Democrats In Trouble?

The Washington Post's Jim VandeHei seems to think so. It appears as though he isn't the only one thinking that:
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 effort aimed exclusively at mobilizing Democratic partisans.
It seems to me that the most important thing that the national parties should be about is putting together an efficient GOTV system. Obviously, a bunch of Democrats think that that system isn't in place. Here's one person that thinks that:
At a meeting last week, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA), criticized DNC 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.
Dean keep insisting on funding state party chairs in places like Mississippi rather than putting together an efficient GOTV team. Heads will roll this November if we see a lackluster turnout for Democrats. Dean's head would be at the top of that list.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (IL), 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 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."
Emanuel is from the Clinton wing of the party so he's naturally opposed to the Deaniac wing. Don't expect them to mend fences in my lifetime. There's a better chance that we'll see peace in the Middle East before we see Dean and Emanuel getting along.

Whouley is an expert at GOTV operations but he isn't a miracle worker. The GOP GOTV team that brought voters to their voting booths nationwide in 2004 was actually put in place in 2002. The GOTV team from 2004 is still pretty much intact for 2006. It'll be difficult, if not impossible, for Whouley to make up that big a gap starting from scratch with only three months left to election day.

That's what happens when you have a maniac in charge of pulling the levers at the DNC.


Posted Thursday, August 3, 2006 12:23 AM

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