"We registered 3.4 million Republicans over the past 4 years. Our goal must be to add 4 million new Republicans by 2008, including 1.5 million in this cycle. On top of this new voter registration, we will identify 19 million more Republicans, independents and discerning Democrats to add to our turnout rolls, and recruit 1 million new volunteers over the next 2 years."

Ken Mehlman, RNC Chair.

While I respect and admire Howard Dean's efforts to reconnect to the heartland, I am absolutely disgusted that the RNC continues to outraise us 2 to one.  Four years ago, Karl Rove openly layed out his strategy to court evangelicals and identify new republicans and set up a monolithic infrastructure to track voters/voting trends in EVERY COUNTY OF THE COUNTRY.  

He did that.
That's pretty much how he won.
On November 1,  he could tell you how every neighbor on your block would vote.

Now Mehlman is announcing the continuation of that strategy.  Because they know that if HRC gets the nom in 08, our base (some begrudgingly and some enthusiastically) will come out in force.

What are our leaders doing to counter this?
Dean, for his part, is courting local voters, and empowering local dems to organize and plot.
Though this is exactly what we should have been doing the last ten years, I wonder how much success he will have in the face of the continuation of Mehlman's Empire.
Especially if he continues to get spanked in the fundraising.

I admire Mehlman and Rove for their prowess and attention to marketing and detail.
I pray for our lone jedi Howard.
I pray that he is getting the job done, and may the force be with him.