By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
It’s not unusual for party leaders to stay quiet when things are going badly, Save Jerseyans, which makes me wonder exactly how bad things are actually getting for national Democrats this cycle.
DCCC chief Steve Israel is openly venting his frustrations to the press. Weird. DNC head Debbie Wasserman Schultz may be a total nut job, but her stubborn “we’re going to hold the line” attitude is what you’d ordinarily expect from a party leader.
What really raised my eyebrows? Today’s House Majority PAC email ostensibly authored by former DNC Chairman Howard Dean…
“I’m not one for desperate subject lines or breathless histrionics,” Dean’s email begins, “so hopefully, if you have made it this far into this email, you will give me a minute of your time.”
We’ve seen these “gloom and doom” fundraising appeals all cycle. Nothing new there. But what followed here was a total concession of the midterm cycle by the House Democrats’ largest super PAC.
“I don’t think I will shock anyone by saying that it is an uphill climb to win a majority in the House this year. But that doesn’t mean we can’t lay the groundwork for 2016 now.”
Wow. Right?
A follow up fundraising appeal from the Super PAC played on Dean’s message. “He’s right,” the email began. “2014 isn’t about winning the majority –– it’s about laying the groundwork for electing a Democratic majority in 2016 to get our next Democratic president’s back.” [Emphasis added.]
Have you ever seen anything like? I haven’t… not even in 2010…
What’s clear now is that the Democrats are looking at a darkening map and are officially done playing offense this year. Individual race resource allocations are one thing, and I don’t want to give them advice, but when they’re openly worried about turnout (and a lack of enthusiasm from outside expenditure groups), one can’t help but wonder whether this type of email will have the same base-deflating effect as McCain openly pulling out of Michigan down the home stretch of the ’08 election.
Damage control mode! They want to get their money and get out.
Propane get out and vote.