One night in Allegan

Eric (4.00 / 1)

Once all the candidates running have actually filed don't you think there will be a lot more coverage. It is  a little hard right now with so many races up in the air and some candidates declared but not filed etc. You know how the MSM likes to show equal coverage for each party. It will be hard for me to believe that local media would prefer to cover the presidential candidate race instead of local candidates after April 15th.  

What would Eleanor Roosevelt do?

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by: janeenr @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 10:21:40 AM CDT

It can't help... (4.00 / 1)

The campaign manager I was talking to said the only interest he could generate was, not to talk about the campaign in the 2nd, but to get quotes about the presidential primary.  Before the primary got really, really messy they actually provided some coverage for the race.

For underdog campaigns in districts like the 2nd, wide media exposure is really very critical for anyone to take them seriously.  I can think of maybe four or five different newspapers that might cover a race in that district, and it's critical for candidates to get exposure in all of them to build name recognition.

But, the thing is this ... consider what you're doing if you're a manager at one of those local papers.  You've got a reporter who can maybe cover one or two political stories a week.  The primary is a big, huge issue, so naturally you have them localize the latest news on the primary front.  You call up local parties and local candidates and get their reaction.

Without that story soaking up media resources, you maybe listen to a campaign manager or a campaign's media guy when they pitch you a story.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 10:48:00 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

maybe we should do more here? (0.00 / 0)

Maybe we can take up the slack? Sometimes diaries here generate coverage in the MSM.
BTW Looks like the Muskegon Chronicle has the story on Ramsey running:

Ramsey, father of slain child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, said Thursday he expects to seek a seat representing part of Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula

 

What would Eleanor Roosevelt do?

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by: janeenr @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 11:05:16 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

John Ramsay Running in 105th Repub Primary (0.00 / 0)

http://www.petoskeynews.com/ar...

West Michigan Rising: The Progressive Blog for Our (future) Left Coast

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by: philgoblue @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 11:22:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I really wanted to come... (4.00 / 2)

but last night was our Candidate Recruitment Committee meeting, which is (sorry!) more important than having fun listening to Eric's jokes.

I am noticing the same effect you cite - I've been thinking about when to start getting out knocking doors to organize my precinct (and adjacent precincts); then I think about the casual conversations I've been having with Independents I know. I'm the closest thing to a representative of the Democratic Party that they come in contact with, so I get to hear "Well, you Democrats really screwed the pooch on this one - HAW HAW!" I'm telling you, a little of that goes a long way, especially since I agree with them but can hardly admit it. Do I want to replay that 1000 times by knocking doors now? And when is it going to change? So if I'm feeling myself inhibited and disinclined to get started, what about those we are trying to recruit to do the same?

You say:

By the time November rolls around, no one's going to vote for president based on what happened at the August convention, but the danger is depressing volunteer enthusiasm, which would likely to kill the potential for local and regional gains.

I agree with your second clause, and am unsure of the first. Polling is showing McCain ahead in Michigan now, and showing our debacle as a contributing factor. By November, no one will consciously think, or say to an exit pollster, "Well, I voted for McCain because of what the MDP did last January." No; but all this will have gone into the mix of subconscious influences that determine whether someone is inclined to listen to a message later.

In February of 2007, we organized Kalamazoo for Obama. We had a series of organizing meetings, then started flyering during the summer to identify supporters. I had the idea that we would use the volunteer base we identified that way to do door-to-door in advance of the Feb. 9 caucus. Instead, we had our last meeting in the fall when it became clear that we were going ahead with the sham primary.

We still have not met again. We are so far behind where we could have been. And a Democrat (probably) cannot win the White House without carrying Michigan.

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by: memiller @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 10:35:02 AM CDT

Agreed, the grassroots campaigns were stillborn (4.00 / 2)

same thing happened with the Edwards folks here and as far as I can tell with the college student groups for all three candidates.  By November-December, it was clear there was no point.  We've now permanently lost a lot of mobilization that would have come with having a presidential campaign here.  And, that will harm us in November when a few points off turnout could make the difference.

West Michigan Rising: The Progressive Blog for Our (future) Left Coast

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by: philgoblue @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 10:42:06 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

this and my previous post (4.00 / 2)

it part of my "always agree with memiller" policy ;-)

West Michigan Rising: The Progressive Blog for Our (future) Left Coast

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by: philgoblue @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 10:42:38 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

YIKES (4.00 / 1)

I hope you realize what a temptation that is...   :>

I shall resist.

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by: memiller @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 11:41:46 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

November... (4.00 / 1)

I keep going back to stories I've read in the past that the so-called swing voters -- the ones who really carry presidential contests -- don't make up their minds until the last couple weeks of the campaign.

It might be something completely stupid, but I don't think that's going to be as much the case this year.  I think people will go to the polls in November, think about Iraq, think about the economy, think about a couple of other issues in general, and go from there.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 10:53:29 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

From your lips to God's ear.. (4.00 / 1)

as they say.

However, my point is that even if they make up their minds in the last few weeks, what determines in which direction those minds are made up can be subtle influences, half-remembered or unremembered, and certainly unreported, from longer ago.

When I reflect on my own political oddessey, from small-town Republican, to armchair cold warrior, to disillusioned independent (Iran-Contra), to fervent Democrat, I realize that what was happening on the surface (logical arguments and rhetoric) was not the same thing that was stirring in the depths, at the level of values, emotions, and identity, that would ultimately prove decisive.

I obviously can't prove that our primary debacle will have an effect, and I dearly hope I'm wrong.

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by: memiller @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 11:40:16 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Regardless of who the Dem nominee will be, McCain is an easy target in the mean time ... we should be starting with that. (0.00 / 0)

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by: Cole6015 @ Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 22:30:48 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Thanks Eric! (4.00 / 2)

Really appreciate your support for WMR.

West Michigan Rising: The Progressive Blog for Our (future) Left Coast

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by: philgoblue @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 10:43:16 AM CDT

oh, and linked here from there (4.00 / 1)

http://www.westmichiganrising....

West Michigan Rising: The Progressive Blog for Our (future) Left Coast

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by: philgoblue @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 10:46:06 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

It was a real treat (4.00 / 6)

to have Eric as our guest speaker. If you were one of the fortunate ones attending our event last night at the winery you had the opportunity to listen and meet with Eric.

He did a superb job and kept us all entertained with his informative and entertaining look at politics and blogs.

Yes Phil he really did plug West Michigan Rising....hehe. We would be delighted Philgoblue if you could attend our joint fundraising event with Ottawa County on May 3rd.

I am hoping after Eric's speech last night it made Democrats in Allegan County aware of the importance of sites such as Michigan Liberal and West Michigan Rising.

Again Eric, thank you for being our guest speaker and we hope you enjoyed our event.

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by: alleganlinda @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 12:01:22 PM CDT

Thanks for having me... (4.00 / 1)

and thanks also for today's lunch, during which I convinced the boy to try and accept raw beets as an acceptable food source.

Among the Trees

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by: Eric B. @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 12:33:02 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Just think (4.00 / 1)

how great it would have been(Eric's speech) if you would have had it at a brewery instead of a winery. ;o)

The end of the human race will be that it will eventually die of civilization.

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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by: michmark @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 12:54:34 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I have to second (4.00 / 1)

 alleganlinda's comments. Eric was quite refreshing with his comments.

We didn't even need the tomatoes.

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by: Smike @ Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 21:05:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]