I think not focusing more on Arkansas is a mistake...

[last_texas_dem]

I posted this over in the General Discussion: 2004 Campaign forum but figured I'd post it over here just to see what y'all think, since I figure y'all have a better idea of what the political climate feels like in your state than this southeast Texan does.

I think the campaign may be missing an opportunity in not focusing more heavily on Arkansas. America Coming Together has still not opened an office there, last I checked, and now Kerry is cutting back on running ads there. But look at the polls:

http://www.electoral-vote.com/states/arkansas.html

Kerry has been consistently only one or two points behind Shrub and once led.

I know AR is only six electoral votes, but I think the campaign may be making a mistake by focusing too heavily on OH and FL. Sure, if we carry one of them and hold on to Gore's 2000 states we're in, but if we maintain the Gore 2000 states (and the only ones I'm slightly nervous about holding onto are PA, NM, and WI... maybe I'm being too optimistic) and pick up NH and AR, that's 270 and that's all we need. Just seems like a good back-up strategy...

I don't know... I guess I just have faith in a state that elected Clinton several times and currently has two Democratic Senators and three out of four of its Reps being Democrats. I don't know that Shrub is putting much of an effort in to it, so I figured with a little work it might be a fairly easy pick-up. I'm obviously no strategist, though, that's just my take.

[Leilani]

1. I agree...

I think it would be a good idea; Fla & Ohio may not work out.

[democratreformed]

2. I think there is a great opportunity here.

But, we are working hard. My daughter and I are attending a training session this Sunday in Conway. Our local Dem office is supposed to be getting yard signs in today (YEAH!). We had to take up a collection and buy those ourselves, BTW. We got 150 to hand out to people who come to hqtrs looking for one.

Saw a bumpersticker in the college parking lot today: "Vote that Son of a Bush Out!" Of course, we have four of them here where I work that have Kerry stickers. I see bumperstickers often, but we're losing the yard sign battle b/c we haven't had any. Hopefully, that'll change after today.