Democrats tend to rely on paid, professional operations, while Republicans rely more on volunteer efforts, largely from evangelical churches. This is something that actually works in the Republicans' favor, since volunteer efforts from friends and neighbors tend to be more effective at switching votes than professional phone banks....
October 26, 2012
"Obama's Ground Game Advantage May Not Be As Big As It Looks."
Says Kevin Drum (at Mother Jones), displaying a chart that's been "making the rounds."
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Urkel the 5th columnist traitor is going to lose big in a definitive referendum on his entire existence.
Perhaps it's time for O to call in air support from SoS Clinton? Maybe a low-level drone flight? Done BenGhazi style! -CP
So, he's going to be defeated by 2 million community organizers?
I like Kevin Drumm and have since he went himself to check out the Bush TANG story in 2004. He came to the right conclusion well before Rather's face plant on CBS.
The commenters, however, as usual on lefty sites, are clueless. Kevin's old blog at Washington Monthly had a few sharp commenters but most were radical dopes. Mother Jones is worse.
Kevin's right, sort of. Historically the volunteers came from evangelical churches, but today at least as many are fiscal conservatives from Kevin's much-hated Tea Party. But, yes, Democrats throw money at problems and Republicans look to local people.
@mesquito, right you are!
My democrat friends tell me, their volunteers are never paid...
I file this as another excuse for journolist excuses for bias. It will be beaten with chains wrapped with barbed wire if Obama loses.
Oh you know. The Democrats always take 5 times as many people and 50 times as much money to do anything. That's why the government's running a $1 trillion deficit and still can't seem to get a gunship or platoon of SEALS into Benghazi in less than 6 hours.
People always hate on Obama for his ideology, but personally the main reason I want him fired is the breathtaking levels of incompetence coupled with insufferable arrogance. He talks like he's Lincoln but walks like he's Buchanan. Maybe Pierce. Carter had more managerial ability.
Is this an admission that Democrats are out of touch with the people? How many layers of "professional operations" exist between them and the public?
They may want to consider that their policies are, in part, predisposed to failure, and engender corruption, because of this voluntary dissociation and physical separation from the people they purport to represent. They may also consider that human beings favor voluntary efforts, and, unlike Obama, have faith in their fellow citizens.
Anyway, not everyone's dignity is for sale, and most people will not elect to exchange their liberty for submission with benefits.
volunteer efforts from friends and neighbors tend to be more effective
So, they know the solution. Perhaps they ignore it because it is less profitable, politically and materially, than treating symptoms, in perpetuity, through a massive bureaucracy and its affiliated special interests in the private sector.
Democrat Ground Game = Union Hacks in Union T-shirts littering your doorstep.
When you meet these people, you don't want to vote for their candidate.
It's just a little bit better than a panhandler telling you who to vote for.
But not by much.
More like meeting the woman clerking at the DMV at the grocery store.
Sorta weird.
I'm Episcopalian, so does this mean I can't walk my precinct this weekend? So far, no one has keyed my Romney-Ryan bumper sticker in the parish parking lot :-):-)
Probably for the better that the Obama people are paid. Right now, they are likely having a hard time justifying their candidate.
Reminds me a bit of an episode a bit over 4 years ago in the Denver airport. Was approached by an Obamabot, and I went into offensive mode, challenging most of his assumptions. His supervisor, maybe a year or two older, if that, came over and told me that I couldn't harass his guy like that. I pointed out that he approached me, not the other way around. All in my overly loud voice. He told me that he was going to call the cops. I told him fine, and maybe we could get them kicked out for harassing passengers. They then slunk away.
Point is that this late, with all the reasons to not vote for Obama right now, I just don't see volunteers braving the sort of thing that I put those two Obamabots through on a regular basis. Sure, maybe they are safe in Madison and black areas of Chicago. But elsewhere? Not a good time to be a volunteer Obamabot.
"...while Republicans rely more on volunteer efforts, largely from evangelical churches."
The first part is most definitely true, the second is "huh"???
If Sandy shuts down the East Coast for a week, I wonder who gets hurt the most?
Tim I am one of the many folks who canvas for Obama on the South side of Madison. I do not belong to a union, and I have yet to meet more than one union person doing this work, but spin your crap against the fan of reality.
It's the democrats' advantage in the fraud game that's going to decide this one.
Carl said...
People always hate on Obama for his ideology, but personally the main reason I want him fired is the breathtaking levels of incompetence
These reasons are not mutually exclusive. Believing central control can improve an economy is like an astronomist believing the earth is the center of the universe. The ideology drives the incompetence.
Prof. Ann:
Today I voted for Gov. Romney. I was going to vote for POTUS Obama, you know that. He is the best, the greatest, etc.
But, last night, I changed. What changed me? One word: Benghazi.
As a foreigner from Nepal living in the US since last decade, I am always called upon about my loyalty.
What is the loyalty of a POTUS who cannot and does not give his best for Americans serving overseas (Embassy in Libya).
This was an insult. Worse, it was an insult to me. If I do something politically incorrect, I am questioned immediately whether or not I love my (new) country, USA. But, why is POTUS Obama given a free pass?
NYT can give him the pass. BUT, I WILL NOT.
I voted GOP all the way.
Cheers,
AKB
I question the chart, actually.
Romney is busing in people from (hopeless) CA to Nevada all month to do field work. They're extremely organized.
Oh who the hell knows. We find out soon.
No, but we know he'll be watching it all from above.
edutcher said...
If Sandy shuts down the East Coast for a week, I wonder who gets hurt the most?
Romney.
The worst scenario has a gigantic rain dump over central Pennsylvania. This is Romney territory. The floods can be incredibly bad, and will suppress voting in pro Romney portions of the state.
If New Hampshire gets the floods, the effect is less clear. The other states are no contest so it won't matter.
On a much happier, non-political note, this scene (NSFW) from the recent movie Take this Waltz surely is one of the very best movie nude scenes in years. Michelle Williams, Sarah Silverman, and the chubby-but-cute Jennifer Podemski are shown completely naked* in a gym shower room for an extended period of time. You can see everything.
Some people claim that the scene is non-erotic just because some older and/or fat women can be seen showering. Reality check: not every woman is young and slim, deal with it.
Oh, the asterisk from my prior comment ... all three are fully flavored.
The likeliest places to get hit is what's called the I-95 Corridor. If the power goes out on the East Coast, a lot of Zero voters will have bigger problems than voting.
People inland are not only better equipped to deal with bad weather, the central areas of states like PA will miss a lot of it.
This from someone born and raised outside Philadelphia.
roesch/voltaire said...
"Tim I am one of the many folks who canvas for Obama on the South side of Madison. I do not belong to a union, and I have yet to meet more than one union person doing this work, but spin your crap against the fan of reality."
Gee.
You are SO smart.
Know how I can tell?
The "South side of Madison."
That's a tell.
See, now wait a sec, sit down for this, because it might come as a shock to you.
The "South side of Madison" is what us normal people consider a fairly small, specific, limited place. It's not even as large as all of Madison.
Which is still fairly small.
As a point of reference, it's smaller than the small California cities of Stockton, Riverside, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Oakland, Long Beach, Sacramento, and Fresno.
In other words, it has has much relationship to reality as Pauline Kael's famous and oh-so-mockable comment on Nixon winning, she "couldn't believe he won, since no one she knew voted for him."
So the fan of reality is the very small, not-so-large at all observed volunteer effort is absurd. And not believable either.
As if Madison wasn't a government town chock full of public employee union members, although no doubt Walkers reforms have reduced the unions' abilities to compel union "volunteers."
Sean Hannity's bravado aside, I still think Obama will pull it out probably comfortably by 300-310 EV.
So RV, now that your canvassing for Obama on the South side of Madison, what are you telling voters?
Did they give you a script?
What does it say?
Does it list Obama's accomplishments?
His promises for a second term?
Anything substantial?
Or does it just attack Romney?
Or is it some soft-sell, Michelle on vacation in Spain stuff?
Do tell, please.
I question the assertion that Democrats tend to rely on professionals and Republicans on volunteers. I got a call from a woman I know who was working for Organizing America to try to convince me to vote for Obama. And I have heard Republicans say they are bringing in professionals to canvas neighborhoods in our county. I suspect both sides use a combination of pros and volunteers.
The worst scenario has a gigantic rain dump over central Pennsylvania. This is Romney territory. The floods can be incredibly bad, and will suppress voting in pro Romney portions of the state.
Why would it suppress voting in pro-Romney areas but not pro-Obama areas?
FTA: 'Democrats tend to rely on paid, professional operations, while Republicans rely more on volunteer efforts, largely from evangelical churches.'
This is one of the most idiotic statements I've ever read and the world is worse for his having made it.
This guy is looking for any possible reason for why Obama is going to lose and he blames Reps using EVANGELICAL church volunteers and their vaunted abilities to change peoples' minds about politics.
Just how desperate is he?
Mother Jones just can't accept that the Dems losing.
Yet another reason for my voting at 4pm for Romney was this:
Hate is not a strategy.
The 1st debate was instructive. POTUS Obama could not look Romney in the eye. He hated Romney. I saw it before, of course. I mentioned the e-book, Obama's last stand ($2.99). Well, it describes how much Obama really, really hates Romney.
If you cannot respect your opponent in a fair manner, then what is the election about. What US elections say: voice of the people, No violence, etc.
In the end, Obama does not get USA. The Benghazi was the tipping point for me.
What was your tipping point? Did you vote already? Why not?
Ha, I always knew AP was a Moby.
>Ha, I always knew AP was a Moby.
I thought it was satirical.
How badly did the ACORN defunding hurt the Dems?
Anybody got a link or source for that kind of data?
tiger said:
"This is one of the most idiotic statements I've ever read and the world is worse for his having made it."
I hope everyone realizes that on Innaugeration Day the Left will formally return to active alliance with the jihadis, the homeless will all be interviewed in one epic Piers Morgan marathon, and the Democrat minority in the US senate will charter a bus to Quebec.
Back to business as usual, in other words.
Tim said:
In other words, it has has much relationship to reality as Pauline Kael's famous and oh-so-mockable comment on Nixon winning, she "couldn't believe he won, since no one she knew voted for him."
I lived in Madison, the People's Republic of, from 1975 to 1995. In 1986 I recall hearing from a Madisonian that he "didn't know anyone who voted for Reagan (in 1984)".
Now, considering that Mondale won only the State of Minnesota (and just barely at that) in 1984, how likely is it that you could say, as an adult in 1986, in Madison WI, that you didn't know anyone who voted for Reagan?
Romney beats Obama at least as badly as Obama beat McCain.
Republicans increase the majority in the House, and take control of the Senate.
Aiken wins.
We’ll begin with the 2010 elections. Totally dominated by the Tea Party. Unlike all the left’s astroturf knockoffs, the Tea Party has been successful and is still there. Those people are just as pissed off, and just as ready to vote.
Then we’ll go to the Chick-Fil-A incident. Tens of thousands of people were willing to stand out in the sun for several hours to buy a fast food chicken sandwich. There was no rioting, no looting, no violence at all. In fact, except for counter protesters, there was no anger. Just quiet, widespread support for someone being pushed around by Democratic political machines because of their private beliefs.
Then D’Souza’s movie. Forget what you think of the movie, just absorb the fact that this movie that was, has been and continues to be, ignored if not buried by the MSM is the second highest grossing political documentary of all time. People searched it out and made a concerted effort to see it.
Throw in the fact that 91% of the people that pollsters call hang up on them, and I believe that there is a vast ground swell of people feed up with this administration, quietly determined to do something about it and extremely motivated to vote.
Add to that the whole recall fiasco in Wisconsin.
He told me that he was going to call the cops. I told him fine, and maybe we could get them kicked out for harassing passengers. They then slunk away.
On Althouse, bullying people is a win.
Why would it suppress voting in pro-Romney areas but not pro-Obama areas?
A trunkfull of phony ballots is harder to suppress.
You should remember that some of those Romney HQ's are going to be false flag impersonators.
At least Carter managed to run a submarine. Or at least stay out of the way of the CPO's while they were running it. Zero can't even manage that.
n.n. said--"So, they know the solution. Perhaps they ignore it because it is less profitable, politically and materially, than treating symptoms, in perpetuity, through a massive bureaucracy and its affiliated special interests in the private sector."
Perhaps? Perhaps my ass gets wet when I go swimming! :)
R.V, said--"Tim I am one of the many folks who canvas for Obama on the South side of Madison. I do not belong to a union, and I have yet to meet more than one union person doing this work, but spin your crap against the fan of reality."
I guess those SIEU bus's are just figments of my imagination? As are the NFLC ads, the FOP ads, etc. In fact all gov't unions are figments of demented Republican imagination. Fail RV. I've never met a survivor of the holocaust, so there either are none or there never was one, right?
And forgive me for stereotyping here but I have a question...Are the white people in the southside of Madison darker than the white people of the rest of the city? I just found RV's comment funny.
WARN Act layoff notices for the sequestration Jan. 2 go out Friday.
tick tock tick tock
That's why Obama's machine is desperate about the early voting.
Lots of my east coast friends are posting that they early voted for Romney, ahead of the storm. The Obamaphone lady types are not well known for planful behavior. Low SES people are trapped in the tyranny of the present moment. (Ruby Payne, a Framework for Understanding Poverty)
Is Frankenstorm Sandy the October surprise?
Kentuckians can vote in the county clerk's office through Nov. 5.
Ali Karim Bey:
Screw Politico. You will always be the true AMERICA'S POLITICO!
And America's Politico, I'm sorry to hear that this will likely end your romance with Stephanie Cutter. You deserve better than her anyway.
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