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| December 2, 2006--"We need to be the party that represents all Americans,"
DNC chairman Howard Dean stated at the regular meeting of the DNC's Executive
Committee. He said that one of the Republicans' biggest mistakes
has been focusing on a narrow base. Speakers lavished praise on the
"50 State Strategy" implemented by chairman Dean. |
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| Congressman-elect Tim Walz (DFL), a geography teacher at Mankato West
High School, defeated six-term incumbent Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R) in Minnesota's
1st CD, which stretches across the bottom part of the state. Walz
noted that only one other Democrat, Tim Penny, has won the district in
the last 110 years. He said he benefited significantly from the "50
State Strategy," citing the work of Sarah Duevel. DFL executive director
Andrew O'Leary recalled that in summer 2005 the DNC had provided for four
employees for the state party to do with as it pleased. The DFL put
those staffers in challenger congressional districts, and matched them
with four of its own employees for the other districts. Sarah Duevel
was the first of those DNC paid staffers. "We saw immediate results,"
O'Leary said. He said those staff were instrumental in the DFL picking
up 27 legislative seats in the mid-terms (the DFL gained control of the
House and added six seats in the Senate. |
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| Congresswoman-elect Nancy Boyda (D), who upset five-term Rep. Jim Ryan
(R) in Kansas' 2nd CD, likewise praised the "50 State Strategy."
Boyda ran what she described as "a fairly traditional campaign" in 2004.
She said that "the DNC was on the ground since August 2005" and lauded
their approach as, "Hey why don't you guys tell us what you need."
She said she decided to run again because that organization was already
in place.
Out of her 2004 experience Boyda has some harsh words for consultants.
"People are looking for authenticity, not a cookie cutter type campaign,"
she said. She and her husband Steve wrote all the text for three
multi-page newspaper inserts; during the course of the campaign a total
of 800,000 copies were distributed through about 50 newspapers in the district.
Boyda also noted that, "First of all, I refused to go negative." |
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| Also at this meeting members of the Executive Committee received an
update from Technology Director Ben Self. In the afternoon the Rules
and Bylaws committee met and considered, among other matters, a modest
bonus delegate plan to encourage state parties to hold their 2000 delegate
selection contests later in the calendar. |
