Your Opinion, Please.

[H2O Man]

“Reality distorts my sense of television.” – Zippy the Pinhead


It is interesting to compare and contrast that which is reported on CNN and MSNBC, to what gets posted on DU:GDP, when it comes to the primaries. Frequently, over the years I have been here during primaries – 2004, '08, '12, '16, and now – some of the DU community will state that this forum does not accurately represent “the party.” And, in the sense that there aren't governors, or members of the House and Senate posting here, that is absolutely correct.

However, in another sense, DU:GDP does represent large segments of our party. We have members who advocate – often intensely, and perhaps more so than than is helpful – for a specific candidate; they are representative of those who work for or volunteer with a candidate's campaign. Indeed, on the television, we see campaign representatives who make solid points for their candidate, and some who tend to focus on insulting other candidate.

We've witnessed some of the dynamics that create tensions within the Democratic Party being intelligently discussed here. For an obvious example, at the start, there were a number of non-white, non-male candidates. Today, the field of candidates is all white. Yet, it includes two strong women, and a young gay man. At the same time, the republican party is stuck with a ball & chain named Donald Trump. I'm mighty happy to be a Democrat.

I have a few questions for anyone who cares to take the time to respond. There are no “wrong” answers, only people's opinions. I appreciate any and all responses.

How important is it to have volunteers making phone calls and going door-to-door in a campaign? Does it make any difference if it is a primary or general election contest?

In terms of financing: do you favor funding with small donations, corporate money to PACs, a combination of the two, or self-funding?

Do you think the party should focus more upon appealing to non-party members to the left, the right, or both about equally?

Which general age group, if any, should be the central GOTV focus – 18 to 39, 40 to 62, or 63+?

Again, there are no “wrong” answers. And this should not be mistaken for a scientific survey by any means. But it is of interest to me, and perhaps others. Thank you.

Peace,
H2O Man

[handmade34]

1. "I'm mighty happy to be a Democrat"

I think phone calls are a waste of time... face to face is much better and good in either primary or general

I don't think it matters where the money comes from... I like to think that Bernie in celebrating his "small donations" is gleeful that he is taking money away from people of lesser means

the focus should be on any and all eligible voters of any persuasion... no discrimination

we need all voters in all age groups... unless there are real restrictions, we need to reach to all

[H2O Man]

2. Very good!

Thank you!

[WhiskeyGrinder]

3. A few answers.

How important is it to have volunteers making phone calls and going door-to-door in a campaign? Does it make any difference if it is a primary or general election contest?

It's always important for people to connect with their neighbors, colleagues and peers in any election -- primary, general or issue-based. People listen to people they know, and outreach is a key part of campaigning. It's especially important in caucus/primary races, when the margins are smaller.

In terms of financing: do you favor funding with small donations, corporate money to PACs, a combination of the two, or self-funding?

Self-funding favors rich candidates, which skews the table. When it comes to donations and PACs, I don't have strong feelings in general but I know what I like and what I don't like when I see it.

Do you think the party should focus more upon appealing to non-party members to the left, the right, or both about equally?

Depends on what you mean by "appeal." Messaging, outreach, GOTV efforts? The activation of any given person to vote for any given candidate is a long one and depends on where they start. A person on the far left who votes regularly will take a different path to voting for a center-left candidate than a regular non-voter who considers themselves an independent but is actually on the right.

Which general age group, if any, should be the central GOTV focus – 18 to 39, 40 to 62, or 63+?

GOTV is a specific part of the campaign and the focus depends on the candidate, the geographic/demographic area, and who's running the operation. By election day we're dealing with coordinated campaigns so the party has its lists, unions and nonprofits have their lists, and everyone is focused on their own niche.

[H2O Man]

4. Thank you!

Much appreciated! Good, interesting answers!

[Bluepinky]

5. I'm not sure if my reply will answer your questions, but I'll give my opinion.

I believe that campaign funding should be from multiple people and not corporations or PACs. The government could also fund each candidate the same amount, with the candidates committing not to spend more than that. Corporate money needs to get out of politics, it’s too corrupting.

[H2O Man]

6. Very important point!

And thank you!

[marlakay]

7. Having volunteered on campaigns

Doing both calling and door to door, knocking on doors and really having a conversation in person is the best.

I prefer small donations so you owe no favors, thats true of self funding but then you can buy the election, which doesn’t hurt so much if your decent but if we encourage it who knows who might try it next?

They say older people vote more but GOTV in the neighborhoods I like to talk to everyone, gives you a pulse of what is keeping the young from voting, most in the past said parties are the same, super huge bigger than ever total opposite differences now so interesting if they would still think that.

I would concentrate on democrats and independents.

[H2O Man]

8. Great answers

rooted in valuable experience! Very much appreciated.

[ismnotwasm]

9. Don't watch TV

But I follow trends from various sources, including polls


Volunteer are very important. In my last local election, one of the candidates (I honestly forget got which position) came knocking on my door herself, I had voted for her before, but I did so again with a bit more enthusiasm

I think we are entirely polarized and the focus should be on the apolitical or non voters. There’s a lot of Trump fatigue out there, People want the constant drama to stop

While I think campaign financing needs to be reworked, the business of campaign management is complicated. PACs aren’t inherently evil, but the only thing I can think of is a general spending cap for everyone. You can spend X amount of dollars and that’s it.

GOTV should be for everyone, every age. I’m not sure people understand how popular Bernie Sanders is with youth, including first time voters. He’s got that market cornered so to speak.

[H2O Man]

10. Solid answers!

Very good! Much appreciated.

[Baked Potato]

11. Good morning!

On phone calls and visits, I like both because I know how hard the campaign workers work on these actions and I like the enthusiasm and engagement. I’ve never been called or visited, but I would tend to look very favorably to any candidate who had folks contact me personally. So, I think it’s important to keep the calls and visits going, for all elections.

Financing, I am for all means. We are up against those without any hang ups of financing at all. We need to play the game any way that’s legal. A self funded candidate screams rich, self promoter. The self-funded candidates need deeper vetting to flesh out their real reasons for seeking public office.

Party appeal, we secure the base which is never a problem because Democrats are basically a righteous bunch. Others will come along with pragmatic solutions. I like broad appeal.

Age groups, I think GOTV should focus a little more on the younger, below 63+ folks. The younger folks are more apt to be busier with careers and kids. They need concise solutions they can fact check quickly.

Thanks!

[H2O Man]

13. Thank you!

Good answers! Much appreciated! I've always found that going door-to-door is an important feature in campaigns.

[PETRUS]

12. Some interesting things to think about!

I must be very stubborn - by the time anyone calls me or visits my house, I'm pretty clear about the candidates and how I feel about them. But I think door-knocking (or any face to face sort of outreach) is much more effective than phone calls, and I think that kind of campaigning in important. I believe I've had some success getting people to consider/reconsider when I talk with them in person.

The influence of deep pockets on our political system has long been a major complaint of mine. I don't have a good answer to this question, because I can't change the nature of things just by expressing my opinion. The idea of campaigns funded solely by small donors (and/or public financing) appeals to me, but few candidates have had luck going that route.

Your next question (about appealing to left, right, or center) is sort of complicated, and I could write a long essay about that. My short answer is that I think a party should be clear about what it stand for and stick to it.

Voter participation tends to increase with age, so I think there's some sense in focusing on younger people since fewer of them are casting ballots (and it's my impression that more young voters would help the Democratic party). I recently saw a bar graph that showed 2016 voter participation by income bracket. It looked like a staircase, with participation increasing steadily with higher incomes. You didn't ask about this, but I think it makes sense to focus GOTV efforts on lower income citizens (both for what I guess I'd call moral reasons, and because it too would probably help the Democratic party).

Now I'm going to read the other responses. Thanks for the OP.

[H2O Man]

15. Thanks!

I live in a rural setting, but have had a few people knocking on my door. Per politics, it's generally a friend taking up a petition to get a Democrat on the ballot -- which I'm always happy to do.

Other times, it's a couple people from one of the two religious sects seeking to convert people to their church. I'm always happy to converse with them, though I, too, am stubborn. A few of them have been pleasant to talk to over the years. One lady even broke her church's rules, by donating to assist a Native American community in need. She had to keep that a secret, of course, but I assured her that God was watching and appreciated her generosity. Most, however, can't wait to escape from talking to me!

[Sympthsical]

14. I'm wondering about the efficacy of door to door in this day and age

Working off what you’re asking, I’m curious to know if canvassers here have much luck with younger voters.

I’m in the older half of Millennials, and I don’t want anyone coming to my door for any reason - certainly not to discuss religion or politics. I know this is an anecdotal statement, but my friends feel similarly. We don’t even drop by each other out of the blue. At the very least, there is a text or call before anyone’s showing up at anyone’s door. If my doorbell rings, I know it’s a stranger.

My generation simply communicates differently. We all live inside our phones. Similarly, outside of die hard political junkies, I don’t really know of any of my peers who are watching cable news. I only ever hear “Did you see what Joe and Mika said?!” on this website.

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit. That’s where we’re having political discussions, and even then it’s in highly self-curated environments (for example, on Reddit, I read and post in the r/YangForPresidentHQ subreddit, but you could not pay me to sift through the cesspool that is r/politics).

We craft our own experiences, and in its own way, our own realities. This probably isn’t a great thing.

I’m wondering if the older methods of political campaigning will last. If anyone has input, I’d be keen to hear it.

To answer, I’d prefer public financing of campaigns. We should craft a message geared to all ages. Right now, I think the party leadership and decision makers are a little too old. They don’t relate to the world my generation and Gen Z have grown up in. I always see, “You just want free stuff!” No, I want affordable education and health care. People who throw “free stuff” around as a pejorative really don’t understand how debt, depressed wages vs inflation, and increased costs of living have influenced our decision making. We get married later, start families later - if at all - stay home longer, are more nervous about the future, despair that anything will get done about climate before it’s too late. (I agree with Yang, it’s already too late. We’re going to spend the next century or two doing damage control and hoping not too many people die).

Anyway, this post got well away from me and well outside of your question. Apologies. Whatever politician who can grasp the world as it is and will be instead of leaning on the politics of the pst and how things have always been done will succeed. The world is changing rapidly. The robots are coming.

[Baked Potato]

16. Hi, you should think about creating an OP with these points

My kids are all on your age group, 35+. With the exception of one son who is a political junkie, my other ones are just about how you have described.

[Sympthsical]

23. Maybe closer to Super Tuesday

I’ve lurked a long time, but only just started posting. I feel an OP would be presumptuous. But, maybe I will jot some notes and put something together. I don’t see this perspective discussed too much here. I see a lot of assumptions about my generation, most of them in error.

[Baked Potato]

24. Ok, please do. Your perspective is valuable for Democrats.

[H2O Man]

17. Interesting answers!

Thank you very much! I appreciate it, and am glad that you took it farther than the limited questions I asked.

I'm old, and most of my friends are, too. Only a small number have cell phones -- I've never ad one, nor a credit card, for that matter. Many of our discussions focus on one of three topics: what a flaming asshole Trump is, "this ain't the country I grew up in," or complaining about younger generations addicted to cell phones rather than participating in neighborhood activities like we did. (grin) As poor as my computer skills are, most of my friends have less ability than me.

Going door-to-door is something I've done for many years It's an extended family tradition, along with working at campaign headquarters. One of my cousins set a record of sorts in 1960, when he got tickets five weeks in a row -- the only ones he ever got -- when he entered a small city here to run the JFK HQ. "We don't want your type here," he was informed by the police!

I've found it is most effective in local races, then in congressional races, and perhaps less so in presidential primary and general election contests. And I've found that speaking on college campuses is good, especially when the candidate appeals to young adults. For better or for worse, voter participation among this group depends largely on the appeal of the individual candidate.

[Sympthsical]

22. The internet opened the world and closed the town

I say hello to my neighbors but couldn’t say I actually know them. Even at work, go into the eating areas, and everyone’s lounging about staring at their phones. (And I work for a major tech company. You’d think we’d be tired of being online all day, but we are not).

I agree, local races probably play a lot better with in person appeals. It’s not like my local council member’s commercials aren’t exactly inundating my television or internet. That would be odd. Although my mailbox is definitely not so happy. So very many flyers.

Younger voters just don’t feel the urgency, I think. They don’t know what it’s like to be 32 and realize they can’t buy a house, and maybe we can try to start a family next year. Let’s see where are jobs are then. They don’t get in depth about policy issues, because they don’t connect how it affects them. They’re a little inoculated against life yet. So you’re right, I think, in that a charismatic, appealing figure is more likely to get their attention.

Although, it depends what we mean about younger voters. I still see people referring Millennials as if we’re a bunch of 25 year olds. Tch, some of us are turning 40 this year. Millennials are very much adults with families now. Gen Z are the youngins.

[ismnotwasm]

18. Interesting!

I’m the tail end of boomers, (relate more to Gen X) but I actually hate people I don’t know coming to my door. I live in Seattle, and we can be an unsocial lot as well. But the psychological difference is people making the effort to campaign, makes me a bit more friendly, and I remember their names

Reddit is something else, I like listening to tales of Reddit on YouTube, rather than participating on that site.

The more I think about it, the more I think you are right. I’m on-line for politics more often than than not.

I work with a LOT of millennials. I mean a lot. Nurses, PTs OTs, doctors etc. all professions that require at least a bachelors in my hospital. They are all in debt. BUT many of them are surprisingly unpolitical
I’d think they’d be all out for Bernie or Biden or whoever, but naw. They are intelligent and aware, but seem resigned.

[Sympthsical]

21. There's a kind of resigned hopelessness, yes

It’s the idea that nothing much will change in a fundamental, foundational way. The Democrat is always, always better than the Republican. We’ll take incremental steps forward, but the system will remain in place.

I’m in the back half of my thirties. The youthful idealism has been tempered (or worn down), so I’m not all gung ho about someone like Sanders. I like his ideas, I want the country to move in that direction. However, were he president, would he actually accomplish any of it? With Congress as dysfunctional as it? I just don’t see it happening.

That’s why my first two are Buttigieg and Warren. Let’s get someone brilliant, competent, and capable of comity in there. That’s something we can accomplish, so that’s where my head’s at right now.

[ibegurpard]

29. In my opinion and experience

Door to door and phone canvassing is a complete waste of time if you are only parachuting in at election time to do it. What has been neglected and continues to be neglected are efforts at real community building that canvassers can then tap into at election time. Why do you think the right-wing churches have been such a successful tool for the christofascists?

[oasis]

19. As long as Citizen's United cast its shadow over our elections,

get the money Democrats, by any means necessary.

[H2O Man]

20. Thank you!

Citizen's United certainly changed things. Still makes me furious.

[Zolorp]

25. 40-62

The youth vote is notoriously unreliable.

[H2O Man]

36. Interesting!

Thank you! And I definitely agree that "the youth vote is notoriously unreliable" by reputation. Being very old, and thus cranky by reputation, I've seen generations of young people reaching voting age like waves on a beach, and there have been times when as a group, they seem less interested than I wish they were. Many, likely most, are older now, and hopefully have learned their lesson. (grin)

A lot of my experience is with "local" and "regional" elections, stretching back to when I was first old enough to vote. It was then that I found a connection between getting young people interested in voting, and getting volunteers to go door-to-door, make phone calls, etc. My own chiden always volunteered time at the local Democratic Party HQ, well before they were 18. In 2008, a friend was running for a House seat in our highly republican district. The evening before election day, he was nervous about his chances of winning. I told him that he'd win by the number of houses my daughters had gone to that day. It turned out that I was off by ten votes, but he definitely won.

If young people see a connection between "politics" and their daily lives, they will become active. If a candidate has real appeal -- the kind that creates excitement -- they will vote in solid numbers. Just my opinion, of course, based upon my experience.

[Zolorp]

37. All current indications are, the youth vote is going to be lower than normal this year.

I think that is indicative of the despair in young people today. The current generation reaching voting age is the first that will likely do worse than their parents.

[H2O Man]

39. I respectfully disagree.

The numbers in the Iowa document a significant increase in young voters. More, and again from my experience, students on college & university campuses are very motivated this year. I've spoken on regional campuses for many years, and am convinced that there is far more interest this year than in the past.

[Zolorp]

40. We'll agree to disagree, then

[H2O Man]

41. I'm confident that

we agree upon the most important things. Plus, as Malcolm X taught, if any two people think exactly alike, it means that only one of them is thinking!

[TygrBright]

26. Your Zippy quote just about hits it off...

Last edited Mon Feb 17, 2020, 07:00 PM - Edit history (1)

Okay, I'll play.

How important is it to have volunteers making phone calls and going door-to-door in a campaign? Does it make any difference if it is a primary or general election contest?

I don't answer the phone anymore. But I answer the door. The last candidate to change my mind, a mayoral candidate, knocked on our door and spent upwards of 10 minutes in our living room with us, listening and answering questions. Before that visit, I was favoring a different candidate.

Of course, that was the CANDIDATE. Would I have been reached as effectively by a volunteer? It would probably depend on whether the volunteer was someone I knew and trusted.

If I were designing a door-knock campaign, I'd send teams of two, diversified by age (one older, one younger), gender (one cisgender, one genderqueer - or, in more conservative neighborhoods, one cis-male, one cis-female), by apparent ethnicity (just different, there- although getting past the subtle chains of white racism even in "liberal" white neighborhoods would seem to make at least one team member being white an advantage.)

I would train the door knockers in two things (over and above basic training in safety, messaging, and follow-up): One, presenting as neither vulnerable nor threatening, but 'connectable' on a broad basis; Two, assessing the door-answerer's response to each team member and selecting their pitch and responses based on the assessment.

In terms of financing: do you favor funding with small donations, corporate money to PACs, a combination of the two, or self-funding?

None of the above. Public financing.

Do you think the party should focus more upon appealing to non-party members to the left, the right, or both about equally?

I think the Party should focus on clarity and consistency in who we are, what we believe in, and what we do, again and again and again, and let that appeal to whoever it will appeal to. The more we waffle around trying to be all things to everyone, the less effective we are.

Which general age group, if any, should be the central GOTV focus – 18 to 39, 40 to 62, or 63+?

Different efforts for different groups. 63+ will vote but may need help completing early voting or getting to the polls. 18 to 39 need help getting registered, understanding the process, and engaging with the importance of their vote. 40 to 62 generally need "convenience" help- sample ballots, information on where/how to vote, encouragement that it's important enough to invest the time and effort.

Okay, that's mine.

Interested to see what other responses you elicit.

appreciatively,
Bright

[H2O Man]

33. Outstanding answers!

You've got me thinking about some of my door-to-door experiences from over the decades. Long ago, an independent candidate was running against a republican for town supervisor. Democrats, being a minority, rarely ran candidates in this town. The guy called me, and asked to meet me in a bar to discuss his offer to hire me to help run his campaign. Though I've never been fond of bars, I agreed to meet him.

The guy was an ass, though somewhat likable. He kept noting he was a millionaire, which I already knew. He said in order to hire me, I'd have to cut my hair and wear a suit. No chance of that, I said, and I thanked him for the beeras I left. He ended up calling me a couple days later, and we reached an agreement.

He needed petitions signed to put him on the ballot. The first day, wearing a suit, I put in long hours and got less than a third of the needed votes. A number of people said they thought I might be an annoying church representative making the rounds. The second day, I dressed as myself. In far less than half the time, I got more than twice the votes. Even a number of people who were clear they would never vote for the guy, but agreed with me that he had a right to be on the ballot.

That was long ago. I was in my mid-twenties. But I remember how strange it all was. In the evenings, while I was writing the ads he placed in the area newspapers, his lawyer and him drank "top shelf" beer, while offering me cheap stuff! Ha! His opponent's people contacted him, and said my ads were the best they'd ever seen in a local campaign. They asked him for my name, saying my talents shouldn't be wasted on a candidate like him. He, of course, refused to tell them.

[Prue]

27. My Input

How important is it to have volunteers making phone calls and going door-to-door in a campaign? Does it make any difference if it is a primary or general election contest?

It depends on the geographic location and the sub-population. Does anyone answer calls with unfamiliar phone numbers?

In terms of financing: do you favor funding with small donations, corporate money to PACs, a combination of the two, or self-funding?

I favor a funding system that is standard across the board for both parties. Free airtime with major networks and more debates.

Do you think the party should focus more upon appealing to non-party members to the left, the right, or both about equally?

I'm a moderate so I prefer both equally.

Which general age group, if any, should be the central GOTV focus – 18 to 39, 40 to 62, or 63+?

18 - 62 because 63+ is a block of voters that are typically retired and are comfortable with their routine. They aren't interested in making any major changes in their lifestyle and anything new is viewed suspiciously.

[H2O Man]

32. Very interesting!

Thank you for your answers. "Common sense" tends to be a bit more rare during primaries, and so I appreciate that you added it here, and in a focused, easy to understand way. Well done!

The one area that I both agree and disagree is your last sentence. It is definitely true for those who are comfortable. They may be concerned about those issues that should concern Democrats, but they tend to be less likely to embrace changes in their own status and daily lives. But there are a lot of us who aren't comfortable, for a wide range of reasons. We'd like to not have the little we have taken from us, of course, but we are convinced there needs to be serious systematic changes -- and not simply cosmetic changes.

Again, thank you!

[redstatebluegirl]

28. See below.

How important is it to have volunteers making phone calls and going door-to-door in a campaign? Does it make any difference if it is a primary or general election contest?

I think it is still important, more so in the primary but I have seen it change a House race in the final days when it is close. I can't tell you how many doors I have knocked on, telephones I have called or events I have canvassed in my 45 years with the party but it is a ton! I started when I was 17, I don't really count it until I was 20 though that is when I got deadly serious. I was 20 in 1975 and on campus finishing my BS.

In terms of financing: do you favor funding with small donations, corporate money to PACs, a combination of the two, or self-funding?

I wish you could finance a national campaign without PACS and Big money but you can't, sorry you just can't win and do that.

Do you think the party should focus more upon appealing to non-party members to the left, the right, or both about equally?
I think we should sell what we have to offer to everyone. Bloomberg is hitting red states and blue states. I have heard some people down here in bright red Oklahoma say they are republicans but Bloomberg makes sense. What he is selling is not anything foreign to democrats at large. We need to tell people how we are different and let the chips fall where they may. I think hitting Trump 24/7 will end up costing us the election.

Which general age group, if any, should be the central GOTV focus – 18 to 39, 40 to 62, or 63+?

All of them, we need to work on making sure all of the 18-39 are actually registered. I have run into more than a few at events who think they are "automatically registered" or that they can "vote on line". This group needs some hand holding through the process. We need to help those in the 63 plus category get to the polls if they need ride or anything. If they are Democrats and that age group they are very reliable voters. The middle group are difficult to reach sometimes but that is where the door to door canvassing and having booths at events to talk to people really work.

[H2O Man]

30. A few things

stand out in reading your response. First, I am pleased to see a few people responded today, which is a pleasant surprise. I've found all of the responses interesting. Now to your's in particular.

It is evident that you put thought into it. I appreciate that! It is also clear that you are both highly intelligent and focused. And so -- if I do say so myself -- that's why I find an OP/thread such as this far more valuable than the various ones that are centered on negative things about candidates and their supporters.

Your last paragraph brought a large smile to this wrinkled old face. Thank you so much!

[redstatebluegirl]

31. I thought your questions were good ones.

I don't always respond to these due to time if nothing else. Plus if they are really negative and loaded I stay away . I have a wrinkled old face too! Cheers!

[H2O Man]

34. When I was in

my late twenties, I was visiting a home where there was suspected child neglect. The woman had three little girls. After I was there a short while, I noticed the mother laughing after talking to the girls. She said they were horrified by the deep wrinkles on my forehead, sure they were knife wounds! It's something that I am very used to, especially all these decades later. (grin)

[lees1975]

35. Good questions

Volunteers really do help. In Western PA in 2012, in a heavily Republican county, the Obama campaign boosted the Democratic turnout in the county by 12,000 votes with its "boots on the ground" campaign. In 2016, Clinton ignored many of the western counties and the Democratic turnout dropped by 10,000 votes. If she'd had the volunteers in the western part of the state, and picked up those additional 60,000 or 70,000 votes, she'd have carried Pennsylvania.

I favor small donations. People with lots of money give with expectations and strings attached.

The Democrats represent a broad range of interests and perspectives. The wider the focus the better.

Same with age groups.

[H2O Man]

38. Thank you!

Very good answers! I appreciate it! That is the exact mindset we need in order to crush the opposition in November.