MUST READ(s): Ohio, Delaware Papers Highlight Success of 50-State-Strategy
August 2, 2006
Articles in newspapers in Ohio and Delaware today highlight the success of the Democratic National Committee's 50-State-Strategy in ensuring that Democrats all over the country have the resources they need to compete and win races up and down the ballot in 2006 and beyond. An article in today's Cleveland Free Times points out that Ohio Democrats have already made important electoral gains in parts of Ohio where Democrats are not usually competitive as a result of the DNC's 50-State-Strategy and the Ohio Democratic Party's parallel 88 county strategy.
The News Journal in Wilmington, Delaware, reports that the 50-State-Strategy, which has helped increase the state party staff, is making it easier for local Democrats to recruit candidates at all levels and providing resources to help defeat Republican Congressman Mike Castle and elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Noting that this kind of 50-State-Strategy is long overdue from Democrats, and that Republicans have focused on rebuilding their party infrastructure since the 1970's, the article points out that even local Republicans admit that the Democrats are catching up and now have resources that even the state's Republican Party chairman is envious of.
The following are excerpts from the articles:
All 88 Are Key: Ohio Dems To Leave No County Behind
By Anastasia Pantsios
Cleveland Free Times
Volume 14, Issue 15
8/2/06
...After taking over at the DNC, Dean created and implemented his "50-state strategy." While provoking grumbling among some party insiders, it aimed to maintain the energy and commitment aroused by the 2004 campaign to build a permanent activist network. It went against the typical Democratic party game plan of focusing on the states where it had the biggest concentration of voters, while ignoring the so-called "red" states...
In response, the ODP has implemented a "88-county strategy" that reflects the DNC's 50-state strategy. "It recognizes that every county is important to the political environment," says ODP Communications Director Brian Rothenberg. "We're building organizations in each county using DNC-funded field staff."
The DNC funding allowed the ODP to launch its enhanced field program last year, paying for five field staffers and support functions, such as research, training and developing voter files. It focused especially on parts of the state where the party wasn't strong...
The party enjoyed some successes last year in local and county races. "In Lancaster County, we won seats we never won before," says Rothenberg. "We won trustee seats in Fayette County. Locally we got a lot of trustees elected, and city campaigns went well."
For the full article, click here.
Dean rallies Democrats on campaigning
By Patrick Jackson
The News Journal
08/02/2006
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean brought a message familiar to every Delaware candidate in a Tuesday visit to rally the local party forces he is helping finance. Person-to-person politics beats big media campaigns when it comes to winning over voters.
And that's why Dean has pressed through criticism to follow through on a "50-state" strategy for building stronger Democratic voting in all states, whether they are currently red or blue on the political map. Extra funding from the national party has allowed the state party to hire a full-time communications manager and two field directors.
University of Delaware political science professor Joe Pika says the 50-state approach is long overdue for Democrats. Besides saving the state party money, getting the direct aid from the national party also gives the DNC a bigger voice in areas such as candidate recruitment, Pika said. "The Democrats are playing catch-up," he said. "This is something Republicans have been doing since the Watergate debacle in the 1970s, when they realized they needed to rebuild the infrastructure of their party. ... It may not be paying for staff, but the Republicans have a number of ways they provide support to state and local parties.".
The state GOP has four full-time staffers and two part-time workers, [Delaware Republican Party Chairman Terry] Strine said, all of whom are paid out of locally raised money. "Would I like that kind of help? Of course I would," he said.
For the full article, click here:
