Couldn't agree more, Der Ami. As the legendary Speaker Tip O'Neil said: All politics is local. Use what you have access to, face to face works best from my experience. Couple other things often overlooked: 55 per cent of Americans have said they have no trust in mass media outlets. The Canadian Council of PR Firms found that while only 10 per cent of Canadians 35 to 54 found company websites to be a trusted source, nearly a quarter of those aged 18 to 34 considered them to be credible news suppliers. If the average age on this board is around 55 (which was indicated here some time ago) this isn't the place to be winning people over.

Projecting from micro to macro, from local to national, all the proof you need for a winning strategy is the current attempt at a GOP makeover. Republicans split in twain will adjust to a message more acceptable than the last one, and from media reports, nominate a candidate of colour to deliver it with conciliatory words rather than divisive ones. There'll be no talk of enemies or minorities tearing the social fabric because a GOP victory can only come from changed loyalties.