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**jaxx** · 02-17-2011, 06:21 PM

February 16, 2011, 6:01 pm
Planning Comeback, Democrats Huddle with Ousted Members
By JANIE LORBER

It’s never too early to bring the old faces back.

House Democrats are already deep into planning how to win back the majority – with the help of the lawmakers who lost it for them.

Representative Steve Israel of New York, the new head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, holds conference calls at least once a month with a group of Capitol Hill alums, which includes about 90 percent of the Democrats who lost their re-election in 2010 and those who retired.

<snip> Democrats have zeroed in on 14 must-win seats in 8 states – the 14 districts that voted for John Kerry in 2004 and President Obama in 2008, but fell into Republican hands in 2010. Many of those regions will also be the focus of Mr. Obama’s re-election effort, said Mr. Israel, who is in constant contact with president’s political team. Democrats will devote the most attention to Pennsylvania, where a total of five members are on their target list.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/...semailema4

**RoyGBiv** · 02-17-2011, 06:40 PM

I'm afraid the Democrats are becoming too target oriented. I'm not sure this is a winning strategy.

Meanwhile, Republican majorities in the rest of the U.S. solidify, and more state governments fall to reactionary control. We've already seen the result of this. Piecemeal implementation of the health care law, blocking infrastructure improvements that include high-speed rail, etc.

We're developing into a grossly unequal and divided country in more ways than the obvious, a country where to live in a certain state means you have fewer rights than if you live in another. In addition, one state can block a measure that helps the whole country merely due to its geography and the control of backward thinking politicians.

**Arkana** · 02-17-2011, 10:07 PM

(02-17-2011 06:40 PM)RoyGBiv Wrote: I'm afraid the Democrats are becoming too target oriented. I'm not sure this is a winning strategy.

Meanwhile, Republican majorities in the rest of the U.S. solidify, and more state governments fall to reactionary control. We've already seen the result of this. Piecemeal implementation of the health care law, blocking infrastructure improvements that include high-speed rail, etc.

We're developing into a grossly unequal and divided country in more ways than the obvious, a country where to live in a certain state means you have fewer rights than if you live in another. In addition, one state can block a measure that helps the whole country merely due to its geography and the control of backward thinking politicians.

Target-oriented is not a bad thing if it's spread out across the country.

The Republicans did that with Sarah's odious "Take Back the 20" map. They won like 18 of the 20 seats.

And I agree with you on the state parties...if they don't get off their duffs we're gonna end up with Republican legislatures everywhere.

**RoyGBiv** · 02-17-2011, 10:16 PM

(02-17-2011 10:07 PM)Arkana Wrote: Target-oriented is not a bad thing if it's spread out across the country.

They're targeting districts we shouldn't have lost in the first place. This is essentially a defensive strategy. The end-game of any entirely defensive strategy is defeat. It only works as a stalling tactic. The Republicans will solidify their holds on the areas they have now, then turn all their resources toward offense. The Democrats will lose that game.

Quote:The Republicans did that with Sarah's odious "Take Back the 20" map. They won like 18 of the 20 seats.

And that makes my case. The DNC was too busy playing defense during 2010. Obama was right referring to it as a "shellacking." We got our asses handed to us, and we shouldn't have. We did because we refused to play offense. With just sat there for a year and a half resting on our laurels, playing defense, and then suddenly found ourselves in an electoral hole.

Quote:And I agree with you on the state parties...if they don't get off their duffs we're gonna end up with Republican legislatures everywhere.

State parties often feed off the way they are categorized by the national party. One reason Oklahoma has become so deeply red is that the national party has written us off. We get almost no money to help elect national Representatives or Senators. This then is demoralizing, and we end up with no money or help for the state offices.

We were very close to turning the tide during the Clinton years. In 2000, it all went to hell and has gotten worse since. Our state party would love to do something, but it has no resources. The national party won't even answer our phone calls.

**Arkana** · 02-18-2011, 10:37 AM

(02-17-2011 10:16 PM)RoyGBiv Wrote:
(02-17-2011 10:07 PM)Arkana Wrote: Target-oriented is not a bad thing if it's spread out across the country.

They're targeting districts we shouldn't have lost in the first place. This is essentially a defensive strategy. The end-game of any entirely defensive strategy is defeat. It only works as a stalling tactic. The Republicans will solidify their holds on the areas they have now, then turn all their resources toward offense. The Democrats will lose that game.

Why is it a bad thing that we're working on winning back districts we never should have lost? I'm not saying those are the ONLY districts we should concentrate on, because they're not--if anything, Dean taught us that a lot of districts could be won by running the right person--but winning the districts back that we never should have lost should be priority one.

Maybe winning Senate seats they never should have lost should be on the damn list too *coughScottBrowncough*

**RoyGBiv** · 02-18-2011, 11:07 AM

(02-18-2011 10:37 AM)Arkana Wrote: Why is it a bad thing that we're working on winning back districts we never should have lost? I'm not saying those are the ONLY districts we should concentrate on, because they're not--if anything, Dean taught us that a lot of districts could be won by running the right person--but winning the districts back that we never should have lost should be priority one.

It's not a bad thing to work on winning back those districts.

It is a bad thing to stop there, which is what they're doing.

I am TIRED of living in districts that the DNC has ABANDONED.

**jaxx** · 02-17-2011, 07:11 PM

Some who lost shouldn't be brought back, but I can see mounting a good candidate against the teapubs who won in places. I think if the pubs keep up with their antics and show total disdain for the people the independents will track back to the left.

You are right about some states doing the virtual secession bit....the pubs are trying to discredit the federal government with every move they make. States rights.......we've been there before.

**Willinois** · 02-17-2011, 07:13 PM

It must be difficult to target since new districts aren't drawn yet. I guess they'll run the numbers again and retarget once everything is drawn. Redistricting should get us at least 6 new Democrats from Illinois if they do it right.

**jaxx** · 02-17-2011, 07:18 PM

How soon will the redistricting be done? I know ours (the 17th) is scattered and we have a pizza maker as our rep now. I'd love to get a Dem back.

**Willinois** · 02-17-2011, 07:37 PM

(02-17-2011 07:18 PM)jaxx Wrote: How soon will the redistricting be done? I know ours (the 17th) is scattered and we have a pizza maker as our rep now. I'd love to get a Dem back.

I don't know what the deadline is. The rumors I hear are that they want to get rid of Aaron Schock by drawing Peoria into a Democratic district that includes Rock Island/Moline.

**jaxx** · 02-18-2011, 10:44 AM

(02-17-2011 07:37 PM)Willinois Wrote:
(02-17-2011 07:18 PM)jaxx Wrote: How soon will the redistricting be done? I know ours (the 17th) is scattered and we have a pizza maker as our rep now. I'd love to get a Dem back.

I don't know what the deadline is. The rumors I hear are that they want to get rid of Aaron Schock by drawing Peoria into a Democratic district that includes Rock Island/Moline.

That would be my 17th district...Rock Island/Moline, I'm Galesburg. Right now we go all the way down to Quincy with a skinny land between the major parts. The Peoria repub IL senator just quit...flat out quit. Said he can't do the Dems being in charge....oh thank god they are!

**Willinois** · 02-18-2011, 05:51 PM

(02-18-2011 10:44 AM)jaxx Wrote: The Peoria repub IL senator just quit...flat out quit. Said he can't do the Dems being in charge....oh thank god they are!

I had to do a news search for that. I hadn't heard. Hilarious and pathetic all at once!

**Cha** · 02-17-2011, 10:10 PM

I don't know all the pros and cons of their strategy but I love Steve Israel's enthusiam..

"I wake up every morning trying to figure out how to win 25 seats,” Mr. Israel said. “Being in the minority sucks, but being in the minority and being able to do something about it is priceless.”

**DFLforever** · 02-17-2011, 11:09 PM

This is good: unless they get those seats back, we won't regain control of the House.

I think Dems around the country will be running very, very hard in 2012.

My congressman, Betty McCollum, who usually wins with about 65-69 %, won with a scant 59% in 2010. She's already held her first major fundraiser for 2012! Bless her. She has zero tolerance for the T types.

**DFW** · 02-18-2011, 04:38 PM

I wish, I wish, I wish Howard would come back as DNC chairman. I know he won't do it unless Obama falls down on his knees and begs him to do it, and both of them know that isn't going to happen. But I don't know ANYONE with the sensitivity and the can-do energy that Howard brought to the job. No one understood the layout of the country like Howard did, and the results while he was DNC chairman speak louder than any other argument brought to the table.

He and I are trying to get together again when I'm in the States next, and I intend to bring up the subject although I know he doesn't want to hear of it. I have no access to Obama, so there's no way I could ever get his take on this. I wish the hell someone would, though.

**Julie** · 02-18-2011, 06:59 PM

I anxiously await results of the redistricting. I know my county will likely change Congressional districts and who knows what else may get changed? when that is done we can really get a good strategy together and do what we can in our own part of the world, as it were. I hope as many of you who can, will join the effort!

See you in the trenches!

Julie