This is the second in a series of diaries about policies and activities that the Democratic Party can support and undertake in order to improve their showing in November.
Campaigns, as we all know, aren't just about having better policies or explaining why our guy is better than their guy. It takes getting the voters to connect on a gut level with the candidate, getting them to feel as if their lives really will be better with that person in the position for which they're running.
To that end, there is a great use to which Bill Clinton and Howard Dean can put themselves.
Clinton is still a rather popular figure among liberals and independents. Also popular among blacks, he would make an impressive impact on voter mobilisation, especially if he were to swing through the south and major urban centers throughout the US. One of the reasons that Gore didn't get the support he should have is due to his choice to keep Clinton on the sidelines during the 2000 campaign.
Dean runs rather well among youthful voters (a segment of the population to which your humble narrator belongs), a group which, historically, has had miserable voting rates. A series of events accross the nation directed at getting the youth vote out for the Dem nominee (and for Dem candidates in general) should have a more-than-marginal impact.
In an election that's projected to be as close as this one is, even 1/2% counts.
What other figures are there, other than the nominee and his veep, who should come out and campaign? Who has both the ability to travel without attachment to a specific elected post and the ability to sway voters (even a small segment of voters)? And how best can these people campaign for Dem candidates?
Previous entry:
Tax relief, Dem-style?