The Secret To Making Accurate Predictions Is…
To Make Many of Them
As we move toward our February primary election, I want us to be looking ahead to November and beyond. This election cycle has already made a mockery of the word “inevitable”, so I hesitate to make predictions today that will look foolish in 10 months (or even in 10 minutes). Nonetheless, here goes…
We do look on the verge of an historic Democratic Party nomination for President. And everyone knows just how important it will be, no matter who that nominee is, that we work together to get out every vote. The rules are always the same, and the 2008 plan is no different than the campaign plan of 1840 drafted by Illinois State Rep. Lincoln (winning re-election to the Illinois General Assembly):
Duties of the Precinct Captain
To see each person of the Precinct face to face, and procure a pledge that the voter will for no consideration (impossibilities excepted) stay from the polls on the first Tuesday in November; and that the voter will record the vote as early in the day as possible.
To add to the Precinct the name of every person in the vicinity who did not vote with us in August, but who will vote with us in the fall, and take the same pledge of that voter, as from the others.
When the Primary is over, we will have another son of Illinois (and failing that, perhaps a daughter of Illinois) for whom we will once again “see every person of the precinct face to face”, and “GOTV”. We have a great opportunity to change the world. Not starting in October, but speaking out every day, organizing every day, starting now.
So let us do our best in the Democratic Primary next month. But then, the real work only begins. A new President. A new Congress. And a great opportunity to talk to our neighbors with a message of tolerance and a message of optimism. Back when I started in this business, we had “Freedom Summer” and we had “Viet Nam Summer” (and even the “Summer of Love”). Let’s make 2008 a “Summer of Hope”…followed by an Election for Change.
Mike Kreloff