Greg notes that HD126's Peggy Hamric has joined Moldy Joe Nixon in the quest to replace the retiring Jon Lindsay in SD7. Good - that's another open seat for a Democrat to run for next year.
It seems to be compulsory whenever one of us Run Everywhere proponents talks about running a candidate in an unfriendly district like HD126 that some nervous nellie type pops up in the comments with one or more variations on the reasons why we should just stick to the nice, safe districts we're used to. The naysayer in that post turns up here with my favorite of these, the "Don't run against Republicans! It just makes them mad!" cavil. Perhaps as a public service, one of y'all could put together a list of places where it's OK for Democrats to put a candidate on the ballot, so we can quit wasting our time thinking that people like the 16,000+ who voted for John Kerry in HD126 matter. I know we're unlikely to win in HD126 or SD7. Hell, if we break 40% in either of those places, we're probably kicking ass across the state. That's not the point. We can either give up on those districts forever and watch them get redder and redder as everyone there eventually gets the idea that the Democratic Party doesn't care about them, or we can fight for them and work for a day - maybe not next year, but maybe 2010 or 2014 - where we will be in a position to win them back. It's as simple as that.
Posted by Charles Kuffner on August 05, 2005 to Election 2006 | TrackBackHere here Charles.
Posted by: Karl-T on August 5, 2005 6:10 PMFunny, Kuff, but many nervous nellie gopers used to say the same thing about not stirring up the dems as well! :^D
Sometimes they were right, though! You must be very careful in some districts and aim at marginal gains which do not put the opponent on red alert status. Marginal gains made in many districts can add up in the larger picture. But even a token campaign is good for the morale of the local party members and gives them a place to mark on the ballot.
Posted by: ttyler5 on August 5, 2005 6:22 PMIf you look at the 2000 census numbers, after redistricting, HD126 is actually winnable. 60 per cent of the district had an income of less than $50,000...and...this is the big one..
60 per cent of the residents are renters.
This district is ripe for the picking with the right D candidate, and the right strategy. More winnable than the Wong district, and that one is quite winable.
Posted by: justadude on August 5, 2005 6:54 PMWhat is kind of funny to me is all the keyboard political warriors demanding that every race must be run, no matter how hopeless the race.
Running a political race is a big pain in the ass. It's a sacrifice. And it subjects the political candidate to all sorts of demands and scrutiny that most (sane) people want no part of.
That's useful for all us to keep in mind as we DEMAND our party field candidates for races they have no chance of winning (and we're engaging our keyboards instead of running in those races ourselves).
Posted by: kevin whited on August 5, 2005 7:39 PMKevin - I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm advocating, not demanding. It's an ideal, and I'm an idealist. What I am demanding is that people get over the idea that it's somehow bad to run in a given district, because it'll "stir up" the other side, or whatever.
Posted by: Charles Kuffner on August 5, 2005 9:46 PMShootin' at the walls of heartache, bang, bang, I am the warrior
Well I am the warrior, and heart to heart you'll win..if you survive
the warrior....the warrior
Sorry, this is what happens when Molly & the Ringwalds don't play their regular gig.
Posted by: Greg Wythe on August 5, 2005 11:26 PMKevin,
As a former candidate, it sure helps to have someone like Charles and all the other "keyboard warriors" at you back. When I first began my race, the only coverage I could get was from the Charles. Without the "keyboard warriors" getting the word out, the typical grass-roots candidate would only be talking to himself.
Fight on!
Richard Morrison