Slog - Comments on Lifestyles of a Formerly Rich and Famous Presidential Campaign http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous The New York Times piece on the spending habits of the Clinton campaign starts with this: Nearly $100,000 went for party platters and groceries before the Iowa caucuses, even though the partying mood evaporated quickly. Rooms at the Bellagio luxury hotel in Las Vegas consumed more than $25,000; the Four Seasons, another $5,000. And top consultants collected about $5 million in January, a month of crucial expenses and tough fund-raising. And then, if even possible, gets a thousand times worse. Just to bullet point some of the more memorable 'you have to be joking' expenditures: • Hillary chief strategist Mark... Copyright 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 13:55:14 -0800 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:40:09 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by tsm Hillary chief strategist Mark Penn’s firm has collected over $10 million

And earned, oh, every ten millionth or so penny of it.

Seriously, being a Democratic campaign strategist seems like being a Bush administration appointee: the more you fuck up, the higher you climb.

]]> tsm http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945459 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945459 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:08:24 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Sandwich platters?

Um, guys, just bake cookies and cupcakes. It makes it way more fun, you can decorate them, and people feel way more connected both by baking them, and getting homemade stuff.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945474 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945474 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:15:30 -0800 Comment by Zelbinian Good thing she hasn't talked about the environment much with all that conspicuous consumption.

]]> Zelbinian http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945475 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945475 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:16:13 -0800 Comment by Bellevue Ave who didnt expect shit like this?

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945482 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945482 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:19:02 -0800 Comment by Queen_of_Sleaze It's certainly not surprising...

But damn, if she mis-manages your campaign finances this poorly imagine the kind of damage she could do with the entire federal budget at her disposal?

]]> Queen_of_Sleaze http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945511 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945511 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:28:29 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi She should demand a refund.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945526 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945526 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:35:49 -0800 Comment by elenchos I've been saying for a while that the campaign operation itself should be our first measure of who is ready to be president. Obama's organizational efficiency and tactical skill in allocating resources and time in order to win over the right number of delegates tells the story.

]]> elenchos http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945543 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945543 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:42:10 -0800 Comment by Bellevue Ave i agree with elenchos on this to a degree. the primary campaign is like high school, the general election is like college, and the job is the job.

]]> Bellevue Ave http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945552 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945552 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:45:46 -0800 Comment by Timrrr HRC's obviously trying to give us a practical, real-world example of how she would govern if elected.

Shrimp cocktails for all, hurrah!!!

]]> Timrrr http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945553 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945553 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:45:46 -0800 Comment by Dougsf I think this is the sort of think that hurts her in places like Texas. Not so much being a woman, or a Clinton, or a democrat, but in people's minds (I was just in farm country for a week, mind you), she's just infuriatingly, smugly upper-class. I'm not sure her excesses or so unique to this realm, but perception is everything.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945558 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945558 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:47:17 -0800 Comment by Gitai I think it puts the lie to the claim that she's a better manager. If Obama has put together a campaign this brilliant and thinks he's a bad manager, imagine how well he'll run a White House after he improves with management experience.

Also, figures spent on GOTV are absent. Who spent more on that?

]]> Gitai http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945595 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945595 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:05:16 -0800 Comment by Will in Sunny Seattle I love shrimp cocktails, or battered thai shrimp. And lobster. Yum.

]]> Will in Sunny Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945621 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945621 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:14:48 -0800 Comment by owsley now i have that incredibly awful good charlotte song stuck in my head

]]> owsley http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945803 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945803 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:04:40 -0800 Comment by RHETT ORACLE As Imelda Marcos said in defending her huge shoe collection: "My people don't want me dressed in rags." Maybe if Hillary had just stayed in Motel 6 and eaten at the Golden Arches, all would be well. Maybe not.

]]> RHETT ORACLE http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945884 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c945884 2008 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:54:13 -0800 Comment by Ebenezer Hillary would rather lose than dump Mark Penn. At least it keeps Penn's losing streak going.

Gitai @11 is right on. If you can't budget for a campaign, it doesn't bode well for managing the country. Of course, W did fine campaigning in 2000 and 2004 (beside constant lying, of course), and has made both our budget and Iraq covered in red.

]]> Ebenezer http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c946126 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/02/lifestyles_of_a_formerly_rich_and_famous#c946126 2008 Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:40:09 -0800