Many folks associate Obama with Dean's 50 state strategy. Why?

[jackson_dem]

While associating Clinton with Carville and David Axlerod's buddy Rahm. The Clinton thing is understandable, although unproven, but the Obama association with the Dean strategy seems strange. What is the basis for this? Has he ever commented on the 50 state strategy or is this similar to the "hope" that he will be whatever we want him to be, exemplified the best by the common netroots "hope" that he will be different than Hillary's DLC when he has 0 policy disagreements with the online left's nemesis?

[OzarkDem]

1. Because many states he's winning in the primary can't be won in the GE

It would be a huge waste of money to pursue a 50 state strategy against McCain. Its different when you're running against a Republican in a real election with only registered voters from both parties.

[ingac70]

2. It would not be a waste...

Lots of folks are suffering in red states from Republicanism. Time to strike!

[progressive_realist]

19. It's not a waste of money

The down-ticket benefits of running a 50 state strategy help turn red states purple and keep smaller blue states from turning purple. The 50% + 1 strategy sucks because you might win in the short term, but you guarantee your own defeat down the road.

[DJ13]

3. I think people assume Obama is using Deans 50 state strategy because....

.......he has at least ran ads (if not actually personally campaigned) in every state so far contested, where Hillary has already pulled some ad buys in states where her chances werent good.

A 50 state strategy is expensive, and Obama can afford to do that if needed, but Hillary cant.

Would Obama still campaign in the rest of the states even if Hillary were to quit tomorrow (just a hypothetical)?

Probably in most in order to get his name recognition up for the GE.

But I doubt Hillary would if Obama quit, as she has name recognition going into a GE.

[AX10]

4. kick

[Dob Bole]

5. Obama was one of the candidates originally supported by Dean's Democracy for America

so the association is still there. Obama was also one of the winners in Dean's "50 state strategy," although to be fair he never really had a chance of losing once he found himself running against Alan Keyes.

[jackson_dem]

7. DFA was before Dean's 50 state strategy

He was also one of the DLC's 100 "rising stars". Dean wasn't the head of the DNC when Obama won. McAullife was. Besides, Illinois was always a state Democrats would have competed in. If anything the rethugs are the ones who wrote off Illinois in 2004.

[Dob Bole]

12. Wrong. Dean founded the organization and was chosen as DNC Chair BECAUSE of his strategy...

...which he was already talking about during the 2004 campaign. See here: http://www.google.com/search?q=50+state+strategy+site%3Ademocracyforamerica.com&btnG=Search

[jackson_dem]

14. How can someone implement DNC policy before becoming head of the DNC?

It was McAullife's DNC who saw Obama win in Illinois (of course we know what happened in places like Oklahoma and South Carolina that year...Obama an Salazaar were the only bright spots in a dismal year).

[Dob Bole]

16. Not what I said. Dean lent his network support to Obama as head of DFA...

and through DFA, he promoted his idea of a 50 state strategy. He pitched this idea to TPTB and they elected him party chair because of it. And it wouldn't have mattered if Woody the Woodpecker was party chair in 2004, Obama still would have beaten Keyes.

[bigbrother05]

6. Because he's just the kind of candidate you would want

to run in a 50 state election. The one talking about uniting the country is made to order for Dean's strategy.

[jackson_dem]

8. Do you really think Obama would compete in Wyoming if he is the nominee?

The last presidential candidate to run a 50 state strategy was Nixon. While JFK was spending time in strategic states Nixon was often in places like Alaska (Nixon would up losing by 0.2%)...The 50 state strategy works for at every level except the presidential one.

[bigbrother05]

28. Modern media and the net make it possible.

With the DNC's resources and Obama's ability to raise funds, putting resources in each state would help at all levels on the ticket in each state. Suspect Dean is secretly looking forward to the GE, regardless of the candidate, for the synergy his 50 state plan will have.

[Tatiana]

9. It's a little more than hope. It's what he's doing.

As I and many others have asserted, the Clinton campaign is all about a 50% +1 strategy for the national election. Notice that Hillary has no field offices in 7 states and only 1 field office in another 7 states

This is one reason among many that I fear a Clinton campaign: they just don't believe in the 50 state strategy.

This is evident even in the primaries. As indicated by Poblano's research, Clinton has only 27 field offices to Obama's 87. Furthermore Obama has field offices in all of the Super Tuesday states, even Alaska. Not surprisingly, she has no field offices in most of the red states (AK, ID, KS, ND, OK, and UT) that she does not feel will be competitive in the general election. Georgia and Tennessee are the only exceptions and she only has one field office in each.

She also has no field offices in the blue states of Delaware and Illinois. It appears that she has conceded IL to Obama. Though that may be true it feels like she just doesn't care enough to bother nor does she care about DE. Even in the Blue states, CA, NY, NJ, MA, MN and CT she only has a major presence in CA and NY, the highest delegate states.

As for the purple states (AR, AZ, CO, and NM) she also has only one field office in each.

(more...)

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/1/113613/5610/907/447600

[jackson_dem]

11. The primaries are a completely different animal than the general

Ask John Kerry. He's doing it because he has enough money to throw around everywhere. If you look at the early states Obama heavily outspent everyone else with the possible exception of South Carolina, a state he locked up when the Clintons were swiftboated. In Iowa he outspent the second place finisher 6 to 1 to purchase, er, earn an 8 point win.

[Tatiana]

22. Do you think once he gets to the general election Obama will stop fundraising?

That's why he's raising the money, that's why he's built such a huge small donor base. He will need these people to contribute towards the general election and they will. He will still have "enough money to throw around everywhere," as you put it.

If Obama is the nominee, I guarantee he will outraise McCain.

He is clearly using Dean's 50-state strategy and if he's using it now, why would he ever deviate from it in a general election? By having field offices in those red states, by already having had people on the ground going door-to-door; by having visited red states like Nebraska that no one seems to care about and drawing thousands of people, Obama has laid the foundation for a substantial victory in November.

Likewise, if he is the nominee, this will probably benefit Dems down ticket as well.

There is a very good post on mydd about Obama and this situation:

Take the fake, engineered, and hyped brouhaha about the comments of Senator Obama regarding the legacy of Ronnie Reagan. Do you know what Barack Obama said BEFORE he mentioned Ronald Reagan in that interview? Do you know the http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/01/obama-v-clinton.html">real context of his remarks?

It's not surprising that you might not. Senator Clinton and President Clinton and a whole bunch of other people simply don't want you to hear them.

Barack Obama was talking about the http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/3/31/12272/6391">50 State Strategy:

I think that we're shifting the political paradigm here. And if I'm the nominee, I think I can bring a lot of folks along on my coattails. You know, there's a reason why in 2006, I made the most appearances for members of Congress. I was the most requested surrogate to come in and campaign for people in districts that were swing districts, Republican districts where they wouldn't have any other Democrat.

That was based on their read of the fact that, you know what, this is somebody who can reach out to independents and Republicans in a way that doesn't offend people...I don't want to present myself as some sort of singular figure. I think part of what's different are the times.

Far from doing "nothing," In 2006, Barack Obama helped us win majorities in both houses of Congress.

If you go to the diary at the link listed below you can view the embedded vids of Obama campaigning for other Dems in 06:

Here's Barack Obama in Colorado in October 2006 campaigning for Ed Perlmutter in his campaign to win an open seat in Congress. (Ed won, btw.)

Here's Barack Obama in Cleveland, Ohio in November 2006 campaigning for Senator Sherrod Brown. (Who won, btw, noticing a trend here?)

Here's Barack Obama campaigning in Louisville, Kentucky for Democrat John Yarmuth in his campaign to defeat GOP incumbent Anne Northup in September 2006. (Yarmuth won.)

Here's Barack Obama in Richmond Virginia campaigning for Senator Jim Webb, November 2006:

Here's Paul Hodes, another member of the class of 2006 endorsing Barack Obama in New Hampshire and using that occasion to talk about Democratic Unity:

Here's Patrick Murphy, another class of 2006 member that Barack campaigned for talking about Barack this January in New Hampshire:

And finally, here's Senator Claire McCaskill, Senator Obama's newly minted national co-chair, talking about endorsing Barack Obama, who campaigned for her in Missori in 2006.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/1/23/215051/859

[jackson_dem]

29. No, but he is stupid if he spends (wastes) money in Wyoming in a presidential general election

Ask Nixon how 50 state presidential campaigns work out...

Big name Democrats campaign nationally for other Democrats (although notice Obama never campaigned for Lamont like Edwards did?). So did Hillary. That has nothing to do with what strategy they would pursue as a presidential candidate. Thre 50 state strategy works at all levels--except the presidential one.

[Tatiana]

30. You asked why Obama was associated with Dean's 50-state strategy.

I explained why.

Now you are saying that the 50-state strategy will work at all levels except the presidential one.

The national Democratic Party is using the 50-state strategy. Are you saying you disagree with it?

http://www.democrats.org/a/party/a_50_state_strategy/

As long as we have the money, it is a perfectly viable strategy that will increase the visibility and networking of our presidential candidate as well as help out Democrats in tough red state races. Not to mention, Democrats are miles ahead of the Republicans in terms of fundraising this cycle.

[jackson_dem]

32. I know and thanks for doing so

The DNC should because it helps in congressional, gubernatorial, and even state legislative and mayoral races. The nominee's campaign should not, aside from perhaps a token effort in places like Wyoming. This will be a close election and money needs to be concentrated where it can make a difference. The 50 state strategy works for local Democrats. The Democrats who won in places like Montana are not Obama or Hillary. They adapted to their conservative states. Obama and Hillary, given their positions, stand no shot in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Alabama, etc.

[XemaSab]

15. Good response.

I'll add to that that when Obama says "it's not about red versus blue" this leads me to assume that he's speaking to Republicans in red states telling them they will not be punished for coming into his fold. :)

Oh, and he and Dean are both HUGH Lakoff fans. :)

[alteredstate]

10. I think the Obama campaign team

has employed many of the DFA strategies.

[jackson_dem]

13. Like what?

I am not familiar with DFA's strategies. I just don't see Obama running a 50 state campaign if he is the nominee. Perhaps he will support Dean's 50 state strategy as DNC policy, but apparently there is no concrete evidence of this such as a "I support the 50 state strategy" quote.

[alteredstate]

24. I don't know what the Obama campaign team would do in the GE

I do think their GOTV effort is similar to Dean's. And they've spent a lot of time in a lot of states.

[Bicoastal]

17. Naah....others have already beaten me to the punch.

But let me just say this--he's fighting hard in every state, and not writing off any as a part of the country that doesn't matter. You don't think Hillary could have lessened her defeat in SC by STAYING in the damn state for a few more days instead of flying off to Florida? It speaks volumes to voters.

HE is going to states that Hillary is simply sending Bill and Chelsea to. And he is using the metroots approach FAR better than Hillary is. That's why.

[BearSquirrel2]

18. Fundraising Strategy ...

One thing the DO have in common is their fundraising strategy. Hillary has the old top-down scheme. Obama is the bottom up scheme. Obama is winning the money game right now. AND ... his donors are not maxed out on their contribution limit.

[Renew Deal]

20. Obama is campaigning everywhere

That's why.

[Armstead]

21. There's a lot to be said for a fresh start

Gridlock is ultimately the friend of the GOP.

Obama's not my ideal candidate (too conservative for my taste) but I think we need some fresh air and to move beyond the hate and meaningless hatred over wedge issues.

If Obama can shift the balance in the electorate towards the Dems, there;s a better chance to get moving in a more progressive direction.

[fujiyama]

23. I'll admit I was skeptical as to what he was doing

Days before Super Tuesday he was going around Idaho and other places where people said he'd have no appeal - and he got people to come out. Hillary was doing what was more strategic in a traditional sense - shoring up votes in delegate rich states.

Now can a Democrat win those places in a general election? Very unlikely. Idaho and many of those other states Obama carried in the primaries/caucuses aren't going blue in a presidential election for several years.

But as some (like the various Dem red state governors and senators) have made clear we need someone that will at least attempt to appeal to those that don't agree with your policies - Obama has the potential of having positive coattails. And others have explained the advantages this brings with regards to fund raising as well. It's important to raise money from folks in deep red states like Kansas...and have them give in small increments so they can keep giving. It's been proven fairly effective.

[madfloridian]

25. Dean went to states others did not bother with.

He drew surprising crowds because people were shocked to see a Democrats there.

He went back to those areas often after he became chair. I think as chair he drew about 500 in Idaho.


This is from Boise, I think. I have the caption somewhere, but can't find it.

Ask a European blogger. They have kept up with it.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1822

[RevolutionStartsNow]

26. Oh, how I miss Howard Dean...

Them were some good times.

[madfloridian]

27. I hate that he has had to shut up.

We have needed him to not be afraid to express opinions. I knew this would happen if he got the chairman position.

[TheWraith]

31. Because the Clinton people hate the Dean people, and the 50-state strategy.

And the presumption is that if Clinton get the nomination, she'll move the party back to the blue states plus one strategy that we had before.

Speaking as somebody who's stuck up for Carville at times when he bashed Dean, and stuck up for Dean too, I'm not trying to say that Dean's as brilliant as some people describe him, but he's clearly got a key in terms of the 50-state strategy. We won a lot of places in 2006 that we never would have considered before, like in Indiana, the Dakotas, etcetera.