After NH, Winning the West: DOs and DON'Ts

Greetings from Harry's Bar in San Francisco, where we are toasting the youth of New Hampshire as they -- like their cohorts in Iowa last week -- have declared themselves full partners in the civic life of our country with another whopping voter turnout. Thanks to their participation, the race for president is officially wide open on both sides, meaning that our California primary votes may actually make a difference in choosing the leader of the free world.

This young voter turnout matters, not just for individual campaigns, but for the reinvigoration of the political process. As pollster Celinda Lake describes in my recent book Campaign Boot Camp: Basic Training for Future Leaders, when a young voter makes the same choice 3 elections in a row, she tends to vote that way disproportionately over her lifetime. Young voters chose Democrats in 2004 and 2006; now in 2008 Democrats are trying to seal the deal as Republicans try to break the pattern. This means 2008 is not just a campaign for voters in this election, but for future elections as well. The more competitive the 2008 race is, the more young voters the campaigns will target, and the more reinvigorated the political process will be.

With their emergence as the swing voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, young voters will soon be targeted in Nevada and California as the campaigns move West. The Presidential candidate who wins the hearts and minds of the young -- and the young at heart -- here in the West will be he or she who appeals to the populist streak that runs deep through the fastest-growing, most diverse region in America, from the coastal civil libertarians to the rocky mountain ranchers.

We young (and young at heart) Western voters expect the presidential candidates to reach each of us with innovation and inspiration. Here are some DOs and DON'Ts for coming West:

DO show up!
DON'T count on or concede any inch of the West. Every caucus and every primary matters.

DO reach out to young people and empower them with leadership roles in your campaign.
DON'T assume that Iowa and New Hampshire were flukes -- this generation is engaged and will vote.

DO tell us how you will protect our individual freedoms and promote the common good; spur a green economy; invest in 21st century education and job skills; be passionate and practical about immigration; address our health care, infrastructure, water and land use needs; inspire us to service; and, bring our troops home from Iraq safely, honorably and soon.
DON'T waster our time or insult our intelligence with personal barbs, grade school taunts or swift-boating.

DO campaign with tech-savvy Internet outreach strategies.
DON'T let ads and emails replace person-to-person contact, especially in inner cities and rural areas where we have yet to bridge the digital divide.

DO visit us often to raise funds from donors at all levels of giving.
DON'T use California as your ATM - spend some of our money here campaigning to us.

DO spend money on radio and TV ads to enhance visibility and viability.
DON'T forget ethnic media - we'll look for you on Latino, Native American, Asian-Pacific Islander and African American community publications, radio stations, and other media outlets.

DO send us your precinct captains and campaign ambassadors.
DON'T assume that we will rubber stamp the other states' results - campaign on your dreams for our future and let us savor our Western imprint on the national race.

Comments

[rh654]

While it is great that the younger folks are voting more - these are just the preliminaries - if they don't vote in the General - it doesn't matter.

Also - please - talk to your mom and have her get a spine to stand up to Bush.

If the Democratic Leadership won't stand up the Republicans - why would we keep electing them?

We can just cut out of the middle-people (Democrats) and just go to the Republicans as the source.

[Joeblue]

You are a smart lady and your mom must be very proud of you, I know I am of my kids who are 20 and 21. I have all the confidence that they will do the right thing come voting time.
PS: Ask your mom to impeach Bush/Cheny.

[MAX1]

.

Another DO/DON'T

DO: Have Principles
DON'T: Compromise those principles, setting that remainder "OFF the TABLE"

.

[LABoomer]

Well said. Thanks. I think I'll send this to my daughter, maybe she'll register to vote.

[sofia]

Christine, I agree with everything you said, now, can you PLEASE tell your mom that I and everyone I know is disappointed and very unhappy that she took impeachment off the table. Along with the Repugs, she and most Dems have let us down as well.

[sparkandy]

doesn't matter if they're on the coasts or if they're just insignifigant bumpkins here in flyover land - the young are IMPORTANT this time around. this old lady is confident that the youngsters will do themselves proud.

[Rocku]

Though the attack is seemingly limited to a "love it or leave it" agenda focused on one person, in the main I must agree with anonposter about the damage and criminality of the latest Republican administration. When impeachment came "off the table" because of concerns about placing herself in office by impeaching those in front of her in the Constitutional succession for President, Nancy Pelosi did us some harm. I am not sure I would have liked her as President, but I almost assuredly would have tolerated her better (even though she seems unable to understand the Bill of Rights) than the current crowd!

[gubbypix]

I do not get it? I hope the Corporate Media will be taken down once a Democratic President is elected, meanwhile we are being subjected to only the three top tier candidates? because again Big Media is not giving any play to the other demo candidates. I only think that Dennis Kucinich and only Dennis is the best for President, Damm the other candidates.
There has to be a third party
a disgusted non fan of of election ploys, fallacies and hijinks

[janeflemingkleeb]

I am smiling at this post big time. Christine you "get it." Not everyone does get the youth vote...we get slammed for not showing up, for being an elusive voting bloc, etc etc. But you are dead on Christine. Show up, talk to us and ask for our vote (just like you would older voters) and we will show up (we just might get you elected also, ask Senator Tester).

[Christine Pelosi - Huffpost Blogger]

2 pictures say it all to me:

HRC onstage in Iowa surrounded by elder statespeople
vs.
HRC onstage in NH surrounded by future statespeople

[freespeach]

DO support the impeachment of the most vile criminals in US history!

DON'T try to rationalize refusing to uphold the rule of law and Oath of Office by not impeaching Bush and Cheney.

[woodyy]

Considering the number of California delegates and how closely split the contest is, it is very likely we will decide the race here in California in less than a month. I haven't heard anyone even start to discuss this yet.

[Bladernr1001]

DO: Explain to the young folks the huge transfer of wealth from young to old due to our socialist entitlement programs. That'll get em out there.