[LD22exec] FW: Neighorhood Organizing and the 50 State Strategy

[zachhome at comcast.net]

Hi all,
The "Challenge From the Chair" as I recall was about the Governor.  The DNC part of it has to do with the "50 state Strategy", which is still good for the Democrats everywhere.  I agree, the timing might seem off, and the word from above seem late, but....  Much of what the WSDC and the DNC encourage, is already happening in Thurston County.  TCD could coordinate with campaigns approved for services for a GOTV program.  For free we could send an email out with the contact information of the campaigns and let them coordinate with whoever contacts them.  Ask the campaigns (should be voluntary participation) to track the number of volunteers, and use those numbers to report to the state after the election.  We are the trees, or something like that.
Zach
-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Hillary Hunt" <h.hunt at comcast.net> 

I am in complete agreement on this.  Sometimes (ok, frequently) the DNC can’t see the trees in the forest.  They’re just a little too single minded about Congress and the White House.

The Prayer is this:  That we do not become a monster in order to defeat a monster.
Bono - Vertigo Tour, Portland OR



From: ld22exec-bounces at thurstondemocrats.org [mailto:ld22exec-bounces at thurstondemocrats.org] On Behalf Of Jim Cooper
Sent: Saturday, October 13, 2007 11:46 AM
To: ld22exec at thurstondemocrats.org; 'John Cusick'; mikerechner at comcast.net
Subject: [LD22exec] FW: Neighorhood Organizing and the 50 State Strategy

Hey,
I just wanted to send this on to you all and get your opinion.  Personally I am pretty perturbed that our state and national chairs do not realize that most of the active democrats are probably volunteering for the 1000’s of local races across the nation that come to  close only 3 days after the planned house parties.  I know that 2008 is a big year for democrats but can’t we at least wait a few days or a week to do this after the races that effect our lives the most are over?  
I plan on  emailing Dwight my opinion and I wanted to see if you all felt the same, or if you think I might be overreacting.
Thanks,
Jim

From: cvc-bounces at wa-democrats.org [mailto:cvc-bounces at wa-democrats.org] On Behalf Of Dwight Pelz
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 6:31 PM
To: Execboard at wa-democrats.org; cvc at wa-democrats.org; wsdcc at wa-democrats.org; party-leaders at wa-democrats.org
Cc: Shawna Ousse; 'Jaxon Ravens'; 'Patrick Mead'
Subject: Neighorhood Organizing and the 50 State Strategy


Dear Party Leader, 

These are exciting and critical times for Democrats across Washington and across the nation.  We realize that we must win the White House and expand our majorities in Congress if we are to heal the many wounds created by eight years of George Bush and six years of his rubber-stamp Congress.  

State Party Challenge

As we prepare for the 2008 election cycle in Washington we have two major challenges on our plate -- running the February 9, 2008 Presidential Precinct Caucuses in almost 7,000 precincts; and our State Party Challenge (the new name for our Challenge from the Chair).  Both are opportunities to expand our grassroots organizing in every neighborhood across the state.  Both are projects which will flow more smoothly as Democrats at the County, LD, and Precinct level learn to use our new powerful online tool - Vote Builder.  

We are challenging ourselves to step up our person-to-person organizing, just as the DNC is issuing a similar challenge to Democrats nationwide.  The DNC, operating through Howard Dean's 50 State Strategy, is calling on Democrats to increase their neighborhood organizing efforts, and to record the results of their efforts in Vote Builder.  

DNC House Parties – One Year Out

On Saturday, November 3, 2007 the DNC is asking Democrats across the nation to host house parties in order to gather with other Democrats who care deeply about the future of our country.  This is part of a plan to build a national grassroots organization, state by state, that will be ready to fight back in 2008.  In addition to receiving all of the materials they will need to host an event, every house party host will receive a video briefing on the national strategy and field plan featuring Gov. Howard Dean and other party strategists.  This is the next phase in Howard Dean’s 50 State Strategy.  You will receive more information on these house parties in the coming weeks.  

(To provide you with background on the DNC program, I am forwarding to you a Power Point presentation from the DNC laying our their analysis of the changing politics in our nation, and what we as Democrats can do about it.  Click on the following link to access it online.      DNC Powerpoint


Profound Changes Underway in American Politics

Decline of The Ability of the Media to Reach People

The ways in which America receives news and information seems to change almost annually.  Newspapers are in decline, as readership falls, classified ads move to Craigslist, and young Americans fail to subscribe.  Seattle will soon be a one paper town.  

Cable television has by-passed network television in viewership and advertising revenues.  Declining network revenues are a major reason ABC, NBC, and CBS show all those crappy, low budget, prime time reality shows.  No casts = no costs.  40% of TV viewers screen their shows with TIVO and do not watch the commercials.  

Radio is shifting to non advertising satellite stations.  I personally am a subscriber to SIRIUS radio – a great service as I drive around the state – reception never fades.  The only commercial radio growing in America is Spanish language radio.  

The number of land lines in America is shrinking fast.  In the State Party Voter File we currently have phone numbers for about 75% of registered voters.  But today 30% wireless users have no land line, and that number rises steadily.  People of color disproportionately rely on cell phones.  68% of African American adults and 66 % of Hispanics own cell phones.

By 2009, 2/3rds of likely voters have internet capacity on their phone.  For these people the cell phone may serve as their telephone, computer, television, and music system.  

You Tube is one year old, and today receives 100 million “hits” (visitors) a day.  325,000 people logged onto Barack Obama’s “Facebook” site, an online community launched by a supporter with no clear connection to Obama’s campaign.  Google will sell $18 billion in advertising this year.


Changing Demographics

Political demographics in America are changing rapidly, largely in ways which can aid Democrats.  In my lifetime the US will become a majority minority nation.  Franklin County recently became the first non-Caucasian majority county in our state.  In 2008 10% of the votes cast nationwide will be made by Hispanic voters.  This number will top 25% within 30 years.  

On September 9, 2007 the Democratic candidates for President participated in a Spanish language debate on the Univision network.  It was the most widely watched television show that day.  4.6 million of the nation’s 42 million Hispanics watched the debate, or about one out of every ten Hispanics here in the United States. By contrast, the average audience for all the Presidential debates this year is 4.3 million. So this debate, targeting an audience that is at most a tenth of the American population, delivered a higher audience than the average of all the other Presidential debates this year.

The Republicans are losing support in the Hispanic community, due to their polarizing approach to immigration.  Their candidates refused to participate in a Univision debate, an act which further alienated the Hispanic community.  The Republican Party ran no Spanish language TV ads in 2006.


Changing the Ways We Contact Voters

The November 3, 2007 House Parties will urge Democrats across the nation to change the ways in which we contact voters.  In Washington we are incorporating these same principles in the State Party Challenge  – person to person contact with our neighbors, then recording this information into Vote Builder.  

Recent research finds that it takes:

§       389 contacts by mail to change one vote

§       460 phone calls to change one vote

§       14 personal, at the door contacts to change one vote

Please review the attached Power Point.  If you are intrigued or motivated or passionate about its message, then organize, within your Legislative District or County Party a house party to bring friends together to learn about the ways in which we will effectively fight back in 2008   We will also discuss ways in which we can incorporate the DNC plan into our work based around hosting the February 9, 2008 Presidential Precinct Caucuses and conducting the State Party Challenge.

Feel free to contact myself, Jaxon, or Tania Maria with any questions or suggestions.

Democratically yours, 


Dwight Pelz
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From: "Hillary Hunt" <h.hunt at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [LD22exec] FW: Neighorhood Organizing and the 50 State Strategy
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