It's hard to out-organize the Union reps working for the Dems.
Bush aims to be out of reach by time Dems pick candidate
By Judy Keen, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON - President Bush is building the earliest, most aggressive campaign organization by an incumbent president since Ronald Reagan won re-election in 1984. Bush is aiming to have such a strong head start that Democrats will have trouble catching up after they choose their nominee.
By the time the first votes are cast in the Democratic primary election season, on Jan. 19 at Iowa's caucuses, the Bush campaign plans to have a well-established national organization of chairmen and other staffers in every county in key states, and a leader in every crucial precinct.
Bush has no opponent for the Republican nomination. He raised $34 million through the end of June, and at least $6 million since then. He is on target to collect more than $250 million before the Republican convention next August. After the conventions, both presidential campaigns will be run on $74.4 million in federal funds.
Bush attends a fundraiser Monday in Denver and has two more later this week in California.
Being well-funded and unchallenged for the nomination allows the campaign to concentrate on creating a grassroots network for fall while the nine Democrats seeking their party's nod invest energy, time and cash in states with early primaries.
Warren Tompkins, campaign chairman for Bush in four Southern states, ran Reagan's 1984 campaign in South Carolina. He says the Bush campaign "is ahead of (Reagan's) in terms of planning and preparation and organization."
Bush's father held the first fundraiser for his 1992 re-election campaign 12 months before Election Day and didn't name his campaign team until five weeks later. President Clinton named staffers for his 1996 re-election bid 15 months before the election and did a fundraising tour a month later.
Bush announced his top campaign staff 18 months before the election and immediately began raising money.
Bush tells audiences at fundraisers that "the political season will come in its own time." But his quick start means politics is beginning to pervade the White House.
His travel and many of his speeches and policy proposals are planned with key voter groups and crucial states in mind. At least a half-dozen midlevel staffers have left the White House to work on the campaign or the convention, and more will follow.
Campaign manager Ken Mehlman defends the early start. "The country is closely divided, and there are Democrats running for president who will literally say anything to win votes," he says. "We need resources to help communicate the president's message and to build a strong grass roots."
Tony Welch, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, says Bush must be worried that voters who are angry about the flat economy will deny him a second term. "The good news for us is that all that cash and no primary still do nothing to take the people's focus off the economy," he says.
What's behind Bush's strategy:
?There's plenty of money but no need to spend it now. Just 7% of what's coming in is going out, leaving the rest to blanket the nation with TV ads next year when voters are paying closer attention.
?The campaign has targeted for special attention 16-20 states that could go either way. The list will change as the race takes shape, but it includes states where Bush strategists expect to play defense (Arizona, Florida, Missouri, New Hampshire) and states won in 2000 by Democrat Al Gore that they think they can carry next year (Iowa, New Mexico, Oregon, Wisconsin). All 50 states will have county and precinct organizations.
?It is critical to keep core supporters energized and make sure they are recruiting more supporters. The GOP hopes to register 3 million new voters. Each state has a goal. There are 6 million "e-leaders" who signed up on the Internet and more than 325,000 "team leaders" accountable for organizing their communities.
Ralph Reed, Southeast regional chairman for Bush's campaign, says, "We're going to run as if this is going to be one of the closest elections in our lifetime."
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