With this Democratic debacle now in the books, there is talk by people like Howard Dean and alike of the benefits of a fifty state strategy. A strategy that did not work for Governor Dean in 2004. The notion of a national presidential campaign trying to create some semblance of a political organization in a place like West Virginia for example is fruitless and just dumb. Anyone whos actually run a winning presidential effort will tell you such an idea while noble, is a losing proposition. Should a Hillary Clinton for example swing through places like Tennessee and Kentucky where they barely sniff 40% of the vote (Wasnt the Grimes effort by any standard a miserable failure? Same with Nunn in Georgia?)In a process that is about electoral votes, why would one consider something so completely silly? In 1960 Nixons 50-state pledge probably cost him the election when he should have been campaigning down state in Illinois instead of visiting South Dakota or Utah, where he was going to win anyway. In 1964 Barry Goldwater also believed a 50-state pledge made sense (as much as picking Robert Miller for the vice-presidency from New York or having the RNC in San Francisco made any sense to anyone as well). Obama I believe visited all 50 states, but that was not a stated strategy of the campaign. Presidential elections dont create sustainable, grass roots organizations. When Democrats are losing governorships in places like Maryland and Massachusetts, why would any presidential effort consider something that hollow? There is now a host of purple states that Democrats must win in 2016 (New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Hampshire and Ohio). Hillary Clinton, if the nominee has her work cut out for her and unless state party organizations begin to bloom organically through local efforts in places like Arizona, North Carolina, Texas, Georgia and Missouri. Im not convinced shes totally committed given the 2014 results that have Democrats with the least amount of House seats since 1928. Thats 86 years ago. Anyone suggesting a 50-state strategy for 2016 is walking a failed plank that has never worked historically in either major party. As Tip ONeill stated over and over again, all politics is local. Presidential campaigns cant masquerade as local spokes on a national wheel. Michael Dukakis can attest to the same given his lack of organization in Los Angeles County, much less Maine or New Jersey.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 09:38:47 +0000
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