getting off the obama bus (rant)

[dembotoz]

I am a long time local party member(former chair) in a VERY republican
area.
Recruitment of candidates has always been a problem (lambs to the slaughter)
This year COULD have been different. Couple of excellent candidates to run for state assembly.
Our best shot in years--literally years.

Just spoke to the local county obama honcho at her county office that we helped her find.
There will be NO cooperation between the big campaigns and our little ones.
No combined lit drops
no campaign lit for the little candidates on display at obama office
candidates not allowed at obama house meetings
canvassers not allowed to mention locals
phone bankers not supposed to mention locals
the list goes on--you get the idea.

the office treats our own candidate with the same disdain as we treat republicans.
Some local canidates get treated better.
Those that some fool in the state captital decided a few months ago were worthy of being targeted.
Ain't no candidate in my county gonna get targeted. EVER

So obamas bunch comes in
sucks up our resources
sucks up our volunteers.
sucks up our fundraising possiblities

When these local candidates came on we promised we would help them---That IS supposed to be what we do......
But now we can't because we have been effectively castrated by the national campaign and our ignorant state party.
So i guess i will have to bow out of all obama activities because somebody has to help the locals and after our obama person leaves to go back out of state, i still might see the local candidates on the street and i may want to be able to look them in the eye.

dembotoz

[ogneopasno]

1. It's rarely a good thing when national campaigns come in to the local level.

It happens. It happens all the time. It hurts and it's ugly and it's gross. You feel like shit. I've been there. You need to decide what you can honorably do -- and I think you have -- and then do it. Good luck. It's not fun. And it happens every cycle.

[elehhhhna]

7. It's strategic and nasty & called POLITICS. Been there. I feel your pain...

but OB WILL help your downticket candidates by simply being on the ballot AND reg'g LOTS of new voters.

[dembotoz]

10. they are not even inclined to mention there are other dems on the ballot

[elehhhhna]

16. Yep, but the straight ticket voters will benefit your cand's.

I'm just trying to put some lipgloss on a porcine situation.

[LSparkle]

2. OMG, this sounds like what Hillary's 2000 Senate campaign did to Gore

sucked all the OXYGEN AND MONEY out of the room. I'm
REALLY disappointed in Obama if he thinks this is the
way we're going to elect MORE DEMS.

Calling Dr. Dean! Get your candidate on the phone and
remind him of the 50-STATE STRATEGY!

[aquart]

15. Right on time, a Hillary insult.

Now Hillary caused Gore to lose?

[NNN0LHI]

17. Good catch

[samuraiguppy]

3. I am so sorry. keep up the good fight

we need to get lots of Democrats into office!

[silex]

4. I know.

We made listing of the local candidates here and starting donating to them directly.Their were a few who donated to candidates in others states too.

[SoxFan]

5. The Obama campaign is doing the right thing

They are in this race to win the White House. Period.

State and local party organizations are made up of people who have other agendas. Sometimes, they put those agendas ahead of what's best for the national ticket. They try and blackball activists who aren't part of their clique, and they treat newbies with suspicion. That's not Obama's m.o., and that's a good thing.

My state's Democratic Party is headed by Clinton people, and they are more concerned about the Shaheen race than they are with Obama. I can't blame Obama's campaign for keeping a discrete distance. I would be concerned about national resources intended for Obama being reallocated to the senate race, or even to down-ballot races where the candidate is in the good graces of the party chair.

[saracat]

12. Personally, I think we should be supporting all the Dems and it is vitally important that the voters

vote the down line. We have all kinds of positions up for grabs from state legislatures to Mayoral races, JP , Corporation Commissions, County Attorneys and all of those influence our lives and actually have more impact than the presidential race. The average person will see quicker changes in their lives in they have a democratic State Legislature , government, school Board and corporation commission than whoever occupies the WH. Vote Obama but get your locals elected too.

[qwlauren35]

6. I feel for you.

When I was in NC, local Dems worked side by side with the Kerry campaign, literally. The Kerry campaign and the Dems basically split the building.

I hate to say it, but I think I understand why the Obama campaign has taken this position. If you are in a state that is heavily Republican, and the Obama campaign is focused on flipping Republican voters, they simply cannot mingle with you...

So, you must choose.

In my opinion, if your state is solid red and cannot be flipped, then you SHOULD focus on the local races and get off of the Obama bus, especially if there are small pockets of Democrats who will vote in a candidate if someone just wakes them up.

If I had the energy to help you, I would. But all I can truly do is tell you that I completely respect your decision and wish you the best with your local races.

[mwooldri]

8. I personally feel that there should be a unified party...

but in the case of NC, I can see why it's split up.

At the federal level we've returned Repuke Presidents and Repuke US Senators.

At the state level, we've got a lock on the State House and State Senate.

At the local level it depends where you are. Urban areas tend to be Democratic, rural areas Repuke.

Mark.

[dembotoz]

9. yeah i gotta spend my time with the locals

so i can sleep at night.

thank you folks for your insights

[saracat]

11. The same thing is happening in my state but we have some Obama folks who are helping anyway.

But this happens every presidential election cycle and it stinks. The GOP realized long ago that the local races are what build your base and help you win the national. We refuse to learn that. It is a damn shame. And as I am intimately involved in a local race, I feel your pain. I just tell folks that while they can should vote for Obama, it is their local races that will determine their real life style. In many ways the presidential doesn't have the same impact.

[rucky]

13. NOT TRUE in this little, red county!

The Obama office is working closely with the county dem party and Young Dems in promoting our entire ballot. They took up some prime real-estate and have been bold and very visible in taking on entrenched interests and addressing local issues in our paper. I'm blown away by this. The office is buzzing with local volunteers carrying off stacks of literature every day. I never thought I'd see anything like this in Boehner's stomping ground.

So we can't unseat The Boehner, and Obama's fate is uncertain here - but this is our best chance to win county, state & municipal for local seats for Dems - evah!

I'll be canvassing this Saturday during the Buckeye game. Talk about sacrifice.

[Sunnyshine]

14. Not true for most offices/districts I have been to in Ohio and Indiana and many other states where

friends, family, and even professional contacts are working currently. They are taking red districts by storm.
We took John Boehners district and put a huge HOPE sign and office right in the heart of his home turf.

What you're describing is exactly the opposite from what I've seen. Every Obama office opening has local candidates attending and at every Obama rally we have all local Dems on stage, every Obama office displays signage and lit for State and Local tickets, and we often get together to attend festivals, farmers markets, canvassing, and voter reg. drives.

We phone bank in same building, but do candidates separately. There is a good reason for this as far as data collection. Push polling is notorious for combining parties tickets, and offering unsolicited info on candidates. We have to be careful with those logistics.

It might be your particular county? Not that I agree with their inaction, and I'm sorry it isn't looking as tight as it should in your area. Do you have strong blue Dem's running in your area? Some districts, the Dems are sorta Repubs in disguise and it makes it harder to do.

I could pass along the info and see what is up, if you don't mind me asking which State/County.

Campaigns usually never combines candidates when phone banking for the national ticket. They tend to combine State and local tickets because of the affiliation and recognition that comes with doing this. Phone banking is hard enough on the voters as it is, as they are swamped by end of October and if you go throwing a bunch of names at em' all at once they become overwhelmed and pissy.

I have done some political focus group work around that particular issue and phone banking can turn people off. Keep it simple is best.

[dembotoz]

18. land of cheese--wisconsin

supposedly a battleground state.

Might be a state party thing.
They tend to devote resources to traditional dem areas--mostly milwaukee and madison and a few outposts here and there while most of the rest of the state is left to fend for themselves.

Example a few election cycles ago a guy i know ran against sennsenbrenner. The state party wrote him off early and would not even return his phone calls. I am serious-they would not return his phone calls. I understand things have improved over the last few cycles--how much remains open for debate. Being that those folks are not up for reelection til next state convention (june) I guess we will have to just put up with it.
If we carry for obama in november nothing will change.

Will i vote for obama--duh yes most certainly
will i take my obama bumper stickers off my car--no
Will i activiely debate any and all mcsame clowns i come accross --you bet.
Will i canvas and phone bank and organize for obama--no

[Sunnyshine]

24. I can believe it, because it happened in Ohio not to long ago. We have to elect better Democrats

Nationally. Obama is the answer to shutting down the GOP, but WE are the answer to the challenges we face in our communities and in our States. People need to see honest Democratic initiatives that work to bring citizens relief. Wisconsin can be hard in rural or red pocket areas.I have seen what your talking about though, and some places are near impossible to organize and turn out. Ohio is like that in some rural and suburban areas. It is easier to work around them and put resources towards Dem. leaning or slim majority.

Good luck, dembotoz. Maybe visit a busy bee Obama office in the next county if a bigger city is close enough to take a drive one afternoon. If you go into bigger cities, you can see how they are combining local efforts and doing so with all volunteer operation.

Grassroots campaigning will bring back these possibilities to area's like yours, as we form local collaboratives of community people, farmers, unions, small businesses, and many others. Our combined actions will begin to change the political maps and most important, the broader policies that threaten our poor and working class. Our opportunity is offering solutions so people want to vote for us.

[rucky]

19. I know that HOPE sign quite well!

:yourock:

[RB TexLa]

20. The last thing you want is people associating some local campaign with yours

There are congressional districts and all kinds of jurisdictions that spit votes between presidential races and the races for DA, Congress, school board, etc. You don't want those races effecting your votes for president.

[faithfulcitizen]

21. Wow, that's disheartening. Perhaps, it's a state party issue?

Anyway to get word to Obama's state chair? Maybe they aren't aware? I know sometimes egos get in the way locally, but I thought the Obama campaign gets the ground up philosophy. I can relate to the "lambs to slaughter" in my district. Many times, the same people just throw their name on the ballet, never expecting to garner more than 15%.

[mdmc]

22. keep up the good fight

hope those coattails are big enough to help you out.

[JNelson6563]

23. get obama swag

I don't think the field offices can sell "swag" (lawn signs,etc.) and it's a great draw. Not only does it bring people into the office, where you can sign them up with local campaigns, it's a great wzy to raise money. In my home county we move literally thousand of signs, stickers & buttons and give much of the funds to state and local candidates.

Julie