Encouraging tales from Utah and Nebraska....50 State Strategy.

[madfloridian]

These articles are signs of what is happening as the DNC under the 50 State Strategy of Howard Dean starts helping them have a party presence in their states. It is just a beginning, but a necessary one.

First, from Nebraska.

Democrats rebuild on the prairie

FREMONT, Neb. — It was standing room only the other night at the Blue Bottle Coffeehouse. The Dodge County Democrats were meeting for their convention — and there were about 60 of them, up from barely a dozen in 2004.

That was enough for outgoing chairman Jim Dake to declare the county's Democratic Party officially revitalized. "The proof is all around you," he said. "We've filled the room."

Early organizing, early advertising and a full slate of candidates for Congress are among the signs of hope for Democrats in this conservative farm state with a streak of prairie populism. Their real test will come on Election Day, though, and Republicans here say they shouldn't get their hopes too high.

Dean says Democrats have dug themselves "a deep hole" by focusing on one election at a time, usually in the "blue" states where Democrats are strong. "That's a cycle that has to be broken. We want a long-term business plan," he says.

I get a sense of enthusiasm and appreciation from that article, like the Democrats in Nebraska think there is hope for the future.

And now from Utah:

Democratic Party Puts Money in Utah, Other Red States

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has been catching grief from some in his party for dumping precious funds into Democratic campaigns in red states like Utah.

The critics fear that could mean too little money being available for the critical races that would the party its best chance at taking back one or both houses of Congress.

But Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland says the criticism is wrong and the party's growth across the state shows Dean's "50-State Strategy" is paying off.

"I can't even put into words how much I think this vision is going to change politics," Holland said.

The article goes into how changing to the nation wide strategy costs money in different ways than before. There are some good quotes from the DNC representative.

Personal comment:I hate to say it but that county in Nebraska had more at their meeting than we have at some of ours here. Our area is very Republican, and that Nebraska group sounds more enthusiastic than we do here sometimes. We are getting a lot of money here in the state this year, and a lot of big names. We had the enthusiasm for a while, but it's missing right now. We have the money to build big, I just hope other counties feel more enthusiasm.

[madfloridian]

1. And a glimmer of hope from Idaho.

This will probably take a long time, but what if we don't try?

Journey to the Heart of Bushlandia

"Being a Democrat in this setting can be a lonely existence. "We do still find ourselves whispering in the supermarket about it," says Maria Weeg, executive director of the Idaho Democratic party. "There's such an overwhelming psychological thing. No one wants to be part of 'the other', and the Republicans have done a pretty good job of making Democrats here into the enemy."

"Lost cause?
At a national level, Democrats disagree over what to do about places such as Idaho. Some would give them up as a lost cause, targeting resources on marginal states instead. Unsurprisingly, Weeg supports the alternative "50-state strategy", championed by the party chairperson Howard Dean. The Republicans, this theory holds, won Idaho as part of a long-term, bottom-up, nationwide strategy to change the focus of politics from economics to morality. Only a similarly broad Democratic initiative has any hope of turning things around.

This is not to say that the Republicans might not one day lose Bushlandia, whose population holds decidedly lukewarm views about the party's two most likely nominees for 2008, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani. Even the president's 52% approval represents a steep fall from prior levels of support. But a core of affection for Bush, Risch insists, will always remain.

"I'll give you the best example I can think of," the governor says. "We had a fellow by the name of Bill Clinton. You might remember him -- he was the president of the United States. He sexually harassed an employee in his office. The women's groups around America should have been ready to crucify him ... But what did they do? They came to his support in spades. Why? Because they knew his heart. They knew his heart." -- Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006"

How do we not even try? I think money is being given in proportion to possibility, but at least there is hope.

[Tiggeroshii]

2. "Sexually harrassed?"

good lord. Is there really any doubt it was consensual on both sides and legal?

[madfloridian]

3. Just left the quote in to give a feel for what we must deal with.

These people and areas are very real, and the task of reaching them is awesome. People in our area still feel that way about him, they really do.