LS, this is concerning, if true:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/27/mitt-romney-ohio-ground-game_n_1921455.html?1348799034
OK, this from the HuffPo so it is terribly biased off the bat (and intended to be that way). The MSM is out to dispirit and lie and distort and HuffPo is one of the worst.
In 2010 I don’t think there was much ground game but Republicans/Tea Party people would have walked over broken glass to vote. It probably won’t be at the 2010 level this year (or could be?) but the numbers are looking like it will be far from 2008 either..for the Democrats. My gut feel is it’s going to be another strange wave election but the results will be like 2010 for us...
I can only speak for Montgomery, but this captain, who works the downtown, mostly black areas of Dayton thinks it's the DEMS who are disorganized. She said the county (and therefore Romney) organization is superbly organized with detailed readouts on every one of their voters. An absentee voter is WALKED 24 hours after they get a slate card!
Meanwhile the Romney HQ is setting records for calls---second highest in the nation! There have already been more calls and walks than in 2008.
The captain also said that of all the Dems she has called, many have moved, disconnected their phones, or are otherwise gone. She concluded the Dems would have a devil of a time getting out the vote.
There are few bumper stickers or yard signs, anywhere for Romney or Zero. I think this reflects two things. First, at least on Romney's part, a deliberate unconventional campaign emphasizing the Internet and ads---lots of ads. I get:
1) an e-mail from R EVERY DAY
2) a letter or two every week (for at least a month).
The second reason I think Romney in particular is downplaying signs and stickers is that he knows MANY will be afraid to very publicly signal their support. However, we have VERY good proxies in state and local Rep candidates. And you can drive down streets that in 08 were lined with Obama signs and see "Jim Butler" (a state senate rep) on one house after another--- or other GOP candidates. Do you think they will split their tickets? Not many. So to me a Jim Butler sign is a stealth Romney sign.
Finally, the proof is in the pudding. SO FAR, forgetting the polls, the REAL "polling" is taking place in the absentee voting in which Romney appears to be killing it---unless a whole bunch of Rs are voting for Obama. We have a good thread on that. The Rs are hugely outperforming 2008 levels while the Ds are hugely underperforming 2008. So much for +9 D polling!
I can be totally wrong about the numbers, but if they hold up, you have to conclude that, in OH at least, Romney is running a good campaign,