Progressive Democrat Issue 75: TWO DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIES

We talk about how weak the Democrats are, but as long as they lack a majority in either house and as long as the right dominates the media, we don't even really know whether the Democrats are strong or weak. Kerry made many speeches that were powerful and right along the lines of what people around here like to hear...and they were never broadcast by the media or quotes were taken out of context. Without the media, we are BOUND to always look bad because that is how they want to portray us.

But we are building a new strategy thanks to Dean's 50 State strategy--strenthen the local and let the local parties strengthen the national. But Dean is still new and Dean's strategy is constantly under attack by traditional democrats who want to stick to a more targeted, "safer" strategy. And they may be right because of one thing...money. Do we have the money for Dean's strategy?

Thanks to a reader in Tennessee for pointing this out to me. From the Washington Post:

Democrats Are Fractured Over Strategy, Funds

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 11, 2006

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and the leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have clashed angrily in recent days in a dispute about how the party should spend its money in advance of this fall's midterm elections.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), who is leading the party's effort to regain majority status in the House, stormed out of Dean's office several days ago leaving a trail of expletives, according to Democrats familiar with the session.

The blowup highlights a long_standing tension that has pitted Democratic congressional leaders, who are focused on their best opportunities for electoral gains this fall, against Dean and many state party chairmen, who believe that the party needs to be rebuilt from the ground up __ even in states that have traditionally been Republican strongholds.

Emanuel's fury, Democratic officials said, was over his concern that Dean's DNC is spending its money too freely and too early in the election cycle __ a "burn rate" that some strategists fear will leave the party unable to help candidates compete on equal terms with Republicans this fall.

This is a fight over how the Democratic Party will face this new century. Dean wants a broad front strategy, yielding no ground to the Republicans. More traditional Democrats want to stick to the same old strategy of picking and choosing our fights. On the one hand, the traditional approach has been failing. On the other hand, while the Republicans always have enough money to be both targeted and carry on a broad attack, the Democrats may not have that money.

We are part of this fight. Ideally we are part of Howard Dean's planning because he is counting on grassroots participation to carry the Democrats to victory. The only way Dean's approach will be accepted by the party as a whole is if he wins. In 2005 we got a hint that Dean's strategy works because we won big in 2005. But 2006 is the real test. Once again, we can shape the party by backing up Dean's 50 state strategy.

Dean has developed the Democracy Bonds as a way of funding the 50 State strategy from small donors like us rather than from special interests. This is a brilliant strategy because it is a sharp contrast to the Republican Culture of Corruption where only big money talks. Our participation in the Democracy Bonds project is critical for the success of Dean's 50 State strategy.

Another way we can back him up is through my recently developed "Sweep out the Republicans" strategy where I am picking states where there is a chance to actually sweep out the Republicans in a big way. These states include races that are likely pick ups as well as long shots. But by focusing on states with close and long-shot races, we are COMBINING the traditional and the Dean strategies. I have so far developed a Sweep NY State Act Blue page, a Blue Iowa Act Blue page and a Blue Nevada Act Blue page. Each of these states was carefully picked because of the very real pick up opportunities as well as the chance to make Republicans really sweat in districts they thought safe. I can also now announce my Blue New Mexico Page as yet a virgin for those who want to be the first to donate.

A final way we can help the 50 State strategy is by helping the latest MoveOn.org advertising effort which is showing GREAT promise. Here is their latest update:

Last week our new "Caught Red-Handed" TV ad on the high cost of prescription drugs went on the air in targeted congressional districts. Here is what one Connecticut newspaper1 wrote about the congressional race in the fifth district of the state where incumbent Republican Rep. Nancy Johnson has been the focus of our ads.

...even though the general election is still six months away, Johnson's likely Democratic challenger, a 32-year-old state senator named Chris Murphy, is suddenly getting national attention.

The player who changed the dynamics of the race is MoveOn, the liberal advocacy group. Last week it released its second television commercial attacking Johnson, and for the second time she responded with her own ads focused more on Murphy than on MoveOn.

MoveOn.org is actively trying to change the very dynamics of races around the nation, putting smug, "safe" Republicans on the defensive. They are targeting many House races with biting ads that so far have shown an amazing effectiveness. Help out MoveOn's Plan for 2006 as a nice complement to Dean's 50 State strategy.

And for those who really believe that the traditional strategy is reasonable (a fair and as yet viable option) I can recommend supporting the targeted approach by donating to defeat the ten weakest Republicans in Congress.