Author Archives: Campaign Outsider

What Can Liberal Super PACs Undo for Brown?

Once and perhaps future Sen. Scott Brown (R-Elsewhere) is the target of a double-barrelled attack by Super PACs in the Granite State. First up: the Senate Majority PAC. From NH Journal: Reid’s Senate Majority PAC begins airing new TV ad … Continue reading

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Is the New England Carpenters Union In-VINCE-able?

Well the Missus and I trundled down to the Public Garden last evening and say, it was swell – beautiful night, beautiful garden. (It was also our 31st wedding anniversary – beautiful! And a good start, yeah?) Along the way, we … Continue reading

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Stealth Marketing Triple Crown: Win, Place(ment), and Show

As a tribute to the upcoming Belmont Stakes – and the honest-to-God chance we could see the first Triple Crown thoroughbred since Affirmed in 1978 (shine on, California Chrome!) – the hardtracking staff is dividing this madcap review into horse … Continue reading

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Why the Wall Street Journal Is a Great Newspaper (‘A Confederacy of Dunces’ Edition)

This weekend’s Wall Street Journal features another winner in its Masterpiece series examining major works of art. The latest installment (by Danny Heitman, a columnist for the Advocate newspaper in Louisiana): The Big Easy Slacker’s Manual As another commencement season … Continue reading

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Why We Love the Stanley Cup Bakeoffs (Teemu Selanne Edition)

Last night’s decisive Western Conference semifinal Game 7 between the Anaheim (No Longer Mighty) Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings turned into the swan song for the great Teemu Selanne. The Finnish Flash finished his 23 years in the NHL (15 … Continue reading

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Why Advertisers Barely Outrank Politicians, Lobbyists, and Car Salesmen

Admen aren’t called hucksters for nothing. Exhibit Umpteen: They barely moved the needle in this recent Gallup poll on Honesty/Ethics in Professions.   Fourteen percent. Ouch. And here’s why, from the current issue of Consumer Reports. (Tip o’ the pixel … Continue reading

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What Can Brown Undo for Brown?

Downturn Scotty Brown (R-Elsewhere) has reared his pretty head again, this time “[urging] Republicans to kill a bipartisan energy efficiency bill to deny his opponent (and the bill’s top backer) Jeanne Shaheen an election year victory,” according to MSNBC. From … Continue reading

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Did Native Advertising Croak NYT Executive Editor Jill Abramson?

The favorite parlor game right now among the chinstrokerati is, Who Killed Jill Abramson? Representative sample, via Forbes: Did the NY Times Fire Jill Abramson For Being ‘Bossy’? Jill Abramson was fired from her post as executive editor of The … Continue reading

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Tru(th) in Advertising

Rarely does an advertiser kick the crap out of itself in public (Dominos’ Our Pizza Sucks campaign in 2010 strikes us as the most recent example), but TruTV did just that in Monday’s New York Times. Facing pages in the … Continue reading

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What Can Timothy Geithner Do for Brown?

Not much, to judge from the former Treasury secretary’s new book, Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises. Via Politico’s Playbook: “Dealing with Congress, to put it mildly, did not feel like a careful, deliberative journey in search of the best public … Continue reading

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