Wednesday, November 01, 2006
This year, it all comes down to the turnout. The Blog | Art Levine: Kerry flap makes turnout more important: will Dems overcome GOP? | The Huffington Post Some exerpts, comparing the Democratic vs. Republican turn-out campaigns. One benefit for Democrats: calling Democratic-leaning voters from home with software from moveon.org, compared to the Republicans' well-organized get-out-the-vote campaign.
John Kerry's blunder -- too slowly corrected -- has been portrayed as confirming the Republicans' long-standing charge that Democrats are elitist, weak on defense and don't support our troops. It will rile up conservative voters, so Democrats' efforts to counter the GOP turnout campaign will become even more essential to a Democratic victory.
The Republicans have a justifiably legendary turnout machine, with centralized organizing and contacts, microtargeted lists of voters geared to their issue preferences and an aggressive 72-hour final get-out-the-vote push.
Democrats have some new new tools and opportunities to boost voter participation, including a dial-from-home outreach campaign to reach Democratic-leaning voters, using software designed by moveon.org, part of their Call for Change program. In addition, a one-stop website, "Do More Than Vote," links voters to local get-out-the-vote campaigns. But will that be enough for Democrats to overcome the Republican get-out-the-vote drive and shake the confidence of Karl Rove and some other GOP leaders in a Republican victory? Has John Kerry helped the Democrats snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?
Comments:
Post a Comment
