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By Chip Griffin, president, Griffin Strategy Group, New Hampshire |
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The notion of Jeanne Shaheen as vice-presidential timbre is nearly as amusing as suggesting John Rocker of the Atlanta Braves as a baseball Hall of Fame candidate. Apart from her gender, she possesses no unique quality or experience that would justify such a mention. Indeed, the fact that her name was floated merely underscores just how weak the Democratic bench is when it comes to female candidates for national office. On stage at the Democratic convention last night, Jeanne Shaheen fantasized about becoming the next Oprah Winfrey. As she haltingly attempted to elicit economic success stories from four panelists, she failed to make the case that the Clinton-Gore team did anything to bring these people prosperity. Indeed, the most significant reference to government assistance in the success stories was from a small businessman who got a federal loan — in 1991, under the Bush Administration. Though filled with references to the greatness of Al Gore and Bill Clinton, Shaheen's remarks failed to demonstrate any degree of ability to lead the panel — and the meager television audience — to the conclusion that those two Democrats had anything to do with the economic progress of the past eight years. In fact, her panel seemed to demonstrate that it was private entrepreneurship and personal responsibility that helped generate jobs, grow small businesses, and allow individuals to buy their first homes. As governor of New Hampshire, Jeanne Shaheen has demonstrated a remarkable lack of leadership. Apart from loaning her husband to the Gore campaign to help beat back the Bradley forces, she can claim no significant victories during her tenure in the corner office. Like the current vice president, Jeanne Shaheen seems unable to make difficult decisions. On the issue that resonates most with Granite State voters — education funding — our governor has been AWOL. For the past few years, the state has been gripped in political deadlock over how to deal with a state Supreme Court decision overturning local property taxes as the funding mechanism for education. New Hampshire is, of course, a strong anti-tax state. Even a liberal Democrat like Jeanne Shaheen was forced to take the no broad-based tax pledge before she could be elected governor. But where does Shaheen stand on education funding in the Granite State? Your guess is as good as mine, and I live about five miles from her office. Bill Bradley might say that she has "wiggled, and waffled, and wavered" on what to do. She won't rule out breaking her no-tax pledge to support the liberals' dream of an income tax. Yet she won't renew her pledge to reach out to the mainstream. She seems to be hoping the whole issue will just go away. Shaheen's tactics reveal much about her character. In a move akin to Nixon's secret plan to end the Vietnam War, our illustrious governor has formed a commission to review the options and make a recommendation to her. Only then will she announce her plan. Conveniently, she has asked the commission to wait until after this fall's election — where she hopes to be reelected — before issuing a report. According to Monday's Concord Monitor, Gov. Shaheen offered to speak on education or the economy at the Democratic convention. Not surprisingly, the Gore folks decided she might not be the best fit for a panel discussion on education. If they couldn't even allow Shaheen — a former high-school teacher — to talk about education at the convention, how could Al Gore even consider her as a vp pick? The answer is simple: he didn't. Just moments after the cable news networks reported two weeks ago that she was on the short list, Shaheen forcefully declared she would not accept if asked and did not wish to be considered. Yeah, right. Except for Colin Powell, does anyone believe that any politician would actually turn down the vice presidency? Not even John McCain could make that stick in the end. Locked in a tough battle for reelection (with challenges coming from both Democrats and Republicans), Shaheen likely cashed in a chit with the current vp. Having her name floated as one of Gore's finalists — followed by the expected wave of local news coverage — allowed her to get extremely valuable free media. And Gore's debt to the Shaheens for navigating him past Bradley in the New Hampshire primary is partially paid. No doubt Shaheen would appreciate it if Gore would make the final payment on that debt by putting her in his Cabinet — probably at the Small Business Administration. This would give her the graceful exit she needs to avoid forever having to deal with the education-funding crisis in the Granite State without appearing to be a quitter. Unfortunately for Jeanne Shaheen, both she and Gore have to win first. |
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he American people
(at least the few hundred of them who tuned in to C-SPAN to watch the
segments of the Democrat convention considered too boring even for CNN)
must be wondering just what Al Gore was thinking when his staff floated
the name of New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen as a potential VP choice.
