Thanks for posting your story. Having spoken with many people in PA and NC over the past month, would encourage well informed individuals, including professionals, to get more involved on the ground. That's what's best for the country, and what most voters prefer. I was very surprised to see how substantively engaged people were on the real issues. Between PA and NC, the gas tax debate moved the campaign back to substance and integrity, which is why Obama did well. In NC I had long conversations with people not only on the gas tax, on social security tax, health care, and education. I found that the facts aren't really out there ... many thought that candidates were proposing government-owned health care, cutting off trade, and raising taxes across the board.

I took away two things from that experience. First, there will be some very, very discouraging days in the months ahead that will make any use of race or fear we’ve seen so far pale by comparison, and for many people these issues trump the substance. It is very important to find ways to focus the discussion on issues. Second, I took away that policies need to be communicated very clearly and often, particularly to volunteers. Many voters are already convinced on this election one way or another, but there is a group in the middle for whom one of the major issues is very important (tax, education and health) but who don't understand how the policies will play out in reality for their lives. For the democrats to win these voters in the fall, the communications will need to be very clear and focused, more diagrams and less paragraphs, and speak to the individual.

Posted at May 11, 2008 2:58 PM in response to What Gets Lost

I was on the ground working in Pennsylvania and a week later in North Carolina and met many of the same late deciding demographic mentioned in the post above by dishwhit. A world of difference. In Pennsylvania, people I met would agree with Obama on many of the issues, but the anger generated by Wright was preventing many of these voters from closing the decision in his favor. At this point, voters have realized that the candidate's pastor is not the central point of this campaign, and we are getting back to a real evaluation of the policies and strategies offered by the two candidates. Real issues are on the table again - gas tax, Iran, food prices, the war, the environment, etc. On this territory, Obama's support has stabilized and he is regaining ground ... and will close in his camp.

Posted at May 4, 2008 11:32 AM in response to From the ground in IN