of the Obama campaign.  I've seen a couple of ads making reference to McCain's ads being inaccurate or false, but they don't grab the attention.  I think there ought to be ads which show McCain actually saying something, then a jarring switch to the quotes from Factcheck or other source directly addressing the falsehood.  Run three or four quotes - with refutations - at a time.  Don't just get in there with a namby-pamby generalized attack on falsehood.

You are also correct about the misinformation or even lack of specific information floating around about Obama's positions on the economy and the war and other important issues.  This morning I heard a report on NPR in which a left-leaning independent was thinking of voting for McCain.  Why?  Because he thinks McCain's plan for withdrawal from Iraq makes more sense than Obama's "quick withdrawal".  Huhhh??  Why is it that this man does not know that McCain's been saying let's stay there forever and that Obama IS advocating for a sensible and steady withdrawal timetable which the Iraqis themselves are supporting and requesting?  It was only a few weeks ago that McCain began to shade toward a "time horizon" or staged withdrawal, but he's getting the credit for a sensible plan and Obama isn't?  This is the fault of the campaign for not being more explicit about Obama's positions.

The other thing the report highlighted were comments that McCain is a "leader" and he's "strong".  When are we going to start going after McCain's alleged leadership?  When are we going to point out that a maverick, if that's what McCain wants to call himself, isn't a leader because he's outside the herd?  When are we going to point out that this maverick has been in Washington for 26 years and despite his claim that he won't have lobbyists on his campaign is instead surrounded by lobbyists, some of whom haven't even severed their ties with their clients?  

I agree with your other point, Teddy, about the young volunteers who won't just explain Obama's positions to people who want to know, who tell people to look at the website.  If you've got someone's attention, then you should be able to explain your candidate's positions.  These young folks should be spending less time reworking their e-mails and contact lists and more time studying the Obama platform and memorizing its main points so they can answer questions.  

There - I'm through venting, but I just wanted to say I agree one hundred percent with everything you wrote.

I remember that during the Webb campaign, Webb's statement for why he was running clearly said what he was and is still about. 4 nice points clearly expressed.

There are many policy points on Obama's site, but it is a little forest where we can easily get lost.

The campaign must define this race as one about economics and should train people to stress that point.  

YES.  And I think this is one place where the blogs could improve their game.  Blogs are obsessed with "memes," labelling, branding, etc.  What they're short on is message.

Just want to highlight that specific point you raised because it's uncommonly insightful.

and I hope to post a diary soon about the Democrats' need to get out of the Friedman economic box and offer a different economic dogma. Failure to do so dooms any Democratic efforts to rein in the meltdown (slowdown, rough patch, whatever) because these reform efforts only nibble at the fringes of what is a systemic problem requiring systemic changes.  

While the economy is one of the major issues, the fact is that this campaign also has to be about accountability for how our country got into this mess -- because of the Bush/McCain economic and foreign policies. McCain needs to be held responsible for eight years of enabling and abetting the single worst Presidency in the history of the Republic. The elites of the Republican party are singularly to blame for these messes, and we need to remind the public of that fact at every opportunity.

If we don't make McCain liable for Bush's record, then this election can be lost by the typical muddying of the waters by the Republican noise machine.

If McCain is (rightly and accurately) tarred with Bush's record, then this thing has landslide potential.

and I find it disheartening that so far there has been little mention of the Constitutional depredations of W, aided and abetted by Congress. Actually, there are a ton of issues, and so little time. Afraid we can't confuse an otherwise inattentive electorate with too many issues, unfortunately.

The current economic situation should be squarely put Republican economic and foreign policies.

Abstract policies such as lower taxes during war time and negligent business regulation seems like discussing how many angels can dance on top of pin head.

Now make the connection that they are paying $3.50 a gallon for gasoline because of the war in Iraq; they can't refinance their mortgage because of deregulation; and inflation is going while because of Bush paying for the war on a credit card, and what was vague becomes clear.

all over again. It is Democrats with the ideas, the future-oriented leadership, it is Democrats who are true patriots and have the smarts to protect the American ideal without shredding that ideal, and it is Democrats who honestly understand the plight of the working person. It is Republicans who do the most lying about not only their opponent but themselves, it is Republicans who get us into impossible situations abroad, and it is Republicans who spend us into penury to such an extent that our children's future is at risk. Democrats' advertising and national discourse, even when they purport to be answering smears, is too much "inside the Beltway," effective only in the eye and ear of political insiders.

I am at my wit's end trying to compensate for the apparent inability of the national Democratic Party to get our message across, and I've about decided they will not do it because they cannot do it, having bought into the Republican economic theories of Milton Friedman, and thus have no way of answering a Republican full court press on any issue that touches even remotely on so-called "free market" capitalism.  

Definitely taking on McCain on the economy.  I think you would have really enjoyed the event, Teddy.  

than how the Obama campaign operated during the primary?

I'm not worried.  It still seems too early to tell anything.  How often had polling in August been a good indicator of results in November?  So, McCain is going negative early, because that's all he has.  But, my friends, that puts him in danger of painting himself as a curmudgeon who feels entitled.  

Also, it sounds like you know what needs to get done.  So, if you are already working on the campaign, maybe you can just show them what worked for the Webb campaign.

...about messaging though.  There really hasn't been enough clear communication, and I would agree that the countering of McCain's BS has not been nearly as strong as we were promised it was going to be.

I like what I'm seeing today, though.  The McCain house ad is fabulous.

Also, although I am a little worried, I personally think the Obama campaign is only doing enough big-gunning to stay afloat until after Labor Day, and they're going to hose him after the convention....but that's just me.  Wishful thinking, I don't know?

But good discussion and I think the campaign needs to listen to its supporters.

Once the Convention is over I think things will pop especially with a VP to really go on the attack!

after the V.P., is selected or until after the Democratic National Convention to conduct voter registration drives or build an organization for GOTV, as some have suggested in this diary.  

The Obama campaign has lists of unregistered voters with names, addresses and phone numbers but in some locations these lists are not being used.  In many localities across the state, the Obama fellows were sent out with clipboards and voter registration forms to simply approach shoppers in shopping centers.  And in many instances the locations of these shopping centers were way off the mark in reaching the masses of unregistered voters.

In strong Democratic precincts across the state in Portsmouth, Hampton and Richmond, etc., there are upwards of 500 to a 1,000 people who are not registered to vote per PRECINCT but the campaign is simply not reaching them.

And Portsmouth is grond zero, or at least it should be, for a voter drive - but look st the results to date in four overwhlemingly Democratic precincts, precincts 5, 11, 14 and 27.  Jim Webb carried each of these precincts by 92.6%, 94.9%, 93.6% and 93.6% in 2006.    

Precinct 5 had 1,554 registered voters at the end of June, and 1,559 at the end of July, an increase of 5.

Precinct 11 had 1,421 registered voters at the end of June, and 1,407 at the end of July, a net loss of 14.

Precinct 14 had 1,909 registered voters at the end of June and 1,914 at the end of July, an increase of 5.

Precinct 27 had 2,041 registered voters at the end of June and 2,047 registered voters at the end of July.

Portsmouth had 56,425 as of January 1, 2008 and 58,637 as of July 31, 2008, which is a 3.7% increase since the beginning of the year.

Obama needs a MASSIVE margin out of the third congressional district in order to win the state.  But if the numbers do not increase dramatically in a locality like Portsmouth, we will again see Virginia's electoral votes awarded to the Republican nominee.    
 

You are 100% spot on.

BTW, where are you getting these voter registration numbers? I poked around the VA SBE website but couldn't find 'em.

On a more serious side, it may be time for the grassroots to show the outtastaters the way when it comes to this campaign. We truly have to be the ones we have been waiting for by taking the bull by the horns, so to speak.

Would love to see the 3rd and 4th CDs be the epicenter of these voter reg drives in a systematic fashion as you've described here.

thank you.

Here is the link to the state board of elections website:

http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cm...

Click the tab on the left titled: "Statisitcs and Polling Places."

Then Click on "2008 Registration Statistics."

Then click on Registration counts by locality and you can drill down to the precinct level by locality.

The link at the bottom of the page shows the statistics as of January 1, 2008, the link at the top of the page shows the most current month.  

Updated results are added by the 10th of each month, give or take a few days.

For data from past elections, click on the tab at the left titled "Election Information" than click "Election Results" and choose the year and election you want.

http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cm...

Thanks very much.

Out here in "God's Country", I've seen gross verbal abuse and use of abusive, false and disgusting epithets to describe Barack Obama, (by my last barber no less). Then it took only one day of driving around Shenandoah County last Saturday to get my new Obama magnet ripped off. (Now I have permanent ones front and back!) It seems that every closet racist is coming out in force! Is this America in the 21st century?

is not the model of egalitarianism that so many of us heard about in K-12.   In 2006, I had a Jim Webb sticker defaced on my vehicle's rear window one evening while it was parked in a church parking lot in one of Virginia's rural counties.  This year, I'll display no stickers and I don't consider this a  surrender.  I'm protecting my property; in the meantime, I'll sign up some new voters and drive some immobile voters to the polls on election day.  

she has drilled down to the problems that are occurring on the local level around the state.  

First of all, the lack of flyers, yard signs, etc., is particularly worrisome.  And it sounds as though, from what I am hearing, that the Obama campaign is not going to have flers or yard signs.  As we go door-to-door, what is it that we are to leave with voters, especially the critical undecideds, in an attempt to sway them?  And why is it that the "Joint Campaing" does not have materials for all of our candidates by CD?

The Coordinated campaign, the Obama campaign and the local Democratic committees are all doing their own thing, based on their own plan and they are not communicating or coordinating their game plans in numerous areas across the state.  As a result, as Teddy posted above, people are being inundated with calls and they are getting angry.  

Across the state, local county and city committees are organizing and planning their precinct operations.  

The Obama campaign is setting up their own separate precicnt organization, working to set up their own set of precinct captains across the state, duplicating the efforts by the local committees.

In addition, the Joint Campaign is setting up precinct canvasses all over the state, but is not coordinating with the Obama campaign.  And the title of "Joint Campaign" is a fraud.  The entire operation is set up to assist Mark Warner and only Mark Warner.  Now, I know any work done across the state in Democratic areas will help Obama and our congressional candidates.  But it will also hurt the Obama campaign and our CD candidates in areas where they could use the help most, reaching swing voters in critical suburbs and exurbs across the state.    

As a result of these entities doing their own thing, there is mass confusion in some areas across the state, tasks are being duplicated rather than divied up and volunteer and other resources are being wasted and squandered.  

And the thing that people should be most alarmed about is the field organization of the Obama campaign.  Field organizers have been hired, most from out of state, and are they working in areas they know nothing about - and they are being supervised by staff who are also from out of state, and who do not know much about the areas they are responsible for.  And they barely communicate with anyone outside of their click - and click is the right word.  

I have spoken with people all over the state about the voter registration drive that has taken place this summer -
and the results have been rather poor in areas due the Obama campaigns inability to target the best areas to conduct these voter drives in a given geographic area.  There was no attempt by the Obama campaign to contact knowledgeable individuals in a given area as to where to plan voter regstration drives.  So in some instances, days and weeks have been wasted trying to register voters in upscale, conservative areas that vote overwhlemingly Republican, with little to show for all of that time and effort.

While voter registration numbers in Democratic cities and counties such as Alexandria, Arlington, Norfolk, etc., are looking good, the numbers being reported in other areas such as Hampton, Portsmouth, Richmond, etc., are disapointing.  And I will say it again, we are not seeing the registration numbers in rural counties in the 4th and 5th that are needed.

I am really worried about election day and GOTV activities across the state this year.  With communication having been so poor to date between all parties, the lack of focus by the Obama field organization, and the "Joint Campaign" doing its thing for Mark Warner, I am not sure the structure is going to exist to turn out the vote   among the newly registered, along with those voters who didn't vote in the last couple of elections.  I am getting this feeling that we are seeing opportinites slip by, day by day, and all of those are going to add up to a lot of votes lost on election day.

And if this mass confusion is going on in the other dozen or so critical swing states, the results on election day could be disapointing.  

and I do not see how we can repair it, although one commenter above suggested that, since I saw what needed to be done, I should do it. That worked with Webb, I agree, but the Obama campaign is set up in its own way, the regular Democrats (many of whom supported Hillary anyway) are in their own silo and are simply not communicating in any meaningful way with each other. I have heard that Obama is the first presidential candidate in a long time actually to spend resources to build up the Democratic Party, but I simply do not see it so far here in Virginia. How can we, who see the problem, manage to get word upstairs that "they" are frittering away a splendid opportunity and fixin' to lose the election? Help!  

is there a reason you can't just voice these concerns to the campaign managers?  It would be their job to fix the problem, right?  And if they didn't appropriately address your concern, couldn't you go further up?  It appears that other people share this view; so, maybe you could coordinate a group of people to make the appeal.  

And if that doesn't work, maybe you could do it yourself.  A good idea is a good idea.  And if you present it to other people, it would seem like you get a small group of people to help you out.  And then your results would get noticed and inspire the campaign to adopt your practices.  

Maybe this is impractical, but just a thought.

I can't speak to what's happening in Nothern Virginia, of course.  But I can say that Obama is building the Party in my region by virtue of having opened campaign offices in places that have never had a campaign office for a statewide Democratic candidate much less a presidential one.  As a result a huge number of people in these areas are being trained to register voters, to canvass, to make phone calls, etc. for the first time.  Precincts are being organized that have never been organized before.  This has real implications not just 2008 but for 2009.  

Not great quality, definitely worth watching --  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

The Obama campaign has made little use of local knowledge. The field organizers are bogged down with making the technology work--and it's not working.

I, too, am most disappointed in the lack of a targeted effort to register voters in the older Tidewater cities and rural Southside. I appealed to Tom Perriello (in a question for tomorrow's blog) to do what he could to twist arms on targeting Southside voter registration or to direct one of his own staff to recruit college student volunteers to work registering African American voters in Southside counties and cities on weekends. Desperate...I know, but I hate to see this state lost due to poor planning and execution.

The only targeted effort to register African Americans in SWVA (granted, a small minority, but the richest vein--they vote 9 to 1 for Obama) is a rump effort by volunteers in Bristol and Abingdon when the campaign abandoned the effort after running into problems with the public housing authority. Then, the local campaign abandoned registration altogether because it was failing. They approached it here without consulting or listening locally where it made the most sense, and because time and the state campaign office has pressed them to move on to voter ID.

from my perspective there is a great deal of planning in the works for student voter registration around the college towns. Let's not forget the margin's Barack has been able to achieve in the under-35 crowd. I hear several other localized groups, like the Virginia Organizing Project and local unions like the UAW and CWA, are pushing targeted voter registration as well.

As far as local knowledge goes, I think one of the best uses of local contacts I've seen so far are all of the Veterans and Women for Obama groups popping up around the state. Those are some key demograhics groups, and using local relationships to persuade generally conservative voters gives us a net gain of 2 votes if successful (1 for Democrats, 1 less for Republicans.

We've been doing the Reston Farmers Market table since the Kerry/Edwards (I choke on that last name now) campaign and I can tell you it's vitally important to have "stuff", as we so fondly call it, to draw people to the table to engage them in conversation and perhaps get them to volunteer or register to vote. And to get a donation flow started to finance the buying of more "stuff" which in turn leads to more folks, more donations...well you get the picture. We are so lucky up here to have marvelous, marvelous Todd Smyth whom many of us call the God of Stuff to keep us supplied with buttons, bumper stickers, rally signs and the like because folks are PLEADING for them.  We are already seeing a number of Obama stickers on cars...great visual and free advertising and name recognition.  Says VOTER HERE!  I know the rationale for the Obama campaign has been wait until we have a VP but folks, even then there's going to be a big time lag.  For those of you with venues, get together and order in bulk from the Obama Store on the web site or go to the DemStore.  It's easy and they get materials to you quickly.  I agree with Teddy though that the campaign has to do more to make handouts, palm cards, etc with positions available.  We crafted our own on the masterial generated by the Tax Policy Center which broke down how your tax bill would change in 2009, a small chart, just right for a palm card showing succinctly and clearly if you earn X, here's what would change for you under McCain's or Obama's tax plan.  Clearly lays out that the middle class benefits most under Obama!  The Obama campaign should have made that quickly available as a palm card and it would be invaluable as a handout for back to school nights.  Virginia is in play, folks.  We did it for Webb.  We can and MUST do it for Obama, for the sake of our country.  As a nation we CAN NOT afford McSame.

Big commercial television ads: check! Lotsa big computers: check! Verbal Mantras, si se puede: check! But no, repeat no, handy, tangible good-feeling hand-held issue-the-tissue goodies: bad news! Yeah, this is the "new campaign" model for the non-reading, text-messaging generation but guess what, that  leaves out a helluva lot of the older crowd that also votes, rides Metro and reads brochures and newspapers before falling asleep in the rail car, not to mention that cruicial Appalachian, Southwest crowd that may not yet have broadband yet whose vote we must get to carry Virginia. As we transition to the new world of web-based campaigning we should not wipe out everything old, we should  layer the new on top of the old. Give us handouts, bossman! Now! Please!

I have had three Obama calls in the last month. I am in the 5th. They were friendly and upbeat and mercifully brief once they determined my "leanings".

However. They also all sounded like they were about 12 years old. The "old guard" doesn't seem to have kicked in, (and no I haven't dusted off my Webb shoes either yet).

I strongly agree that without local help, knowledge and guidance, they are going to run into serious problems.
Although I supported Hillary, there is no question that I will support Obama (something we never quite got from Miller supporters).

Perhaps they (and we) are waiting for the flashpoint of the convention. I do know that getting the positions down on something I can hand out is paramount. That when they do call they need to respond definitively, not point you to a website (since we STILL do not have broadband out here and many of the people they need to reach don't even have a computer).

As I see it, the only way Obama is going to be successful in Virginia is to ride Warner's coat-tail. And the only way Perriello has a chance is to ride on both. These campaigns MUST get together as a cohesive unit and run for the finish line.

Truck stopped at the end of the driveway this morning and stole our two Obama signs.
Didn't destroy them, gently lifted them up and made off with them....

told that VA is a battleground state and that we are going to get so much help from so many places and that there will be an office on every corner with "paid" field organizers and volunteers, and new voters, etc. etc.

They basically have been told to stay at home.  VA democrats are used to fighting - but this time - they have been told to watch.  

We have two strong campaigns running in VA - it is sometimes hard to determine which to put your energy into - the Coordinated or the Campaign for Change.  When there are two separate organizations plus efforts by the Actual committees of DPVA then the efforts tend to get deluded when looking at what is going on.  But if you are already hearing complaints about phone calls in August you can bet that people in all three groups are working hard!

We need to change that tune.  That with the old and new the over powering force (which actual could back fired) will get the ID's done - the  

They come in on my cell phone with caller-id information blocked.
I usually ignore them, but a few times I've picked it up before looking and it has always been cheerful but clueless volunteers for the Obama campaign.

I am not considering changing my vote, that would be a ludicrous and self-damaging over-escalation.  I am thinking of changing cell phone numbers and only giving my new number to volunteers/campaigns I meet in person.

I am already a contributer and volunteer for goodness' sake, stop calling me.

Le sigh.

We have long ago given up hoping for signage around here (Ninth CG).  And so, my friend, Henry Tieleman built from scratch a PAC, Democracy Prevails.  DP raises money, buys signs and bumper stickers (and buttons).  It distributes them around the Ninth CG, and sometimes further.  Because of Henry Tieleman and the Morrises and a few other stalwarts, we have visibility in much, but not all, of the Ninth.  Because of his efforts, Democrats have not just an increased presence.  When people see others congregating around Henry's tent at fairs, they believe they too can explore another way, voting Blue in a formerly red state.  This week, knowing the scarcity of materials in parts of Virginia, Henry traveled with his piles of supplies toward Martinsville, where Barack Obama was to have a town hall.  The Obama campaign doesn't distribute the materials to us, but does sell them for a huge markup on its website.  See link to Henry's article below.  The price (with shipping is so high, few will buy the items.  bTW there was a massive signage effort in Henry county by the GOP, but not our side.  

Anyway, Henry was not even allowed down the small road into the area near the town hall.  He drove a great distance, round trip, for nothing.  And all he tried to do was get Barack Obama elected...and do it a lot better than most folks.  

Here is the link with his article about it.  

And so I am discouraged too.  In some ways, the Obama campaign is doing a great job.   What we are seeing by the so-called media is nothing more than engineering of an electorate.  We've talked about the many ways the so-called media have collectively lied, even when Obama leads in all but one poll.  Acc them, he's too thin, too hip, too well liked, too popular, too much a celebrity, too elite.  And all of that boils down to exactly nothing.  They've got nothing negative, so they have to make stuff up.  That's what they really should be sued over.  They purposefully mislead Americans and hijack elections.  But if we are depressed or discouraged for more than a few minutes we only play into their hands.  They are doing it all to affect us.

But when all is aid and done, of the American people fall for this stuff again, then, what can I say?  There's at least 20% of the electorate that is too pliable for words, too-move-on-a-dime-emotional.  And I blame them mostly for the state of things.  They are ruining this country because they are cs afraid--all the time. And so they hold us all hostage by their simpering, vacilating, nonsense.  And they vote for the people they know will bring havoc.  They know because these same people already have.  

And then there are the supposed 20% of Hillary supporters who say they will vote for McCain.  If that is true than I have no words for what they are. But they give away a lot in such a protestation.  Had Hillary won, most of us would have licked our wounds and voted for her.  I might not have worked for her.  I didn't want her to be veep.  But I must confess I would rather have her than Bahye, Biden, Kaine, or Sebelius.  Why are not the Hillary-ites more, well, real Democrats--and Americans first?  These two groups are the real problem.  So we can complain all we want about campaigns, the media, whatever.  But we have fellow country persons who are just plain not thinking.  What's the solution to that?

PS I don't like the ads either.