They Finally Get It, But They Are Still Missing The Platform
(Cross-posted at The New Asylum at TownHall.com)
The Democrats finally understand that Howling Mad Howie Dean was not the right choice for the DNC leadership position. The WaPo highlights a major effort at the grass-roots level to undermine Dean's insane idea of leading the Democratic Party to a victory in 2006:
Top Democrats are increasingly concerned that they lack an effective plan to turn out voters this fall, creating tension among party leaders and prompting House Democrats to launch a fundraising effort aimed exclusively at mobilizing Democratic partisans.
At a meeting last week, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) criticized Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean for not spending enough party resources on get-out-the-vote efforts in the most competitive House and Senate races, according to congressional aides who were briefed on the exchange. Pelosi -- echoing a complaint common among Democratic lawmakers and operatives -- has warned privately that Democrats are at risk of going into the November midterm elections with a voter-mobilization plan that is underfunded and inferior to the proven turnout machine run by national Republicans.
The Senate and House campaign committees are creating their own get-out-the-vote operations instead, using money that otherwise would fund television advertising and other election-year efforts. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) -- who no longer speaks to Dean because of their strategic differences -- is planning to ask lawmakers and donors to help fund a new turnout program run by House Democrats. He recruited Michael Whouley, a specialist in Democratic turnout, to help oversee it.
"I am not waiting for anyone anymore who said they were going to" build a turnout operation, Emanuel said. "It has got to be done."
Many Democrats said that despite a favorable political climate and record-setting fundraising, the campaign to recapture the House and Senate could fall short if the organizational problems persist. "What the party really needs is to get serious about local, volunteer-based" operations, said Jack Corrigan, a longtime Democratic operative. "The last-minute, throw-money-at-it approach . . . does not really solve the fundamental failure to organize that is there. The DNC is moving in the right direction, but needs to do more, fast," he said.
Democrats consider the 2006 elections their best chance in a decade to recapture the House, with widespread unease over Iraq and with Republicans lagging in polls. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (N.Y.), who would become chairman of the Ways and Means Committee if Democrats picked up the 15 seats needed to regain the majority, said in an interview yesterday that he will quit Congress if the party does not capitalize on an unparalleled opportunity.
Democrats' organizing has been slowed by a philosophical dispute between Dean, who argues that the party needs to rebuild its long-term infrastructure nationwide while trying to win back the House and Senate, and congressional Democrats, who want to use party resources for an all-out push this fall.
Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is less concerned about the Dean approach than House leaders are. "We are obviously concerned," a senior Senate Democratic strategist said, but Schumer moved ahead two months ago with a plan to fortify get-out-the-vote operations in 15 states, including targeting disgruntled Republicans. Democrats sympathetic to Dean said Emanuel and Pelosi are trying to blame the DNC chief in case they do not win back the House.
In a letter sent to Democrats on Monday, Dean said: "We've got a big secret . . . and it is going to help us win." He asked Democratic donors for $25 a month to fund mobilization programs nationwide. "What many people do not realize is that . . . we are turning our operation into a 50-state, get-out-the-vote effort."
Many Democrats are not convinced. "We are concerned in certain parts of the country, and that is why we want to have this insurance policy" of the DCCC effort run by Whouley, said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.).
Ever seen an animal with two heads? They cannot exist. One will live, and one will die, OR both will die. The elected leaders of the Democratic Party know that their record fundraising will not serve them well enough to win back the House or the Senate. They need a platform, and that is something they lack. Take a look at the platform that the GOP will be running on this year because they know it is the right course of action:
Win The War
Confirm the Judges
Cut The Taxes
Control The Spending
Secure The Border
Those are the five issues driving the GOP's campaigns this year. Senator John Kyl has been hammering on Jim Pederson in Arizona on all five points. That is why John Kyl is wholloping Mr. Pederson by a full 18 points. Orrin Hatch (UT) is murdering Ashdown by over 40 points. Senator George Allen (VA) is beating James Webb "like a bongo drum" by 16 points. Our platform is working.
However we are not walking around with rose-colored glasses. We know that Senator Rick Santorum is facing a tough challenge, and trails in the recent polls. Mike DeWine is also trailing in the polls. WE are not saying that disaster for the GOP will not occur, and has no possibility. It does, and that is why we are working with candidates, and getting the word out about them.
But by comparison, the Democrats are practically starting from scratch. They put their trust in Howie, and there was no reciprocation. He has made asinine statements since ascending to Terry McAuliffe's empty chair. He has repeatedly rubbed the party's elected officials the wrong way. And he simply does not listen to his base. As a leader, he stinks. So the Democrats had to make this sort of move. They had to start the move towards the election, which Howie still thinks they are not ready to do.
The base knows it has three months to organize. They are doing what they need to do. Howard Dean would prefer to allude to "secret weapons" in fundraising letters that are not going to appeal to anyone in their base. The GOP is constantly accused of having an uninformed base. But it is the Democrats that have still not told their base what they stand for. We know what the GOP stands for, and what platform they are standing on. Getting organized is a good thing for the Democrat base to do, but they may also have to provide a platform for the party.
And if the leaders--Kerry, Clinton, Kennedy, Schumer, Pelosi, Boxer, Biden, etc.--disagrees with the base will the base be thrown under the bus like Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller were?
Marcie
(Cross-posted at The New Asylum at TownHall.com)
The Democrats finally understand that Howling Mad Howie Dean was not the right choice for the DNC leadership position. The WaPo highlights a major effort at the grass-roots level to undermine Dean's insane idea of leading the Democratic Party to a victory in 2006:
Top Democrats are increasingly concerned that they lack an effective plan to turn out voters this fall, creating tension among party leaders and prompting House Democrats to launch a fundraising effort aimed exclusively at mobilizing Democratic partisans.
At a meeting last week, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) criticized Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean for not spending enough party resources on get-out-the-vote efforts in the most competitive House and Senate races, according to congressional aides who were briefed on the exchange. Pelosi -- echoing a complaint common among Democratic lawmakers and operatives -- has warned privately that Democrats are at risk of going into the November midterm elections with a voter-mobilization plan that is underfunded and inferior to the proven turnout machine run by national Republicans.
The Senate and House campaign committees are creating their own get-out-the-vote operations instead, using money that otherwise would fund television advertising and other election-year efforts. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) -- who no longer speaks to Dean because of their strategic differences -- is planning to ask lawmakers and donors to help fund a new turnout program run by House Democrats. He recruited Michael Whouley, a specialist in Democratic turnout, to help oversee it.
"I am not waiting for anyone anymore who said they were going to" build a turnout operation, Emanuel said. "It has got to be done."
Many Democrats said that despite a favorable political climate and record-setting fundraising, the campaign to recapture the House and Senate could fall short if the organizational problems persist. "What the party really needs is to get serious about local, volunteer-based" operations, said Jack Corrigan, a longtime Democratic operative. "The last-minute, throw-money-at-it approach . . . does not really solve the fundamental failure to organize that is there. The DNC is moving in the right direction, but needs to do more, fast," he said.
Democrats consider the 2006 elections their best chance in a decade to recapture the House, with widespread unease over Iraq and with Republicans lagging in polls. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (N.Y.), who would become chairman of the Ways and Means Committee if Democrats picked up the 15 seats needed to regain the majority, said in an interview yesterday that he will quit Congress if the party does not capitalize on an unparalleled opportunity.
Democrats' organizing has been slowed by a philosophical dispute between Dean, who argues that the party needs to rebuild its long-term infrastructure nationwide while trying to win back the House and Senate, and congressional Democrats, who want to use party resources for an all-out push this fall.
Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, is less concerned about the Dean approach than House leaders are. "We are obviously concerned," a senior Senate Democratic strategist said, but Schumer moved ahead two months ago with a plan to fortify get-out-the-vote operations in 15 states, including targeting disgruntled Republicans. Democrats sympathetic to Dean said Emanuel and Pelosi are trying to blame the DNC chief in case they do not win back the House.
In a letter sent to Democrats on Monday, Dean said: "We've got a big secret . . . and it is going to help us win." He asked Democratic donors for $25 a month to fund mobilization programs nationwide. "What many people do not realize is that . . . we are turning our operation into a 50-state, get-out-the-vote effort."
Many Democrats are not convinced. "We are concerned in certain parts of the country, and that is why we want to have this insurance policy" of the DCCC effort run by Whouley, said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Md.).
Ever seen an animal with two heads? They cannot exist. One will live, and one will die, OR both will die. The elected leaders of the Democratic Party know that their record fundraising will not serve them well enough to win back the House or the Senate. They need a platform, and that is something they lack. Take a look at the platform that the GOP will be running on this year because they know it is the right course of action:
Win The War
Confirm the Judges
Cut The Taxes
Control The Spending
Secure The Border
Those are the five issues driving the GOP's campaigns this year. Senator John Kyl has been hammering on Jim Pederson in Arizona on all five points. That is why John Kyl is wholloping Mr. Pederson by a full 18 points. Orrin Hatch (UT) is murdering Ashdown by over 40 points. Senator George Allen (VA) is beating James Webb "like a bongo drum" by 16 points. Our platform is working.
However we are not walking around with rose-colored glasses. We know that Senator Rick Santorum is facing a tough challenge, and trails in the recent polls. Mike DeWine is also trailing in the polls. WE are not saying that disaster for the GOP will not occur, and has no possibility. It does, and that is why we are working with candidates, and getting the word out about them.
But by comparison, the Democrats are practically starting from scratch. They put their trust in Howie, and there was no reciprocation. He has made asinine statements since ascending to Terry McAuliffe's empty chair. He has repeatedly rubbed the party's elected officials the wrong way. And he simply does not listen to his base. As a leader, he stinks. So the Democrats had to make this sort of move. They had to start the move towards the election, which Howie still thinks they are not ready to do.
The base knows it has three months to organize. They are doing what they need to do. Howard Dean would prefer to allude to "secret weapons" in fundraising letters that are not going to appeal to anyone in their base. The GOP is constantly accused of having an uninformed base. But it is the Democrats that have still not told their base what they stand for. We know what the GOP stands for, and what platform they are standing on. Getting organized is a good thing for the Democrat base to do, but they may also have to provide a platform for the party.
And if the leaders--Kerry, Clinton, Kennedy, Schumer, Pelosi, Boxer, Biden, etc.--disagrees with the base will the base be thrown under the bus like Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller were?
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 5:53 PM
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