D-Trip "Targets" 8 House Seats - I'll Believe It When I See It

Now is the time (0.00 / 0)

If there was ever a time for DCCC to cowboy up in California, this is it.  The GOP has very few assets and they are spending them on attacking each other.  It is a party that will come with knives to a gun fight.

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by: smoker1 @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 15:23:41 PM UTC

It takes more (0.00 / 0)

than the airdropped national commitment.  It takes a local one, and those muscles have atrophied.  Maybe if we traded consultants with a state that knows what they're doing...

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by: Open Thread @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 16:15:34 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Open Thread, (3.00 / 1)

Could you please ID yourself?  Thanks!

Need a contact # for a CA Legislator? Check here

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by: PeteB2 @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 20:53:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What they need to work on is TURNOUT (5.00 / 1)

If they can increase the Dem turnout in these elections, that will make the difference. Registration numbers don't matter; it's getting your voters to the polls. That's what the Obama campaign did well that most Dem candidates can't do. When we've made the effort, I've sen 10% differences in precincts where a proper GOTV is done. That's the biggest thing Dems need to work on, not money, but people power to do GOTV.

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by: woodka @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 16:27:54 PM UTC

Congressional Races (2.00 / 1)

  2010 will be an off-year cycle with higher Rep and lower Dem turnout.  Plus, the enthusiastics for Obama will not all turn out.  Given that, resources should be devoted to State Assembly and Senate races.  In 2012, a properly conducted congressional redistricting (none of this bipartisanship with the Reps stuff) should give us 4-5 more seats, particularly if Obama is cruising to a second term.  In that case, we'll hold them for the rest of the decade (2014 is the witching election, as 2cd term fatigue comes into play).

 We need to reframe elections in California.  First and foremost the Democrats need to run on education, which means properly funding in.  Contemporaneously, Democrats need to emphasize that the resources for this will come from top 1%, and that middle class Californians can expect "no new taxes".
Split-roll property taxes should raised $4-5 billion a year and An increase in the state income tax of 1% on the top 1% should raise another $5 billion or so.  This additional $10 billion should "balance the books" on everything except transportation--this should be funded by an increase in the gas "fee".  The state should also (after the defeat of Prop 1A) adopt a revenue-neutral "bank" for funds, so that boom-or-bust does not damage the state.  The idea of borrowing in bad years and repaying in good years is a good idea--unfortunately, Republican obstinacy forced borrowing in good years.  Ideally, the federal government would be the "bank".

 As for "class warfare", here's a little factoid from Rutten's recent column in the LA Times:

If you really want to cringe, consider those statistics against the historical
picture that's been developed by MIT's Frank Levy, called "a leading scholar
of income trends" by the Wall Street Journal. His work shows that although
American families' incomes more than doubled in the years between the end of
World War II and 1980, they haven't -- when measured in constant dollars --
risen since. In fact, during the eight years of George W. Bush's presidency,
they actually fell. Meanwhile, from 1986 to 2005, the median annual income of
the nation's wealthiest 1% of households actually increased by $250,000.

What we need is to use Obama's network to spread this message throughout California (and the nation).  While most Americans are delusional in thinking that they are going to be rich (Joe the "plumber" anyone?), at some point reality intrudes and they see they aren't going to be in the top 1%.  Furthermore, those with children (who disproportionality vote) will realize that the Republican view for the future is one of penury for their children.  And, a huge benefit of Obama's victory and governance is that it helps undercut the race card the Reps have been playing for the last 40 years--this has been a huge factor in their success (and here in California, where 75% of the voters are white but a majority are non-white, it has also been significant).

 We are on the cusp of restoring American economic opportunity to where it was in the 50's and 60's (for whites--but minorities should be able to share in it this time).  Let's not throw it away by internecine fighting over which seat to target and which not to.

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by: MarkD @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 18:22:00 PM UTC

I think the conclusion to be drawn from much of what is posted here.... (0.00 / 0)

...is not that we should not be '...throwing it away by internecine fighting...' within the Democratic Party but rather that the Democratic Party leadership, as currently constituted, had zero interest in obtaining a working majority and advancing the progressive agenda.

Zero.

Front page of the SF Chron, a rag true but..., and there he is! 77 year old John Burton our new head of the state party.

What a frikin' thrill, eh?

Obama's election was only a first step in what needs to happen in this country and by extension our state. The old school pols such as Burton have no plan, no idea, no set of principles to appeal to younger voters. Much less a political agenda that would put our society on a sustainable basis. Our nation is increasingly run by doddering old fools or tools who are primarily interested in taking care of themselves and perhaps their immediate families. See Pelosi and DiFi....

The Dem Party, at the top and down into the states, are as bankrupt of ideas and energy and the ReThugs ever were and the only reasons Obama won was because even the vast mass of the sheeple could see that McCain is nuts and the economy went in the tank at just the right time.

If the Dem party cannot restructure and rebuild in a progressive mold....

....it will be defeated in a few cycles time by the thousands of young republicans who have and continue to guzzle the Kool-Aide.

It's laughable to think that the likes of Karen Bass, Boxer, DiFi and the Nunez clones can lead us to anything but more disappointment. They cannot even convince the voters of the Central Valley that they are dying of air pollution and toxic chemical poisoning while their schools crumble courtesy of the Republican Party.

That is truly pathetic.

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by: A.Citizen @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 22:32:03 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

There are options (0.00 / 0)

First, I have to make a couple of corrections. John Burton is 76, and calls himself a liberal. His voting record seems to bear that out. That said, I cannot disagree with you that he is hardly the face of change for the CDP.

However, Senator Burton is not the only choice to head the CDP. While I concede he is the most likely, I am running against him. I would welcome donations, votes, or volunteers at the convention. You can learn more about me and my candidacy at www.chrisfinnie4cdp.com/

Last, but not least, I talked to Charlie Brown recently at a regional event in Redding. He said the DCCC help was valuable in the last election. But I personally heard Senator Torres promise Charlie all the help the CDP could give him. He made that promise on the convention floor in front of thousands of delegates. Unfortunately, the promised help did not appear. Though Charlie outperformed Obama in several parts of the district, we lost a very tight race we could have won. In the meantime, as other posters have noted, the CDP wasted resources on races we had no chance to win.

I have heard this story over and over again as I've traveled the state during the last two months. In races at all levels. And I've come to the conclusion that--whatever other assets a candidate may have--they are unlikely to win without local support. Strong local support, the right demographics, plus timely and effective support from the CDP could win many races. But what I keep hearing is that the CDP never considers local support one way or the other, doesn't work with the local Party to develop or implement strategies, and comes in too late with too little--if they show up at all.

This must stop. We must make decisions on how to use our resources based on more that the best connections in Sacramento. And I promise to do so if I win.  Chris Finnie

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by: cfinnie @ Mon Apr 06, 2009 at 16:09:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I stand corrected (0.00 / 0)

Yesterday's Chronicle lists Senator Burton's age as 77. Clearly my information is almost as outdated as his political techniques. Sorry, Chris

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by: cfinnie @ Mon Apr 06, 2009 at 19:07:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Far better to go on offense (6.67 / 3)

And it has to start now.

Perhaps in 2010 none of these seats will be competitive, but perhaps the zeitgeist will turn against the obstructionists who are doing nothing to help their districts in a time of record unemployment.

If we have well-positioned candidates, and can bring strong organizational forces to bear, some of these districts may indeed be competitive.

And if we're forcing the Republicans to spend money and resources in each one of these districts, that means that Republicans will not be able to focus their resources on a few districts.

Beth Krom in CA-48 is a great candidate, and is starting at the right time, already raising money aggressively, with the background of an organized political apparatus that has been far more successful than the Democratic party.

Hopefully in 2010, the Obama campaign won't divert every single volunteer resource out of California.  

OC Progressive is Gus Ayer, former Fountain Valley Council member.  

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by: OC Progressive @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 18:27:47 PM UTC

Emphasis on NOW (6.50 / 2)

Here in Calaveras County the 2010 election already started. And we're not waiting for the national or state level Democratic Party to make it happen. It must be grassroots all the way, organized neighborhood by neighborhood. The Obama campaign made it look so easy -- a lot of that was the technology working behind the scenes.

Today we have the MOE. Very powerful. Capable of organizing neighborhoods just like Obama exploited tools to organize neighborhoods around the nation.

Yes we can.

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by: maryb_calaveras @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 19:53:43 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

asdf (8.00 / 1)

most campaigns in 2008 started earlier than this.

And the D-Trip announced competitive districts in California, putting candidates on "watch lists" in CA-04, CA-26, and CA-50, earlier than this in 2007.

Ultimately, it didn't mean crap.  Don't kid yourself that they're going to ride to the rescue, and cultivate your own networks because there's no calvary coming.

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by: David Dayen @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 22:14:22 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's better to have DCCC announce engagement (0.00 / 0)

than to continue ignoring the good opportunities here.  The bad thing with relying on them to make things happen though is that they usually have conditions, as I understand it, including naming their candidate and/or requiring that they conform to a particular (non-progressive) type.  So long as they aren't trying to push out the good candidates who are running again this cycle who stand a good chance of winning (Bill Hedrick and anyone else who fits that description), then I won't complain.  

The best thing is to not have to rely on them or have a strong enough hand that you can engage with them from a position of strength.  Bill Hedrick probably doesn't have to compromise with them so much now, given how competitive he was without their help last time - the DCCC is probably  interested in being associated with him winning even if he doesn't do their bidding.  

In the end, though, DCCC will prove their commitment by how many resources they devote to these races - announcements don't amount to much...

Need a contact # for a CA Legislator? Check here

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by: PeteB2 @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 21:03:36 PM UTC

The Democratic Party: Snatching Defeat fr the Jaws of Victory 2010 ! (0.00 / 0)

.... I posted my opinion of this over at the great orange satan in the comments under the hapless front pager who had to try to sell it as a good idea.  12 hours have passed so I'm slightly less profane.

Really, what do you expect. Reward an in increasing liberal registration and voting pattern, and a loss this recent time by half a percentage point, in my home district of CA 04 in northeastern CA with...

neglect.

Instead, throw resources at the other districts where, altho it's a CONGRESSIONAL RACE they are allegedly concerned about, they use the criteria of how did people vote in the Presidential race.

Yay national organization. wa hoo.  Your concern is duly noted and raspberried. The Republicans rejoice at your cynicism and ineptitude.  

 

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by: AmericanRiverCanyon @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 22:16:49 PM UTC

Indeed.... (8.00 / 1)

....the fact is that the party 'Leader$hip' could give a rat's ass.

They got theirs and if you don't....

Tough luck.

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by: A.Citizen @ Sun Apr 05, 2009 at 22:33:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Hedrick is Impressive (5.00 / 1)

Bill Hedrick came to the Region 17 meeting held in Harbor City and impressed the State Delegates there.  

We in blue districts need to come together to support Bill Hedrick.

He has the drive, vision, and campaign operation to unseat Calvert. We need to help him with money and visibility so he ca raise more money and win.

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by: dgdavidgreene @ Mon Apr 06, 2009 at 17:43:06 PM UTC