Okay – an hour before the NH polls close — and we do not know specifically what will happen. We spent most of the day dealing with various issues — from the urgent (priority to launch new content for a VIP) to the important (spent time with setting up backup servers, emergency procedures and fundraising emails). But as the day wears on, people who were caught up in the energy that was Iowa are asking — why is it so quiet?
Life in the DC Townhouse (National Office) is more on a macro scale, things are not as active as in the individual states. Strategy is more on how we will be able to reach the groups on a national scale, both targeting our message to the individual states while ensuring our current and potential supporters get the information they need. So, while the people in the state offices are connecting with the field ops at the polling places or with the political operatives or the national press, we focus on maintaining the operation and delivering what the overall campaign requires.
Funny thing — we spend more time here thinking about how to deal with the same constraints of a typical business — the same unspoken “expectations” as to how Communications will want a particular message to match the talking points or how Fundraising will response to an email that goes out to our donor base or how the home page will be received. One of the strangest complaints came from a typo which had the word “onto” instead of “on to” — of which I heard so much comments on…
But, as for the campaign, not a clue as to what will actually happen — Drudge keeps making predictions that we will win and Dean will come in second with an ever shrinking lead. Conventional wisdom is that there are “two tickets” (only the top two winners ever make the Presidency) out of New Hampshire. I believe that with the shortened primary schedule, there will be three — and Edwards, not Clark, will get the third. Question is — will Clark leave or keep running? My guess — Lieberman might leave this week, and Clark will stick it out until Feb 3rd. Kucinich — not sure how much longer he will stay in, but he will be quite the candidate who sticks it out with minimal cost-base and such. And, not to forget Al Sharpton, but he will be around in Feb 3rd — and then?
