -0700

With another Election Day bearing down on an electorate whose trust has been shaken by the spectacular disarray of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, what is being done to fix what’s broken, and what’s impeding reform efforts?