A MOMocrats WTF? The End of the 50 State Strategy?

Coming down after the high of election day and E-day +1, we've learned that Howard Dean's 50 state strategy largely responsible for the Democrats' success across the country, may be ending.

I've received confirmation from our Hampton Roads organizer that they're being laid off as of the end of the month.  The scuttlebutt among Virginia bloggers is that the program was only funded through November.

This seems extremely shortsighted to me.  Why lose all those contacts and all that knowledge?  Our local organizer, Susan Mariner, was one of the most useful assets the DNC had in this state. A veteran of statewide campaigns and the head of the GOTV program for part of Southeastern Virginia, she got things done and she knows everyone.

Here in Virginia, the networks built by the Obama campaign and the 50 state strategy can still be put to good use.  Virginia has statewide elections on odd years.  So we have a governor's race and statewide house and senate races in 2009 that are crucial to the future of the Virginia Democratic Party.  These are the elected officials that will largely control redistricting after the 2010 census.  We need Democrats in those key positions.

If anyone hears rumors about what the heck is going on, we'd love to hear from you.  For now, this seems like a giant WTF?

Update: Kristin from Poligots has a great post up about Obama's new Chief of Staff, Rahn Emanuel, a vocal opponent to Dean's 50 state strategy, which may shed some light on things....

Comments

[Kim W.]

This is the first that I have heard of this. I reside in Hampton Roads and will be sure to keep my eyes open for additional information.

[Kristin]

I think it would be a huge mistake -- states that were never considered to be in play had active, at-the ready campaigns all set to take advantage of the huge anti-Bush anger and pro-Obama love.

Considering that Rahm Emanuel is going to be Chief of Staff, I'm not reassured that it won't go by the wayside -- he was one of the strategy's biggest opponents.

I truly hope that if they are considering laying people off, it's just temporary and that the idea of the strategy stays in place.

[donna]

The majority of these positions were temporary positions. My daughter took one in the Chicago area and she too will be finished wrapping things up at the end of November. The data that was collected will go along way to help in the next elections, that is for certain. My daughter did say that a few well-positioned staff members will be retained so that resurrecting the strategy for next time will be easier. These staff members probably came in hoping to begin their political strategy careers.

Most of these are young people who either took a leave of absence from another job, or put off graduate school for a semester or year to contribute to the campaign. Most are ready to get back to their life plans.

[Lawyer Mama]

Donna, I wish that were the case. I know most of the Obama volunteers were not local and were young and could pretty easily travel.

But the 50 state strategy people were those selected by each state's democratic party. They are people from the community who were already politically active (although not necessarily operatives) and not your typical 20-something volunteers. They were then brought together for training and to learn from one another so that the best practices of each could be implemented. They have a ton of state contacts and institutional knowledge. Most have been in their positions since 2006 or 2007, even before the Obama campaign offices began opening across every state.

[WineWonkette]

I received an e-mai today from the DNC asking for a $250 or more donation to keep the 50-state strategy going. Perhaps the story was seed to help raise money.

[Gunfighter]

If the Democratic party had any sense four years ago, and actually supported Howard Dean instead of torpedoing him, in favor of John Kerry, GW Bush would never had a second term in the first place.