16 + 5 = 2006

[ClassWarrior]

16 House seats + 5 Senate seats = Democratic Victory 2006.

(6 Senate seats if you count Joementum...)

NGU.

[rwenos]

1. You'd Think

Someone on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee staff would have:
1. Worked out every single district where a Republican MC is retiring.
2. Worked out every single district where a Democrat has held the seat in the last 10 years, but now a Republican holds the seat.
3. Worked out every single district where the Pub MC won by less than 5%.
4. Worked out every single district where the Pub MC is running for another office.
5. Worked out every single district where demographics make a Democratic victory possible (like when the North Orange County seat changed hands from Bob Dornan to Loretta Sanchez, probably because of an increased Latino voter population).

Then figured out 30 potential switcher seats to target with massive funds.
Then gone out and raised the massive funds.
Then funnelled the money into Party activities in those 30 districts.

This ain't rocket science, folks. It's done in British and Canadian politics all the time.

[waiting for hope]

3. Isn't that what Dean is doing?

I thought he had a real one up with the grassroots effort...but all I get from the DCCC is emails for money, you would think it would be more targeted to my zip code and what I could do the help out my area in the changing of the guard.

[rwenos]

4. I've Had Same Experience

The whole thing is so centralized nowadays. I've seen more grassroots activity in the last couple of years than I saw in the last 20.

My parents used to go out to political meetings 2-3 times a month. Now nobody except professional campaign staffers does that.

[ClassWarrior]

5. I go out to political meetings 2-3 times a month. And ain't nobody...

...payin' me nuthin'! Except a t-shirt every once in awhile.

B-)

NGU.

[Pushed To The Left]

13. Me too! n/t

[ClassWarrior]

8. If you want to see what Dean is doing, join your county party.

16+5=2006

NGU.

[LiberalPartisan]

2. Ahhh...don't worry about Joementum

If your numbers paly out and Joementum' is relected he'd be manageable. He'd just put his finger in the air to see from where the prevailing wind blew. He's a front runner all the way.

[ClassWarrior]

15. .

[DavidDvorkin]

6. It's a lot. Maybe too much.

However, if we can get close to those numbers, we'll be that much closer for 2008. Then a popular candidate at the top of the ticket and a big turnout nationwide could more than do the job.

[bearfan454]

7. Diebold will do the job I'm sorry to say nt

[DavidDvorkin]

9. Yes, I worry about that, too.

What happens if the opinion polls predict a huge, lopsided Democratic victory in many locations and then the official vote tally shows the Republicans winning in all of those places? We've seen that happen before, and the public seemed to quickly agree that the opinion polls couldn't be trusted. How often will that happen before the public wakes up? Will it ever?

I fret about that a lot, and during my pessimistic moments (which is most of them), I think that the public will never wake up, or that when it does it will no longer be possible for it to do anything about the situation.

Or maybe the opinion polls themselves will just disappear or be completely subverted.

[ClassWarrior]

10. So give up then?

:eyes:

16+5=2006

NGU.

[DavidDvorkin]

11. We can't give up

And yet I often feel there's no point in trying.

Er, so I don't know how to answer your question.

[ClassWarrior]

14. There's ALWAYS a point in trying. Remember...

YOU're the one who has to look yourself in the mirror every day.

16+5=2006

NGU.

[Pushed To The Left]

12. That would be incredible!

The right wing has been extremely cocky and arrogant since 2004. If Democrats took back Congress in 2006, it will probably be one of the happiest days of my life! I will feel like I just won the lottery! Plus, if John Paul Stevens can hang on until then, we will have two years where Bush won't be able to stack the Supreme Court!