DNC Launches Anti McCain Ad and New National Field Organizing Effort

April 21, 2008 -- Today Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and DNC Political Director David Boundy announced the rollout of a new field effort to register voters and talk to them about why McCain is the wrong choice for America's future. The rollout coincides with the launch of the DNC's ad, "Better Off," which will be used at organizing events across the country.

Senator John McCain meets with Ronald Reagan in 1986

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As part of this effort, the DNC will begin the phased rollout of its new online Neighborhood Volunteer tool, which will empower grassroots activists to utilize the voter file for organizing efforts in their neighborhoods. The tool builds on the DNC's investment in its new state-of-the-art national voter file. Each volunteer will contact their neighbors and will be able to print out walk packets, scripts, and materials. The data volunteers collect will be fed back into the DNC's national voter file.

Neighborhood Volunteers are already making voter contact in the states and will be registering people to vote as a critical part of the DNC's 50-state strategy. These volunteers are talking to their neighbors about why John McCain is the wrong choice for America's future, as well as engaging voters about local issues and down-ballot races in states around the country. There are more than 49,000 volunteers in the program, and more than 160 state partnership staff members in regular contact with them.

"The DNC's Neighborhood Volunteer Program and organizing tool are critical parts of our strategy to beat John McCain," said DNC Chairman Howard Dean. "By encouraging local volunteers to make direct contact with their neighbors, we're activating Democrats at the grassroots level as they take the Democratic message directly to neighborhoods across the country. The tool is innovative, effective, and enormously valuable as we move our field operation and 50-state strategy into the next phase. Make no mistake: the DNC is already actively working to elect a Democratic president come November."

The organizing tool was developed around years of research that shows that door-to-door contact is by far the most effective form of voter contact. The tool was tested successfully in Virginia and Ohio in 2007 and begins phased rollout this week.

The DNC's field effort coincides with the release of the DNC's new ad this week against John McCain called "Better Off," which gives voters the chance to hear John McCain in his own words as he explains that despite the sliding economy, he thinks Americans are better off than they were eight years ago. Democratic state parties and elected officials across the country are following McCain as he travels around the country in his latest campaign tour, holding him accountable for his doubletalk on the campaign trail and lack of solutions for America's working families.

Source: DNC