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The New Republic: Dems, It's Time To Re-Group
Voters cast their ballots at the Huber Branch of the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library in Huber Heights, Ohio, during election day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009.
Voters cast their ballots at the Huber Branch of the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library in Huber Heights, Ohio, during election day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009.
On the whole, I agree that one shouldn't be fooled by the conservative euphoria associated with the GOP's all-but-assured victory in Virginia and possible wins in New Jersey, Maine, and New York's 23rd district. That being said, I also don't think Democrats should underestimate the new organizing momentum — and campaign cash — that's sure to come flowing to the RNC after Election Day. A conservative sweep might not "mean squat" in terms of forecasting the result of 2010 or 2012, as Josh Green concludes. But a little bit of panic could be a good thing if it pushes the Dems to push hard to mobilize their fundraising and organizing apparatus for the midterms and beyond.
As my colleague Lydia deftly reported, Obama's much-vaunted Organizing For America has failed to be an effective mobilizing force for the Democrats on their main legislative priorities. Democrats should seek to revive and recapture the force of its grassroots machine—and do more than send out the occasional email blast. Democrats are already off to a good start in terms of fundraising, raising about 57 percent of the money for all congressional races so far, but they will need to be aggressive to keep their totals up. So drumming up some fear could actually work to the Democrats' advantage — if it convinces enough supporters to pull out their checkbooks.
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