White House unveils $50 million plan to boost Democratic support

[sabra]

Source: WP

Amid fresh signs of Republican fundraising momentum, White House officials unveiled a $50 million plan to try to shore up Democratic majorities on Capitol Hill in advance of the November midterm elections, using a campaign theme of "defending the middle class."

Run out of the Democratic National Committee, the plan involves using paid media advertisements, new media outreach and traditional get-out-the-vote efforts to boost support from the millions of young and minority voters who cast their first ballots ever for President Obama in 2008 but whose energy has since waned.

White House officials cast the move as the first time that Obama's massive online fundraising capacity will be brought to bear in a significant way to help the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Organizing for America, the entity created by the Obama political team in the wake of the 2008 presidential campaign, is also planning to send staff to the states with competitive races to help on the ground.

Republicans have outraised Democrats in many of those races, particularly Senate contests in key states such as Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania, according to the latest Federal Election Commission reports.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/16/AR2010041602567.html

[Romulox]

1. "defending the middle class" = asking for donations? I thought there was more to it than that?

:shrug:

[frazzled]

2. You don't have to donate ... get involved with the nearest OFA office

They've already been holding strategy sessions for the upcoming 9 months till the elections, focused on both issue advocacy and electoral work. I think there's going to be a large kick-off canvass in another month or two; voter registration; lots of phonebanking to those first-time voters who need to haul their behinds out to vote in the midterms, etc.

[Romulox]

3. I guess I'm wondering if there'll be any new policy initiatives to accompany the rhetoric?

Because if the idea is to define the recent record of the Party as primarily focused on "defending the middle class", I have grave reservations...

[newtothegame]

5. Rhetoric made history. nt

[Democat]

6. Not doing anything is better than what the Republicans want to do!

Forget everything that Democrats may or may not promise or do in the next two years and you should still definitely vote for Democrats no matter what.

Look no further than the Tea Party to see if that's who you want running the country.

To put it another way - if you have a choice between voting to stand still or voting to drive full speed at a cliff, choose the former.

[Romulox]

9. Sincere question: is your post satire? nt

[Iowa]

21. I had the same reaction...

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Enrique]

13. standing still while we control the WH and both houses?

and control both houses by large margins?

[Democat]

19. I'm not saying they should stand still, of course.

I'm saying that even if you think Obama sucks, he's 100% better than the Tea Party. So, unless you want to see the country run by those crazy people, you should vote for the Democrat in your area in the next election.

There are some people here on DU who will encourage you to stay home if Obama and the Democrats don't give you everything you ever wanted. Those people are giving the Tea Party exactly what they want.

[frazzled]

20. Well, Financial Regulation is coming up in a week or two

And the president has promised to veto any bill that doesn't regulate derivative trading.

That was one of the items on the agenda that OFA discussed with us last week, although at this point, they are not asking for phone banking. If the Republicans filibuster, that may change.

I'm not sure what kind of defense of the middle class legislation you're looking for. The not going after Wall Street argument seems to be failing, what with the just-announced prosecution of Goldman Sachs and the strong position of all the Democrats--even Blanche Lincoln--on regulating the financial industry. We in the middle class (and I am one of them) got the largest tax cut in 50 years. The Recovery Act has added 2.5 million jobs--not enough, of course, but there would have been none, and continuing decline without it. We've gotten a health care bill that puts regulations on the insurers and will, when it is fully implemented, help families with up to incomes of $88K buy health insurance.

Were you complaining this much during the Bush administration? Cause I sure was. I see turning things around as progress, even if Nirvana has not yet been reached.

Advice from an old song: you need to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative ...

[liberation]

22. Denial is a mechanism for coping, not something that should be advised as a life strategy

[frazzled]

23. Duly noted that you have no argument against legislative accomplishments

I'm willing to give you some points, but your credibility score is hovering near zero, for lack of substance. Posts of "no" are not acceptable.

[h9socialist]

4. In 2002, I remember being at the home . . .

. . . of the late Congresswoman Julia M. Carson, on a Saturday morning getting ready to go out with the volunteers to canvass. Rep. Carson came out and told us, "Now, let's go beat those dirty, rotten Republicans!" My sentiments exactly!

[OhioChick]

7. "defending the middle class?"

:rofl:

Sorry, but both parties are allowing the middle class to go down the shitter.

[progressoid]

16. +1

[jody]

8. IMO increasing numbers of voters don't see much difference between the two parties. n/t

[dmallind]

11. Well there's proof education in this country has declined then

Because I'm a shitload closer to the middle than most DUers and even I can see a huge yawning chasm of a difference. True believers should have a much easier time of that than I do.

[zalinda]

10. Maybe if they acted like REAL dems

they wouldn't need this campaign. People are tired of repub light. They voted for a dem and expected a dem, but they didn't get it.

Hell, if you went to your cousin's restaurant and ordered and paid for steak and got a hamburger steak, how long do you think you would put up with it? Your cousin would say steak is steak, why complain.

Now the dems say, a dems a dem, you'll take it and like it. I won't be conned any more.

zalinda

[BootinUp]

12. I guarantee there will be less money

on the D side than the R side. Best use it wisely.

[proudohioan]

14. I wonder why those young and minority voters have waning energy??

:sarcasm:

[aquart]

15. That's all they're spending on us?

[progressoid]

17. The White House unveils??

Shouldn't the DNC unveil this?

[robinblue]

26. I wondered about that also.

[Wapsie B]

18. Get a Liberal to replace Stevens on the U. S. Supreme Court

and they'll have their 50 mil easy. No centrist, but an unabashed flaming Liberal.

[im1013]

24. Here's a CRAZY idea.....

How about if Obama would actually ATTEMPT to do even HALF of all those

glorious campaign "promises".....

Maybe so many people wouldn't feel so totally disgusted and betrayed by Obama and 99.9% of the dems.

I know I'm feeling like a pretty big dumbass for spending an entire month, on my own dime, in FL knocking on doors.


Then they could spend the $50 mil on something important.

Like say, PUBLIC education!!


:shrug:

[robinblue]

25. He thinks money will substitute for the promises.