In the 2004 primaries, the Dean campaign was hyped in the press as a grassroots revolution that was changing presidential organizing forever. But on Caucus day in Iowa, the Kerry campaign dominated -- a campaign that had notoriously little grassroots appeal.
The same "On the Bus" press that had hyped the Dean revolution quickly declared it had all been smoke and mirrors. But there was almost no detailed research or analysis of what had actually taken place.
This time around, can OffTheBus fill that gap in campaign reporting, and discover what's really going on in the world of presidential field organizing? We think we can, but only with your help.
The reason the "On the Bus" crowd has difficulty covering field organizing well is that you can't write an accurate story about the field based on a handful quotes from campaign operatives. Instead, you need to have a view into hundreds of campaign offices and thousands of campaign events. That's impossible for reporters who are stuck "On the Bus."
But it's exactly what OffTheBus, with more than 1,500 volunteers, is poised to do. We need your help. We need as many OffTheBus volunteers as we can get to begin attending campaign events and filing reports about their experiences.
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We'll be looking for details regarding how organizers conduct themselves, how well they follow up, how much effort they are putting into leadership training and development, and more.
Already, it's possible to see some dramatic differences -- at least on the surface -- of how campaigns are organizing. For example, look at the top three Democratic contenders in Iowa. Right now, on their websites you can see that:
- Barack Obama has several dozen events planned in Iowa -- different kinds, and many apparently organized by volunteers. Any supporter who wants to can jump on the campaign website, plan their own event, and get others involved.
- John Edwards had an incredible 54 debate watch parties for Wednesday's debate.They appear to be organized by staff or supporters in close coordination with staff.
- Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, has almost no events listed on the campaign website in Iowa.
What's behind these differences? Is the Clinton campaign taking a less flashy, but more methodical approach to organization-building? Do all those Edwards debate watching parties indicate that they've already built a very strong organization? And are they using the parties to build it even stronger? And what's going on at all these Obama supporter-organized events? Is it the Dean-era chaos all over again? Or have organizers found a way to meld bottom-up self-organizing with accountability and results?
We would like to be able to answer those questions and more, not only in Iowa, but across all the early primary states and the country as a whole.
But we can only do it with your help. Let us know that you'd like to get involved by signing up here.
Please sign up today that we can let you know about specific assignments in your area.
And you can get started right away by finding any candidate's event in your area and attending as early as today.
Edwards has spent a lot of time in Georgia fundraising, and he gave the keynote speech at the state's J-J dinner in May. No activity in S. Georgia, however.
Obama crowd has local organizers with little support from the central campaign. This is the group that looks like the Deaniacs, except possibly less well organized. They are making their own materials. Saturday, the Savannah group is off on quite a long trip to SC for door-to-door canvassing.
was railroaded by the DLC, and the "right wing " of the Democratic Party as well as the media, all of whom had their own self interests and agenda! Bill Schneider and Wolf Blitzer of CNN. LITERALLY put a stake through Howards heart, on air with their cynical "dracula analogy" and the "scream" scam! I watched Hillary Clinton raise John Kerry's arm high over their heads in a victory gesture at Harkin's 2003 Dem. barbeque. Almost a year later HE was the nominee!
I heard John Kerry steal the words right out of Dean's mouth at a rally the night before the Iowa caucus. I called every media outlet in Desmoines that night, to no avail. In 2005, watching a video about the "stolen election" made by the American Friends Society. I watched Joe Trippi standing there in Iowa, saying my EXACT WORDS "He stole Howards speech"!
ANd THEN: when he won the election Kerry failed to contest it and take it!
The same group is pitching Clinton & Obama now!
The Dean revolution is still going on in my neighborhood. Unfortunately, demigraphics are not on our side. The number of Americans old enough to remember the America we want to take back, is much smaller than the younger population, who haven't a clue, no memory, no history, and 30 years of propaganda, for the profit margin of "bigger better faster technology. They have been "PROGRAMED, TO accept sound bites, assumptions, cartoons, bright colors, rather than real debate, discourse, and the ability to truly "LISTEN to each other!
Odd how everyone runs around with a cell phone hanging at their ears! Yet noone is really listening!
I think Dean lost it not because of "the scream" but because he had the habit of rolling up his sleeves while leaving his tie on tight. This combination will make anyone look weird!
Frankly, it's heavenly.
I do plan a big Hallowe'en fundraiser for my preferred candidate, though. I'll report on that. ;-)
For the sake of our national security and our personal security we need to be pragmatic and make change now. Obama is the most suited for the challenges. He has demonstrated the best leadership and has the best experience..Let's get past the cynicism and start to believe once again in our great country.
Zack Exley is the man.
OBAMA 08