DNC already working toward 08....compiling dossiers on the opposition.

[madfloridian]

Howard Dean's goal has been a permanent type of campaigning, year round, for 4 years. So they have already begun work on 08.

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/news/article/9279/democrats-waste-no-time-campaigning-for-2008/

WASHINGTON - Political operatives and officials from both parties usually take long lunches, long weekends and long vacations in the two months right after an election - win or lose. But fired up by the outcome of the November midterm elections, Democrats scrapped that practice and are going after potential 2008 Republican candidates.

With their party leadership in transition, GOP presidential front-runners are confronted with a Democratic Party that decided not to close shop after the elections.

Since the election, there have been some long days for the opposition-research department at the DNC, which has circulated reports on Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Across the country, more than 100 DNC staffers remain in the field, continuing to build up Chairman Howard Dean’s grass-roots “50-state program” and laying groundwork on a coordinated campaign to support the 2008 Democratic presidential nominee.

The Democrats have compiled dossiers on every prospective candidate.

I thought this was interesting....what the GOP said about research.

The Republicans have their own oppo researchers, but after the painful defeat the GOP suffered at all levels this year, followed by the resignation of party Chairman Ken Mehlman, their outfit has not kept up with the Democrats, one GOP insider confided.

[Cary]

1. I would have to think the GOP is in serious disarray.

How long can the president continue with "stay the course?" How long can he continue with "stay the course, but even more" as it seems he's going to attempt in January?

Seriously, the GOP has to be rather desperate to get rid of the war albatross for 2008. No one in their right mind can seriously believe that Bush is going to be able to turn this thing around. Can they?

I think Bush is going to have to do something in then next 6 months or he's going to be facing an interesting Constitutional crises. We all know about the ancient Chinese curse: may you live in interesting times.

[madfloridian]

2. The GOP congressmen I have are, amazingly, still loyal to Bush.

At least overtly. They have not taken any stand against anything he does. I guess that is because Florida is so firmly in GOP hands they don't have to stand for anything. :shrug:

[Cary]

3. What alternative do they have at the moment?

Are they up for reelection in 2008?

How low can disapproval get?

[madfloridian]

4. I guess they could stand for what is right...not just their ideology.

But they won't.

[Cary]

7. "Could" implies ability or skill.

I have no confidence that "conservatives" have such ability or skill.

In time the co-dependents' successors will adapt.

[madfloridian]

10. I see what you mean now.

I agree. :hi:

[wakeme2008]

5. And tell me again James C why Dean is so bad

:grr:

Sounds good to me.

[Dr Fate]

8. They know he is great- the DLC types just wanted to take ALL the credit.

They wanted to squeeze him out early, thinking no one would remember, I guess. (Same bunch who now want to refer to Lieberman as a "Democrat" and pretend that they never supported a DEM bashing, pro-Bush 3rd party against a legit DEM nominee, incidentally.)

Did they think we wouldn't notice or wouldn't mind that a handful of ivory tower, TV only, DLC type Democrats were squeezing out one of our folk heros??

Sorry DLC types- but the "nut roots" internet is the new cure for the short memories you all could used to rely on.

Shows you just how politically tone deaf and out-of-touch they are with the reality based DEM activists who won '06 for the DEMS. (AKA "Maccaca", "nut roots" and "far left Move On & Micheal Moore Wack-os")

[madfloridian]

6. Chris Cillizza at The Fix....covered this more thoroughly last week.

I missed this somehow. Interesting stuff.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2005/12/democrats_ding_potential_gop_p.html

"Democrats Ding Potential GOP Presidential Candidates

Seeking an early jumpstart on the approaching 2008 presidential race, the Democratic National Committee released a series of reports Friday on some of the Republican politicians most-often named as likely candidates for the GOP nomination.

"With the holiday season upon us, DNC Research keeps our own list of who's been naughty and who's been nice -- and unfortunately, we think most of our GOP 08ers will find coal in their stocking this year," writes DNC research director Devorah Adler.

Eleven potential candidates are profiled. Each document lists some of the more impolitic statements the candidate has made over the past year, where he stands in the chase for campaign cash, and a counter to log how many times each has stopped in the key early primary and caucus states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina."

They go on to give samplings and pdf files of the candidates.

[Mabus]

9. Thanks for the links

Interesting stuff in there.