Hoosier Access on Grayson

Alan Grayson is Nuts!

 

And we thought that there was nothing entertaining in politics anymore!

Public Option? What's that?

Phillip Klein piece on what the public knows about the "Public Option"... This ain't your parents health care, or is it energy policy? Restroom reform? Buehler? Buehler?

Read it here: http://spectator.org/blog/2009/10/15/the-public-option-thats-a-heav

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Real Clear Politics: Stu Rothenberg piece on why Dems are really in trouble for 2010.

Excellent piece on the battlespace for 2010 mid-term Congressional Elections.

This is going to be fun to watch! We'll need to get the Blender tuned-up and renew our ice contract w/Mr. Ice... Yeah, Baby.

Read it here: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/10/20/_landscape_shift_means_more_trouble_for_house_democrats_98790.html

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Joe Trippi piece on Twitter - worth the read.

Get it here: http://bit.ly/22hYzm

Ever wonder why the no good deed goes unpunished? Joe tells us about the dust up @Twitter. Interesting read.
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What's Next? Life after Facebook? The next Big Thing-WaPo reports...

What's next? Is Facebook dead? Can there be life on this planet without Twitter?

Read more: http://tinyurl.com/yg82boq

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States Grapple with campaigning in the Brave New Web 2.0 World - AP report.

Fellow Dumpster Divers,

It was bound to happen sooner or later.
Follow the link:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091018/D9BDO4O80.html
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I don't care what you think of Obama...

But whoever wrote that speech deserves a huge raise and POTUSBO deserves credit fir delivering it almost flawlessly. In response, GOP offers up Boustany? And we wonder why we're not getting "tone on target"?
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Boehner lip locks Pelosi

My Gawd, there is hope for humanity. John Boehner just gave Pelosi a friendly lip smack. Your humble Dumpster Diver believes that these knuckleheads need to make more love, not war.

Ah, blender awaits. Celebratory cocktails are in order.
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RT @rickwilson. @joshgillespie yep, and

RT @rickwilson. @joshgillespie yep, and what's good for GM is good for America. Just ask the Congress #bailout

joshgillespie: RT @smoothupJoe: "Don't expect

joshgillespie: RT @smoothupJoe: "Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong." Calvin Coolidge

Defining Problem in American Politics:

James Carville, speaking on CNN's 'State of the Union,' about Dem strategy against Republicans: 'Put a bill out there, make them filibuster it, make them be what they are, the party of no. ... Let them kill it. Let them kill it with the interest group money, then run against them. That's what we ought to do.'

It is precisely because of this kind of advice from full-time professional political hacks that pols aren't thinking about the next generation. Hell, they're not even thinking about the next decade. All they can think about is the next election.

Just remember that when we're all wondering what happened to this once great country. Where have all the Statesmen gone?

Now, I have seen it all... In 140 characters or less.

On road + just rec'd email entitled ''Is Obama the Antichrist?''

I didn't vote for the guy, but for the love of Ohio, the antichrist?

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I am old enough to remember a time when you could agree to disagree on policy without personalities.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

B/t polar opposite Left/Right lays vast ''silent majority'' of hard working America. U know, ones who don't get bail out, or tax breaks, or call POTUS the antichrist.

"Nothing"

Governor Daniels of Indiana Smacks Down Baby Boomers

Governor Daniels of Indiana is not an easy guy to figure out. He confuses members of the press and political people of both parties. Why you ask? Because he is a leader.

In these times of GOP doldrums, when we do see someone who bucks the conventional wisdom and easy path, it is so uncommon that it usually confounds us.

Case in point: The Butler University commencement speech of 2009. A nice, safe, warm and fuzzy send off for the graduating class, right? Wrong. More like a 2x4 to the collective face of baby boomers who, quite frankly, deserve it.

Read some excerpts from this incredible speech below.

“As a 10-year-old, new to Indiana, Butler basketball was about the only entertainment our family was able, or at least willing, to purchase for me. On countless frigid evenings, someone's dad would drop us off in the Fieldhouse parking lot, and someone else's dad would pick us up, after watching the Bulldogs either beat or scare the pants off some big-name larger school. I might stumble over my own college's fight song, but I still know yours by heart.”

Hey, it is Indiana so of course it is going to open with basketball. He went to Princeton so who can blame him for loving Butler athletics.

"Even though the whole notion of a "generation" must be discounted as the loosest of concepts, within limits it is possible to spot the defining characteristics of an age and the human beings who create it. Along with most of your faculty and parents, I belong to the most discussed, debated and analyzed generation of all time, the so-called Baby Boomers. By the accepted definition, the youngest of us is now forty-five, so the record is pretty much on the books, and the time for verdicts can begin. Which leads me to congratulate you in advance. As a generation, you are off to an excellent start. You have taken the first savvy step on the road to distinction, which is to follow a weak act. I wish I could claim otherwise, but we Baby Boomers are likely to be remembered by history for our numbers, and little else, at least little else that is admirable."

Ouch.

"All our lives, it's been all about us. We were the "Me Generation." We wore t-shirts that said "If it feels good, do it." The year of my high school commencement, a hit song featured the immortal lyric "Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today." As a group, we have been self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, and all too often just plain selfish. Our current Baby Boomer President has written two eloquent, erudite books, both about..himself. As a generation, we did tend to live for today. We have spent more and saved less than any previous Americans. Year after year, regardless which party we picked to lead the country, we ran up deficits that have multiplied the debt you and your children will be paying off your entire working lives. Far more burdensome to you mathematically, we voted ourselves increasing levels of Social Security pensions and Medicare health care benefits, but never summoned the political maturity to put those programs on anything resembling a sound actuarial footing."

At this point the squirming in seats of the parents section must have been almost audible.

"Our irresponsibility went well beyond the financial realm. Our parents formed families and kept them intact even through difficulty "for the sake of the kids." To us, parental happiness came first; we often divorced at the first unpleasantness, and increasingly just gave birth to children without the nuisance of marriage. "Commitment" cramps one's style, don't you know. Total bummer."

Let no uncomfortable topic go untouched.

"As time runs out on our leadership years, it's clear there is no chance that anyone will ever refer to us, as histories now do our parents, as "The Greatest Generation." There is no disgrace in this; very few generations are thought of as "great." And history is not linear. Many generations fail miserably at the challenges they confront, and their societies take steps backwards as a consequence. Consider Japan before World War II, or Americans in the decades before the Civil War. And yet in both those instances and many others, the people who followed did great things, not only redeemed all the failings but built better, fairer societies than their nations had seen before. In fact, true greatness can only be revealed by large challenges, by tough circumstances. And your opportunities for greatness will be large."

Your generation can be great…especially compared to your parents.

And please, just to revise another current practice, be judgmental. Whatever they claim, people always are, anyway - consider the healthy stigmatization of racist comments or sexist attitudes or cigarette smoking. It's just a matter of which behaviors enough of us agree to judge as unacceptable. As free people, we agree to tolerate any conduct that does no harm to others, but we should not be coerced into condoning it. Selfishness and irresponsibility in business, personal finances, or in family life, are deserving of your disapproval. Go ahead and stigmatize them. Too much such behavior will hurt our nation and the future for you and the families you will create. Honesty about shortcomings is not handwringing. Again, this is a blessed land, in every way. Amidst the worst recession in a long time, we still are wealthier than any society in history. We are safer, from injury, disease, and each other than any humans that ever lived. Best of all, we are free. The problems you now inherit are not those of 1776, or 1861, or 1929, or 1941. But they are large enough, and left unattended, they will devour the wealth and, ultimately, the freedom and safety we cherish, at least in our thankful moments. So you have a chance to be a great Butler class, part of a great generation."

Take that political correctness.

In a brief, intelligent, yet straightforward head shot, the Governor has done what almost no one in Government, media or certainly academia has had the stones to do…lay guilt where it belongs.

A lot of my friends keep asking me if this guy is going to run for president and I just say, “he is doing too good a job as Governor for us to spare him.” But of course doing your current job really really well is a great way to get promoted.

You can read the entire speech here.

Chris Faulkner

Should you be angry at the “Republican Party” about backing Specter before he bailed on us?

The short answer is no. The “why not” is a little more complex. There will be some who will now be angry at Sen. Cornyn and the National Republican Senatorial Committee for backing him in the first place. Really? Keep in mind the RNC, NRSC and the NRCC are NOT issue driven organizations. They are member driven organizations with only ONE goal…majority status, that’s it, no other reason for being.

Before I get too academic in my defense of these organizations let me say that Linc Chafee is a scumbag and it made me sick to my core that we defended that waste of space in the 2006 GOP Primary. Ok, had to get that off my chest. I mean at least Specter had the decency to get out before the election and give us time to get our own campaign in place.

Now back to the Party. Just a bit of clarification for those not familiar with the committees in DC and how they work. These definitions are my own and in NO way represent any official mission of the committees…this is my “unofficial” take on what they really are all about-

· Republican National Committee – take the White House back and keep it…that is it…end of story.
· National Republican Senatorial Committee – defend current Republican Senators, win open seats and then knock off Democrat incumbents. Those are listed in order of priority.
· National Republican Congressional Committee – defend current Republican Members of Congress, win open seats and knock off Democrat incumbents. Those are listed in order of priority.

So if you want the committee to be ideologically pure you should cool your jets. They are not think tanks, they are membership retention organizations. If you are mad at the NRSC for backing Specter in the first place call your own Senator and yell at him/her.

Is the RNC not conservative enough for you? Then check your state party. State Party too liberal for you? Work your county party.

Tis’ the season of our collective Republican discontent and the party apparatus is a convenient punching bag. Here is the real lurking danger…Years ago Democrats were angry that their National Party was not “Progressive” enough so their unions, lawyers and environmental groups hammered it to splinters. Now they are a collective lurching group of special interests.

Is that what we really want for Republicans?

The Video Barney Frank & Charles Schumer Don't Want You to See

--Jacob Perry

Indianapolis Tea Party Details

Some thoughts on a quality GOTV operation

I had some quality time walking door-to-door recently in NY20 to think about most Republican campaigns approach to GOTV. “Most” is a broad statement and I realize many of you work campaigns in areas where some of the theories I will discuss are not relevant. It is also important to consider the myriad of variables that affect a GOTV operation in preparation and execution.
So, just for the sake of conversation, we were talking about a general election where turnout was expected to be between 50-55%. You could take the approach that in a district where you had a partisan registration advantage it would be all about base R turnout (assuming your candidate is winning most of the R’s). Let’s say had already done your homework and had identified about 15% of the independents as favorable (presumably by a combination of volunteer and paid efforts). Let us also make another assumption that your candidate has a reasonable amount of local volunteers, Generation Joshua kids and maybe a few out-of-state partisans to execute your GOTV plan.
Lets say you had a 5 day GOTV plan laid out (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Election day). What to consider next-
· You would sort precincts into walkable and non-walkable for your door-to-door.
· Locations for phone banks. Keep in mind that the best place for phone banks is WHERE the volunteers are and probably not WHERE the press is. This would explain why some of the best GOTV phone bank centers are not at the Campaign HQ.
· Lists. Have you been using voter vault or something else? Make sure you have easy access and can print new lists and conduct new sorts based on a changing political situation.
· Campaign literature, paper, pens, clipboards, etc. When and where will you print these thousands of sheets of paper for calls and doors? FLS has great walkbook product I like that prints the list on card stock paper with a corresponding map. Of course if you have the volunteer resources you can just do it yourself with some card stock paper and 3 ring binders. Regardless if you pay for it or do it yourself I would strongly suggest a reusable book system that allows a volunteer to make notes and improve the list as they go.
· Food, stickers, t-shirts, etc. Have enough to keep your volunteers motivated but not so much that it is more than 15% of your total GOTV budget.
Then would take your list of R’s and favorable Independents and put them into 3 groups, A’s, B’s and C’s.
· A’s will be our rockstars who vote in EVERY election no matter what.
· B’s are our Presidential voters who often skip primaries and off year elections.
· C’s are our new registrants and least likely voters.
Assuming we have enough lines and volunteers we will start with C universe on Friday. When complete we will then call the B’s and C’s. When that is done we will call the A’s B’s and C’s. So our weakest voters will get 3 touches and our strongest one.
For door-to-door let’s assume that we can get people to drink the Kool-Aid and do multiple shifts over the 5 days. Ideally we would pair local volunteers with out-of town ones to prevent mistakes and getting lost. Then on Friday when they began going door-to-door they will be keeping the same list document over the course of each day.
· So if Bob the local volunteer is paired up with Heather the out-of-town volunteer on Friday they walk their precinct keeping notes on who they talked to, who needs an extra push (maybe even a call from the candidate) and who has already voted early or absentee. They also touch base at the phonebank to see who called their precinct and compare notes.
· On Saturday Bob coaches football and has to cut his grass so Heather from out of town is paired with someone else but she now has the list and first hand experience with the precinct.
· Sunday Bob is back with Heather as they continue looking to contact people they missed on Friday and Saturday. They are now gliding thru the precinct efficiently skipping the hostiles and touch base again with the undecideds.
· Monday Bob has to work but Heather is still on the trail and working with a new volunteer hitting houses and firming up C list voters. Heather is now on a first name basis with some of the voters in their precinct and she has a great list that is full of notes and updates.
· Tuesday Bob is back with Heather with their list in the neighborhood by mid morning. Meanwhile Connie (another local volunteer has been at the polling site for their precinct since it opened. She has kept a list of all who have voted and during lulls she texts their voter ID number to Heather. As Heather and Bob walk the precinct they strike names of those that have voted to improve the efficiency of their list. They are ratcheting up turnout and increasing the GOP margin by a couple of points.
At this point of course I have only covered the traditional methods. I would assume that emails, texts, Facebook events etc are going on concurrently with this operation. The important thing to remember is that
Most GOTV operations I have seen have failed not because of lack of volunteers or lack of cash but lack of thorough planning. All of the things I have covered are not rocket science or overly complex they just require planning and follow thru.
On Tuesday this week as I headed to grab a coke on a break between precincts I happened to drive by the community center where the precinct was voting. I saw a man walking in that I had woken up from his nap. While talking to him at his door I clearly got the impression that voting was not a priority today. To see him walking into those doors to vote made all my work worth it. When Jim Tedisco is sworn into Congress later this month it will REALLY be worth it.
@chrisfaulkner

I'm Shocked!

Inside Scoop on NY 20

I am beat.
I walked precincts all day for Jim Tedisco and when the polls closed I thought I could head to the party…but then things went awry. In the next 13 days political communications will play as important a role as the legal fight and I want you to know the facts.
The election is NOT over. There are still over 4,000 absentee ballots that have not been returned which totaled with the 6,000 already received would be almost 10,000 absentee ballots that have NOT been counted. These ballots will continue to be accepted until April. 13th. ANY premature counting of votes will, basically, be counting BEFORE the voting is over…and that is just wrong.
Jim Tedisco is currently trailing Scott Murphy by 59 votes according to machine tallies. NOTICE I did not say ballots. NY 20 uses old school level machines to vote so there is NO "ballot" to count. Votes are tabulated on the machine as people pull levers. Most of these machines are probably older than me.
The results you saw tonight were nothing more than the UNofficial notes of whichever random poll worker transcribed results from the machine to the form that they report to the Board of Elections. It is fair to say that these numbers are often riddled with mistakes as people mix up numbers and read the wrong tallies.

With memories of Washington State 2004 and Minnesota 2008 looming in my mind here are some things to consider.

Jim Tedisco will win the absentee vote.
The only way Scott Murphy can win is too challenge and disqualify absentee and military ballots that will, most likely, be votes for Jim Tedisco.
Scott Murphy is so anti-military he tried to stop Harvard from having a ROTC program on campus while he was a student there and prevent military personnel from teaching classes. Knowing that, it is hard to imagine military members voting for him.

It's 3:23 AM so forgive the horrible grammar and even worse sentence structure.

Chris Faulkner

P.S. Somehow I knew wearing my "Coleman Recount Team" polar fleece today was a bad idea …