A Mindmeld of Mystery

After several days of missing Politico Playbook's "Mindmeld" feature, it surfaced again last week in a lead item. "ROMNEY CAMPAIGN MINDMELD" the headline blared. And in a Daily Caller story this morning on Media Matters for America, the phrase again appeared. Here's how they used it in a sentence. "But at times there has seemed to be a kind of mind meld between the Obama political team and Media Matters." Personally we couldn't be more excited that "mindmeld" is making its way into the zeitgeist (h/t Mike Allen.) Here in the Fishbowl we use it as both a noun and a verb, for anything from a headache to uber Publicist Wendy Gordon adding a new photoshopped picture of herself to her Facebook page or just anything that profoundly confuses us. I've also been considering using it as a torture method for Peter and Eddie. And yet... it is still by virtue a media mystery. The feature dates back to Playbook circa 2008. Fortunately we were able to obtain further information on "Mindmeld" straight from the horses mouth: "The feature aims to illuminate what officials are actually thinking, but might not say from the podium. If we could give truth serum to top aides, this is what would be on their minds -- their theory, reasoning, viewpoint," Allen explained to FishbowlDC. But some question the concept of Mindmeld, insisting that it just makes Allen a puppeteer for the Obama Administration, the Romney campaign or whoever else wants to "interpret" what's happening. WSJ's Neil King bravely tried his hand at Mindmeldian interpretation last week, which, when you think about it, is quite deep. So this is King translating Allen translating Romney. In a word: mindblowing. Translating Romney's jaw-dropping mindmeld with @mikeallen: "We win where we spend money and lose where we don't. We need to spend more." — Neil King, WSJ (@NKingofDC) February 8, 2012 See the full Romney Mindmeld after the jump and visit Playbook here. ROMNEY CAMPAIGN MINDMELD: "It's about delegates. We could have made the decision to spend money, resources [in Colo. and Minn.], but we had to be pretty tough-minded about it -- just to be focused on the delegates, and on Super Tuesday [March 6]. We could have run television, run radio, or spent more time. You can't do everything. You gotta run your race. We'll wake up tomorrow, focused on winning Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Super Tuesday. Hats off to Santorum: It's a really good night for Santorum. It's a really BAD night for Newt. "All of Santorum's and Obama's and Gingrich's definition is Washington-based experience. Santorum's livelihood is still dependent on Washington. Same with Newt. Same with Obama. It's going to be a very clear contrast with somebody that's never lived in a Washington a day. YOU'RE GOING

Fishbowl

A Mindmeld of Mystery

Betsy Rothstein

About

Subscriptions

Events

Publications

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Subscribe today!

Betsy Rothstein