Moron the 50-State StrategyI've had some chuckles about Howard Dean's determination to run a 50-state strategy--that is, to allocate money to races regardless of whether a candidate has a chance to win. It's an incredibly stupid approach to politics, which may explain why
Howie and Rahm Emanuel are feuding:
The blowup highlights a long-standing tension that has pitted Democratic congressional leaders, who are focused on their best opportunities for electoral gains this fall, against Dean and many state party chairmen, who believe that the party needs to be rebuilt from the ground up -- even in states that have traditionally been Republican strongholds.
Emanuel's fury, Democratic officials said, was over his concern that Dean's DNC is spending its money too freely and too early in the election cycle -- a "burn rate" that some strategists fear will leave the party unable to help candidates compete on equal terms with Republicans this fall.Hmmmm, anybody remember how the Vermonster burned through $40 million in Iowa and New Hampshire in 2004?
This brings up something I've noticed. We are already seeing campaign ads in Arizona for Jon Kyl and Jim Pederson. We do have early voting by absentee ballot here, but it's my recollection that it doesn't start until 60 days before election day, or about 4 months from now.
In the first 15 months of the 2005-2006 cycle, Dean spent $9.7 million on salaries, compared with $5.7 million over 24 months in 2001-2002. Dean has spent $2.8 million on political consulting, compared with $1.7 million in 2001-2002.
Dean has shifted the focus of the DNC from major donor solicitations to the Internet, direct mail and telemarketing gifts -- all of which require higher fundraising expenditures. Internet consulting and online services cost the DNC $4.1 million; postage, mailing and telemarketing costs in 2005-2006 totaled $38 million. In all of 2001-2002, the comparable expenditures were $15.2 million less: $22.8 million.
