The best way to turn the Congress back toward Blue is to, for once, pay attention to redistricting..

[WCGreen]

Last edited Thu Feb 9, 2012, 09:40 PM - Edit history (1)

Too often, the national party sucks energy, volunteers and money out of the state and local party's. The volunteers want to play in the big leagues and look at local and state elections as an afterthought.

You want to know why the GOP took the House in 1994?

Simple, the GOP captured more statehouses starting in 1990 and culminated in 1992 when they took control of drawing the districts in states such as Ohio.

The same thing happened in 2008.

By localizing the message, by bringing it down to the visceral level, Republicans have captured statehouse after statehouse and so they redrew districts.

Again!

It’s expensive and it takes time and effort from the national level to address the situation at the state and local level.

Take this Birth Control issue. Didn’t they think it would cause a problem?

And it really isn’t a problem at the national level. It is at the local level.

And it play right into the GOP's Heavy Handed narative about the democrats being out of touch.

I can guarantee you it is probably being discussed at those same kitchen tables that Ronald Reagan talked about back in 1980 that personalized the national budget and took it right to the people.

That took time and effort at the local level. And right there to exploit it were church groups, Rotary Clubs who were ready willing and able to fight the Democrats and paint them as out of touch and heavy handed at the national level.

The Democrats had someone who was willing to localize every election with Howard Dean and he was seen as a threat to the national political operatus and the special interests the surround and define the party in DC.

I’ve seen it firsthand as I served as the Treasurer for Cuyahoga County for eight years, from 1994 to 2002. The state was only concerned with the Governor because that was where the Jobs were.

They couldn’t raise the money that the GOP could and so they were relegated to being a one trick campaign that left every other democrat on their own.

And Howard Dean got it.

Then Howard Dean got it.

[madrchsod]

1. yup..it`s at the local level

it`s one on one with your neighbor,your co workers,or the person sitting next to you.

there`s no reason why we can`t take back the house. it is the will we need.

[jsmirman]

2. It seems really hard to fight, no matter how outrageous the plans

once a crazy "plan" is put into place, but you could hardly say anything more sensible than what you've said in your OP.

Amen.

[bigbrother05]

3. All politics are local

Every office at every level is important. Nonpartisan positions like local school boards have broad impact on the community and builds a resume for higher office. The idea that Congress or state-wide offices are the level to contest is to cede control to the worst interests and the ones most likely to make your life miserable.

It takes patience and hard work, but the rewards can be huge and the impact immediate. Changing your local conditions for the better will only make all of us stronger and serve as an example to those around us.

[WCGreen]

5. You are right...

But the GOP KNOWS this and the national party works hand in hand with the state party which works hand in hand with the county party which works hand in hand with the city party.

I can tell you that the democrats have turned most of their focus on the national level. It is, after all, where all the great and influencial jobs are that attract the Best and the Brightest.

My contention is the national party sucks all the energy from the state and local levels and the proof is in the fact that the GOP overwelmingly controls the states.

Of course it is also easier to take control of a state that has less than a couple of million people.

Almost all the big states are Blue or purple. But it seems as if when there is redistricting at stake, the GOP revs up their organization and capture the prize.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Too bad that Howard Dean was not allowed to finish what he wanted.

Things might be different if he'd been able to.