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Thursday, August 11, 2005

Hackett Everywhere: Holding Out for a Hero

I've been on some conference calls with bloggers yet have never left so uninspired than following tonight's conference call with DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel.

First, the DCCC screwed up the format of the call so that it was one directional. The blogosphere by nature is a fan of communicating-with instead of talking-at. Then Congressman Emanuel actually went out of his way to blab about the one-directional nature being a good thing and then talked about wanting more of it.

Due to technologically muted groans, Emanuel was positioned to go off without having any response from his audience. My favorite was when he talked about OH-02 and he mentioned his first conference call with Hackett: July 15th. I knew everyone was doing the math on the percentage of relevance that makes when Hackett won the nomination on June 14th and the election was held on August 2nd (they call them 'special' for a reason). Good thing the call was of the talking-at-you variety.

Here's what was missing. Had the DCCC had a call with bloggers two years ago, the exact same conversation would have occurred. "The same, just better" is not a valid slogan.

I'm holding out hope for Emanuel. I'm waiting to be inspired. But nothing leads me to believe that the DCCC realizes the importance of investing early and running full campaigns. Everything still seems based on the last two weeks and 30 second ads.

But that isn't what Democrats need as a Party, especially in congressional races. We need to talk to everyone. Voters deserve a choice. Let's involve all of America when we reform the Culture of Corruption. Technology has circumvented geographic distance, people have free cell phone evenings and IM and email. People talk and we need them talking about the Culture of Corruption – everywhere.

Corrupt Congressmen have been known to live outside of swing districts. Let's put everyone on notice, it is time to do the possible instead of just better than before.

Posted at 12:19 AM in Democrats | Technorati

Comments

My biggest concern as a county party leader is that we aren't getting help of any kind for individuals that do want to take on an entrenched Republican congressman. I have the best candidate we have had in years in IL 16 who wants to get started, but he doesn't know how. He says he has tried to contact the DCCC but has had no response. He has tried to contact a recently elected congressman with no response. He knows he isn't going to get money, but he would like some guidance. I'm willing to give him as much advice as I can give. I just thought that the DCCC would have some basic advice or plan to give him. So far the only people who seem interested are the local DFA people.

Posted by: clfjmpr at August 13, 2005 02:43 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment

I don't want to overstate the obvious, but we all know he can't count on the DCCC. And I'm sure you know to get him working whatever phone list he has. As you know, he needs to be calling everyone he knows asking for money and names of people who they know that he can call; and he needs to be doing that 4 hours/day.

Does he have a website yet?

Posted by: Eric Loeb at August 13, 2005 11:12 PM | Permalink | Edit Comment | Delete Comment