Democrats Scrambling To Organize Voter Turnout

[onehandle]

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 campaign 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 has 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."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/01/AR2006080101332.html

[Redneck Socialist]

1. And the firing squad begins to circle

Way to go guys. :eyes:

[trogdor]

24. Wish I could rec you, DailyKos style.

Just because Dean has a different idea about how to run things than he predecessors, doesn't make him wrong. It is clear that the losers in the 50-state strategy are whining louder than usual, and the Washington Post is jotting it all down. What I haven't heard from Pelosi, Schumer, or anyone else in charge of these congressional committees is what they think is the best way to grow the party. It's all about, "well Terry McAuliffe gave us X dollars last cycle, and Howard Dean is telling us to make do with 0.85X because he wants to fund some campaign in Wyoming. Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

[babylonsister]

2. And we wonder why we have a problem? nt

[Rose Siding]

3. VandeHei. Qu'elle surprise.

I just read something about another one of the other stand-byes that are regularly recycled. Hotline noted that under Dean, the DNC is "the committee that has most improved its fundraising: Howard Dean's Democratic National Committee, which has raised twice as much hard money as in '01-02."

Singer at MyDD notes:

I'm not entirely certain what more Howard Dean could do to mitigate the intraparty attacks about his tenure as DNC chairman. Would his detractors prefer he triple Terry McAuliffe's mark from this point in 2002? Quadruple it?

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/8/1/20228/64894

[madfloridian]

4. I have more on those figures They are actually very good for the DNC.

AND the GOTV effort is part of the 50 state strategy, as well as the new DNC database. Look at the cash on hand as compared with other years, not counting 2004, where of course they had more. That is where they have been bashing Dean the most.

They are planning on their own party activity with Hillary et al. Remember Harold Ickes database that he paid 10 million to start? Dean said the DNC can not legally use that, and they are forming their own. Ickes is a Hillary advisor.

Party Financial Activity Through June 30 of the Election Year

1997-1998 $44,768,786 Cash on Hand $1,171,853

1999-2000 $51,841,920 Cash on Hand $9,317,403 (Presidential year)

2001-2002 $44,508,833 Cash on Hand $3,870,684

2003-2004 $125,360,052 Cash on Hand $60,039,654

2005-2006 $90,463,564 Cash on Hand $10,849,337 (under Dean)

http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060731party/dem18sum.pdf

[dkos refugee]

26. heh

I'd say that's more proof of runaway inflation.

[madfloridian]

5. I forgot to say...I wonder if they bitched at McAuliffe about cash on hand

2001-2002 $44,508,833 Cash on Hand $3,870,684 McAuliffe

1999-2000 $51,841,920 Cash on Hand $9,317,403 McAuliffe

2005-2006 $90,463,564 Cash on Hand $10,849,337 Dean

[madfloridian]

6. Read the whole Dem pdf file. DNC doubled hard money.

http://www.fec.gov/press/press2006/20060731party/dem18sum.pdf

The DSCC and DCCC must not be allocating their money very well to have to gripe at Dean.....he is responsible for state candidates and local as well. He is also responsible for rebuilding the party structure.

Looks like the DLCC did well.

[onehandle]

7. We're going to win.

It's WaPo. Journalmalism at its worst.

[madfloridian]

8. Well, we need to be armed with those figures.

Dean had more cash on hand than McAuliffe did except for 04, which is expected. Yet they bitch bitch bitch.

[GAPeace]

9. Dean has a better strategy, long-term thinking

The Dems will probably already win the "most competitive" races due to the Republicans just sucking big time in the polls as of now. Dean needs to work on states that are still very red, to go after all 50 like he says.

[msongs]

10. years of Pelosi as a failure, evidently. She just now cares>>>>

howard dean must be stepping on her turf or something for her to get her cat claws out.

Msongs
www.Msongs.com/2007politicalcalendars.htm

[madfloridian]

11. Repeat after me, Dean outraised McAuliffe in hard money.

We should make it our slogan to remind them they never fussed at Terry.

:hi:

[KoKo]

12. What is WITH Pelosi...every chance she gets she snipes at Dean.

I hope she's challenged when we take back the house. But I don't think Emmanuel should be her replacement either. He has sniped at Dean too.

[Johnyawl]

13. This is about WHERE the money is being spent, and Dean's 50 state strategy

Dean is spending the DNCs money across 50 states; finding and developing candidates from the local level to national. The leaders of the House and Senate aren't concerned about anything except: a) all their incumbents winning, and b) defeating a handful of repugs in competitive races. They want ALL the DNC money spent on the races they consider top priority. Dean won't do that, he's determined to stick with his 50 state strategy. The House leadership is now forced to raise their own money to spend on their priority races.

The end result is good news for Dems: Dean continues to spend money supporting Dems at every level across 50 states, while the House leadership is raising extra money to target select races. All that our legislative leadership cares about is retaking the House and Senate this year - a goal I support 100%. Dean on the other hand is trying to lay the ground work for the Dems to become the majority party, and to keep us there for the foreseeable future - a goal I also support 100%.

Pelosi and Emanuel have their noses a little out of joint over this, and they have had for some time. When a Dem is sitting in the White House, he's the acknowledged leader of the party, he gets to hand pick the DNC chair, and set party policy. When we don't have a President, then the various party leaders can squabble over policy, which we've seen them do over the past couple of years. The legislative leaders, i.e., Pelosi, Emanuel, Reid aren't used to having a DNC chair with strong, independent ideas on how things should be done. They were used to McAuliffe, who was essentially nothing but a fund raiser. He never tried to tell them how to spend the money, or developed ideas on how things should be run.

Personally, I like Howard Dean, think he's doing a great job as the Chairman, and am delighted that he's forcing the House leadership to work even harder. Thanks to Dean's refusal to knuckle under, we will be coming at the repugs from a couple of different directions this year, and I'm hoping that we reap some big benefits.

[midnight]

25. It is hard for me to understand all the complaining or concern

about getting out the vote by high level Democrats. These high level Democrats should be screaming get diebold out of the vote. And any other electronic voting machine that is a threat to being able to audit a re-count.

[madfloridian]

14. I love Booman's diary about the WSJ article.

All these articles are coming out now, trying to divide us. Boo hits the nail on the head with this one. It ties into why they are putting Dean's efforts down, when he is really doing quite well.

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2006/8/1/143942/2204

Party Bosses are Full of It

The WSJ argues this:

"A Lamont loss would take the edge off threats by MoveOn and online activists to punish candidates who defy the party's so-called "netroots." But a successful challenge to Mr. Lieberman could embolden an energetic and left-leaning wing of the Democratic party, which for the first time this year is weighing into congressional primary races."

"Party leaders fear that a leftward movement, concentrated heavily on Iraq, "would imperil moderate and conservative Democrats whose appeal in Western and Southern states is critical to winning back Congress. It could also alienate swing voters, who polls suggest are shifting back to the Democrats this year. Says moderate Louisiana Democrat Sen. Mary Landrieu, who supports Mr. Lieberman, 'I don't think it's a winning strategy or a smart strategy.'"

(Mary, tend to pushing the oil drilling, and going on C-Span to show us how clean it is)

And Booman puts it in a nutshell:

"If the Democratic leadership is uniting around a call to pull the troops out of Iraq this year, then they are uniting around Ned Lamont's position and moving away from Joe Lieberman's position. And if that is their strategy, Ned Lamont winning or losing will have no effect on Southern or Western districts.

"All we are seeing is an incumbent protection racket. Joe is calling in his chits. The party doesn't need him or his lousy ideas, but they don't need us getting the idea that we can pick our own leaders. That could be bad for incumbent politicians."

[Robbien]

15. What in the heck is Emanuel doing airing dirty laundry to the press?

He is pissed at Dean so is undermining the Democratic party by telling the Press the Democratic party is in shambles and HE IS THE ONLY ONE who is doing anything about it.

Emanuel is constantly taking his fight with Dean to the Press. Who needs enemies when the Democratic party has friends like Emanuel?

[madfloridian]

16. Many believe they are shuttling the DNC off to the side....

and sort of just having their own party apparatus.

[antiblazer]

17. Volunteer!

Let's do our part and volunteer to get out the vote. I for one plan to volunteer. I'm really concerned about this and don't want vote turnout to be the reason why Dems do not win this year.

[depakid]

18. "they lack an effective plan to turn out voters this fall"

Yeah, well- sell your constituents out to the far right over and over all year long- and people aren't going to be very excited about getting to the polls and voting for you.

The caveat of course- this IS a Washington Post article- so you might take it with a BIG grain of salt.

[Josh]

19. Whouley is THE MAN

He ran Gore's campaign in Florida and was only supposed to drain resources from Bush at first, but damned if he didn't win the thing...

I remarked in 2001 that whoever had Whouley on their team would win the Democratic nomination. I thought I'd be eating my words when Dean was on his way to victory but it turned out, sure enough, it was Kerry, and damned again if Whouley wasn't working for him. :)

[madfloridian]

21. Not sure what you mean...Bush won Florida.

Whouley did not win Florida for Gore. Did he urge Gore to not push counting the votes and drop the issue?

Did he do that for Kerry as well? Kerry did not push it either.

Sounds like Rahm really is going to beat up Dean on this one. Whouley works secretly and quietly. He costs a lot of money that could be going to candidates.

[Josh]

27. You know what I mean -

Gore was 8 points behind in Florida when Whouley got there. His get out the vote efforts are enormous. He is definitely an asset.

[KittyWampus]

20. NO Actual quotes from Pelosi. Butchered quote from Rahm. Fuck WPost

and their attempts to divide Democrats.

Mediawhores do this shit all the time DU'ers. Please don't fall for it.

They're just trying to get a figleaf narrative going to excuse the GOP attempts to steal the midterms.

[RandomKoolzip]

22. Typical MSM tactic: portraying the Dems as unorganized, ineffective,

bumbling, and in-fighting. Fuck 'em. The Dems are winning in 06 no matter what, so the Post can go suck a fuck.

[samsingh]

23. this is so stupid - should n't this already be done?