MyDD :: RNC vs DNC

RNC vs DNC

by Jerome Armstrong, Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 12:24:53 PM EST

Throughout the 2000's the RNC has been a lap ahead of the DNC. In 2000, they were gathering lists, while the DNC was building out the technology. In 2002, they were mining from their databases to fundraise, while the DNC was building out Demzilla. In 2004, the RNC was using their consumer-voter polling to do media and micro-segment their mailings, while the DNC under-utilized their Datamart, and instead resorted to the same old media consultants doing the same old network ads.

With Howard Dean in the DNC, some things have changed for the better. For the long-term, they are focused on building up the state parties and a fundraising base from small-donors; but for the 2001 elections, in terms of creating in the DNC something akin to what the Dean campaign was like, the team that Dean has put together has under-performed. Case in point from the WaPost:

Thousands of out-of-state Republicans are scheduled to conduct a telephone blitz of Virginia on Saturday, part of a first-of-its-kind effort by the Republican National Committee to recruit volunteers on behalf of gubernatorial candidate Jerry W. Kilgore.

With no statewide or federal elections in 48 states this year, the RNC has decided to put its activists to work.

Volunteers at call centers in 22 states will make calls to Virginia and New Jersey, the two states that will choose governors in November. In addition, more than 7,000 Republican activists responded to an e-mail from RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman and said they are willing to make calls to Virginia from their home phones or cell phones...

"Our party is like a family. And when a family member like Jerry needs our help, we all pitch in," Mehlman said in the e-mail. "Virginia sent busloads of volunteers to battleground states to help elect Republicans in 2004 and we need to return the favor in 2005."

"It's simple to help," Mehlman wrote. "We're asking you to make just 30 phone calls. Your phone calls to Republican voters in Virginia will remind them of the upcoming election, and the importance of voting for Jerry."

I know, that sounds like something DFA would have done, in fact it was done alot. Joe Trippi used to tell me this quite often-- that the Republicans would watch what we did, replicate it, and do it even better. Looks like Joe is right again. The RNC is still lapping the DNC.

Tags: Democrats (all tags)

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Indicative of the problem (3.00 / 1)

From the Raising Kaine blog:

Yesterday, several of us went down to the anti-war rally and handed out 500+ "Defeat Bush in 2005″ flyers. They were very popular, tying Jerry Kilgore directly to the disastrous Bush-Cheney-DeLay crowd, but what I found disturbing was that the vast majority of activist Democrats from Pennsylvania and elsewhere knew nothing or next-to-nothing about the Virginia governor's race. Also, probably 95% said that they "couldn't do anything" since they "didn't live in Virginia."

Just one problem: that's NOT TRUE!!! I told them about the Republicans pouring millions into the Virginia 2005 race, and just that very day making thousands of calls from around the country. I emphasized that we Dems need to do the same. With most people, I got a sparkle of understanding in their eyes, and a few people who said, "ok, I'll try to help,"...so there is some hope! But instead of 10%, it should have been 90% of people saying, "yes, I can help!" (by the way, I told people that I had helped on out-of-state races before, and many folks seeemed truly surprised...hmmmmm).

How is it that progressive activists don't know that there are opportunities for them to get involved all over the country? Lowell Feld from Raising Kaine thinks it's because Democrats are generally disorganized and fractious.

I think it may be unfair to expect anti-war marchers to rally behind a moderate Southern Democrat like Kaine, but then again, the Christian Rightists certainly have no trouble getting behind moderate Republicans when the chips are down.

We talk so much about making the case to the center that their interests are our interests. That's definitely a worthwhile project. But at the same time, we also need to keep making the case to the left that their interests are served by voting for Democrats as well.

by Scott Shields on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 01:00:32 PM EST

There is a Kernel of Truth Here (none / 0)

Unless it's a national race (such as President), it's always awkward to have "mercenary" volunteers seem to outnumber your campaign staff. That doesn't mean Team Kaine shouldn't have used the opportunity to recruit...but having people from Maryland and Pennsylvania wearing the "Defeat Bush in 2005" gear looks inorganic...as if a bunch of Northeastern people are pushing Kaine onto Virginia. (And you know how that plays into Kilgore's schtick...)

Instead, the out of state volunteers should be sent by the DNC...(even if Team Kaine does all the work and says that the DNC send them) and should attempt to do the activities which are not inherently polemical...such as voter registration.

This doesn't mean there are not creative ways to pool out of state people. For example, Team Kaine could ask students from universities and colleges to participate in registration drives or campaigning on behalf of the "College Democrats". (You can even make it a competition between schools to enhance participation.) Same deal with local Sierra Club chapters...union locals...etc.

It's all about creativity, and harnassing it.

by risenmessiah on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 05:46:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Missed opportunity (3.00 / 1)

It's very strange. For a while now, the RNC has been featuring either Kilgore or Forrester on their home page - the DNC home page has lots of talk about a 50 state strategy, but no mention of Kaine, Corzine or Ferrer, the three top-of-the-tickets Dems who have elections in a few weeks.

The RNC is clearly organizing and using the internet to channel help into Virginia and New Jersey (friends of mine from California and Minnesota forwarded me Mehlman's email), but here I am, a stone's throw from Viriginia, and I haven't heard a thing from the DNC - no ask for me to call or canvass, and not even the simplest of all organizing tasks - an email with a link to Kaine's contribution page (here, now wasn't that easy?).

This should be pretty simple stuff, and 2005 is a great opportunity to take a dry run on programs you're going to roll out to hundreds of gubernatorial, senate and house races next year - there's no doubt that that's exactly what the RNC is doing.

But more important, I think, is the (so far, anyway) missed opportunity to keep the netroots engaged in collective action focused on electoral politics. It's important to advance big-picture communications themes about the Bush Administration's failures and to engage in national issues - but if the DNC doesn't focus also on elections and winning the ground war, it's going to fail us.

I have always wondered how much of the Dean internet phenomenon was good planning, and how much it just sort of happened as a result of Dean's unique passion and message. I suspect that the passion and message produced the tide, and some smart folks took advantage of it. Now the Dean internet gurus have the DNC's resources, and we're going to see whether or not they're as smart as Howard Dean and the netroots made them look. So far, it's not looking good.

by redsoxkangaroo on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 01:12:34 PM EST

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

No offense meant to the people on this blog, but you are also part of the problem. Before you posted this did you call the DNC? The Kaine Campaign? Talk to your employer? I mean you work for the former head of the NGA and current Governor of VA - I think you can get an answer and I am sure you'd get one even if you weren't since you used to work for Dean.

Also 7,000 calls from a 4.1 million person list? You should be writing e-mails praising them, you should be writing posts laughing at the RNC for only being able to mobilize 7,000 people. Instead you are prepetuating a myth about the DNC without even talking to them or Gov. Dean.

And then I think you should also call the Kaine campaign and talk to them to see if they have anything in the works with the DNC, if you don't feel like calling your former co-workers at the DNC. Because that might just be something to do instead of criticize first.

As an activist I would hope that most activists ask as they did with Trippi and Dean --- "How can I help?" and then criticize and work to correct.

by marsblog on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 01:44:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

Meant to be posted under Jerome's post.

by marsblog on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 01:45:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (3.00 / 2)

If you want to point toward something that the DNC has asked activists to get involved with for the Virginia and New Jersey campaigns, do it.

The point is, there is nothing engaging the activists who are outside the state and willing to help.

The point isn't that, because I have access, I should be able to find out if anything is happening. Sure, I can, so what.

The RNC is very public about doing something to help, and the DNC isn't doing anything that the activist can see. If my little rant gets you riled up to do something about it other than attack the messenger, great.

7000 calls from a 4 million list is a lot more than 0 calls from a 3 million list; and you can be damn sure that if the DNC engaged the activists for the VA and NJ elections, we'd get a heeck of a lot more.

I sure as hell won't be laughing if the margin of difference is smaller than such an effort yields.

by Jerome Armstrong on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 02:45:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

If you want to point toward something that the DNC has asked activists to get involved with for the Virginia and New Jersey campaigns, do it.

Here:http://www.kaine2005.org/news/articles/20050414.php

Here:http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/09/put_tim_kaine_o.php

And I am sure there is more in the works. I e-mailed the DNC and the Kaine campaign to ask myself, and I will report back. something you might try before repeating the MSM tlaking points that they are so much better than us.

The point is, there is nothing engaging the activists who are outside the state and willing to help.

There is nothing on this site either. The only call for helping Kaine comes from your commenters. You talk about polls and endorse lots of other people, but not a single one of your posts asks people to give time or money to Kaine.

Stop ranting and do soemthing.

The point isn't that, because I have access, I should be able to find out if anything is happening. Sure, I can, so what.

So find out before you jump out and criticize.

That is so what. Be accurate. You worked on the Dean casmpaign you must know somebody to talk to them and give them your ideas on how to help in VA, have you done that? It'd be far more damning if you did.

I am not attacking the messenger, I am attacking the message.

The message of the circle firing squad mentality that has been part of your DLC boss' world when Dean ran for DLC Chair. Do something and stop claiming that a race is going to be lost because you don't like how the DNC is working with the Kaine campaign ($5 Mil., organizers, media, and I am sure the campaign can explain more). You work for the Gov. of Virginia do something about it.

So you praise a lackluster effort by the RNC to do something and then attack the DNC. Go help your friends at the DNC - you worked for Dean.

And guess what I am doing a lot more than this rant does for the race, I am sure of that.

First, we don't need the help in NJ. You know that. Second, does the Kaine campaign want Dean to ask for 3 Million people to call Virginians? Think about asking them that? Maybe it's not the DNC. Show me your proof that it is. Or maybe they are doing that, and plan on getting way more than 7,000. My point is go ask them instead of rant, and if they aren't then say that.

I sure as hell won't be laughing if the margin of difference is smaller than such an effort yields.

Why would you be laughing in the first place? That doesn't even make sense.

by marsblog on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 03:35:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

That $5 million was a promise made by Terry McAuliffe, and to date, only $1.5 million has been given to Kaine, back at the beginning of the year. What are they waiting for, some DC media consultant to figure out how to get a 15% commission on the ad buys (which is all the money is gonna go to this late anyway)?

Look, that page the you put up a link to of the DNC's shows just how pathetic the effort has been. A text file for slapping on a fundraising graphic? Same old ATM shit. No wonder it has 0 Comments.

by Jerome Armstrong on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 04:26:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

actually it looks like (none / 0)

that graphic has 7 links on it and only one is to a donation page. there are links to the kaine site, their blog, their volunteer page, and the other two statewides in VA. why isnt that graphic on the side of mydd.com?

by prouddem on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 12:34:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

Look, that page the you put up a link to of the DNC's shows just how pathetic the effort has been. A text file for slapping on a fundraising graphic? Same old ATM shit.
You mean like this kind of ATM
and this one

The "netrootz" is not taking over the DNC... I'd give to the RNC first than to this beard for the DLC/NDN.

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 06:46:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

And I suppose that would be Dean's fault?

Where is the DGA...why aren't you faulting them?

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 06:32:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

Who says people outside for out the state are interested in electing a anti-woman fundamentalist???? Perhaps they are in that groups of millions clamoring to elect Casey from out of state....

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 06:49:26 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

Tim Kaine is NOT anti-woman. He's the candidate who has consistently and repeatedly said that he would veto legislation criminalizing abortion in Virginia. He's a civil rights lawyer who fought for families to be able to move into any neighborhood regardless of their color or creed and stuck it to insurance companies who charged more to insure property in black neighborhoods. His health care position specifically calls for improved access to health care for women and better access to contraception.

by redsoxkangaroo on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 12:29:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

I mean no offense either, but I too am sick and tired of all the criticism aimed at the Democratic party and Democratic officials. It's perpetual gloom and doom. We kill our own with our constant carping and leave everyone even more demoralized. To hell with that. Figure out a plan and implement it.

by not4bushwa on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 07:44:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Missed opportunity (none / 0)

This is just a set up...

Dean has done a better than expected job in reagrds to organization and fundraising... they are just nitpicking.... I wonder why... sounds like someone wants Dean's Chairmanship ... and is under the delusion that "real" people in the blogoshpere want the DNC to become and extension of the DLC/NDN.

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 06:54:11 AM EST
[ Parent ]

How to help Virginia Dems (none / 0)

Yes, Dems have a long way to go ...
So what can you non-Virginian's do to help?

Give Monetary Contributions on-line today!

http://www.kaine2005.org

http://www.lesliebyrne.org

Volunteer to help in any way you can for a Virginia candidate's campaign

http://vavictory2005.org

by odonnell2006 on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 01:42:53 PM EST

Re: How to help Virginia Dems (none / 0)

Exactly, go do this now!

by marsblog on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 01:44:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]

How did Paul Hackett enlist blogosphere help? (none / 0)

How come eithe Kaine didnot reach out or whydid Act Blue not reach to Kaine?

by jasmine on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 03:36:56 PM EST

Re: How did Paul Hackett enlist blogosphere help? (none / 0)

They have, the blogs have yet to respond. Maybe we can change that.

by marsblog on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 03:46:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: How did Paul Hackett enlist blogosphere help? (none / 0)

where?

by gina on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 03:59:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: How did Paul Hackett enlist blogosphere help? (none / 0)

DFA was the first to send out an email to it mailing list of over one million...

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 06:55:05 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: How did Paul Hackett enlist blogosphere help? (none / 0)

thanks

by gina on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 08:22:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Dismal (3.00 / 1)

Many of the State Dem Parties cannot even get themselves together to support local candidates, let alone push for help from the DNC.

Here in NM, the State Party is doing things like paying a certain "consultant" in DC more than $46,000 for help in "lobbying the DNC." Um, except there's no contract or requirements spelled out for services and the consulting firm named doesn't exist. And the "consultant" is a slime that most upper echelon Party types won't even associate with anymore.

Despite strong efforts by a large number of new State Central Committee members and ward and precinct chairs, neither our State nor County Parties are doing diddly squat. They don't even follow their own rules in conducting meetings or business. At the State Party, good staffers are forced to leave because they are so ill-used and disrespected, while the hacks who are friends with the State Party Chair and the Governor remain.

Perhaps the most difficult question to answer about Party rebuilding and revamping is where do we start. From what I can see, the entire structure from top to bottom is a dungheap of incompetency and graft.

Visit my blog Democracy for New Mexico

by barbwire on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 04:01:05 PM EST

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

That's interesting, who is the consultant? I wonder if they are on the DNC payroll too.

by Jerome Armstrong on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 04:18:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

Gimme a freaking break...you cite Trippi ... Mr. 13% share of multimillion dollar adbuys for the worst ever campaign ads...then you attack the DNC... this is going beyond the pale...

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 06:34:38 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

Parker, let me apologize for in any way not meeting your expectations but this meme you are continuing of 13% media consulting is just not true. It has been long established thaty I made $167,000 over the 13 months I worked on the Dean Campaign. It is not chump change but it is also not 13% of the media either.

The fact is also that the media firm that did produce the ads for Dean for America is still in existence as McMahon, Squier and Associates and continues to this day as the consultants to Dean and the to the DNC I wish them well. I ran the campaign -- they produced the media.

I am currently working against The Arnold in California -- against his special election initiatives. Against the Pharmaceutical companies on Prop 78.

by JoeTrippi on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 04:47:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

Joe, you are saying that Trippi, McMahon, Squier and Associates did NOT get a percentage from the ads created for Dean?

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Tue Sep 27, 2005 at 02:25:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

First of all Trippi, McMahon & Squier received 7% not 15% or 13%.

Second of all it was on the Grassroots Express (our campaign plane during the Sleepless Summer Tour) that Governor Dean said that he did not have an agreement with me about money and that he did not want to begin buying time without one in place. This was in Aug/Sept of 2003 after I had been in Burlington for 7 or 8 months without ever taking a pay check from the campaign.

My response was "Governor I am doing this because I believe in what we are doing -- I don't want any money -- not a cent" I was never paid by the campaign. And the last check I received from Trippi, McMahon & Squier was on December 31st 2003. So all the time bought in January and February etc of 2004 (the bulk of the time bought) whatever the percentage was -- not one penny went to me -- and when I left the firm -- I told them I did not want any of that money -- PERIOD.

Thirdly anyone who thinks it was humanly possible for someone to run the campaign, the Internet and also produce the television is out of their mind -- I had my hands full as it was.

McMahon & Squier produced the ads -- I ran the campaign.

They remain Dean's and the DNC's consultants. I wish them all well -- but I did not do the Dean campaign for money -- the opposite is true. Blast me all you want -- but not for that.

by JoeTrippi on Wed Sep 28, 2005 at 12:39:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

According to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, more than $7 million went to advertising. That figure doesn't include a reported $3 million in television ads spent in battleground states like Iowa and New Hampshire over the last month.

So what is 7% of 10 million?

McMahon & Squier produced the ads --

Wow.... and I guess you being the MANEGER of the campaign had NO INPUT... this is sadder than I thought. Better you say nothing, it will at least leave people with their illusions of you.

At the end of the day when divorce was nearing between Dean and you... do you /wanna know why /people picked Dean... because he did not do this whiny finger pointing shit like you. He did not go to the papers and say it was your fault or the ad makers fault... and any blame he did do was not for media consumption only what the former "in crowd" has kissed and told.

At the end I saw something I had never seen before in the Democratic Party... a true fighter. Dean took so many blows, it hurt just to watch them attack him on tv. He did not do that so he could have the biggest blog, or get more corporate lobbying contracts.... he did it for me.

That is why when the dust has finally settled Dean still has a posse... and you are shacked up with Rosenberg... the epitome of every thing Dean was fighting against and evertything I fight against... a greedy corporatist who would sell his mother to make a buck... if you haven't figured why Dean is Dean and Trippi is Trippi yet, it is called.

INTEGRITY

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Thu Sep 29, 2005 at 05:47:56 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

Parker -- I am not placing blame -- I am denying that I made 13% of the campaign's media buy. That is all I am doing.

Of course I knew what was going on the air -- As did the Governor. Fault me all you want for that. Blame me for the failure of the campaign -- that is all fair game. But I did not work on the campaign for money. That is all I am trying to say and nothing more.

Thanks.

by JoeTrippi on Thu Sep 29, 2005 at 10:54:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

One last thing -- you don't know me, and you do not know Simon Rosenberg. Jerome knows me and he knows Simon. If he said I lacked integrity that would mean something.

You are wrong about Simon Rosenberg -- he is one of the few people in Washington in our party who gets what MyDD and netroots are all about. If Jerome were to disagree that would mean something -- he knows Simon.

I'll let my integrity stand with those that know me.

by JoeTrippi on Thu Sep 29, 2005 at 11:10:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

Simon just sold out the unions... to lobby for a cable company... NO INTEGRITY.

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Oct 03, 2005 at 05:21:08 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

I'd rather not post it publicly. If I knew your email address, I'd tell you privately.

Visit my blog Democracy for New Mexico

by barbwire on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 12:57:50 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

send it to me at email -at- mydd.com

by Jerome Armstrong on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 02:42:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

Hmmm, that is interesting. Where is Richardson on this?

by marsblog on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 04:27:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Dismal (none / 0)

He claimed he didn't know about it. And allegedly the "consultant" is now off the payroll, but got a final payment of $16,000.

Visit my blog Democracy for New Mexico

by barbwire on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 12:53:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Could you give us a name on that consultant? (none / 0)

This thread is so very sad, considering so many of us worked together last year. It is heartbreaking really.

by concerned democrat on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 01:17:16 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Kaine can use this to his advantage (none / 0)

It will lead people to believe that Kilgore relies on "foreign" (out of state) supporters, and in many state races that does not go over well. I wrote several dozen letters to voters in Iowa during the Dean campaign and recieved three responses, all critical of "outsiders" medling in their local affairs.

The people the Republicans are calling are Republicans who were going to vote for Kilgore anyway. So it's hard to see the benefit of enlisting outside help (these people operate off scripts and don't know Kilgore from Conrad Burns).

by HoosierJosh on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 04:12:10 PM EST

The out-of-state factor (none / 0)

Yes, this is something that has bothered me. Did using out-of-state volunteers help Howard Dean? I'm always worried about canvassing and calling Southern Democrats when I'm so damn Yankee--although as a New Englander I mean something different by that term than Southerners do.

by Abby on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 05:14:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Kaine can use this to his advantage (none / 0)

Yes, I'm skeptical that thousands of phone calls from out-of-state people will help Kilgore much. The hard-core GOP voters will be activated anyway, and the undecideds/swings could easily be turned off by getting a call from some idiot who doesn't know a thing about VA politics.

That said, there's no question that the GOP kicks our ass on the ground game much more often than not. We need to get on the ball here.

John McCain: 100 years in Iraq "would be fine with me."

by desmoinesdem on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 06:48:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

First of all, thank you (none / 0)

for writing this post. We need help in Virginia.

consumer-voter polling to do media

I have to say I consider the use of consumer polling data to be a threat to privacy. But the larger point remains we need help here in Virginia. Those of you who have a blog can help us by posting about our candidates.

by Alice Marshall on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 08:12:45 PM EST

If anyone wonders why (none / 0)

elected Democrats are relunctant to take progressive stands the answer is this year's Lt. Gov. race in Virginia. Leslie Byrne is a pro-labor, pro-environment, pro-civil rights Democrat. It she wins the conversation in this country will change overnight. If progressives would post about her campaign instead of whining about Liberman, Hillary Clinton, et al they could move the conversation dramaticaly to the left.

You can be sure establishment Democrats have noticed the silence. If we do not defend our friends we won't have any.

by Alice Marshall on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 09:16:18 PM EST

Yes progressives need to support Leslie (3.00 / 1)

The progressive banner in the statewide ticket in Virginia this year is being carried by Leslie Byrne.

I fought for her in the primary and am working to get her elected because she "...is a pro-labor, pro-environment, pro-civil rights Democrat."
who will protect our individual right to make our own health care choices, and has even provided leadership on how to address transportation issues.

Want to help ... she needs $ for the final campaign push to victory ... and no she is not getting much help ...check out

http://www.vpap.org/cands/cand_index.cfm?ToKey=COM01010

http://www.lesliebyrne.org/site/PageServer

by odonnell2006 on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 10:50:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

This can always backfire, especially for Dems (none / 0)

Dean's campaign imploded because of the swath of out-of-state college leftwingers roaming around the button-down Iowa. Rightly or wrongly, the old-style labor-type Democrats from IA were actually going to vote for Dean but were turned off by the bulbousness of the Dean volunteers.

An eighty year old lifelong Democrat doesn't need to be told who to vote for by some sanctimonious tongue-ringed vegan college kid. Because of this, they deserted Dean for Kerry and Edwards in droves. Dean was an idiot. And I say this as an ardent Dean supporter. I still love him.

Rest assured, Hillary WILL NOT make this mistake.

McCain is defining Obama, and Obama is neither defining himself, nor McCain. This is awful.

by jgarcia on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 10:32:08 PM EST

Re: This can always backfire, especially for Dems (none / 0)

That's BS. I don't buy it at all that the Deaniacs costed Dean the election. His numbers were falling a week before the Deaniacs arrived over the weekend.

by Jerome Armstrong on Sun Sep 25, 2005 at 11:17:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: This can always backfire, especially for Dems (none / 0)

You're right. The Deaniacs in general (which I was one of) DID NOT cost Howard the election. However, it was the certain young college-type Deaniacs who swarmed into Iowa and who were very loud and very pushy. And who did not dress appropriately for the Iowa area. Many elderly Iowa Democratic voters thought that a lot of Dean supporters were "weirdos" from their point of view. That is not my opinion, but the opinion of many Iowa voters.

That was my point.

McCain is defining Obama, and Obama is neither defining himself, nor McCain. This is awful.

by jgarcia on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 12:18:54 AM EST
[ Parent ]

This is bullshit (none / 0)

The myth that Dean's volunteers cost him Iowa, or anything else, is part of the package of bullshit about the Dean campaign.

Remember, it wasn't enough for the Democratic Old Guard to defeat Dean the candidate, they have to defeat Dean the idea of a candidate, along with anyone who might look for someone or something outside of their system. Believe me, they are still working on it.

Just how many Iowa voters were you in touch with during the campaign?

Did you know that 'voters' and 'caucus attendees' are two very different groups of people?

Have you ever been to Iowa for the presidential caucuses? Have you ever worked on a presidential campaign?

Every campaign in Iowa has people from out of state. John Kerry had firefighters from Chicago, for example. There are not enough volunteers in the state to do the job. The vast majority of people have nothing to do with the caucuses.

Every campaign that fails gets slammed, and often for things that didn't really happen. Every campaign that wins is praised as skilled and well-executed, even when the reasons it succeeded are nebulous.

And once TV reporters get an idea in their heads, or once their news directors give them the script, they don't have a problem finding some one to interview who will support the script.

by James Earl on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 02:30:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: This is bullshit (none / 0)

I agree. From my perspective on the ground in Iowa (mind you I had a camera on at all times) the good mid-western Democrats were happy to see some kids involved with the process but the idea that it was just kids is a myth. Beyond the regular rabble-rousers of any campaign, the people canvassing in Iowa were from ALL age groups and didn't look anything different from the other republicans I interviewed. The one thing that warned people not to answer their doors by peering out was the flourescent orange hats. I'm not sure who's idea that one was but at least nobody got shot because it may have been deer season.

All the journalists I talked to DAYS before the Perfect Storm strategy hit were already chatting up the script that Kerry and Edwards were fighting back...somebody made a poll to prove it and the script was on. People who go to caucuses started to tune in a couple weeks before the actual vote in Iowa and all they saw were attacks by dems and repubs on Dean, and a lack luster response. Meanwhile, the infighting had already soured some of the key people we needed to address the real problems we had, apparently, internally. But then again, what do I know? I was an "outsider" working on a film about grassroots politics. Dean did things as he saw fit too and the Perfect Storm split in two.

And yes, the same stereotypes about the Dean camp are still being used today to distort the reality that Democrats are going to need YEARS to compete on the same level with Republicans again. I'll take Hillary over Bush desperately, but we can't let desperation fool us again into thinking a leader who wins in a popularity contest is going to help us get control of our system back from the people who pay the most to influence it.

Directing thegrassrootsmovie.com

by HE on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 02:36:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

really? (none / 0)

isn't trippi on record saying that he thinks that was a huge factor?

by prouddem on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 12:36:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: really? (none / 0)

Joe knew we were going to lose Iowa all along. He told me the same thing in May, September, and January. The idea that it somehow was Dean's to lose was a fiction based on polling that included way to many voters who were not caucus goers. Now, Dean, on the otherhand, at least the night of the election (pre-speech), thought the grassroots blew it for him.

by Jerome Armstrong on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 07:03:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: really? (none / 0)

You have just broken my illusion of the Great Dean... I will never see him in the same light... Just to get even with Dean for "stringing me on" and letting me believe he was so great....I think I will now follow the pathway lead by the DLC/NDN....

NOT

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 07:24:42 AM EST
[ Parent ]

If I remember correctly Kerry's internals showed.. (none / 0)

a commpetitive race all along and also their was the fact that Kerry was also nearly everyone's second choice so he got alot of votes that way.

It's too bad he didn't decide to follow Kennedy's habit of taking emphtamines that way maybe he could of actually excited some people instead of putting them to sleep.

by strrbr on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 12:15:36 AM EST

How in the hell is this Dean's fault? (none / 0)

That is really a low blow and totally un called for. Dean inherited crap from MacAuliffe the Clintons were very happy to have weak state parties giving them more control in Washington.

Dean is having to start from zero in most states to bring up to par where the RND was 6 years ago...

Reciting Trippi's name isn't going to promote your cause ..unless you are advocating for big percentage consultancy cuts for lackluster crappy media outlays.

And the "Out of state" calling was not the "genius" Trippi's idea it came from the blog from people who where willing to go hunger to get Dean elected...

That "Dean family" has been battered and torn to pieces and mouths ductaped. And frankly ...I doubt you are going to see that kind of motivitation for yet another anti-woman fundalmentalist Demcrat to get elected... 40 times bitten, 41st times shy.

Perhaps... you should help Dean activate the state dem apparatus...

And if you think that handing this over to the bought and paid for netroots crowd... then think again... the boys have been very dissapointing

Besides telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, die, the GOP has done a fine job of getting gov't out of our lives.

by Parker on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 02:42:04 AM EST

Re: How in the hell is this Dean's fault? (none / 0)

Dean has been DNC chair for what - 8 months? That's either a long time or a short time, depending on how you look at it. But it's NOT too long to figure out that helping Virginia Democrats is part of the job. Sending out an email to the DNC list asking it for money or whatever else for Tim Kaine is not rocket science. It's really quite simple - it may be ATM politics, but it's better than nothing. The "$5 Million" that is really, as far as Kaine's reports show, is just $1.5 so far, is nice - and for that he has Terry McAuliffe to thank.

My question is this: Where is the 50 state strategy leading when there is no visible support for Democrats in the two states that have elections this year?

I'll be the first to acknowledge that Dean has inherited a huge number of hacks - but his internet strategy is not one of the areas in which he's let himself be tied down with old commitments. It's his to own.

by redsoxkangaroo on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 12:40:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Why did VA get 5 million anyway? (none / 0)

Isn't that a lot for one state to get as a chair leaves office and a new one comes in? McAuliffe did that at the last minute, too. Other states are not getting 5 million by any stretch.

Just wondering.

by concerned democrat on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 01:35:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: How in the hell is this Dean's fault? (none / 0)

Maybe he is being tied down by the other commitments, it is not like the internet team on most campaigns can do whatever they want.

by marsblog on Mon Sep 26, 2005 at 06:43:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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