“That’s It?” “Typical Hard-Fought Campaign” & “Unlikely To Have Much Of Any Effect”

 Didn’t Tell Much. “In the end, did the Mother Jones story tell us much of anything about Susana Martinez?  Well, it showed Martinez probably does make pretty large deposits in the cuss jar.  Beyond that, it seems unlikely to have much of any effect on the governor of New Mexico or her future.” (Byron York, “Rising GOP Star Strikes Back After Left-Wing Site Calls Her ‘Nasty, Petty, Juvenile, Vindictive,’” The Washington Examiner, 4/16/14)

Nothing Big. “‘Any time Mother Jones attacks, Republicans will rally around the “victim.”  It’s hard to imagine a more reviled outlet than Mother Jones,’ says Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush.  ‘Tell me the worst thing she said – not her aides, but her.’  After this reporter pointed to Martinez’s remark about teachers and the salty language used to describe her 2010 opponent, Fleischer still wasn’t convinced.  ‘That’s it?  That’s a big nothing.  All those trees cut down for that?  Remember Clinton on mic about Jesse Jackson?  Remember Obama and people from small towns?  More flexibility with Putin?  Those were far more serious and no real damage was done.  This is nothing,’  he argues.” (David Catanese, “Republicans React To The Secret Recordings Of Susana Martinez,” U.S. News & World Report, 4/16/14)

“Gosh…A Swear Word.” “Rick Tyler, a GOP consultant who worked for Newt Gingrich’s 2012 presidential campaign, expressed a similar sentiment: That this was an unabashed hit job to pre-emptively injure a sterling Republican contender in the making.  ‘Only the left reads Mother Jones and they hate any Republican, especially a Hispanic woman who wins in a state that has a deeper GOP deficit than California.  I read [heralded liberal community organizer Saul] Alinksy, too.  It’s the only tactic they know – destroy your enemy at all costs,’ Tyler says.  ‘I like her.  She fights’ … ‘My gosh, she said a swear word in a private conversation!  She’s off the list!’ Tyler jokes.” (David Catanese, “Republicans React To The Secret Recordings Of Susana Martinez,” U.S. News & World Report, 4/16/14)

“Typical Hard-Fought Campaign.” “2016 women under the microscope: Mother Jones has a lengthy look at popular New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez … There’s plenty of palace intrigue, but much of this reads like the behind-the-scenes of a typical hard-fought campaign rather than something that will imperil her.  In fact, the ‘little b—’ anecdote may actually help her with donors and strategists because it makes her look tough, frankly.” (Domenico Montanaro, Simone Pathe & Rachel Wellford, “Obama Says U.S. Military ‘Superior’ To Putin’s Russian Forces,” PBS Newshour, 4/17/14)

“GOP Scandals That Aren’t Scandals.” @MikeGrunwald: “Adding Gov Martinez name-calling to my list of GOP scandals that aren’t scandals.” (Twitter, TIME Magazine’s Michael Grunwald, 4/16/14)