Like many of you, my wife and I worked very hard for Kerry-Edwards in 2004, traveling to Ohio and Pennsylvania to knock on doors and get out the vote in the summer and the fall. We were enthusiastic. We were optimistic. Even my less active friends across the country assured me it was in the bag: George Bush did not deserve a second term, much less a first. Americans would see the light -- and vote John Kerry into the White House.
We all know, sadly, how that turned out.
But in the postmortem of 2004, too much focus has been paid on Kerry's mistakes, his inability to excite, the Swift Boating, the power of Bush's incumbency. Not enough attention has been paid to the truth:
We got our butts kicked on the ground.
In 2004, we were outnumbered and outmaneuvered where it counted, and the Bush volunteers, most of them evangelical Christians, had a focus and resolve many of us didn't. They knew what they were fighting "for": a pro-life platform, "traditional family values," the right to bear arms. Their church communities served as effective staging areas for stuffing envelopes, fundraising, and reaching out to undecided voters. They were organized and efficient.
And they won. Frankly, they stunned the world.
To a degree, John McCain really could not count on this organization -- until now, a few days after he chose Sarah Palin as his running mate. Right now Daily Kos -- and the blogosphere more generally -- is abuzz with salacious stories and rumors about her family and with more legitimate revelations that amount to cracks in her "reformer" edifice. She seems vulnerable, a disaster-in-waiting, her selection a slow motion train wreck.
Let's not be fooled. Because of Palin, Bush's evangelical volunteers from 2004 around the country are sharpening their pencils, brandishing new McCain-Palin buttons, and refining their case for a conservative America. These people will support Palin come hell or high water. We need to be ready.
Barack Obama has a very strong platform, and he is an exceptional leader, the best presidential candidate in generations. His policy proposals are wise, detailed, and circumspect. Know them left, right, and center. We cannot, and will not, persuade undecided voters with a negative, "No way. No how. No McCain" message. Elections are not won that way.
So be constructive, while constructively critical, and positive above all. Remember the Obama mantra: Respect. Empower. Include. If you doubt it's efficacy, go check in with Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Democratic field.
So: if you haven't already, for Pete's sake, sign up on MyBO and participate in events in your area. Get friends involved, and don't wait until after the Republican convention. Let's hit the ground hard now. Push back against the Republican message in the Twin Cities -- Status quo! Stagnation! Stale policies! -- with Barack Obama and Joe Biden's fresh message of Common sense, Community, and Change.
And give. Give. Give.
Let's go get it. Don't be lulled into inaction. It's time to take America back.
Not that you need it, but here's something to pump... you... up!