A Conversation With Joe Trippi

Brian Goldsmith Talks With Former Dean Campaign Manager

(CBS)  Political Players is a weekly conversation with the leaders, consultants, and activists who are shaping American politics. This week, CBS News' Brian Goldsmith talked with veteran Democratic strategist Joe Trippi at a conference on Youth and Voting sponsored by Harvard’s Institute of Politics. The following is an edited version of that conversation:.

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CBSNews.com: Joe, you were Howard Dean's campaign manager in 2004. What were the biggest positive lessons from that campaign that you think the 2008 candidates could emulate?

Joe Trippi: Well, I think that campaign proved you can get more people volunteering for you and raise more dollars if you have a strong Internet component to your campaign. And I think the tool sets of Facebook, MySpace, YouTube -- all these things that we didn't have -- only make it more powerful for people to send their friends video of you and say, "Hey, vote for this guy." I mean, different things like that are much stronger than they were for us.

And I think we were pretty successful at changing that paradigm. You’ll see more of that this cycle.

CBSNews.com: Are there some tools that you would say a candidate shouldn't use because there's no control and they could quickly spiral out in a way that could hurt the campaign?

Joe Trippi: No, I don't. We never ran into those kinds of problems. I think we ran into trying to use technologies that weren't ready for primetime yet like text messaging in 2003 or 2004. I'm still not sure it's ready yet. You can go down an alley and spend a lot of time and resources trying to become the biggest text messaging network in the country, and it doesn't amount to anything.

I still have yet to find the website or the tool that blows your campaign up. I mean, the Dean campaign didn't get blown up by something that happened on the web. Although a lot of people predicted that would happen, it doesn't happen.

CBSNews.com: And what are the negative lessons? I mean, what do you think campaigns in 2008 could learn from Dean that they should do differently? Was it your spending rate? The way you used technology?

Joe Trippi No. Look at the campaign, the candidate, and his message--and the old politics still matter. I mean, negative politics still works. Attack ads still work. Just because you use the internet to raise all this money doesn't mean somebody can't nuke you and cause you to lose and cause your negative ratings to go up. It's not going to protect you any more than a lot of money to buy television that was raised at dinners will protect you from attack ads.

On the spending, I think everybody's going to do it even worse this time because, as important as we thought winning Iowa was in terms of the calendar, it’s even more important this time. We were operating under a theory saying, "there's no sense in having a dime after Iowa and New Hampshire because whoever wins Iowa and New Hampshire will not be stopped." We, I think, were right in making that judgment, if you look at what happened with John Kerry.

And I don't think having $40 million or $50 million in the bank would have stopped John Kerry from rolling through those states. Some other campaign manager may make a different argument. But that's the one I would make.

And I would make the case that this year, it's even worse because all those states have moved up. And I don't care if you have $400 million in the bank, and Hillary might. If somebody surprises her and wins Iowa and New Hampshire, that person is going to be rolling. They have so much momentum that all that money hoarded and saved up, all those chestnuts, aren't going to do you any good.

CBSNews.com: Let's talk a little bit about the technology because you, obviously, were a big innovator and a pioneer four years ago.

Joe Trippi: Look, the first wagon train across the country didn't necessarily take the best route, right?

They were still a bunch of brave people in the wagon train. The arrows were coming. Did the first one even make it? I have no idea. But I'm saying, look, we were pioneering. Sometimes we did go down the wrong road -- I mean, we did, "Oh, gosh. That's a dead end. We've got to turn around and come back." But I mean, there's no way if we tried to not blaze a new trail and tried to do it the old way, there's no way anybody would even know who we are today.

It is not a war, it is an occupation.
It is not a legitimate government, it is a puppet government.
It is not an insurgency, it is a resistance.
It is not a Civil War, it is a resistance attacking perceived collaborators.
We will not stop the debacle in Iraq as long as we call it a war. It is much easier to sell the idea that we must end the occupation of Iraq.
If big oil and big oil politicians want to steal Iraqi and other Middle East Oil, they should do it on their own. Our soldiers and our treasure should not be used to further the interests of oil profiteers. Our soldiers did not enlist in order to protect the corporate profits of oil corporations. Their job is to defend the nation when our national security is threatened. Allowing corporations use our military for their purposes is facism. No more of our young men and national treasue should be sacrificed for the benefit of corporate greed. Oil Corporations put Cheney and Bush into power to do their bidding, and we have all been slimed by the resulting oil spill. Bush and Cheney should be impeached for numerous violations of the United States Constitution, and the oil industry in every country should be nationalized. Most countries have already done that.

[bluestardad]

HERE ARE THE REPUBLICAN SENATORS UP FOR REELECTION IN 08 WRITE THEM ASK THEM IF THEIR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL TRUMPS THEIR DUTY TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING KILLED FROM THEIR STATES?

ASK THEM HOW MUCH AIPAC INFLUENCES THEIR VOTES ON IRAQ?

http://www.aipac.org/forms/join_aipacClubs.htm


Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)
Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)
Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)
Coleman, Norm- (R - MN)
Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)
Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)
Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)
Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
Hagel, Chuck- (R - NE)
Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
Roberts, Pat- (R - KS)
Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL)
Smith, Gordon H.- (R - OR)
Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)
Sununu, John E.- (R - NH)
Warner, John- (R - VA)

If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your ELECTED OFFICIAL and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

The House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[randalds]

I think the thing that really stands out about this interview is how much better it is compared the interview with that dumb as*s Ed Gillespie last week. Trippi takes a critical look at the democratic candidates and speaks honestly about what they're doing right and wrong, whereas Gillespie just took the opportunity to gush over what a great man he thinks Bush is. It was really rather nauseating and certainly made one wonder what their private relationship was like.

[forthepeaple]

I was once proud to be american and proud to say i i'm a vet,now i just want out.You all in congress and capital hill and white house should be working for america and the americans that elected you to protect us,that isn't the case and i know why. I have been looking and found something that all america has forgotton.Who said this statement: If the personal freedoms of all americans by the Constitution and bill of right are Inhibiting the Government ability to (Govern)that meant control, the people of united states of america..Than we Should look to Limit those GUARANTEES #2.The united states Government CAN'T BE so fixed on our desires to preserve the RIGHTS of ORDINARY AMERICANS #3.I can do any ********* thing i want,I'm president of the united states and you dont forget that.....who am I..... so you all have been following your orders well i want you all to know that i hold all of you accountable for the murders of thousends of americans that have died and wounded in a war we have no buisness being in, you all are makeing large sums of money on americans lives and you all will pay a big price for that someday,heavens gates will never open its golden gates to you.. i hope someday that america and true americans will wake up and see that this washington crime family has sold our country to the highest bidders, china being # 1 and is # 1 in the world now, they are the supper powers of the world now. THANKS..DAVID A BELANGER,FOR AMERICANS FOR AMERICA,AT [e-mail]

[randalbs]

We need a Communist Revolution in the USA. Everbudy knows that reel Communism has never been tried.

We need to round up all republicans, neocons,etc and send them all to re-educashun camps to teach them how to be politcaly corect. WE CANNOT TOLERATE DESENT, we need to imprison all conservatives until they convert to OUR way of thinking. When everbudy is politicaly corect and thinks like us, then we can all get along

Re-distribute monie from rich and give to the pour, that's what the rich diserve for wurking so hard. It isnt fare that people who wurk hard get payd more.

Communize health care first, then energy, then corporations so that everbudy works for the state.

There is no god, only the state, WE know it takes a village.

Long live the gloreus peeples republic of amerika

[bigdadpatrio]

Al Gore is a liar, a tree-hugger, an extremist, and a THREE TIME LOSER. He's proof that libs will support any yellow dog that'll run. Doesn't say much for your integrity or your logical thinking skills, does it?

[randalds]

Posted by ucla900 at 04:10 PM : Mar 16, 2007

I agree, excellent interview. Well thought out questions and very good answers. I hope Joe is going to be running the campaign for whoever the democratic nominee is, esp if it's Gore. I just saw Gore's documentary on Showtime a few days ago and if he'd been that lose during his run in 2000 he'd still be the president. Excellent documentary! Reminded me of watch Carl Sagan as he took what could have been complex science and made it accessible to any thinking person. Well done Al!

[ucla900]

This is the first article that's talked about the importance of young people. Really important issue! thanks for the interesting interview. Go Gore!

[forthepeaple]

I was once proud to be american and proud to say i i'm a vet,now i just want out.You all in congress and capital hill and white house should be working for america and the americans that elected you to protect us,that isn't the case and i know why. I have been looking and found something that all america has forgotton.Who said this statement: If the personal freedoms of all americans by the Constitution and bill of right are Inhibiting the Government ability to (Govern)that meant control, the people of united states of america..Than we Should look to Limit those GUARANTEES #2.The united states Government CAN'T BE so fixed on our desires to preserve the RIGHTS of ORDINARY AMERICANS #3.I can do any ********* thing i want,I'm president of the united states and you dont forget that.....who am I..... so you all have been following your orders well i want you all to know that i hold all of you accountable for the murders of thousends of americans that have died and wounded in a war we have no buisness being in, you all are makeing large sums of money on americans lives and you all will pay a big price for that someday,heavens gates will never open its golden gates to you.. i hope someday that america and true americans will wake up and see that this washington crime family has sold our country to the highest bidders, china being # 1 and is # 1 in the world now, they are the supper powers of the world now. THANKS..DAVID A BELANGER,FOR AMERICANS FOR AMERICA,AT [e-mail]

[forthepeaple]

HAVE BEEN TELLING ALL OF YOU TO GO AND READ THE FACTS TRUE FACTS ABOUT IRAQ AND IRAN..HOW MUCH LONGER TO I HAVE TO KEEP POSTING THE SAME THING UNTIL YOU ALL READ IT..go to www.scoop.co.nz go to search tab and put in PENTAGON WHISTLE-BLOWER IRAQ and read it..it is sad but true and until you americans wake up and smell the s/h/i/t/ that your government has been telling you for CENTURIES.....
americans need a real american to run this country so vote for david a belanger for president he is a real american and will only help america and americans. [e-mail]

[us_infidel]

Poll: Bias 'alive and well' in press
By Jennifer Harper
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
March 16, 2007

The vast majority of American voters detect the presence of political bias in the mainstream news media, according to a Zogby poll released yesterday in conjunction with the George Washington University Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet.
Sentiment is strong: 83 percent of likely voters think bias is "alive and well." Of that number, 64 percent said the press leans left, while slightly more than a quarter -- 28 percent -- said there was a conservative bias.

[randalds]

Trippi sure hits it on the head about Gore in 2000. He was scripted and stiff, not himself at all. He was following the advice of his handlers too much. Of course he still won the election, but if he'd been himself more then the election would have been out of the Supreme Courts reach to overturn.