NationStates Jolt Archive

Article:

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_23/c3936057_mz013.htm

As I've been told repeatedly upon commenting on Mr. Dean's tactics, I'm no marketing expert or ad executive. But it appears that facts have borne out one of my amateur opinions: that Mr. Dean's ad strategy and expressed personal beliefs have alienated potential donors - his proclaimations on where his party stands have fallen flat.

It may sound like it, but this isn't a partisan shot at Democrats - most of them didn't support Dean for the chairmanship. What I'm interested in is what people think of their party's leaders, and how (tone, medium, etc.) they want their message (whatever it may be) to be heard.

Any thoughts?

This has been dealt with on another thread. Business Week missed one major point--Dean has outraised every previous DNC chair in an off election year. He's actually setting records for the DNC right now, but Business Week doesn't cover that part of the story. Democrats have grown accustomed to the idea that Republicans will outraise them, especially in corporate donations, but Dean's making it closer than most people expected. Check out the other thread--there are links to the FEC page that shows just how effective Dean has been and how full of shit Business Week is.

This has been dealt with on another thread. Business Week missed one major point--Dean has outraised every previous DNC chair in an off election year. He's actually setting records for the DNC right now, but Business Week doesn't cover that part of the story. Democrats have grown accustomed to the idea that Republicans will outraise them, especially in corporate donations, but Dean's making it closer than most people expected. Check out the other thread--there are links to the FEC page that shows just how effective Dean has been and how full of shit Business Week is.

Didn't see that, sorry. My question in this thread is primarily what you *want* to see happen, not what Dean has done, although I disagree that Dean has been successful in any way shape or form (compare his numbers to the GOP over the same time period).

Didn't see that, sorry. My question in this thread is primarily what you *want* to see happen, not what Dean has done, although I disagree that Dean has been successful in any way shape or form (compare his numbers to the GOP over the same time period).
It's not a problem--I had to go back three pages to bump it, I believe, so there's no reason for you to believe it had already been discussed.

Personally, I think Dean's done a terrific job in helping redefine the Democratic party. Under Clinton, the Democrats tried to become a corporate party, and they were reasonably successful as far as fundraising was concerned, because business was willing to split money as long as government was split.

But now government is completely Republican, and the Republican leadership, especially Tom DeLay, is willing to punish businesses who support Democrats, so we've lagged for the last 6-10 years as a result. Dean found another source to tap into, and so far, it's yielded results, regardless of what that Business Week article says.

Big corporate contributors are siutting on their hands? Okay--that's fine. The Democratic party has never traditionally been the party of big business anyway. We're the populist party, at least in rhetoric if not always in practice. We're labor, we're minorities, we're working class, with a few grad students thrown in for good measure (because they're usually liberal arts majors, so they'll be working class economically no matter what they do :p ).

So I like what Dean is doing. He's still raising money at a better clip than any previous DNC chair in a non-election year, and we've never kept up with the Republicans, so why should the fact that we're not doing so this year be such a surprise? We've got more people giving total, even if they're not giving as much, and we've got people motivated, even in red states. I'm not claiming we're going to sweep back into power in 2006, but I would be very surprised if we don't make gains across the board, but most especially in state races.

We're labor, we're minorities, we're working class, with a few grad students thrown in for good measure (because they're usually liberal arts majors, so they'll be working class economically no matter what they do :p ).

Ouch.. don't remind me. ;) I think I saw another conservative liberal arts major once, although it could've been a daydream.

Anyway, that's cool, people tend to respond well to genuine belief in the traditional party platform. Strength of conviction is not one of Dean's problems.. if nothing else, people know he's dedicated.


So I like what Dean is doing. He's still raising money at a better clip than any previous DNC chair in a non-election year, and we've never kept up with the Republicans, so why should the fact that we're not doing so this year be such a surprise?

Actually, the DNC beat the RNC last election cycle.. although maybe that's causing expectations to be a bit too high for a new chairman.. it's possible.

I liek Howard Dean, the problem with Democratic Party right now is they're chasing the Republican vote instead of pandering to the left wing who is desperate for a voice.

I think the problem is not who has more money (in the end, I believe they both have so much it doesn't matter).

And it's not that Republicans necessarily have a better message (although the county by county map of blue and red sends a strong message that someone's message IS connecting).

The Republicans apparently have a much larger and much better organized grass roots organization (across the country in more counties) than the Democrats. The Democrats have largely conceded huge areas to Republican organization, and have taken shelter in high population urban enclaves. The messages each sends out is tailored to these disparate constituencies.

I believe that in terms of winning the Presidency, or holding more seats in the House and Senate, that the Democratic strategy is poor. Winning those three requires winning more areas - not more population. But in order to win those other areas, the Democrats cannot attack gun ownership, religion, or force political correctness, or call for higher taxes, or call for more social welfare programs - those are all dead on arrival if you leave the major blue areas. So they would have to talk like they were Republicans - which is something they can't do.

It requires a sea change in the whole underpinning of the Democratic Party. A sea change in their underlying philosophy. They probably have to do what Tony Blair did to the Labour Party in the UK.

But in order to win those other areas, the Democrats cannot attack gun ownership, religion, or force political correctness, or call for higher taxes, or call for more social welfare programs - those are all dead on arrival if you leave the major blue areas.

It requires a sea change in the whole underpinning of the Democratic Party. A sea change in their underlying philosophy. They probably have to do what Tony Blair did to the Labour Party in the UK.
So you want the Democrats to become Republicans, like Blair became a Tory? (BTW, most of the Labour party in the Commons is still fairly left-wing. Blair is their most right-wing MP.)

Ouch.. don't remind me. ;) I think I saw another conservative liberal arts major once, although it could've been a daydream.

Anyway, that's cool, people tend to respond well to genuine belief in the traditional party platform. Strength of conviction is not one of Dean's problems.. if nothing else, people know he's dedicated.




Actually, the DNC beat the RNC last election cycle.. although maybe that's causing expectations to be a bit too high for a new chairman.. it's possible.
Well, I'd have to see the numbers to be certain of that--it was certainly closer than in previous years, that's for certain, and Dean was a large part of that in the primaries. He opened up a whole lot of fundraising that most people hadn't imagined existed before. And like I said, he's doing better than any previous DNC chairman in a non-election year. I'm far from disappointed in his performance thus far.

God Bless Howard Dean
Better ask Myrth first.

Given the poster, I wasn't surprised to see another kick on the ground cheapshot at the Democrats.

:rolleyes:

I think Howard Dean broke ground on major internet campaigning, although numbers and strength of that campaign are probably very hard to come by, there was so much about him coming out of the pack as an early contender back before Kerry took the lead for the Dems in this previous elections. However, it seems that he has made a fool of himself publicly, and lost the support and respect of alot of grassroots level Dems, at least those I have spoken with (in my own little world I suppose) He seems to be a joke now, both for Republicans and Democrats alike to make fun of. I am sure he is teaching some interesting tools for campaigning, and is probably pretty good at getting both citizens and companies alike to donate, but he needs to be one of those guys thats locked in a back room somewhere, out of the view of the public. Remember the old man in Braveheart that's face was corroding, that gave advice, but you didn't really want to take em out in public view??? That is kind of the feeling I get for Dean... Nothing against the guy personally, I am sure he has valid views, and supports them with some facet of the truth, but then he makes ridiculous public statements that turn off the people, like blanket comments about all Republicans being inherently evil (no side jokes please) that offend the very people he is trying to convert. Make sense?