« Predicted Inconsistency | Main | Ahem »
December 22, 2003
Dean Campaign
One of the points of this article and others like it that isn't really said but is bubbling underneath is that the Dean campaign is better than the candidate. Which isn't usually the case (see Kerry, Clark, Edwards...). One big fear I have about the Dean campaign, and it is founded in some experience, is that although they claim to be the first truly bottom-up "open source" campaign they will actually turn out to be pretty centrally run.
A good example of this is the confederate flag remark. Dean made it at some DNC function early this year and it apparently got considerable applause. He also made it at the Georgia JJ Dinner in March at which point a number of my associates told his Georgia staff to pass on that that type of talk isn't appropriate and in fact makes Georgia Democrats, who had an historic loss basically due to the flag issue, very uneasy. I know Tim Cairl, Georgia for Dean's leader knows this, and I know he's personally told higher-ups in the campaign this type of stuff. Cairl, in fact, has an almost masterful understanding of state and local politics and has gained this understanding in a very short period of time. There are people like him (but probably not quite as adept) working for the Dean campaign in all 50 states, and I'm just not sure Dean (or his campaign) is actually listening to their local expertise.
It's either that or the Dean campaign hasn't started seriously considering what will need to be done in the general election after the primary is over. But, since the post-Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, especially South Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arizona are more like general elections (much more moderate and less activist electorate) you begin to wonder exactly how much this national campaign has it together to begin with. Then again I could be wrong. Notice on the left that I've updated my primary standings.
Posted by Chris at December 22, 2003 12:12 AM
Comments
I'm flattered, and you're right. Campaigns have to have a better response-mechanism for local coordinators. I remember back in July last year, the campaign sent around a sheet with each coordinators contact and resume' info to be filled in for just such events as above, but the info was never used. Word to GA US Senate candidates - use your local coordinators!
Posted by: Tim Cairl at March 11, 2004 10:24 AM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)