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We are going to lose. Seriously. I just came back from an unveiling of the great Republican State Plan for victory. It sucks.
The Great Plan? Genius! I don't know why anyone thought of it before! Telemarketing. Ohh... Ah... Wow... Yup. These folks are under the impression that mass telemarketing was responsible for George W's victory in Ohio in the last presidential election.
Er, no. George W. took Ohio because there was an anti-gay marriage measure on the ballot and threatened heterosexuals turned out in force (Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Socialists, Commies alike...) to vote to "preserve the institution of marriage." With a divorce rate over 50%, it would seem the biggest threat to marriage is heterosexuals, but I digress.
Democrats can relax. No one mentioned putting a marriage amendment on the ballot. A petition was circulating around my church last week, but at least officially, Republican H.Q. isn't the force behind it.
The telemarketing plan looks to identify Republicans as "Hard Rs" -which I gather is an anti-gay, anti-abortion, gun toting, pro-tax cut Republican, or "Soft Rs" who might be wishy washy on abortion but definitely hates taxes, or an Independent who likes something on the Republican agenda but doesn't care for it as a whole. If a victory is to happen, Independents will have to cross to the Republican side.
I didn't see anyone sign up to make calls. Even if they were willing to pay folks to make calls, I don't see many folks answering them. Don't Republican Big Wigs know about caller I.D.? Do they really think people are going to stop watching an episode of Judy Judy or a Ronco infomercial for a solicitation call? Duh!
Individual Republican candidates had better be strong, organized, and well funded, because The Party -at the State level anyway- isn't going to be much help.
