“Hi, Rose—it’s been a while since I saw you last cycle. You never age! You’ll have to tell me your secret.” Kitty had volunteered for the DNC during the last presidential election. That’s how she’d met Rose and made so many contacts that led to her running For the Win.
Rose laughed the compliment away. “It must be the climate, Kitty.”
“And Dot—how’s it going? Are you settling in?”
“Everything’s great. The house is huge. Harper says she’ll never go back to sharing a bathroom.” Dot projected optimism and didn’t bother telling Kitty about their adjustments to suburban Wisconsin living and Mary’s worries that she’d never thaw out.
“Good, I’m glad. I want you to be comfortable. If there’s anything you need, shoot me a note or just expense it.”
Dot wasn’t used to this kind of financial free rein. At the PR firm, she’d watched every penny and was careful not to expense anything that would draw attention.
“We have a lot of work to do getting ready for the debate,” Kitty said.
“Before we start on that,” Fletcher said, “do you have any polling updates? Just so we’re not flying blind.”
“Glad you asked. This came in overnight.” Kitty threw up a PowerPoint slide on their shared screen. Dot, Fletcher, and Rose leaned in.
“As you can see, we have a bit of a challenge. Overall, Wisconsin voters are saying they prefer Republicans to Democrats by about five points. That’s the number we need to change.” Kitty used her stylus to circle the polls.
“How does that compare to the last election?” Dot asked.
“Back then, at this point in the cycle, it was a little closer but not much different. So, to prevent another loss, we need to drive up the Republicans’ unfavorables and increase our favorables. It’s going to take some time and effort. And money. But we have plenty of all three.”
“Do you have any numbers on the top issues for likely voters?” Fletcher asked, noting the delta between being registered to vote versus likely to vote. The difference between those two groups could swing a close election.
Kitty switched to another slide.
“Here’s what the national polling shows. The DNC didn’t do a state-specific survey yet. As you can see, the economy is number one across the board for both parties. But after that, Republicans and Democrats diverge. Republicans say they’re concerned about government spending, crime, and immigration. And the Democrats mention health care, climate change, and abortion rights—in that order.”
Rose scowled.
“What do you think, Rose?” Kitty had picked up on the older woman’s skepticism.
“Well, I respect the DNC, but I just don’t know many Democrats around here who prioritize that way. And last time, we got so caught up in what the DNC thought that we ended up losing. In my humble opinion.”
“I agree,” Kitty said. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to do this project. We need to listen to the peoplethereand not let Washington drive.”
“Exactly,” Rose said. “The voters I know care mostly about jobs, the price of food and gas, the economic future for their children. That includes health care in their minds. And then way down the list is climate change and abortion. If we follow the national trends, we won’t win here.”
“You’re preaching to the choir,” Kitty agreed. “I just need to play nice with the priorities of the DNC while delivering Wisconsin by focusing on what we know matters.”
“It reminds me of 2016 when we were begging for visits to the state from campaign headquarters and the DNC, because we could feel Wisconsin slipping away,” Rose reminisced. “But oh no, they had their fancy data. Those Brooklyn kids believed they knew more about Wisconsin than we did.”
“And look how that turned out,” Kitty said. Then, moving the conversation along, added, “I promise we’re not going to let that happen again. But Rose, don’t be shy. Let us know what you’re thinking and hearing.”
“You betcha,” Rose said. Dot smiled at her sweet singsong of a midwestern accent.
“Dot, I love that you found out your neighbors didn’t vote last time around. Do you think they’re gettable this time? They can’t be the only ones who stayed home, looking at the numbers.”
“You’re talking about the Gundersons. Yes, I think so. If we have the right candidate. They’re motivated to, as they put it, ‘see change.’ We’re having dinner at their house next week, so I’ll see what else I can pick up.” Dot made a mental note to remember to buy a hostess gift.
“Speaking of candidates, should we switch gears to the debate?” Fletcher opened his tan Moleskine to take notes. “I’m thinking we need one or two volunteers per candidate?”
“Whatever you think we need,” Kitty said. “My main objective is for everyone to walk away with good feelings about For the Win, so they pass good words back to the DNC and the eventual presidential campaign once we have a candidate.”
Rose raised her hand. “I have several volunteers already lined up. I’ll get their contact information to Fletcher today.”
“Great. Dot, could you make sure to order the volunteers something nice to thank them? And maybe they should have matching T-shirts or even polos for the night? With the FTW logo? I like that idea. I’ll order them. Oh, and Dot—could you organize a nice gift bag for the candidates—good local stuff that they’ll love and not just throw away?” Kitty’s ideas came fast.