New Mexico presidential hopefuls getting back to grass roots
Originally published in the Albuquerque Tribune
It's four weeks to caucus day: Do you know where your candidate is?
As we approach the Feb. 3 Democratic caucus in New Mexico, the eight candidates on the caucus ballot here are revving up their engines for two key battles.
First, there's the usual tussle between the pile of candidates. Who's the most recognizable? Is it Howard Dean, the guy people like to call the front-runner? Or is it John Edwards, the senator from North Carolina who has been to New Mexico five times?
The other fight is with mere indifference: New Mexico Democrats were barely turning out for the regular June primaries, elections they were accustomed to in the places they were accustomed to and with candidates that had already been all over the national airwaves for months.
Now there are different voting sites, an earlier date and the confusion over just what caucus means. (Hint: It's just a day of voting, in person or via absentee. Nothing more, nothing less.)
Democratic leaders are expecting just 10 percent of registered Democrats to turn out. Ouch.
But the campaigns say that unlike Iowa, which has played its big role in politics so long that running a campaign there is almost a science, New Mexico's caucus is new and rough around the edges, and therefore demands a street-level push to be successful.
"This really turns this into a grass-roots organization kind of election," said former Mayor Jim Baca, who's working with retired Gen. Wesley Clark's campaign.
Take Edwards: He has sent Attorney General Patricia Madrid, his New Mexico campaign chairwoman, on several trips across the state.
"She's really working out in the hustings," said Caroline Buerkle, field director for Edwards. "This election in New Mexico is going to be won that way."
That's what campaigns are bragging about in New Mexico. It's not money, endorsements or polls. It's who has the best door-to-door campaign.
"We're set to have a coordinator in each county," said Francisco Castillo, Dean's New Mexico field coordinator. "I don't see anybody doing what we're doing."
Castillo said they'll be busing in about 500 out-of-state volunteers this month to knock on doors and get mailers out.
Likewise for U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the candidate with the most visits to New Mexico so far. He is likely to return, although his schedule is packed with Iowa and New Hampshire gigs for most of the month. [ed. note: so New Mexico is another state where Kucinich's ground operation compares with the "serious candidates"]
U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman's campaign will hire two more full-time staffers, bringing the total to five, campaign spokesman David Griffin said.
"Our activity level will jump significantly in the next month," Griffin said.
Clark's campaign will be bringing in "convoys" of Clark supporters through New Mexico to rally supporters. They also plan to work phone banks, distribute leaflets and host regular open-door meetings at campaign headquarters in Albuquerque to get supporters onboard.
Television ads are already running for Dean and Clark. The latter will have print ads starting this month, too.
And, yes, there will be visits, both by candidates or their surrogates. U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt will have his son stop in Albuquerque this week, his campaign said. Clark will send his son to New Mexico some time this month. Lieberman is planning a visit, but no dates are set.
Here's a safe bet for visits, though: Don't expect to see the candidate in New Mexico until after Jan. 19.
That's the date of the Iowa caucus, which, in contrast to New Mexico, is consistently hyped, warranted or not, as a key early test for candidates. Lieberman has practically set up a new headquarters there, according to news reports.
New Hampshire's primary is Jan. 26, and guys like U.S. Sen. John Kerry need a victory there to stay in the big picture.
So, when the dust settles in those states, then - and most likely only then - can you expect the candidates to come looking for bounce in New Mexico and to do so personally.
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Comments
I'm afraid it's true. Many people are being denied their absentee ballots due to mistakes on the voter rolls. I know, because yesterday I discovered I am one of them.
I am a registered Democrat in Taos, NM and requested an absentee ballot in mid-December, 5 weeks before the deadline. I called and e-mailed several times to find out why I was not receiving it. Then, just days before my departure, received a rejection notice from the DPNM by mail, stating that my application was rejected because my name "failed to appear on the official State of New Mexico voter roll as a registered Democrat as of Dec. 30, 2003". Yet both my voter registration card and the Taos County Bureau of Elections confirm that I became and official member of the DPNM in October, '03.
Repeated phone calls to headquarters in Albuquerque got me nowhere except an unsympathetic, unhelpful, and somewhat hostile volunteer who said my only option was to vote on Feb. 3rd, totally insensitive to the fact that it would require completely rearranging my travel plans due to a DPNM operative's mistake. She also stated that the voter rolls they use to determine eligibility come from the state Attorney General's (Patricia Madirid's) office. Sound familiar? When I brought up my frustration at the inefficiency with their system and the strange parallels to the Florida election, the operator just giggled and said "But this is New Mexcio". Guess it can't happen here. If this is the case, what surprises can voters expect when they go to the "polls" on Feb. 3rd?
At this point I can only declare the upcoming election a fraud. It is clear that the caucus election machinery is broken. Sources say that as many as 2000 out of 17,000 mail-in ballot requests were denied. It seems incumbent upon the DPNM to postpone the election until this matter is fully dealt with and all eligible voters be given full enfranchisement. Patricia Madrid should be questioned as to why they are not. The DPNM leadership should be questioned as why this is happening and if they plan to postpone. Voters must be vigilant in exposing voter fraud in New Mexico and this injustice cannot be overlooked.
Some possible contacts:
Attorney General Patricia Madrid, Santa Fe Office 505-827-6000
Joni Gutierrez, DPNM Chairperson 505-496-2474
Jamie Birkette, DPNM Ballot Distribution Coordinator 505-232-0758
Scott Shuker
Questa, NM
Posted by: scott shuker | January 24, 2004 01:05 PM