>Most political battles (electoral or non-electoral, left or right) are
>won not by reaching new people but by mobilizing the people one already
>has. (That number expands or contracts behind one's back, one's own
>actions not having much to do with it.) And in electoral politics that
>means getting people to vote -- which in turn requires generating
>enthusiasm and energy among the core cadre. Apparently, rightly or
>wrongly, Gore & Bush both think that the way to energize that cadre is
>through moralism.
True of many Reps, for sure, but the Dems? Is that really their base?
But I'm not sure about your political strategy. Sure you want to motivate your base, but both parties this year are acting as if those are secure, and are instead going after the "swing" voters - the soccer moms, the McCain and Perot voters, younger "New Economy" types, etc. That's why the Rep convention was so hot to be inclusive (and also because W may be trying to peel off some black votes from the Dems), and why Gore went nuts over Sanchez' Playboy fundraiser.
Doug