How to win 2008 one street at a time
While obviously the biggest factor in winning in 2008 is going to be how the next two years plays out, something that we can control is how we (you and I) are going to win elections in 2008. It seems that the Democrats nationally have improved on their turnout, and their overall campaign strategy (logistics, not topics), we can still improve. We must improve if we stand a chance in 2008, because the Republicans have been up all night trying to figure out how they are going to win the election from the ground up.
What I am asking of everyone is what we should be doing, and what we should encourage others to do in terms of making 2008 a 50 state, 435 district, street by street election. Candidates and topics are important, but those are probably better served within a different topic/thread.
Here are a few ideas that I have been toying with.
1) A challenge to you and everyone you know. Try to convince 100 people who did not vote in 2006 to vote for Democrats. We have two years, there is plenty of time. I've already convinced one person who didn't vote yesterday. If each of us convinces one person a week (on average), and spreads the word and follows up with those people as the next election approaches, that would be a huge plus for all of us.
If you live in a state where there will be a Senate election, shoot for 125 minimum.
2) Another idea is to make a huge push starting immediately to register as many new voters as possible. While this seems somewhat redundant right after an election, it would not be a bad idea to start registering new voters while interest in politics and elections are high. Many people who I talked to who did not vote yesterday did so because they either ran out of time, or were not sure if they registered (note: I am in my 20's, so many people I know either move once a year or are possibly still registered where their parents live, and couldn't get back to vote). This is especially important now because it is a good time to teach people the finer points of voter registration, in that every time you move, you have to change addresses, and with absentee ballots in that you have to plan ahead to vote. This brings me to my next idea
3) Another idea would be to make sure that people in apartment buildings and in or near colleges know that they have to register again if they have moved. A friend of mine didn't vote yesterday because he forgot to register at his new address, and therefore didn't vote. He was registered, just not living in the place where he was registered anymore. A good idea would be to try to incorporate opportunities for people to register whenever they are about to move, or just have. So if you live in an apartment building, or near a college campus, it would be a good idea if there was an organization that specifically focused on getting registered voters in these areas (there are already tons that just register people). One good way to do this would be to make some type of law that requires the postal service to include some type of standard form that people would receive when they get their change of address confirmation. They already send a letter, and some coupons from Home Depot and various storage places, it would not be difficult to have a voter registration form included in every single confirmation that is mailed to a new resident. It would increase voter turnout guaranteed.
4) While it is fresh in everyone's minds, it would be a good idea to focus on areas where voters had a difficult time voting. For instance, in Denver there were massive lines, power failures, and just an overall lack of planning. While people are still mad, and while races are still being contested, it would be good to start improving the polling areas where problems related to the relative ease of voting occurred yesterday. It would be much easier to seize the momentum now than it will be in a few months when it is not as recent and important to people. I'm sure that the Mayor of Denver and the new Governor of Colorado did not enjoy waiting over an hour to vote yesterday morning. Ideas for this would include having more machines (or less), improving the overall volume of people who are able to vote in a given location at a given time, and extending voting hours across the board, especially opening polling places earlier than they already are. Many people would vote at 6 a.m. if they could, but if the polling places open at 7 they have to wait until after work.
These are just a few ideas that I have come up with over the last couple of days...they may not be great, but they are ideas, and i am confident that they can be improved upon. I would be interested to see what other people would suggest, and more importantly, what other people would be willing to spend time and possibly money to improve the ability of people to vote and the overall turnout.
The last thing we need immediately...
is to kick up a fuss immediately. People are tired of 'politics.' They have jobs, kids, spouses, bills, responsibilities, and other things to worry and wonder about for a bit. People, for the most part, are not politics 24/y/365.
At the moment, we do not have a candidate. What we have are wanna-bes. We have things to do with issues and the congress. Repairs to the damage that BushCo has done. We have troops to protect and bring home--a war to wind down.
My son(b. '81)and I have solved his voting problems. He votes absentee--his ballot is mailed here to his legal address(Oregon is all vote by mail). I send his ballot on to him and he returns it to the county clerk here.
He can move as often as he wants--lives in Chicago.
A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.
Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623
The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so.
Louis Pasteur
Issues and candidates aside
What I am trying to ask people is not about issues or candidates, it is how we can build a get out the vote program that makes the Republicans program pale in comparison. The issues and candidates are beyond our individual control, but getting out the vote is something that all of us can begin to work on today.
I understand that many people are not into politics all day, every day, but I am talking about those of us who are. I'm not talking about the average voter/non-voter. I'm talking about us, as Democrats, and what we are all going to do to make sure that 2006 was not a fluke. I guarantee the Republicans are already figuring out how to improve their turnout in 2008, in terms of identifying probable voters, districts where they should focus on, etc. They aren't waiting for issues and candidates.
The way I always looked at politics was the way I looked at sports, specifically football. The coach whose team loses on Sunday is in his office that night figuring out exactly what happened and what to fix by the time the players come in on Monday afternoon. If we work harder than the Republicans, we will win, but we have to start now. 2008 is much too late.
Congratulations from.........
Congratulations from The Netherlands ;-). I try to post more frequently again, but for now I only can say: Bottoms Up for the future! ;-)
G.J. Van Waterink
Thinking back to 2004
Today I sat thinking about how terrible and scare I felt the day after the election in 2004. It seemed that all hope was lost. I remember thinking well we'll see just how screwed up this country can get in the next couple of years. I remember scrawling out an email that I sent to my family and friends stating what I believe would happen; increase in health care costs, increase in national debt, mired further in war. All on the eve of one of the largest population booms staring down the barrel of retirement. A time when they would need aid for healthcare. A time when they would receive the social security they had worked for so hard.
Myself, a 31 year old male was scared of just what it was that I would be working for in the next couple of decades of my life. What would be left for me?
I remember that day after, hearing the political talking heads stating "that the democratic party may be effectively a dead party". That it would take us a decade or more to regroup.
Hearing this, and dealing with my hopes dashed the night before had me so far down in the dumps I was completely lost.
Today, only 2 years later I am energized. I cannot wait to get started on my new post election email to my friends and family telling them what this election means. I see the possibility to stop the bleeding. The possibility to gain respect in the world again. The possibility to afford everyone the ability to have basic needs covered.
But, that's going to take allot of work on our elected officials part. It's also going to take allot of work from us the voters to remind them from time to time what we expect from them. They are likely going to need to do some things that won't be popular with moderates and republicans. We are going to have to pay back the debt that the bush administration has run up. And that is going to be a bitter taste to most voters. We need to remain vocal and trumpet the reason for doing these things, and how it will benefit the middleclass.
Yeah today is a different feeling altogether? Equally as deep and emotional. It just feels so much better.
Students
As a student myself trying to get a good education at a pricey private school, I was intrigued by one of the options in the "100 thingd to change" poll that had to do with lowering interest rates on student loans. I go to a school in western PA where a lot of kids (many of my friends, infact) from the rural areas of Pa vote conservative just because they fear being labled a "liberal." I think if the Democrats would push the reduction of interest rates on student loans to young people and, unlike the Republicans, act on the promise, many of these kids would look past the "liberal" fear and vote Democratic.
"If you want a picture of the future: Imagine this, a boot stamping on a human face, forever."