Carte Goodwin Makes Politics Look Hot

With Governor Joe Manchin’s recent appointment of Carte Goodwin to fill Senator Byrd’s United States Senate seat, I can’t help but wonder how much the media will play up the new U.S. Senator. He’s handsome, well-connected, and the first of his kind; he’s the youngest U.S. Senator. Carte Goodwin is already the new face of West Virginia, but the more I think about it, Governor Manchin’s appointee is more than that. Could Carte Goodwin be the new face of American politicians?

During an election, voters tend to cast their ballot for the candidate they feel best represents them. And, no offense, but what does someone twice my age know about what I want and what issues are important to me? What policy needs do I share with my grandparents? If given the option, I would vote for someone I can relate to who understands the needs of my generation over someone who’s been in office for years and years. Historically, voters tend to choose a more attractive candidate, regardless of their politics. Remember Kennedy and Nixon’s debate during the boob tube revolution in politics? Kennedy was so much nicer to look at.

Handsome enough to be a boy-band pop-star and more attractive by far than Scott Brown, Goodwin will surely make the front page of newspapers and be on the cover of magazines. With Senator Rockefeller and Governor Manchin behind him, he’ll be sure to work well alongside current U.S. senators, but he also attractively appeals to Gen X and Gen Y. In other words, Carte Goodwin makes politics look hot.

Governor “Soprano” is in hair and makeup.... Lights, Camera, Action!

When does the film crew arrive? John Raese decides he’s running for against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito who isn’t officially running in an election that technically doesn’t exist yet. And what’s more? Raese calls Governor Joe Manchin (@JoeManchinWV for all you tweeters) “Governor Soprano!” The second after I finished reading Ry RIvard’s (@ryrivard)article ( http://j.mp/cSQXE4) in the Daily Mail (@charleywest), I hear that Aaron Sorkin is directing a film about John Edwards! (I just picked up Andrew Young's The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down.)

My idea of a dramatic, addicting reality show or just a TV show? West Virginia politics. If I was a producer looking for a hit new show, I’d do a reality show about Governor Joe Manchin, especially right now with everything that’s going on with Byrd’s succession and the possibility of a special election for governor. Heck, it felt like I was at a Red Carpet event during Judge Carrie Webster’s fundraiser with all the cameras, reporters, and flashing lights! I couldn’t seem to find the red carpet or a background for the standard social event paparazzi pictures though. Thinking back, Governor Manchin really has tried to boost the “celeb image” of his position; remodeling the Governor’s Manchin, that big white party tent that Phil Kabler never gets to go to (maybe he finally will when Manchin is in DC). Also, Governor Manchin and the boob tube were meant for each other; he’s easy on the eyes, articulate, and has that Clinton-esque charisma... And all eyes will be on him this afternoon at 2pm as he announces his appointee for Senator Byrd’s seat (Ahem, Carte Goodwin).

And one other point, while sitting in the Senate (@wvsenate) Judiciary meeting yesterday, I noticed only three senators in that meeting have twitter accounts: @Senator_Chafin, @Mike_Oliverio, and @JeffKessler4Gov).

WV Legislature’s Special Session on Byrd succession is one messy closet!

So WV Governor Manchin (@JoeManchinWV) thought amending WV Code would be easy... needles to say he opened the doors to one messy closet! A statement was just released that @JoeManchinWV will make an appointment to fill Senator Byrd’s seat at 2pm tomorrow, yet I just left a WV Senate (@wvsenate) Judiciary meeting where Secretary of State Natalie Tennant (@NatalieTennant) was being hounded by a couple senators about her first interpretation of the Code (section 3-10-3). According her her initial interpretation, the November 2nd General Election is a separate election from a proposed “Special Election” that would take place on the same day. So person could run for two different offices since the elections and ballots are separate.

I understand that @JoeManchin is feeling pressure from legislators in Washington, but Capitol Hill doesn’t understand that West Virginia is a whole different type of stiletto. When he announced he would appoint someone by this coming Friday (tomorrow), he felt his bill would be passed fairly easily through both the @wvsenate and the House (@wvhouse). But that just isn’t the case.

Why didn’t @JoeManchinWV have all this cleaned up or at least have a solid strategy in case something like this happened? That was the question on everyone’s mind at the legislature (@wvlegislature) today.

Late nights and flats...

If a bomb had dropped on Power Park last night, the West Virginia Democratic Party would look just like the West Virginia GOP. Practically every Democratic mover and shaker was there, and the media were asking questions and the cameras were recording. I wondered where the red carpet was! It was amazing how many cameras surrounded Governor Manchin when he was talking to Nick Casey. But within a matter of minutes, rumor had it that Nick Casey was second on Joe Manchin’s “list of two” for Byrd’s seat appointee options.

Carte Goodwin is who numerous elected officials told me last night Manchin would appoint to fill Byrd’s seat. We’ll know for sure by 5pm tomorrow for sure. Also, several legislators were discussing what to do after the election law is clarified for Byrd’s seat: aka what to do about West Virginia’s next governor! Obviously, current Senate President Tomblin would be acting governor. But this doesn’t help Rep. Shelley Moore Capito.

And speaking of Capito, she’s in Charleston and has had numerous long-lasting meeting with her chief political consultant, Kent Gates. Before Byrd’s passing, I heard she was eager to see whether or not Senator Rockefeller would run for re-election in 2014. Her statements to date seem to be shaky and unsure, but I can’t tell if she’s waiting for a groundswell of Republican support or if she just doesn’t want to run against Manchin. If she does run against him for Byrd’s seat and loses (numerous polling show she will lose), she would be able to analyze those votes and see what areas of the state she needs to target stronger campaign efforts.

Within a matter of 36 hours, we’ll know who Governor Manchin is appointing, and I suspect the election law will be amended and we’ll know who is running for Byrd’s seat... and I imagine by the end of next week we’ll know who is running in a special election for Governor. There will many long hours at the Capital and many late night, closed-door discussions...I think I’ll have to wear flats.

Sarah Palin: The Ultimate Retail Politician?

President Sarah Palin? All morning long I’ve heard about Sarah Palin; from the massive amount of money she’s spending on campaign consultants and contributions, to whether or not she will challenge Obama in 2012, to her daughter’s engagement (which is on the cover of US Weekly).

MSNBC’s Politico “Morning Joe” hosts talked about how great she is at facebooking and tweeting. For some reason, or many, Americans can’t seem to get enough of Sarah Palin. From

Barbies to books, this woman knows how to brand, market, and package herself: Sarah Palin is the poster child for retail politicians. Whether or not you like her politics doesn’t matter, because some other aspect of her life intrigues you. Social by design, the Sarah Palin brand continues to skyrocket, mixing politics with celebrity.

But I have to wonder, like all retail products, how much longer she has to go before her brand begins to decline. Is Sarah Palin’s brand unsustainable, like Obama’s campaign brand?

Rep. Capito Laces Up Her Boots to Assess Afghan Strategy

Today’s Daily Mail discusses Rep. Shelley Moore Capito’s , R-W.Va, recent overnight trip to Afghanistan, and I couldn’t help but notice that one of the photographs featured with the article showed her footwear, http://dailymail.com/News/statenews/201007110475.

In the world of politics, wearing the right footwear at the right time is critical. Politicians must know when to roll up their sleeves and dig into issues, no matter where their efforts may take them. In this case, Rep. Capito traversed her first overnight trip to a county where there is little economic development and an immense history of instability.

Senator Robert C. Byrd told Rep. Capito that, “West Virginia needs a work horse, not a show horse.” And while I might not see eye-to-eye with her on issues, I feel she has been quite a work horse for West Virginia, no matter if she’s wearing Stewart Weiztman’s around Capitol Hill or muddy boots around the Middle East.

For more on Rep. Capito’s trip to Afghanistan, http://dailymail.com/News/statenews/201007110474

Eagle One and Eagle Two Are on the Move

“Eagle One and Eagle Two have landed...”

While sitting at Senator Byrd’s memorial service just one week ago today, I overheard one of the secret service men saying these words into a teeny tiny microphone on his jacket lapel. Assuming he was referring to President Obama and Vice President Biden, I asked him if former President Clinton had a code name.

“No, only the President and Vice President,” he retorted.

“Why Eagle One and Eagle Two? Do every U.S. President have the same bird?” I questioned.

According to the man with a microphone, an ear piece, and boring suit and sunglasses, every President chooses their code animal. If it were me, I’d choose Cheetah One. What would you chose?

After telling Mr. Secret Service this, he said with a smile, “I know who Cougar One would be...”

I’ll leave that one to your imagination...