Political house parties serve as major factor in campaign

Both parties are focusing on the old concept with a new twist.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
BOARDMAN -- They're called house parties, and officials with the two presidential campaigns say they are a key component to winning the November general election.
The concept is an old one, said John Green, director of the University of Akron's Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. In fact, Green said, Mahoning County was well-known for its house parties during the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
Back then, a candidate would visit several houses and establishments to meet and greet supporters, who would invite their friends and family to the get-togethers, Green said.
With the improvements in technology over the years, the house party concept has advanced, he said.
The Republicans
An example is a house party held Thursday at the Mahoning County Republican Party headquarters on U.S. Route 224 by Mark Munroe, chairman of the county's Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.
Munroe invited about 50 people to the event through e-mails. About half of them showed up Thursday. They got to listen via telephone to a speech by first lady Laura Bush, who also took questions from people at other house parties nationwide.
Each person attending the GOP headquarters' party gave a brief speech about why they support President Bush's re-election effort. Most cited Bush's morality, his strong belief in God, his Christian values, support for the invasion of Iraq and the war on terror, and the recovering economy as their reasons to vote for him.
"I don't agree 100 percent with all of his policies," said Debra Phillips of Canfield, an active Bush-Cheney volunteer. "But it's like a marriage. You select someone who has the same morals as you. You agree on the big stuff. If he doesn't win, I'll never be happy again. I really love this president."
The party at GOP headquarters was one of eight held Thursday in Mahoning County, Munroe said, and among the 7,000 or so held nationwide.
"It's a chance to bring volunteers, interested persons, friends and family together to learn about the re-election effort," he said. "It energizes the supporters."
Making a comeback
Parties such as the ones held Thursday were common years ago, Munroe said, but politicians stopped holding them for the most part in the 1980s, and concentrated more on television advertising to win elections.
"We are now going back to the past," he said. "TV doesn't have the impact it had years ago. You can't rely solely on TV to get your message out."
Brendon Cull, spokesman for the Democratic coordinated campaign in Ohio, said his political party also holds similar parties.
"It's a major point of the Democratic Party's campaign strategy to win the presidential election," he said. "The best way to get votes for John Kerry, [the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee], is to have voters hear about him from their friends, neighbors and family members. That one-on-one communication is an effective way to gain support."
skolnick@vindy.com