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crickets

(25,896 posts)
36. We seem to have different memories.
Thu Jun 25, 2020, 08:52 PM
Jun 2020

The strategy didn't always work as well in all areas, and some election eras were easier for the Democrats than others, true. But to say 50-State strategy been continued through from its inception to now is false, and it's not revisionist to point that out. I live in one of the states that got dropped like a hot potato, so ask me how I know.

I sympathize with Arkansas for getting stuck with the likes of Mark Pryor, but I don't see how that really negates all the good that the strategy managed to accomplish.

Looking Back at Howard Dean's 50-State Strategy MAY 2013

Dean has long since left the DNC -- he served four years, departing in early 2009 -- and the 50-state strategy has faded from memories. But looking at it from today's vantage point, the project offers a nifty example of how modest investments in party infrastructure can pay tangible dividends -- and how those dividends can disappear once the investments dry up.


Races Dems narrowly lost show party needs to return to Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy DEC 2018

In 2005, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean became chairman of the Democratic National Committee and embarked on a movement to create infrastructure, influence, and engagement in every state in America. He called it, the "50 State Strategy." Dean believed that Democrats should have an operation in places that it usually ignored in order to secure the future. This plan was met with consternation by many of the DNC's top brass and slowly disappeared. Failure to embrace Dean’s vision is one of the biggest mistakes the party has made in recent history.


Party folks at the national level love the fat war chests for their high profile darlings and seem to find the hard slog of bothering with national outreach in less lucrative areas of the country to be beneath them. The 50-State strategy netted sometimes modest, but still important, gains. Given how razor thin the difference can be in gaining majority in the House and Senate, seems like the effort would be worth it if the DNC could be bothered.
The Democratic challenger dropped out two hours after the filing deadline. Patterson Jun 2020 #1
yeah. so now we have an independent who could be formidable if he gets on the ballot jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #2
A pro-Bernie Independent will be formidable in Arkansas? brooklynite Jun 2020 #18
crazy right? jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #20
But he's not... brooklynite Jun 2020 #23
If Booker wins against mcconnell, will you concede I'm right? jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #26
I wouldn't count on *anyone* being competitive against McConnell. Trump voters will be out in force DTomlinson Jun 2020 #29
itll be tough, but competitive to me is anybody who is able to recruit jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #32
Competitive to me is being able to win or make it a close race... brooklynite Jun 2020 #35
polling is not everything. jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #38
Polling ISN'T everything...if the race is relatively close brooklynite Jun 2020 #39
anybody can realistically beat somebody, usually jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #42
"anybody can realistically beat somebody, usually" brooklynite Jun 2020 #45
that same poll that shows Booker down 14 has McGrath down 20 versus Moscow Mitch Celerity Jun 2020 #55
This message was self-deleted by its author DTomlinson Jun 2020 #25
To be honest, I think the "Democratic" label is often what scares some people away. DTomlinson Jun 2020 #24
To spend more time with the spouse and kids? Or was it some underhanded and dishonest... NurseJackie Jun 2020 #3
I think there was something about a scandal that was brought to light jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #5
Vetting is important. NurseJackie Jun 2020 #6
Yeah... jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #7
It's not like anyone's lining up to be led to slaughter RhodeIslandOne Jun 2020 #41
WTF? Bring back Howard Dean and the 50-state project. dawg day Jun 2020 #4
Democrats had the seat with Mark Pryor sarisataka Jun 2020 #9
which shows that the seat is winnable. jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #10
the last time Pryor won against a Republican opponent was 2002 Celerity Jun 2020 #56
Thank you. I get a laugh at the liberals who talk about the 50 state strategy. Drunken Irishman Jun 2020 #30
You'd rather have Cotton? dawg day Jun 2020 #51
No. But a lot on the left seemed indifferent to Pryor's loss. Drunken Irishman Jun 2020 #54
Who decided they didn't need him and who let the seat go? SharonClark Jun 2020 #34
He voted against the universal background check bill sarisataka Jun 2020 #48
Howard Dean's 50-state approach should never have been dropped. nt crickets Jun 2020 #21
It wasn't dropped. This is ridiculous, revisionist history. Drunken Irishman Jun 2020 #31
We seem to have different memories. crickets Jun 2020 #36
There's no different memories. There's the right - and there's the wrong. Drunken Irishman Jun 2020 #46
It has to be implemented correctly TheFarseer Jun 2020 #40
Field someone. dawg day Jun 2020 #52
That would mean running some right wing democrat JI7 Jun 2020 #49
Or a super progressive dawg day Jun 2020 #53
People want to know how Sgent Jun 2020 #8
we did run someone qazplm135 Jun 2020 #11
maybe my question is why was he the only one? jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #12
Probably because no one else wanted to run? qazplm135 Jun 2020 #13
True. But recruitment efforts usually involve some persuasion, and a state with 3 million people jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #14
they did have someone interested... qazplm135 Jun 2020 #15
again, they could have recruited more than one. jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #16
if you want to cite vetting sure ok qazplm135 Jun 2020 #17
vet, and keep recruiting. if the vetting comes out poorly, recruit harder. jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #22
In a bright red state TheFarseer Jun 2020 #43
in this case we just needed a warm body. jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #44
False. Drunken Irishman Jun 2020 #33
Umm.... Sgent Jun 2020 #47
No. The DSCC and DCCC did a bulk of the heavy lifting. Drunken Irishman Jun 2020 #50
What a failure not to have a challenger rockfordfile Jun 2020 #19
Can a write in candidate win if they receive enough votes? tavernier Jun 2020 #27
yes. he is filing as a write in candidate just in case he doesn't get on the ballot jorgevlorgan Jun 2020 #28
Unacceptable superpatriotman Jun 2020 #37
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