In 2006, the George Allen campaign didn't think it needed an online strategy and was already looking ahead to 2008. Then of course, on August 11, 2006 this happened:
After a few days of flailing around, Virginia's top conservative political blogger (now Judge Chad Dotson) put out a desperate call from the Allen campaign looking for a online/new media coordinator. The Allen campaign then decided to hire Jon Henke, a libertarian blogger at Q&O to handle the fallout from using a racial slur.
Needless to say in the couple of months that followed Henke learned of every piece of George Allen opposition research, studied every anti-Allen website on the internet and also got a careful look into the inside world of Allen and his advisers. There's no one out there that knows Allen and his standing in the online universe more than Jon Henke.
That's why I was shocked to learn when sources told me (which I was able to confirm yesterday) that Jamie Radtke has hired Jon and his company CRAFT Media to take on her primary challenge to George Allen.
This is a big move for Radtke who will now have every possible piece of dirt against Allen at her disposal. If anything didn't come out in 2006, it will now. I know Jon well, and he will stop at nothing once he is paid by a campaign- you only need to look back to his youtube channel in 2006 to see what how low he was willing to go against Jim Webb.
Buckle in, this is going to be fun.
Let me get this straight. The guy who was supposedly responsible for crisis management for Allen in 2006 is no longer working for the candidate he failed so miserably?
Shocking.
If Henke knows Allen's standing in the "online universe" and NLS's obvious distain for said standing, it must be because Jon Henke is responsible for any failing.
If past performance is any indicator of future efforts, Jamie Radtke will be equally as ill-served by Henke's supposed "talents."
Posted by: Carl Spackler | February 22, 2011 at 11:23 AM
Ha! Good luck getting paid! Maybe Pat McSweeney will advance him.
Posted by: BM | February 22, 2011 at 11:34 AM
I think you're trying to make something out of nothing here, but there could be smoke where there's fire.
I know CRAFT very well, and have worked with some of their partners in the past. They are a top-of-the line firm and do a lot more than new media. Have they been hired as the general consultants and/ or media consultants as well?
Posted by: MichaelT. | February 22, 2011 at 11:34 AM
This indicates that Radtke is preparing to give as good as she gets. When you run against the 'A Team' you know it's going to be tough, dirty fight. She's hired someone who knows where all Allen's skeletons are buried.
Posted by: Steve Vaughan | February 22, 2011 at 02:24 PM
If Allen loses, it won’t be because of any macaca moment.
It will be for the same reason that many lost in November, because they are considered part of the “old guard” and “old ways” that have brought the country to it’s economic knees.
Free rides to corporations and unions is “old” politics that neither side seems to yet understand. People have shown they are tired of government “spending our children’s futures”
The new house is making a (small) move but people will want more.
Voters want “real” leaders, not retreads.
Posted by: change | February 22, 2011 at 05:44 PM
This is the closest I've ever seen change coming towards attacking a republican. Not sure what to think of this. Kinda makes sense that there is snow outside of my house today though.
Posted by: Mr Bubbles | February 22, 2011 at 06:12 PM
Bubbles,
Many people don’t care about “party” but about “issues” and what is best for our country.
It’s a big club, you are free to join…
Posted by: change | February 22, 2011 at 08:08 PM
With this developing news, I'm upping the chances of Radtke winning the Republican nomination to 0% (up from 0%).
Posted by: SouthsideCentral | February 23, 2011 at 12:34 AM
"If Allen loses, it won’t be because of any macaca moment.
It will be for the same reason that many lost in November, because they are considered part of the “old guard” and “old ways” that have brought the country to it’s economic knees."
Exactly!!! Te Republican party of 2011 has fresh new ideas. The ideas of Harding and Coolidge and Hoover.
Posted by: Dan | February 23, 2011 at 06:24 AM
Carl Spackler, did you ever make head greens keeper?
Posted by: Dan | February 23, 2011 at 06:26 AM
My advice for Jon would be - get paid up front and make sure the check clears.
Posted by: Brian W. Schoeneman | February 23, 2011 at 09:18 AM
Will Jon be telling us how George Allen turned Virginia Corrections into a $1 billion/year burden on taxpaying Virginians? Nobody puts the swagger in bloated government like Lock-Em-Up George!
Posted by: Bubby Hussein, Hillbilly Sheikh | February 23, 2011 at 04:16 PM
Just the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.
Posted by: Louis Vuitton Canvas Monogram Purses | July 06, 2011 at 11:52 PM