Do you agree with Howard Dean's 50 state strategy?

[Hawaii Hiker]

Look, I was a Dean guy in 2004, & this country would be 10,000x better off if he were president...I wish Dean was running for re-election in 2008....

But I tend to agree with the Congressional Democrats, in that it is a waste to spend money in the reddest of the red states....I think money should be concentrated heavily in closely contested states....

"While the election is still 16 months away, candidate recruiting is now in full swing. If you intend to run for Congress, your bank account should be bulging by January 2008 or you are in trouble. These numbers must look frightening to Ensign and Cole. The Democrats lead in Senate money by 3x and the House committee picture is even worse, with the NRCC having greater debts than it has cash on hand. The only good sign for the Republicans is that the RNC has 5x as much money on hand as the DNC. The reason for this difference is not that Howard Dean is poor at raising money. On the contrary, he is quite good at it, but he wants to have the Democrats compete in all 50 states so he is spending money at a high clip. The Congressional Democrats are extremely angry with Dean for "wasting" money on hopeless states like Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Dean's reply is: "All four of these states have Democratic governors." But even counting the DNC and RNC money, the Democrats hold an almost 2:1 edge, a reversal of historical patterns where the Republicans always led in the money".

http://electoral-vote.com/

[Pale Blue Dot]

1. Yeah, because it failed so miserably in '06.

Howard Dean and his "50 state strategy" is the main reason we hold the House and Senate now. We made advances in state legislatures in almost every state.

Once again, conservative "Democrats" are more interested in proving Dean wrong than in using a proven strategy that has been shown to work.

[TeamJordan23]

5. Agree, we are making inroads in a lot of red states as can be exemplified in 06 elections. nm

[asthmaticeog]

2. I agree with Dean's strategy.

We're not going to win by writing anyone off. There are moderates in the supposedly reddest states who can be swayed. Especially now that the Republican Party's deficiencies are being laid bare. We need to win a congressional supermajority as well taking back the executive branch. We stand a better chance at doing that by not blowing off any state. The complainers are probably griping because they want more loot for their own war chests.

Edit: typo

[pstans]

3. I agree with the 50 State Strategy

A strong progressive message can win anywhere.

[Joanne98]

4. I agree with the 50 state strategy 100% The fiercest fighters are surrounded

by Red! It's worth the valuable intel too! The locals always know what's really going on. The thugs leadership are all in "safe" seats. The Dean strategy let's us develop resistance cells right in the heart of enemy territory.

[billyoc]

6. Imagine living in a red state

and going to the polls on election day with a real desire for change.

And seeing no change available. :grr:

[Demeter]

7. There Are NO Red States Left

according to recent polls, and I think that we can thank Dick, George, and ESPECIALLY the Good Doctor, who provided those states with real alternatives to the status quo!

I just spent some time trying to find the latest data on this--it showed all states in shades of blue with the exceptions of Utah and Idaho, I think. And they were rather pale pink. I can't find it, but I did see it within the past 3 months.

We may be more than pleasantly surprised, if elections are held in 2008 (that would be a pleasant surprise in itself!).

[bigwillq]

8. I agree with it 100 percent

:bounce:

We wouldn't have won Congress this past election if not for that strategy.

[MaineDem]

9. I absolutely agree with it! n/t

[WatchWhatISay]

10. I totally believe in the 50 state strategy

and I live in Texas. Yes much of the money spent will not produce immediate results, but it is crucial to the long haul that we not just lay down and die.

As red as Texas is, remember that Ann Richards was governer here just 13 years ago. And the increase in Hispanic voters over the coming years will change things too, especially if Republicans continue their current crusade against illegal aliens crossing only our southern border.

[FogerRox]

11. I've worked in campaign field operations

'72 George McGovern: vol.

Paid positions

'04 Kerry/Edwards
'05 Corzine for Governor
'06 Tom Wyka for congress
'06 Menendez for Senate
'07 Kids Fiirst school board ticket

'05 Camp Wellstone grad.

A friend of mine recently ran the campaign of Jeff Grazel for council. in a Republican town Moris, NJ. Jeff won, 1st dem in over 30 yrs.. Jeff won because he had the better ground game: campaign fields ops. Carol Shea Porter won in '06 in NH 1st CD, she was outspent by the incumbant 3 to one. But the ground game won out, one incumbant repub down and out.

Without an understanding of how the ground game wins elections, I dont see one could argue against the 50 state plan. Except from ignorance.

[alfredo]

12. Yes, it forced the Reps to defend seats in states where they haven't had

to spend time and money. It put them on the defense. Instead of pouring money into the swing states, they had to run around stamping out fires in what they thought were safe areas.

[madfloridian]

13. And who has the obscene amounts of money? Ask yourself. Read this.

Dean's fundraising is just about equal to the other Dem groups. He is spending more right now on the states and poltical directors. Here are the fundraising totals for 2006, and you will see is right up there with the others.

http://www.politicalmoneyline.com/cgi-win/x_partysummary.exe?DoFn=&sYR=2006

And then ask yourself who is not getting the big money.

That should answer your question.

The state parties are being built up for the future. 12 of them were in bankruptcy and had closed doors when Dean took over.

Florida was in bad financial shape. He helped bail them out.

And on and on.

Read this post from The Next Hurrah and get back to me.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/950

The candidates are rolling in dough, the congressional committees are attracting big business. Dean is the only one standing up for the rest of us by setting up a way to build from the bottom up.

But then everyone has choices. Looks like most of the progressives are not giving to the DNC at all....only to their candidates. It is all about 08 and little about the future.

[OHdem10]

29. Without the 50 state strategy, the Democratic Party would be

down the tubes.

I think people are going to find out --all this money
given to TV Stations is really money going down a rat
hole.

I know the last timethe Campaign commericials were the
programing. Overkill. People will not pay attention.
OH Well, it takes the Beltway a few years to catch up
with what is going on in the country.

We need the state parties and state activists in constant
contact with the voters.

Howard Dean is working hard to get our party competitive in
each state..

[davidwparker]

14. Yes

[Fovea]

15. in case you didnt notice

Kansas is flipping blue.
Yeah, i think the 50 state strategy works.

[Bryan]

16. The 50-state strategy makes sense in the long term

because it builds party infrastructure, and the more infrastructure is in place, the better the party can respond to shifts in demographic and voting patterns. Just because a state is reliably Republican now, doesn't mean it will be in two to five years.

[wyldwolf]

17. yes and no

Many state and local parties became apathetic and then fell into disrepair during the 50+ years of almost perpetual Democratic congressional control. In an era were the GOP is much more competitive than they were in the 30s - 80s, money has to be raised to rebuild.... BUT... I don't believe in doing it at the expense of campaigns we can win when just a little more cash might make the difference.

[madfloridian]

18. His plan was one million giving 20 a month to change we way we campaigned.

Can you imagine if his dream had worked?

I know who can raise big money....Harold Ford..preferred by Carville and Schoen and Rahm. OR Simon Rosenberg who has a great group called the NDN which is the PAC for the DLC. He can raise big money.

Up to us, isn't it?

[Va Lefty]

19. Yes, I think it is investing in the future

Younger voters are skewing Democratic, same with Hispanics and Independents. We need to be competitive everywhere.

[madfloridian]

20. The other option is to let the same guys pick the same states...

and handpick the candidates.

If you think that is great, ok.

[tbyg52]

21. Absolutely. nt

[caseycoon]

22. Absolutely agree with Dean

Especially now that so many republicans are disgusted with Bushco.

[polichick]

23. Laura Flanders talks about Dem movements in red states...

...in her book BLUE GRIT. I've always been in favor of Dean's 50-state strategy, and I feel even stronger about it after reading that book.

[TSIAS]

24. Pretty much

Of course, some Congressional districts are so lobsided that it's nearly impossible to win. But we showed in 2006 that there are pockets in red states like Indiana and Kentucky where we definitely can compete.

[madfloridian]

25. Heck, he's even heading to Pocatello, Idaho. It gives hope where there has been none.

And eventually the hope will be something to build on.

http://www.idahostatejournal.com/articles/2007/07/04/news/breaking/news01.txt

Howard Dean visit set
POCATELLO - Howard Dean, a former presidential candidate and current chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is scheduled to speak in the Gate City

Aug. 8.
Dean, who says that Democrats need to be active in all 50 states rather than focusing on 'swing states,' is a former Vermont governor who gained national attention as an early front-runner in the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination.

He lost the primary to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry.
-- Advertisement --
John Foster, executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party, sees Dean's arrival as an exciting opportunity for Idaho Democrats.

''I think it's fantastic. It shows Idaho is important to the Democratic party,'' he said. ''Democrats can win here like they have done before and will do again.''
Idaho Democratic Party Chairman Richard Stallings, of Pocatello, said Dean's appearance will draw attention to Southeast Idaho and help state and local Democrats raise money.

''Given the problems that Mr. Bush has, this will give us an early start to next year's campaign season,'' Stallings said.

....Nonetheless, the negative media hype and presidential bid failure have not hurt Dean's career.
As the DNC chairman, Dean has gained respect for connecting with Republican states, an effort that has played a partial role in the victory of Democratic candidates in such conservative states as Kansas, Indiana and Montana.

Jacob Haeberle, acting chairman for the Bannock County Democrats, believes Dean's visit says a great deal about the strength of the Democratic party in Bannock County.
''I think it's an empowering and invigorating event that shows that the national party recognizes the potential of a state like Idaho,'' Haeberle said.

[AtomicKitten]

26. of course, but this isn't an either/or issue

There is, however, a concerted effort to pit one faction against another here at DU giving the false impression it was one strategy versus another when the truth is it was a combination of strategies employed by ALL involved that brought about the victory in 2006. Not nearly as dramatic as buying into the fractious posturing of some, but it is what it is.

[madfloridian]

27. The DNC brought in 28 million so far this year. Figures you have are misleading.

http://www.politicalmoneyline.com:80/cgi-win/x_partysummary.exe?DoFn=&sYR=2008

Compare the figures. DNC owes about half as much in debt as the other Dem groups according to this chart.

He has remained competitive with other Dem groups the whole time except in money in the bank...he is building infrastructure.

BTW look at the chart. What committees would give so much to the DSCC and DCCC but not to the DNC....just wondering what that meant.

[madfloridian]

28. Your link has Mike Duncan as RNC chair....Mel Martinez is RNC chair.

That is confusing.

[illinoisprogressive]

30. i totally agree with it. Dean has made the Dems strong again after being so weaken in the 90s

[ArkySue]

31. Short answer, yes!

Especially since I live in a purple state. Actually, Arkansas is the most blue of the Southern states.

[msongs]

32. Riverside CA - dems not even in the phone book!...

not in the black pages under any permutation, not even in the yellow pages under political...

sheesh, the repubs have a listing, the libertarians have a listing, the Lincoln Club has a listing.

to be fair though, our local elected dems IMO are nothing more than commodities bought and sold by developers in return for favorable votes on the developers' projects and use of imminent domain to steal property that is handed over to developers at dirt cheap prices (not even for the public good). Maybe they are ashamed to be in the phone book.

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[sampsonblk]

33. 50-state = long-term strategy

What you're talking about is putting all our efforts towards winning the next election. Problem with that is that in future years, we will be limited to roughly the same geography, because we won't have expanded our opportunities. We will keep fighting for the same districts over and over.

With Dean's 50-state strategy (aka common sense), we have a continuous effort to expand our party's opportunities. Our party is giving itself a chance to grow.

[AndyTiedye]

34. Hillary Clinton or Barak Obama for President IS NOT a 50 State Strategy

Either of them is an "Ohio or Bust" strategy.

The only way they can win is by winning the states Kerry won (all of them) plus Ohio.

Does anybody really expect Clinton or Obama to pick up ANY electoral votes from the South or the Plains?
Not gonna happen.

[Hawaii Hiker]

35. Ohio is important, but NOT a must

I think Demcorats need to do well in the interior west areas as states like New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Missouri are certainly capable of going blue in 2008...If these 4 go blue, & of course assuming the Democratic nominee holds on to the Kerry states, then it's game-set-match Democrat in the WH 1/21/09.....

The Democrats can certainly win in 08 even if they fair poorly in the south & lose Ohio...

[AndyTiedye]

40. New Mexico, Maybe

Unfortunately, that's not enough.

[Stinky The Clown]

36. I support Chairman Dean and his 50 state strategy

He's turned purple to blue and red to purple.

Winning those coveted Senate seats in those red state means we have to start with winning the small, local offices in those red states.

This strategy also means that the short term success gained through triangulation will no be needed. The wins will be honest and based on the citizens' voting (assuming the voting process is safe and secure).

[Virginian]

37. We wouldn't have a Democratic Senator without it.

In 2004 I had to write in a name, cast a null vote or vote for the unopposed Republican Senator from my state.

Without The 50 state strategy, the same would have been true in 2006. Instead, we got ourselves a damn good senator by the name of Jim Webb.

[Arugula Latte]

38. Yes. Make them fight everywhere. Everywhere.

Cede nothing. Build the party. Make inroads. Win some races once thought unwinnable.

[jillan]

39. Kinda makes you believe in fate.

There was a reason why Dean wasn't elected for Prez.

He was needed to get the DNC in shape.

[avrdream]

41. Completely agree with it .....

and have put my money where my mouth is to support it.

Ultimately, I hope there aren't any red states left.

[venable]

42. Yes, and this is but one reason why Edwards (or Richardson or Dodd) must be the nominee

these three can run in all states.