Politics, open government, and safe streets. And the constant incursion of cycling.

The Hope of Message Control

Interesting NYT piece on the firm editorial hand of the Obama campaign:

“Above all,” it said, “we can’t have a Statue of Liberty welcoming immigrants to our country as we build a wall on the Southern border. Instead, let us build bridges of friendship and cooperation with our Southern neighbors.”

But when Representative José E. Serrano of the Bronx submitted his three-minute speech as required to the high command of Senator Barack Obama’s campaign, the remark was excised.

[ . . . ]

That was not all that was missing; the speech he delivered here on Monday bore little resemblance to the one he had written. The deletions appeared to reflect political sensitivities of a campaign seeking to attract moderate voters in the general election.

[ . . . ]

Gov. David A. Paterson of New York also felt the firm nudge of the Obama campaign. Mr. Paterson had hoped to emphasize the poor state of the economy, a central issue on his agenda, during his turn at the lectern on Tuesday. Instead, the campaign persuaded Mr. Paterson, who is legally blind, to talk about his disability, which he often avoids discussing in detail for fear of being pigeonholed as an advocate for the blind.

I don’t mind a bit of caution and control in a campaign.  But it’s a tricky task to manage – I hope they’re up to it.

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