Burnt Orange Report

Run. Everywhere. In Nebraska

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

At the same time that we should be building our candidate bench, we need to build our infrastructure. That can't happen if a state party cedes entire counties to the opposition. Just as it would be stupid of the Texas GOP to give up on Travis County, we shouldn't give up on Bandara County or dozens of others.

But it looks like someone gets it over in Nebraska...

Today, Democrats are organized with party chairpersons in only about half of Nebraska's counties. The majority of missing county organizations are in western and central Nebraska's vast 3rd Congressional District.

But in many unorganized counties, Democrat regularly meet in coffee shops or restaurants in small towns and county seats.

The state party plans to tap into those local resources, build Democratic communities in every county and help with candidate recruitment, voter registration, campaign services and grassroots training.

"Give them the tools," Russell said.

...

The Democratic rebuilding strategy in Nebraska has been bolstered by a $100,000 commitment from the party's national committee. But the key ingredient for success lies at the local level, party leaders said.

"It's your plan," Mello said. "We got it from you" by seeking community ideas and feedback before building a strategy.

"They know better than we do" about what will work, Russell said, and who the local candidates should be.

In devising its plan, the party decided its first obligation was just to "show up" in counties it had previously abandoned or simply forfeited to Republicans.

No longer, it decided, would Democrats in some communities be left alone on an island.