WTF Happened to Deans 50 state strategy

[bigdarryl]

Looks like that totally went out the window this election

[msongs]

1. it was replaced by being bipartisan at any cost lol nt

[OHdem10]

2. The Centrist know better.

[Drunken Irishman]

23. lol do you even remember the 2006 election lol?

A great deal of our surge in 2006 was built on the backs of many conservative to moderate Democrats.

[Raine1967]

35. As much as I like Dean, this is truth.

A lot of people I knwo don;t like hearing this, but soemtimes the truth is hard to swallow.

The 50 state strategy included ALL dems -- including Conservadems.

[Exilednight]

36. I agree with that statement, but the new strategy excludes ...........

many liberal Dems.

Republicans are actually less likely to peel away conservadems than they are liberals. That may sound odd, but it's true. It's easier for repubs to peel away votes once elected from conservadems than they are from liberals. This gives them the look of bipartisans, while also staying conservative.

Don't get me wrong, they are targeting many conservadems, but the real meat to them is stripping away truly liberal seats.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. Looks like it's still there.

Only now it's losing in all 50 states. I keed, I keed.

[xchrom]

4. pat rahm down -- it's on him some where. nt

[madinmaryland]

5. It was replaced with a strategy of creating a new logo.

:shrug:

[leveymg]

6. He isn't DNC chair, anymore. Ask Tim Kaine about that. eom

[Recursion]

7. What makes you say it's gone?

We're running and funding candidates in every state.

[madfloridian]

9. The DCCC and DSCC do that. 50 state plan virtually stopped.

The DNC was helping to make the party strong in the states. It doesn't seem to be doing that anymore.

From Herding Donkeys:

"Despite locating OFA in the DNC, changing the Democratic Party didn't rank as Obama's foremost priority. He had more pressing problems on his plate—not least, digging the country out of its worst economic crisis in decades. In those critical days following the election, OFA opted largely to circumvent the party rather than enhance it. On November 5, 2008, the DNC's nearly 200 local organizers, the core of Dean's fifty-state strategy, awoke to the news that their contracts were expiring at the end of the month. The e-mail from headquarters called it a "bitter-sweet moment." When Obama's DNC reconstituted Dean's strategy a few months later, funding OFA staffers across the country took priority. Unlike the organizers hired under Dean, who worked to strengthen the party at the state and local level, the new Obama organizers were instructed to focus strictly on helping to pass the president's legislative agenda, forming a parallel structure to the existing party. "I'm not trying to build a bigger and better Democratic Party," says Colorado OFA director Gabe Lifton-Zoline.

...."Dean's strategy decentralized power away from Washington, but under Obama, Washington once again calls the shots. "The DNC is just not as energized and connected to local activism as it was under Howard Dean," says Margaret Johnson, former Democratic chair in Polk County, North Carolina. After the election, pundits predicted that Obama's DNC would launch a "fifty-state strategy on steroids," but in some places—especially outside the typical battlegrounds—it feels more like the fifty-state strategy on Ambien.

The state chairs now receive far less money than they did under Dean and are struggling to pay the bills. One chair called the $5,000 monthly stipend the state parties eventually got "money to shut us up." "If we had what we previously had," says Idaho state chair Keith Roark, "we'd be in far better shape." The gains of the fifty-state strategy are by no means permanent, the chairs warn, and can evaporate as quickly as they accumulated. Indeed, in Obama's first year, the party lost three straight major elections, in states the president had won by six, sixteen and twenty-six points. In Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts, Obama's "coalition of the ascendant"—blacks, Hispanics, young people—failed to turn out in large numbers for the Democratic candidates. With the midterms a month away, Democrats are struggling to defend vulnerable incumbents across the map."

[Recursion]

15. So, according to that, the 50 state plan became OFA

OFA certainly seems to email me a lot.

[madfloridian]

18. Yes, I think so.

The only strengthening of state parties now is OFA oriented, which only supports the president's policies.

I notice it especially in our area. There is almost no speaking out with varied ideas here anymore.

[KoKo]

40. Who is WE...are you a worker for the DNC? What qualifies you to say this?

:shrug:

[Recursion]

65. "We" being the Democratic party NT

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. In All Deference To Dean He Benefitted From An Anti-Republican Fervor

Will folks here say Michael Steele is a political maven if the Republicans do well.

Ojective conditions drive elections and not the other way around.

[JamesA1102]

37. Well said nt

[golfguru]

53. +100

[ProSense]

10. DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan

Update: DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan e-mails: "While there were nearly a half dozen blind quotes criticizing our strategy, we have elected to respond on the record to provide a semblance of balance to this story. This story and the concerns expressed by these strategists are based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the effort OFA and the DNC are engaged in. First, our strategy is based on turning out base and reliable as we would traditionally do, AND turning out those who would otherwise be 'fall off' voters from 2008. Turning out so called 'surge' voters is not exclusive of turning out our base. In fact, and second, our base and the surge voter population have high level of overlap. Of the 15 million first time voters in 2008, 30% were under 30 years old; a majority were minority voters. Third, in order to run an expanded turnout operation we have raised and committed more resources both in terms of money and manpower to do so. The DNC has raised a record $165 million this cycle so far, and has committed a total of $50 million to 2010 efforts. $20 million in transfers to state parties and campaign committees (this is not including 50-state strategy dollars or other transfers) and $30 million in additional services. By way of comparison our total commitment in 2006 was $17 million. So, even the direct transfer amount alone, that would ostensibly be used in a way the state party and committees traditionally use those funds, is greater than our TOTAL commitment in 2006. That said, all $50 million of our resources are directed to turning out base, reliable, sporadic and surge voters. For example, we recently announced a $3 million advertising effort to reach African American voters, which is more than ten times what was invested in 2006. It should also be noted that the idea that we are committing nearly 3 times as much total as the last midterm cycle to this year's midterms clearly demonstrates that our focus is singularly on getting as many Democrats elected this year as we can. Fourth, with OFA Democrats now have the largest field effort in the history of the party for a non-presidential year with offices in all 50 states, organizers and volunteers in all 435 congressional districts, and with trained, experienced field staff that has been working in the communities they are going to turn out the vote in for the last 21 months."

"By turning out base and reliable voters as we would ordinarily do in addition to expanding the pool to turn out surge voters, and dedicating more resources by multiple folds to do so, we haven't taken on any additional risk. The risk would be incurred by not optimizing and leveraging our resources."

link

[Radical Activist]

17. So even more is being done than under the 50 state strategy.

Thanks for bringing the facts, as usual.

[wisteria]

11. I think the powers that be thought it was too expensive to continue-

especially this election year. And, it really is a plan that has to be on going-not just implemented during election seasons. I liked the idea and I think it would make inroads in states even where we are vilified, but it needs state by state committed grass root organizations and organizers. I hate to say this, but I think our party leaders like doing things the old way because it is easier and doesn't require as much effort. It also allows them to concentrate time and money on determined winnable elections. But,when you continue to do things the way you have been doing them, you get the same results and in recent years we have not really made any longterm inroads in states we should be trying to win over.

[stray cat]

12. can't control how people vote - and many DUers seem to prefer republicans to moderate dems

[Mass]

13. Rahm Emmanuel and Tim Kaine happened.

[DCKit]

16. DLC! DLC! DLC!

They couldn't wait to kick Dr. Dean to the curb and take control.

Rham isn't concerned with winning, just putting his stamp on shit. I don't know about Kaine.

[Drunken Irishman]

30. Did you pay attention to the 2006 election?

[Autumn]

14. Tim Kaine changed it to "The can we have some

more Dinos Please?" strategy. Which IMO is about as stupid as their new logo.

[KoKo]

41. I rarely see Tim Kaine on TV promoting the party. What's with that?

:shrug: And, when I do see him...he reminds me of Harry Reid!

[donco6]

57. What? You missed the HUMONGOUS annoucement?

About the logo?

But yeah - we see Steele way more often, and he's been banished to . . . like . . . Saipan or something.

[krawhitham]

19. It produced Blug Dogs that everyone bitched about

[Recursion]

20. +1000

It's weird to me that the same people who scream the loudest about Blue Dogs also scream about the 50 state strategy being abandoned.

[madfloridian]

21. The DCCC and the DSCC produced the Blue Dogs.

Dean refused to allow the DNC to get involved in primaries, and that was the reason Rahm was so angry with him.

[Drunken Irishman]

24. So then, what exactly did the 50 State strategy produce in 2006?

Because most seats won in 2006 were conservative seats held by Republicans since at least 1994.

[madfloridian]

26. Local enthusiasm and organizational ability. Padlocks off party doors.

Dean had to get 12 state parties out of bankruptcy, pay unpaid debt, get padlocks off doors.

[Drunken Irishman]

27. Okay. So at least we know it didn't give us congress...

As the OP implied.

[madfloridian]

28. So you don't think enthusiasm and organization are vital to a party?

I do.

[Drunken Irishman]

29. Because that's what I said...

:eyes:

[madfloridian]

32. Dean gave us both. The DSCC and DCCC gave us Blue Dogs.

I know that from experience. The way they pushed progressive candidates off to the side and only funded the moderates.

[Drunken Irishman]

33. The DSCC and DCCC gave us congress...

Which wouldn't have been won without moderate or conservative Democrats.

[madfloridian]

39. I disagree.

Now what we have is almost indiscernible from the other party on too many policies and issues.

We on the "left" are just hanging to the frayed fringes while the rest control policy and the direction.

I was raised as a very moderate almost conservative Democrat with a family that is heavily Republican and military.

I find it ludicrous that I am being treated as too fringe left for the party.

Indeed, I find it tragic.

[Drunken Irishman]

58. If you think we're indiscernible from the other party...

You're blind. I'm sorry, but there is absolutely no comparison between our worst Democrats and the best Republicans.

[madfloridian]

59. "on too many policies and issues."

That is what I said. It is true.

[Drunken Irishman]

60. No it's not.

Look at the votes. Look at the ideology. On almost every issue, there is a gap a mile wide between the best Republican and the worst Democrat.

You might pick and choose a few Democrats out there who could be considered Republican-lite - but as a whole, the party is so far and away different than the Republicans on nearly every issue, that your point is not true.

[cornermouse]

62. Thanks to Dean,

Obama came within 1/2 point of winning Missouri. This year, the DCCC and DSCC are going to lose Missouri big time. Missouri used to be considered a blue state with strong unions back in the 60s and 70s. No one ever asks what happened to turn the state red. No one analyzes with the thought in mind that what happened here probably happened elsewhere as well.

[Gaedel]

34. Foley hitting on interns

2006 was a perfect storm of GOP congressional scandals, an unpopular war in Iraq, and general dislike of GWB. Any Dem strategist would have looked good in 2006.

[KoKo]

42. They gave us MONEY for COMPUTERS to actually do Democratic Voter Lists!

Here in NC...there were only print copies ...long outdated and there were computers that most DU'ers would have donated or trashed about a decade ago...that couldn't do shit.

He gave money to NC Dems and turned our state from RED to Blue for Obama and now it's sliding back...reduced funding...

[frazzled]

46. Yeah, so what happened to the computers?

Why aren't you using your computers to achieve results in NC?

I see active organization in all states and competitive districts still. Organizing for America has been an unbelievably active grass-roots organization across the country as well. And I dare say it was OFA that turned red to blue in 2008, not Howard Dean. I personally drove (with my husband, son, and two other people) to canvass in Jackson, Michigan for OFA--a three-and-a-half hour drive, each way from Chicago, IL. Jackson, Michigan is a devastated blue-collar town that proudly proclaims itself Birthplace of the Republican Party. We won Jackson, Michigan. We turned it blue. There was no one from the state Democratic Party there. There were 60 or so valiant volunteers from OFA who made the long drive from another state to help turn Michigan blue.

The 50 State Strategy was a nice idea, and I approve of that kind of party building. But let's not oversell what it did. It's kind of an abstraction, and difficult to prove what it achieved. The blame for that is not with Dean, but with individual state parties.

[KoKo]

48. Lack of money and Activists encouraged to go with "status quo."... Under Tim Kaine.....

Big Mo got lost....somewhere along the way ...the last two years.

[frazzled]

55. Sorry, but the DNC raised more money this year than Dean did

Facts count.

For 2008 (and 2007):

In an election year marked by jaw-dropping Democratic fundraising, one key political player isn’t so flush: The Democratic National Committee.

Despite record hauls by Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, the DNC has raised less than half the amount taken in by the Republican National Committee.

According to the latest Federal Election Commission reports filed through the end of March, the RNC had $31 million in cash on hand while the DNC had only $5.3 million. The RNC has raised $36.5 million this year while the DNC has raised $17.7 million.

The story was equally grim in 2007, when the RNC raised a total of $83 million to the DNC’s $50 million.

“The general election has started; we should we raising $15 million a month,” said one senior DNC official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The committee is raising less than $6 million each month.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/02/politics/politico/main4064089.shtml

This year:

The Democratic National Committee raised nearly $11 million last month, a Democratic source tells CNN Monday.
That brings to $74.6 million the amount of money raised by the DNC this year, according to the source, who also says that the party committee has $13.4 million cash on hand as of the end of August, with $8.4 million in debt.
The DNC raised $11.5 million in July.

The DNC has committed to spending $50 million to help Democratic candidates running in this year's midterm elections.
The Republican National Committee is expected to release their August fundraising numbers later Monday. The RNC raised $5.5 in July.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/20/dnc-raises-nearly-11-million-awaiting-rnc-numbers/

If any "big mo" got lost, it was from people who are not doing their job. You can go down to your local or state Democratic office and volunteer to knock on doors and make the phone calls. Don't wait for Howard Dean to make you care about whether your district or state goes Republican. It won't be Tim Kaine's fault if that result occurs where you are: it will be yours.

Here is Tim Kaine from back in 2009:

"What we are seeing is the right kind of politics is increasingly more and more personal, hand to hand, person to person, neighborhood to neighborhood. Dean did the 50 states strategy. We are building on that to almost create a neighborhood by neighborhood strategy. And I think if you don't do that kind of thing, you are right, some of the changes in the political dynamic could make us irrelevant."
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/monitor_breakfast/2010/0526/Q-A-with-DNC-Chairman-Tim-Kaine

I'm not trying to make a case for Tim Kaine over Howard Dean. I like them both, and both were/are what they were/are: Party chairmen, not gods and not the devil. Both worked/are working with a 50 state strategy. If you can only stick with a man instead of an idea, that's your prerogative. But it's a shame.

[KoKo]

66. Well...your article links went one way...but the truth goes another.....

So we can "Toss Up" the difference......

[JamesA1102]

38. Sorry that is just not the truth.

They butted heads over the allocation of funds during the general election.

[budkin]

22. Howard Dean is not there

[Bitwit1234]

25. Tim Kaine doesn't know what 50 states are much less

how to bring us together.

[polichick]

31. Take a look at the book HERDING DONKEYS for a very complete explanation. nt

[KoKo]

43. Exactly...the Excerpts over at "Open Left" are very revealing as to what happened to Dem ACTIVISM...

and how now it's DOA after OFA was charged with running things. It's not OFA's fault...but the Hierarchy that runs it.

[polichick]

44. I'm glad to know there are excerpts at "Open Left" - here's one from The Nation:

http://www.thenation.com/article/155108/herding-donkeys

[KoKo]

47. That's an excellent article...worth time for serious politico's on DU to read..

and yes...it's getting picked up on the few liberal blogs left after the funding was cut.

[elleng]

45. rahm kicked its ass last time around, so not so easy to get it going this time, prolly.

[KoKo]

49. Yep...Rahm was and Is, indeed a "Kick Ass" kind of guy.

He gets it done...one way or the other for him, his family and Wall Street.

He is very successful at what he does. An incredible record. I expect we could see him run for President in the future. He is, after all, a King pusher...and those types eventually want to be KING themselves. Bright future for Rahm...even if he doesn't make it to Chicago Mayor...he can always run on the Blooberg Ticket in 2012 or '16. It would be GOLDEN!

[ProSense]

50. "Democrats now have the largest field effort in the history of the party"

more

[Unvanguard]

51. It makes more sense when you're on the offense than when you're not.

Not sure the number of contested elections has actually gone down, though.

[Raine]

52. It was too successful

you don't raise as much money when you win as when you lose and can whine and be the victim. Moaning and whining to bring in money are a cottage industry and source of income for some to perpetuate their personal lifestyles, they don't give a shit about the people or the country. x(

edit: added a sentance for clarification

[craigmatic]

54. It worked but the seats were easier to win than hold.

[book_worm]

56. The GOP held the WH and were accountable in '06 & '08 and now Dems are

Also his fifty-state strategy also elected a lot of blue dogs in usually republican districts who have not been helpful to Obama or the overall Dem majority. Now those usually GOP districts are trending back. It's not all that difficult to understand.

[quaker bill]

61. It succeeded too soon

The concept was a party building effort that would probably win some seats at first, but take as much as a decade to build the base to a firm governing majority. Because of the massive case of Bush revulsion and a collapsing economy, we won alot of seats where the party building efforts had only just started. Without the kind of overwhelming tide of republican rejection we started to see in 2006 and peaked in 2008, the base is just not there to hold many of these seats. I still think we will do better than expected by the media in 2010, in part because of the success of the strategy, and in part because the repugs have kindly nominated the insane.

[n2doc]

63. It was replaced by the "Every Man (or Woman) for themselves strategy"

Panic.

[Warren Stupidity]

64. Dean was unceremoniously dumped

as soon as the election was over. Rahm et al had a much better idea about how to run a party (into the ground head first at 100 ft/s.)