Howard Dean: Our Party Has Never Been More Organized

"Never before has our party been more organized in advance of an election," exulted Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean today in an email sent to Democratic insiders. "With new staff hitting the ground everywhere from Alaska to Arkansas, we are going to fight for every vote in every corner of every state in 2006.

Right now we're preparing for the next big step in our 50-state strategy. On April 29th, thousands of volunteers will recruit hundreds of thousands more Americans committed to changing the status quo this year. We're going to do it by making personal contact with our neighbors. April 29th will be the Democratic Party's first-ever National Neighbor-to-Neighbor Organizing Day. "

Howard Dean's new "every state" strategy is in sharp contrast to that used by Democratic nominee John Kerry in Fall 2004 during his run for the presidency. Due both to vagaries of the electoral voting system and to Kerry's firm belief that he couldn't win certain states (particularly southern states), Mr. Kerry entirely skipped campaigning in many parts of the US.
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Meanwhile, AP reports that as of the end of February 2006, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) held $27.4 million in its coffers for 2006 elections of Democratic senators, while the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) held $14.5 million in its campaign war chest.

DSCC spokesman Phil Singer commented to AP: "Senate Democrats have twice as much money in the bank as the GOP and have several candidates who are already leading their Republican opponents in the polls. We're exactly where we want to be at this stage."

Republicans, however, hold a small edge over Democrats in funds for 2006 House of Representatives' races, with the National Republican Congressional Committee holding $20.8 million in its coffers at the end of February, versus $16.3 million held by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
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And on March 7, 2006, the respected Gallup Poll reported: "By a substantial margin, more Americans currently plan to vote for the Democratic candidate in their Congressional district than plan to vote for the Republican. The Republicans typically trail the Democrats among registered voters on this "generic ballot" question, but the Democrats' current 14-point margin is among the highest seen since the GOP won the U.S. House in 1994."
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The Democratic Party suffered devastating election losses in 2004. (Frankly, it's still painful for me. ) Like so many Democrats, I'm half-afraid to believe that a better, Democratic day really will again come for our great country.

But given the overwhelmingly favorable polls.....given uber-strong Democratic fundraising.....given the stellar grassroots-arousing effort by Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean.....I believe Mr. Dean when he cautiously wrote today, "All the signs point to this being a big election year for Democrats."
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Related Article - Profile of Howard Dean, Democratic Party Chairman
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