I got off the 34 St station off the F train and walked upto the venue. First I went a block east, and then a few blocks west. I expected to have to pay, maybe $10, even $20 maybe. But there was none of that. Even the drinks were okay priced, kind of low. So how does David Pollack make money doing this? Or maybe David Pollack is rich.
It was only a few weeks away - maybe two weeks - when Justin Krebs mentioned to me casually how guess-who-is-state-Democratic-Party-cochair-now-David-Pollack. It was after a guy who lives in Staten Island (read, Not Manhattan) bugged him about maybe Justin should help the guy find some living space nearby. He thought Justin was feeling too comfortable with me, and maybe it was because I also lived in Manhattan (false assumption).
That's not just with white guys. I was in Harlem on November 7, deep into the territory. At a curb, this guy brings his car right next to me at the turn, I am walking, and looks at me through the window and says, "You are lost motherfucker!" (On November 7: In Harlem: For Obama)
David Pollack always struck me as a party kind of guy, but I guess he is also a Party kind of guy. How else would he be state chair?
I walked into the ballroom thinking, okay, so everyone who is someboby among the young progressives in the city is here, maybe. After greeting a few people I knew, and a few people I didn't, I just walked the room a few times, sizing up the faces. Could The Matrix go head to head with these people if it had to? Could The Matrix swallow these people? Could Obama have this crowd? If he could arouse the generational animal, he could.
I wished there were a way to catalogue everyone in the room. Smile for the camera, and here, write down your name and email address. There you go into the database. That would be a way to give David Pollack a run for the money.
There were DFNYC phantoms spread across the room. I remember having serious personal space issues when I was considered one of the crowd. A DFNYC white asshole male was on stage for a few glamorous minutes. I say all this without venom. It is playful. Maybe I should go ahead and say something nasty about Mistry too. The guy noticed aloud that he outdressed me. I went all the way to minus the tie. Then I got rid of the shirt. Then the jacket. I think I like to dress up just the bottom half. I am a true progressive. And I like the color black. It is nothing to do with the African American heritage. Black just looks good on me, I think.
ABCD, American Born Confused Desi.
Leila goes spared. Maybe that will stay, because both sides of her family might get represented on the next Democratic ticket.
Seriously. DFNYC is Windows 95. The Matrix is Windows Vista. I would love to see the entire DFNYC crowd in The Matrix.
And the dance floor. The square reminded me of that scene in Saturday Night Fever (Clip 2). I danced alone. Mild. Just warming up. Workout is Webster Hall territory.
Kristina Hoke was looking good, looking in control. I admire her strength. You should go to one of her meetings. The entire hierarchy knows who calls the shots. She is sharp too. I once tried to get her to let me interview her on camera. When I went online on her, some of the things that showed up were journal style biological sciences articles. Maybe she is one of those rocket scientists.
Krebs suggested I hurry up and get my ticket for the December 31 Laughing Liberally event, or there might be none left. My propensity to do things last minute. I should probably go ahead and get the ticket today. Katie Halper is the most intellectual of the Laughing Liberally comics, and I mean that as a compliment. Some of her jokes fly high, if you know what I mean.
Some black dude mayor from across the water in New Jersey filled in for Rangel. I had never heard of him before. That does not mean the guy is not famous. It means something else.
First you decide on the policy silos. One would be foreign policy, another would be health care, a third education and so on. For each policy silo, you create a matrix. 10-10-10. The difference between the organizational matrix and this one is, here the members likely do not meet in person. Each has a blog that is likely multimedia.
Here the campaign has a much greater control than with the organizational matrix that is pretty much bottom up. Here the campaign controls membership. The campaign is the manager for each group blog, although member blogs stay independent.
There is a hieararchy, sure, level 1, level 2, level 3. But here the one voice concept rings supreme.
We blur the lines between academia and a presidential campaign, something never attempted before. The policy making matrix is going to be major fodder for the organizational matrix. It will also allow the candidate to engage the electorate in a serious conversation on a wide range of policy issues.
The 3-4 Formula
Obama has been home three days and on the Hill four days as Senator, roughly speaking. He should continue with something similar for the presidential campaign. But until the end of November 2007, he should stick to it.
So he is in Chicago for three days, one of which is completely off, but the other two he devotes to the policy making matrix. Preferably policy wonks will be invited in. He will have bull sessions, perhaps choreographed, that will be videoblogged. These two days will also be to cultivate the sample 100 Americans in the Greater Chicago area that I have talked about here: A Different Kind Of Campaign, A Scientific Campaign.
Money, Message, Organization
The organizational matrix gives him the organization and the money. The policy making matrix guides him in the message department.
Stump Speeches, Interviews
You can have all the bull sessions you want. But when it is time to hit the podium, you better speak simple language. Every American should be able to understand what it is that you are saying. Lincoln had that nailed down real good.
A Matrix Victory
It is the matrix concept that will turn Obama 2008 into the first internet campaign. It is that concept that will help him go beyond the latent sentiments of race in the country. It will allow him to bypass the old guard, and the established channels of fundraising. It will help transport his unmistakable individual appeal unfiltered to the individual voter. That is how he will win.
The Matrix looks so simple as a concept, but it is going to be dazzling once it goes live. You will see patterns that you don't yet see.
An Aside
A few days back Obama was in New York City. Paterson was the only prominent Democrat who showed up. The countermove is easy. You just remember. I mean, if you are going to be the most powerful person on earth. These whities don't know basic arithmetic, that they are outnumbered both locally and globally.
They come around to the idea, or they stand to be shunted. I mean, you are going to act progressive, or you are not one of us. You pay the price. Race is a litmus test on that one that I am extremely comfortable with.
