The Hill: Dems take swing at Muhammad Ali strategy to keep the House

[Pirate Smile]

Dems take swing at Muhammad Ali strategy to keep the House
By Alexander Bolton - 10/18/10 06:00 AM ET

House Democrats have taken a page from Muhammad Ali and planned a rope-a-dope strategy for the midterm election, hoping it can save their majority.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) decided to let its Republican counterpart outspend it on political ads during the crucial month of September.

-snip-
The relatively low amount spent by the Democratic committee in September surprised GOP strategists because it started the month with a big cash advantage.
The DCCC entered September with $39 million in cash on hand, while the National Republican Congressional Committee had $25.6 million.

-snip-
The DCCC is planning a big October offensive. It began the month with $41.6 million in cash on hand. The NRCC had $19 million in the bank at the start of this month.

“They’re taking a huge risk in putting everything in October,” said the GOP strategist.
But Democrats see the rope-a-dope strategy as the best way to save their majority. The idea is to let the opposition throw punches until it tires itself out and then respond with force, a tactic Muhammad Ali made famous in his epic October 1974 bout with George Foreman.
A Democratic aide said the DCCC has planned a major counteroffensive for October.

[WI_DEM]

1. Well, time will tell--hopefully dems will be spending on GOTV

[Wickerman]

2. I think it ties in with the perception that there is Dem-momentum

Several polls show an uptick in Dem support. Low frequency of ads when the Rethugs seemed to be ahead, now the Dems are swinging upward, more adds. Looks good from here.

:thumbsup:

[ampad]

3. Dems paying attention to the tea party August

hate fest last year. What did that get the freaks? By the time summer was over they used up all their steam. Health care reform was passed and most of the country was behind it. During that summer the media was loving the tea party. Seems that the same situation is playing out now with the marriage of the tea party and the repig party. I notice that the media is just not going to let go of the dem slaughter meme. You better bet that any win, I mean, any win, that the repigs get on Nov 2nd will be touted at a monumental victory.

[oswaldactedalone]

4. The last sentence is the key for me

That's why I'm working hard with GOTV, contributions that are hard to afford, email campaigns reminding people to vote and contribute, and taking the day off on November 2nd working the polls. Re-double your effort people and act like you give a crap.

[CakeGrrl]

5. That makes sense

The Republicans, aided and abetted by the MSM, have been yammering nonstop for a while.

And in NY, Paladino ran his mouth so much that the crazy coming out of it was too much for the NY Post to justify an endorsement.

I'd like to think that all this Teabagger blabbery won't go unchallenged.

Maybe the President reminded them of his Campaign 2008 strategy: "I may not throw the first punch, but I'll throw the last." After all, attention spans in this country run pretty short.

[jberryhill]

6. The GOP obliged by supplying the dopes

The GOP is the nation's largest dope dealer.

[tishaLA]

7. It's a MUSLIN Strategery! Damned Kenyan!

[Alexander]

8. This counteroffensive had better start really soon - we're already 19 days into October.

[FBaggins]

9. I don't think there IS a "counteroffensive"

The "rope-a-dope" claim is likely a distraction.

My read on the situation is that Democrats realized weeks ago that voter impressions were largely set. You can run all the ads you want, but it won't change unemployment rates. You can run a HCR ad, but people aren't going to understand it better.

They knew weeks ago that GOTV was the key. And those are dollars that you spend right at the end. They've focused on identifying which races can be won with a good ground game, and planning the GOTV effort in those districts/states.

At least... I hope that's what they've been doing. Because an ad blitz on the final weekend isn't going to save us.

[DCBob]

10. We have the votes to win many of these close contests.. but they have to first show up.

Need to get Dem voters motivated somehow.