Don't Forget the Ground Game
James Poulos, Ed. ·
Oct 5, 2010 at 11:18am
That's a message Republicans would do well to staple to their foreheads. In comments at the Hill on the latest numbers in the New York Governor's race (Paladino is down against Cuomo by as much as Hillary's losing to Obama), we find this:
I'm not surprised Paladino has slipped in the polls. The campaign lacks any significant organization outside of Buffalo. I've made several attempts to volunteer in NYC, but was referred to the Republican party HQ in Manhattan.
A powerful, thorough, effective network of local operations was key to Obama's decisive victory. A groundswell is great, but not without a ground game.
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Jul '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
Solid organization could definitely help this--and it's a month out so I'm not prepared to call the game yet--but so would a few typical election conventions like...debates. The media here should be castigated Cuomo for refusing to participate in a standard political process and I truly believe the main reason he's refused to do so is that he's seen Paladino speak. Every time Andrew Cuomo opens his mouth in front of a camera, people remember why they don't like him and while Paladino may not be especially polished...he knows how to work a crowd. A debate could really change these numbers, but...I don't think it's likely to happen.
May '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
Could we maybe use Post-Its? Just so long as nobody uses a nail gun.
May '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
I saw it firsthand in Cleveland while working for the McCain campaign. Volunteered to work the polls in Cleveland two months prior to the election and did not hear a word from the campaign. The campaign staffers flew in two days before the campaign and sent an email (mind you we still had to book a hotel and drive four hours--this was extremely inconsiderate).
Along with two other law students, we volunteered to work one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. We were harassed constantly (including being followed and having a community organizing group threaten to call the police because we wrote down that they were handing out Obama pamphlets in the station). We ultimately collected ten pages of elections violations we witnessed (we were certified to be poll watchers). What did the McCain campaign do? Nothing. I have vowed never to work another national campaign again; local politics are far more rewarding.
I hear a lot about Republicans "shooting themselves in the foot" when it comes to Beltway politics. In the end, Democrats win elections because they have the feet on the ground.
May '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
In hindsight, I wish Andrew Breitbart had brought a camera to our poll district.
Jul '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
The GOP is sitting on its hands for Tea Party candidates.
Jul '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
Generally speaking, Dems kick our tails at this stuff. We (rightly) mock phony SEIU et alii demonstrations. Still, they routinely manage to get several thousand people to a given site just to pretend that they care about some issue.
Jul '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
Fact or speculation Michael?
Jul '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
Palaeologus
Fact or speculation Michael? · Oct 5 at 4:15pm
Talk with friends at the state level...
May '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
Michael Tee
Palaeologus
Fact or speculation Michael? · Oct 5 at 4:15pm
Talk with friends at the state level... · Oct 5 at 6:06pm
Have to agree with Michael Tee. The NY GOP alone proves James's point about needing an effective ground game if your point is to actually win elections. The NY GOP has no organization for a ground game or any game at all, for that matter. Best I can tell, the NY GOP is little more than a feckless, cynical and uninspiring graft society. They couldn't care less about beating Andrew Cuomo and they're probably more than a little frightened that Paladino may actually do that; they're more interested in what goodies they can manage to squeeze out Cuomo, Jr.
If you want to support Paladino on the ground, best to contact local Tea Party activists if you can find them. The Ed Cox and D'Amato types aren't likely to give you a thing to do.
I'd like to hear Humza Ahmad's take on this.
Jul '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
Sorry for my absence. Mr. Gilley, I must disagree on your assessment of the NY GOP. On Long Island, where Paladino needs a strong showing, the Republican Party is organized, disciplined and has an organization and network that has been the envy of the local Democratic Party for decades. However, it seems that he and many of his supporters have put too much focus on national attention and exposure via new media, and have, as Mr. Poulos ha pointed out, ignored the ground game. The ground game, in this case, requires that Paladino gain the support of the NY GOP, but he has refused and has thus seen a drop in the polls. This comes back to my earlier comments on the topic.
I really, really want to see this guy win, but money, attitude, fiery language and media exposure can only be effective in this case if people who take notice of and support Paladino are actually moved to vote by their neighbors. If the GOP does not supply those boots on the ground to move votes, I don't see Paladino coming out successful in this race.
May '10
Re: Don't Forget the Ground Game
In general, GOP local organizations are at a serious disadvantage because they simply do not have a stable of union officials who are paid to do that stuff, ostensibly as part of union responsibilities. The GOP has to hire everyone; they can't assess via union dues.
Competently-run national campaigns, such as Rove put together for Bush, unlike Schmidt's (McCain) and Scott Reed (Dole), know exactly where every vote is and what they want to accomplish on every block. But that is ad hoc by presidential candidate- and if someone like Rove notices that the locals don't know what they are doing, he is villified as an establishment RINO.