I'm with you from 2004. Except after Dean dropped out, I worked my butt off for Kerry to get a Dem Elected. Damm depressing when the resources were cut and went to Ohio in the last two weeks as polling showed Kerry starting to fall behind in Nevada. And this just a week or so after resources were pulled out of WV as polling showed the same thing there (battleground state strategy).
I see the 50 State strategy working better in the blogosphere as it can bring together Dems in Red dominated areas. It's part of what attracted me here in the first place, to find people who think like I do. I really hope you're right, at this point I see the 50 state strategy as the only mechanism that can restore Democratic values to the Nation.
For the sidebar: I think the process was becoming insane. Ye Gads! A new first primary every week! It. Had. To. Stop. For the coming cycle though I personally believe that the four closest states from the general election should get the nod as the first four primary states for the next Presidential cycle, should they want it.
I could be wrong but, I think that we are seeing the last of the Iowa/New Hampshire model for primaries.
The best idea I've ever heard is that the state with the highest voter participation rate in each Presidential election would get to go first the next time. It would be a sort of badge of honor.
I don't know how doable any of these various plans are, but I think this is how I would do it if I ruled the world.
Right now we are doing well with fundraising, and we need to invest that into a 50-state strategy the likes we have not seen before (to put the fork in the GOP for a while.)
Kerry did well, considering how little excitement he brought to the table overall, which showed me at the time that an issues and values realignment favoring Democrats long-term was well under way.
I had worked my butt off for Gore, had taken 3 weeks off from work to fully concentrate on getting him elected in Florida. And, we did. :-) With Kerry I just did not have the same drive, he did very little for me. But now I have caught the bug again, am inspired and intend to work hard for Hillary Clinton, if she wins. Florida is pivotal. Every voter counts, we have to find them and turn them out.
I agree that after this cycle the primary model will be blown up and Iowa and New Hampshire will no longer be assured their "first" roles automatically. That is an archaic and silly system, and I fully understand where my state and Michigan were coming from. As for the punishment, we differ on that, I guess. The rules were clearly stated: IF, THEN. If you violate the DNC rule, then you stand to lose half your delegates. Can't be any clearer than that. I found it incredible that the rules were changed on the fly just like that. That is not how this should work. Then draft rules with draconian punishments from the start. The way this was handled by the DNC was downright ridiculous, IMO. I think, given that the rules were clear at the start, the DNC needed to abide by them. If they thought the rules were too weak, then announce that they would be changed for the NEXT cycle, that in case of violation THEN you would lose all your delegates. I believe the DNC has violated its own rules here, and I hope that the lawsuit brought forth by the Democratic party will address that and that a judge will restore that half of delegates Florida (and Michigan) should be awarded as per the DNC's own rules. What an embarassment this episode was, and, frankly, the GOP handled much, much better, with the exact same issues at hand.
brought forth by the Democratic party=brought forth by the Florida Democratic party
