Two Harris messages

This came in my e-mail, and I thought I’d share. On Sunday I talked about the 90 second spot that the Harris campaign played prior to the fireworks last Friday. My description of it was “well-done and on-point,” we’ll see if you agree.

(By the way, I noticed that the video in the next post will also begin to play, so scroll down and pause that one if you want to see Andy’s spot first.)

What’s also unique about this commercial is that it’s a one-shot deal, although there’s always the opportunity to take snippets of it for other spots.

The other interesting note I got was that the latest Rothenburg ratings came out and the Maryland CD1 race is not considered one of the top 64 tossups in the country, despite being an open seat. Now perhaps this is due to a number of retirements pushing those races ahead but I think a better reason is the recent poll showing Harris with a 16-point lead in what has been a traditionally Republican area.

Of course, Frank Kratovil isn’t going to pack it in nor would I expect he and his supporters to do so. But I’d expect a little more fine-tuning of his campaign, and he began a focus shift a couple weeks back by releasing a revised energy plan. It focuses on five areas, some of which expand on his original emphasis on alternative energy sources.

Perhaps the one which demonstrates the lack of clear economic thinking on Frank’s part was his jumping on board the anti-speculation bandwagon. At the time of the plan’s release oil was close to $140 a barrel and much of the blame was being placed on speculators bidding up the oil futures market. But those same speculators have reacted to newly created market forces and oil has slipped toward the $120 per barrel mark. In theory, a little more decline in price to the mid-110’s and the oil market could be considered a “bear” market (using the same standard as the stock markets are judged by.) Would it be prudent to regulate only the speculators who bid the price up?

Kratovil also repeats the same old saw about the 68 million acres oil companies lease but do not produce on. What’s not clear is whether there’s even oil in these places – after all, the oil companies can lease my backyard but chances are I’m not going to become the next Jed Clampett. It’s the places which we know oil and natural gas are found that seem to be the areas Frank and his allies want to maintain as off-limits. He even throws in the scare tactic of envisioning oil derricks off Assateague Island when in reality the distance from the shores would be 50 miles offshore. The proposed wind farms off the coast of Delaware would be much closer to shore.

So there you have two energy plans – one which can fill your tank and the other pretty much pie-in-the-sky. It’s no wonder Harris enjoys a 16 point lead in the polls because people get his approach and not Frank Kratovil’s.

Author: Michael

It's me from my laptop computer.