Touting it as a calculated risk they think will pay off big in 2014, state Democrats are putting "boots on the ground" now to start reaching out to voters in an effort to take back the Capitol building.
In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Mike Tate, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) and State Minority Leader Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) unveiled plans of attack to swing the 2014 gubernatorial and state representative races back to blue.
In a nutshell, Dems are looking at establishing a dynamic ground game in all 72 counties because party leaders recognize that they'll need a strong presence outside the major Democratic strongholds of Milwaukee and Dane Counties.
"We know this is a calculated risk to start this early, but it will be worth it," Tate said. "
The initiative is backed by a $500,000 investment from the state party and starts with paid staffers in LaCrosse, Green Bay and Eau Claire. From there, efforts will fan out across the state.
"This 72-county strategy is a half-million dollar investment to defeat Scott Walker's agenda," Tate continued. "We are going to be a thorn in Scott Walker's side as he identifies himself as a Tea Party candidate, to get out in front of the special interest money we expect to support him."
How this will work, Larson explained, is through state-of-the-art technology, data mining and strategic canvassing.
Barca said he's enthusiastic about the new plan because it gets the Democratic message to every corner of the state.
"This is innovative thinking. We're capitalizing on the Democratic ideals that appeal across the state, the same ideals that sent Senator Baldwin to Washington and re-elected President Obama," he said.
Reaching out to voters is all well and good, but the Democratic candidate for governor to whom all this support will flow remains a question.
Tate said there will be solid candidate by the end of the year and joked that perhaps it could be either Barca or Larson.
"Who knows, maybe it's one of these gentlemen," he said. "I'm not trying to kick off a primary during this call."
Tate admitted the $500,000 is not cash-on-hand, but he also said party leaders are confident they can pull the money together. What the half-million funds includes staff, brick-and-mortar offices, and technology.
"We're targeting districts and voters, taking our cues from the Obama campaign," he added.
Barca agreed.
"Look at the Obama team's success. It's incredibly impressive," he said. "Money is always an issue so we are starting early. It's an uphill battle so we have to be more strategic and be aggressive with this early start."
GOP not giving up the ground game
The Republican Party of Wisconsin answered back with a written release that clearly spells out the GOP's commitment to the ground game they developed and ran so well leading up the historic recall and the November elections last year.
The Republican Party of Wisconsin has built a strong and engaging grassroots organization that saw impressive success in 2012 – making nearly 10 million voter contacts as we protected the Governor and Lieutenant Governor from a baseless recall, increased our majority in the State Assembly, and took back the majority in the State Senate. We also protected the Republican Congressional delegation.
State Republicans are also opening offices in Waukesha, Green Bay and Eau Claire and putting down roots in Madison in traditionally Democratic Dane County. The goal, they say, is to continue Gov. Scott Walker's agenda of focusing on growth and job development.
The written statement scoffs at Democratic efforts to get in on the ground game and says Republicans plan to build on the efforts that successfully ushered Walker through the recall and kept a conservative majority in both houses in Madison.
“While there is no doubt that the Democrats will attempt to trot out their 'plans' for party building in the months to come, we are confident that our aggressive and ongoing efforts will protect Governor Walker and continue building our strong base," the release concludes.
It is not a question whether we want to see this state successful or not. The reality is that while you all were sleeping. business slipped away and wasn't replaced. Simple business practices have been ignored and too many people sat on their asses clipping coupons while the rest of the world moved on. Wisconsin got caught up in the perfect storm and business leaders did not respond in a manner that would have built sustainable business. The right blames unions and the left blames business, it's both. Unions don't control capital and business direction. It is primarily the failure of lack luster and ineffective business leadership.
OK. the way she writes, maybe she innocently got ahold of some bad stuff.
As far as frac sand mining, there are problems with reclamation knowledge and it is currently being studied. hey really don't know yet all the problems associated with the process. Before you keep going I think you need to share what professional interest you have in these projects. From what you've written it sounds as if you are in line to make a lot of money if the mines go in.
;)
Brian, there's no argument from me that he won, both times. He did. Cow, I'm not sure how good Wisconsinites can embrace an out-of-state special interest group's desires and ignore their own needs. It seems irresponsible to me. Walker and his legislative sycophants create the divisiveness with arrogance and strict adherence to a national cookie-cutter agenda. We should all protest this self-serving agenda. c, because you know all about me, right? ; )
@Dorothy -- My family has lived in this state since 1860, and I'm not about to leave just because of a temporary takeover by political dinosaurs. I hear that Florida and Arizona are very warm this time of year and probably more to your liking politically.
And if a new bill is presented for the legislature, it had better answer these questions and also go as far as possible to ensure that Wisconsin workers get top priority in hiring. Previously, not one member of the mining company's appointed leadership team for Wisconsin was from our state. Not even the IT person.
However, since that comment, I have come to realize and become critical of his extreme hubris in view of such a failing. A person defaulting on a government loan calling others “jack@sses” and other names, for disagreeing with his views on government spending, is arrogant, audacious, and a hypocrite. His own conduct has resulted in any scarlet letter that he wears. Shame on me? No, Dirk. Shame on him.
Sorry Dorothy, but the GREAT REPUBLICANS in our fine state are rubber-stamping a national special-interest group agenda. They help billionaires like Diane Hendricks. And people like you help to promote that special interest agenda because their strategists know how to play your enlarged amygdala like a Strad. Not sure you'll understand all that but no one should like being used. As far as leaving Wisconsin, my family has lived on this continent since the early 17th Century. One of my ancestors is a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Three are heroes of the Revolutionary War, and members of my family have served with distinction in every major military action since. I may live where I wish. So unless you can match that pedigree I don't believe you have the right to tell anyone where to live. Having that pedigree doesn't even give me the right. That's the greatness of our country, freedom.
Lyle - you usually are able to get your subject and verb to agree.... ****If the state Republicans don't focus exclusively on economic conditions .... leaving social issues alone Democrats screaming "War on Women" in 3, 2, 1.... ******There is already a growing divide between the governor and legislative majority leaders over THIS (emphasis red's) issue. Uhhh Lyle. You didn't identify an "issue". ******people like Grothman could sink the Republican ship Put Lyle down as an adherent to the neo-marxist holiday of Kwanzaaa!!!!
The business climate in Madison is proof that a giant vacuum cleaner sucking taxpayer money from all over the state can attract companies. BTW it is such an elitist approach to say businesses must be fostered by some university partnership. What are you proposing for the unemployed in Milwaukee's inner city? Elitist -nose in the air cares not for fellow citizens.
Yada yada yada . Republicans. I wonder how much moola Doyle got from that Spanish train manufacturer? The one who refused to consider African Americans for employment. http://themilwaukeedrum.com/2010/11/17/blacks-need-not-apply-why-coggs-taylor-grigsby-and-others-need-you-to-stay-uninformed/
I have explained to you last week my experience in this subject.
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/01/conservative-fever-starting-break Is the Conservative Fever Starting to Break? —By Kevin Drum | Wed Jan. 30, 2013 12:13 PM PST Andrew Sullivan thinks there's been a tectonic shift since Barack Obama's reelection: It's not just the return to Clinton tax rates for the very wealthy; it's a real cultural shift as well. In the last week, we have seen the Boy Scouts back off a national policy of excluding openly gay scouts and scout-masters (which means the Mormon hierarchy must have not made too big a fuss); we have Tom Tancredo almost smoking a joint in public (don't make a bet with him on anything in the future); we have Sean Hannity's ratings plummeting; we see gay couples included in the president's comprehensive immigration reform; we have Limbaugh edging ever-so-slightly toward Rubio on immigration. That chart does surprise me. Not because Obama's favorables are up five points. That seems like fairly standard inaugural honeymoon stuff. But his unfavorables are down ten points. Some of that is honeymoon stuff too, and it will wash out soon enough. Still, it's a big drop, and it suggests that maybe a bit of the fever has broken on the right. Maybe.....
Fox News ratings hit 12-year low http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/01/fox-news-ratings-hit-year-low-155638.html#.UQpqz5OjEeE.twitter via @POLITICO
TOTAL DAY: FNC: 1,029,000 total viewers; (209,000 in 25-54) MSNBC: 491,000 total viewers; (160,000 in 25-54) CNN: 448,000 total viewers; (135,000 in 25-54) PRIMETIME: FNC: 1,617,000 total viewers; (267,000 in 25-54) MSNBC: 790,000 total viewers; (235,000 in 25-54) CNN: 664,000 total viewers; (200,000 in 25-54)