blogger interrupted

In Part 1, we discussed the Balkan landscape that faces any presidential campaign moving into Cuyahoga County.  Many a staffer have emerged from running a prezzie in Cuyahoga with more scars than scalps.  With the political lay of the land in the Cuyahoga Democratic Party in 2008 likely to be as messy as it has ever been, it will be impossible for the Obama campaign to operate freely within the party structure.  

This year can be different for Barack Obama, largely because of the unique nature of the Obama campaign itself.

My favorite old timer in Cuyahoga was the late ward leader in Euclid, Frank Chukayne.  He once told me how he won his first precinct committee seat, taking on an entrenched, useless, and tired old incumbent in the 50’s.  (sound familiar?)  Frank began his campaign by finding his opponent’s house on the map, and working his way, door by door, to her house in concentric circles, until the day before the election, he knocked on HER door.  

The tired old lady said, “Hey, you can’t run for precinct committee here, I’M the committeewoman!”  

Frank responded, “Not anymore.”  Frank crushed her the next day.

Herein lies the Obama campaign.  The first tool is Obama’s lists.

The lists with which Obama left Ohio after the March 4 primary, both volunteer and fundraising, will dwarf whatever list the Cuyahoga County party can deliver, either of volunteers or precinct committee people.  If the Obama campaign starts with these lists, and works them as if building another party structure - i.e., placing people precinct by precinct - the party’s atrophy will be irrelevant.  Hell, the party might actually beg to come along for the ride.

The second tool is Obama’s money.  No presidential campaign has entered Ohio in the fall with as much money on hand, or as much money expected to be raised, as Obama.  In the past, this money went to street money in Cleveland, administered by the usual suspects who didn’t do much to get out the vote, but instead placed their peeps at polling places to stand holding a sign.  The temptation will be to up the street money exponentially - but that will only get more stationary human yard signs at the polling place, not voters to the polls.

Obama can afford to leverage both his money and his lists by placing paid staff in every corner of the county, with special emphasis on turnout operations in the heavily African American 11th CD.  Money will literally be no object, which means, as absurd as it sounds, Obama could afford to hire a person for every ward of Cleveland (21) , and every suburb in the county (56).

Seventy seven staff in Cuyahoga County alone?  That’s ridiculous, of course.  But the past model, between 5-10 staff, most of whom aren’t placed until late September, isn’t going to work.  It hasn’t worked in the past two elections for 2 main reasons.  First, because the staff is small and late in arriving, they don’t have time to build an organization independent of the party.  And second, they are then forced to navigate and rely on the internecine absurdity of a county party that can’t deliver what is required anyway.  It’s paralyzing.

If Obama gets in here early (Thursday night sounds good), hires a LOT of staff, and directs those staff to leverage their own lists immediately, placing people precinct by precinct, the county party won’t matter.

REPEAT.  THE COUNTY PARTY WON’T MATTER.  It hasn’t mattered ANYWAY, except to slow things down.

This is extremely important, not just because the Obama campaign will have a free hand, which it has created itself, but also because Obama won’t have to rely on delivery from a county party that cannot deliver what it claims it can.  It never has, and never will.

Instead, Obama’s own organization can spend every day, precinct by precinct, persuading undecideds, reaching out to independents and Republicans, and ginning up D turnout, door to door, with a committed core of supporters happy to do the work.  There isn’t one person at the precinct level in the party infrastructure that can even compare to whatever person Obama’s people identify for that precinct.  

Great things will happen if the Obama campaign comes into Cuyahoga County with this kind of commitment.  The margin out of Cuyahoga will be maximized.  Obama will win Ohio.  And with it, the presidency.  

And left behind will be a massive, hand built, grassroots organization, committed to change.  Which is why if I were the Obama campaign, I wouldn’t run this by anyone in Cuyahoga County for sign off.  Just do it.  

Now.

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