Dean Organizers Take Lesson From Labor

[Khephra]

The sun was setting over the wooded hills of western New Hampshire as David Steinberg, 22, a Columbia University student from Baltimore, asked 12 local Democrats to gather their chairs in a circle. Mr. Steinberg proceeded to tell his story — of how he deferred law school to come here to work for Howard Dean — and asked the others to "share a little bit."

For 90 minutes the rural New Hampshire residents talked about their political passions, their views of the presidential race, and, most of all, their thoughts and concerns about Dr. Dean.

And when they rose from the living room, Mr. Steinberg followed with a notebook to execute what the Dean campaign calls "the ask": recruiting people to offer their homes for another such meeting. Mr. Steinberg found no immediate takers, but no matter. He was booked with such sessions for the next five nights.

With little notice, the Dean campaign will, sometime this week, log its 1,000th neighborhood meeting like the one that took place here Sunday at the home of Jim and Polly Curran, two of Dr. Dean's earliest supporters. These sessions are led not by the candidate, but by paid out-of-state coordinators trained by experts in community organizing.

The meetings are designed to create a foundation of supporters with an intense personal commitment to a candidate that political consultants say cannot be created with a television commercial and that will be resistant to attacks on Dr. Dean by his opponents.

more................

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/05/politics/campaigns/05DEAN.html

[LizW]

1. This amazes me

I live in a state with a late primary, so our votes don't ever matter. I've never seen a presidential candiate live in person in my life. I've never had a single presidential candidate (or representative of one) call my home during primary season until I contributed money to Dean. Dean's campaign calls and we chat (they hire great phone people), but I'm ignored by the others, even though I contribute to the DNC and am on the mailing list.

No candidate wastes any money on advertising here. The papers ignore the Democratic primary. It's depressing. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a state where the candidates make 20, 30, 50 visits to the state and campaign organizers come to people's homes to talk about the candidates.

[Jerseycoa]

2. I know

I've been wishing lately I lived in New Hampshire.

[DesignGirl]

3. Virginia

I live in the Hanpton Roads area of Virignia and I just hear Dean will be in Norfolk Sunday, but no details yet.
I think our primary was moved up a little to February. We are such a republican state my vote never is counted in the major elections.

[Gin]

4. Im in Va Beach...hello neighbor...Did you know there is a

Tidewater for Dean group in Hampton Roads? In case you didn't...this is the address for the site.

[e-mail]

Gin

[Eloriel]

5. That's fabulous

that you get calls from Dean's campaign. I'm impressed!

Eloriel

[Debi]

6. I'm from Iowa

And love it that we are able to meet all the candidates and really have a conversation with them. What I like most about Dean is that he's the same person sitting at the table with you that he is standing up on stage with 500 people around. No Bulls**t coming out of his mouth. He has given me a REAL reason to be involved (like I could just call him in the Whitehouse whenever I had a problem...okay, I'm probably taking that too far).

[Fleshdancer]

9. Welcome to DU!

First I want to start off by saying that your state has the best stretch of I-35. I know it sounds stupid, but after driving from Minneapolis, MN to Austin, TX 6 weeks ago, I now know this useless fact.

Second, I'm JEALOUS! The Iowa primary makes me want to retire there and own a cute little country diner just so I can get a lot of attention from Presidential candidates every 4 years. :)

And now for my odd question to you and all the other Iowans on DU: How in the world can there be any undecided voters in your state at this point??? This KILLS me!

[maxanne]

7. I guess I forget

that it's different in other states. Thanks for the reminder, Kef.

We in NH do have a level of access that is unlike any other. I've met: Gephardt, Edwards, Kerry, Kucinich and Dean. I avoided Lieberman. Sharpton and Moseley Braun haven't come this far north, if they've come to NH at all. Clark hasn't come north of Concord.

Kerry spoke at our annual county Dem fundraiser in the spring. I sat at his table. I've met Dean twice. Dick Gephardt campaigned with me in 2002. I hung out with Elizabeth Edwards one afternoon. Of course I live in the most Republican county in the state - and I'm one of the most visible Democrats here - so everyone calls me anytime someone comes to town. ;-)

It's not 'cause I'm so cool.

[Debi]

8. Maxanne - we are a lucky few..

Those of us in Iowa and New Hampshire. At the same time we carry the burden of making the 'right' choice when it comes to picking who to caucus/vote for. Who we support (and who wins our states) use the momentum to move on to the next round of primaries. So we take our time choosing a candidate, talk with all of them and even need to spend some 'quality' time with them before making a decision. When a campaign is a succes in our states it's because the candidate has won us over on a personal level.