Please explain this to me, if you can, ok?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

I'm still kinda reeling over this particular race from November 2.

We had a great Dem run for state representative. She was smart as a whip, fantastic people skills, great qualifications, a real go-getter, warm, compassionate, courageous, and spoke out for the poor and middle class. Her biggest issues were health care for kids, education and the environment. People who talked to her LOVED her. Even a lot of republicans. They described her as responsive and smart. She was one of only THREE Democrats the Dallas Morning News endorsed.

She had HUNDREDS of auto worker union guys from the next city over working on her campaign. She had an entire campaign staff. She was one of the Dean's Dozen in Texas.

She worked the grassroots hard and I worked them for her, too. She had money coming in, fantastic visibility, she attended PTA meetings, homeowner's association meetings, stuff out the WAZOO. Meetups every week. A freaking ARMY of volunteers. (I'm not kidding you she must have had 300 volunteers.) We registered a couple thousand people to vote in this district.

Not only that but many people in this district were unhappy with the incumbent, a good for nothing republican who voted for things that even made republicans cringe. He used his taxpayer funded offices in Austin to run his private prison consulting business. A local paper busted him on it and he ADMITTED TO IT. The only thing he could attack her on was to say she supported John Kerry (well frigging DUH) and that she just moved to this district 10 days before she had to file. Well she moved here from 5 miles to the east, not exactly carpetbagging and she had family who lives here. Plus she DID move here before the file date, so what's the problem? He had NOTHING on her. And she had a pile of dirt on him as high as the sky (he had just been named Christian Lawmaker of the Year by some organization because he voted to deny poor women access to birth control, and he had just moved in with his 23 year old girlfriend while still married to his wife).

His own freaking DAUGHTER endorsed our candidate in the last week of the campaign.

She lost.

Now how the HELL did that happen? I poll greeted for her for 12 hours that day. She stood at the voting site of one of the most heavily republican precincts in the city and greeted voters and answered their questions and they were saying in exit polls they were voting for her 2 to 1 over the incumbent. Where I poll greeted was the incumbent's neighborhood and I had republicans tell me they were voting against him because he is "an asshole."

I still don't know what happened. She didn't lose by much, but it's horribly frustrating. I look at her and think "how in the hell could she (or we) have fought harder than she did? And she lost."

Democrats in this district have decided to make his life hell and sic the Ethics Committee on him for that prison company business stuff. I'm going to watch his every move like a freaking HAWK for the next four years. But I don't know if our candidate will want to run again, and how do we find someone who is going to top that AND beat him? It's like people went to the polls, saw his name and said "Hm, that looks familiar" and voted for him.

Oh and might I add, he didn't even have a CAMPAIGN until some local republicans saw ALL her signs everywhere and they called him and bitched him out so he ponied up for some signs then sent out some mailers and did some autocalls. She had been doing that all along. The guy hardly had to break a sweat.

HOW DO WE BEAT THAT?

[Nik Jam]

1. Did they use E-voting?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

2. No --paper ballots.

And early voting showed her doing well.

I also want to add that, as much as I hate the class warfare the repugs have been using for years, I think it would have been quite effective in this case. When we registered voters in the poorer parts of the city, they were unhappy with the way things were but not particularly fired up. They just sort of felt "what's the use?" and I think she would have won had those people been more motivated to get out and vote (and we did drive many of them to the polls that day, but not enough obviously).

So would someone who went out and gave big speeches and rallies in those places that was very very populist in tone (and she was very populist) have helped?

[newyawker99]

54. Hi Nik Jam!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[dmkinsey]

3. It's the way the districts are drawn

It's very nearly impossible to defeat an incumbent Congressional Representative.
This is one of the most discouraging aspects of the electoral process.
If we can't vote out a congress person we can't make any progress toward a more progressive climate in Washington

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

5. This was for state representative

in Austin, not DC.

[MrUnderhill]

4. Sounds like you're in an overwhelmingly Republican district?

If the incumbent isn't even running ads and putting up signs it's because the seat is "safe".

And you would be surprised about how effective the "carpetbagging" accusation can be in dome towns. Living right down the street just isn't the same thing as being from the town.

But I suspect if you looked at how the district voted in the Presidential election you would see that your candidate had little chance.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

7. Probably

but it's still so discouraging, especially considering what a strong campaign she ran and how many people were gunning for her, including republicans. We thought that meant good things for her.

The guy she ran against introduced a bill in Austin to allow people to bring guns into schools and churches. It was defeated thank goodness, but WHAT THE F*CK????

[Pacifist Patriot]

11. Has she requested a vote audit?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

15. I don't know I just got an email

from her (sent out to her supporters) the other day and she was asking for money because at the last minute she had to run a whole lot of ads she didn't have the money for because he started getting dirty. So now her campaign is in debt.

I should ask her.

[Mike L]

50. Sounds like the fundies got her.

[Pacifist Patriot]

9. My U.S. rep's seat is so safe I saw exactly one road sign that

went up two days before election day. No direct mail. No nothing. I bet he raised a hell of a lot of money for that non-campaign too.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

14. Wow

that is frigging scary.

[Pacifist Patriot]

35. Oops, missed. My response to you is below this.

[Pacifist Patriot]

30. Scary indeed.

We're talking about a man who thinks human cloning is the most pressing issue in America today. Any time I write him a letter I get a canned "we must support our president without question" response. The only sign for him I saw was tacked to a huge Bush/Cheney sign. It's a metaphor for where his lips are placed.

Whenever I see a bill proposal which further limits civil liberties I can absolutely guarantee he will be listed as either a sponsor or a co-sponsor. "But he's done so much for our district...." When I ask people to name one thing he's done they draw a blank. The ironic thing is that he has done some good things for our district. His supporters just don't know what they are.

Morons lead by The Honorable Pinhead.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

36. Every single mailing this guy sent out

had this horrible picture of him and bush on the front of it. I am assuming it is the only picture he has of he and bush because otherwise he'd use a better picture.

That was basically all he had--vote for me because I'm a republican in the same way bush is. Oh and I get big nice new prisons built.

Gag.

[Pacifist Patriot]

6. Stories like these are why I believe either

vote tampering occurred or some people just shouldn't be allowed to vote. I'm kidding on the square on the second one.

I don't know what to tell you since I might as well be living in a one party state myself. The only way the democrats have a prayer in hell of getting one of their candidates elected is to wait until the republicans are not fielding an incumbent. Raise a boatload of money. Then pray the republicans kick each other in the teeth through the primary season. Then run a really really smart and organized campaign with a spotless and overly qualified candidate. Even then the odds are not exactly in our favor. Depressing, truly depressing. We need to start focusing on indoctrinating our youth I think. ;)

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

10. You winked but you are on to something

that's exactly what the republicans do.

And as for you, missy, are you going to run?

I don't know--we had paper ballots--unless ballots voting for her were just thrown away?

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Paper ballots are still subject to either

tabulation or reporting "errors."

Yes, I'm seriously considering a run. In 2008 if the boys are mature enough to handle it. My husband is supporting me and I got more encouragement last night. I'd want to see our DEC turned around and mobilized before then though. I'm not going to do it simply to have a name on the ballot somehow demonstrating we are paying lip service to a two party system though. I run to win.

Got anything on Weldon I can use?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

20. YAY!!!!!!!!

OMG that is TOO exciting. Expect me to be a check writer! Now, who is Weldon? If he's the guy you'd be running against, go and find the state's website for congressional votes. Start researching his last term and then watch his every freaking move this next four years. Document EVERYTHING. Scan the papers constantly for stories about him. Find your base and start expanding your personal base now (never too early). But watch and document his votes on every single little thing and organize it (education votes, health care votes, etc.).

YOU GO GIRL! YOU totally rock!

[Pacifist Patriot]

25. LOL!

Hold on there Sparky. Anything can happen in the next four years. I'll also be working my tail off to elect whomever runs against him in 2006. Hopefully that democrat will have a safe seat in 2008.

I've got to get through my degree first. I need a kick in the ass to finish my current course paper. I've done the reading, I just have no motivation to write about theology at the moment. *sigh*

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

26. Sorry I got a little excited

didn't know he was up in 2006, too.

Well write the damn course paper already! Get that degree! Who's gonna vote against someone in your chosen profession? (Watching what I say about you on purpose.)

[Pacifist Patriot]

34. I've let the cat out of the bag on the DU

I've made no secret about being a minister. Next question is do you exploit that when running for political office? }(

I have one credibility problem though. I really haven't done drugs or gotten nabbed for DUI. Though being female I don't have to worry about the charges of "fake war hero" v. "draft dodger."

[JerseygirlCT]

55. woo hoo!

You go, P.P.!

Would be nice to see one of the good ones in there!

[eridani]

52. No system is exempt from fraud--

--depends on how many eyeballs are watching.

[skypilot]

8. Stories like this are just starting to sound too familiar.

George Bush vs. Ann Richards

George Bush vs. Al Gore

Saxby Chambliss vs. Max Cleland,etc.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

12. Exactly

I mean how the HELL did Max Cleland lose? HOW?

For that matter, I can't for the life of me figure out how this woman lost. We PEELED voters away from him!

[RUDUing2]

13. I dont know...but here is one to match you

Our Secretary of State won the race for Governor and the Media Ethics Committee just ruled that it wasn't a violation for him to use state money to print up and mail out "be sure to vote" mailers with his picture on them...and his name as Secretary of State on them....it wasn't a violation cause it didn't mention that he was running for Governor...

of course this is the same guy who spent 6 mths in London as a reservist and didn't resign his post and continued to draw full pay as SoS while also recieving active duty reservist pay...

And who continued to oversee and certify the election while he was running for governor..saw no need to recuse himself....

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

18. OMG!

That is way over the top. Sheesh. What state, if I may ask?

This guy I was talking about voted against funding for public schools and funding for textbooks TWICE just in the last session.

But he's all for funding for new prisons.

If you don't put money in schools, you're gonna have to put money into prisons.

Since he owns a private prison-consulting business, I can totally see why he doesn't want any money to be put into schools.

It's heartbreaking, seriously.

And your guy needs to have his ass kicked in a serious way. Asshole.

[RUDUing2]

21. Missouri...Matt Blunt (M

an ashcroft minime...

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

24. Ick.

My sympathies!

[RUDUing2]

28. article on this

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/10191363.htm

JEFFERSON CITY — The state Ethics Commission has cleared Gov.-elect Matt Blunt of allegations that he used government money for political purposes by running pro-voting newspaper ads featuring his picture.

A Blunt spokesman, learning of the decision Monday, declared: “That's great! That's excellent news!”

Blunt, as secretary of state, spent about $48,000 in federal money to place the advertisements in 295 daily and weekly newspapers across the state shortly before the Aug. 3 primary, in which Blunt was a Republican candidate for governor.

The ads included Blunt's black-and-white photo, a drawing of an American eagle with wings spread wide and the boldfaced headline: “WE WANT YOUR VOTE COUNTED!!!”

The ads said: “Missouri's chief election official, Matt Blunt, urges every eligible Missourian to vote in the August 3, 2004, primary election. Your county clerk's office or local election board stand ready to assist you in making your voice heard.”.....In a short Nov. 9 letter to Blunt, the Ethics Commission said it had voted five days earlier to dismiss the complaints.

“The commission determined that the secretary of state's office did not use taxpayer funds to support a candidate,” the letter said.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

31. Hmmm

wonder who was on the commission?

As for the Blunt spokesman's quote, it almost sounds like he needs to add "We're going to DISNEY WORLD!"

Sheesh.

[crispini]

16. Couple of thoughts.

We had a much higher turnout this year because of the presidential race. Lots of people who come out for pres. race don't get all that informed on local politics. You said, "It's like people went to the polls, saw his name and said "Hm, that looks familiar" and voted for him." You're probably right in many cases. IMO this is why David Childs beat Diana Lackey -- name recognition; people have been writing car registration checks to him for YEARS.

I don't think Katy did a damn thing wrong... this is just my view from the outside... although your idea upthread about even more firing up the base probably would have helped.

I bet that in the 06 races there will be less turnout, greater proportion of smart voters, we hope, and even MORE democrats elected. And, hey, city council races coming up in May!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Oh, and when I worked my polling place on precinct day? I saw a woman walk in clutching one of the Democratic slates I'd made up for our precinct. I felt TEN FEET TALL. That stuff does make a difference, it does, and we just need to keep doing it.

I'm-a PM you, we need to talk IRL. :D

[Pacifist Patriot]

19. I have a feeling that's exactly why our tax collector was

re-elected despite overwhelming Republican margins of victory in all other races. Our parents wrote their tax checks to that man. It's habit to hand him stuff by now.

[katusha]

22. could i get a little more info please

could you give me the district number so i can crunch some numbers?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

23. I PMed you!

Check your mail.

[katusha]

45. received and replied n/t :-)

[Blue_Tires]

27. wow...sad story

for some reason, i thought you were talking about DeLay at first

[willysnout]

29. Explanation: Straight-Ticket Voting

Can you honestly tell me that some pretty nasty Democrats haven't been elected for the very same reason? I lived in Washington, D.C. during the Marion Barry years, and I'm here to tell you that these things happen on both sides of the fence.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

33. Well

Mr. Seattle, if you really are a Dem and you feel that way, I'm sure you won't mind at all living in Texas and especially where I live, so you can have not a single Democratic representative on ANY level of government, right?

Are you saying we shouldn't have straight-ticket voting? People could still go through and bubble in every Dem or rep candidate. That's what I do for Dems.

[Pacifist Patriot]

37. Am I the only one that doesn't trust straight ticket voting.

Even before allegations of voting irregularities, I've never felt comfortable voting straight ticket. I've always been afraid the votes wouldn't register for individual offices.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

38. You are talking about hitting that

straight ticket button or just bubbling in the straight ticket bubble at the top, right?

Yeah, I've never trusted it. I go through the entire ballot and look at EVERY race.

[Pacifist Patriot]

40. Yes. That's what I'm talking about.

[Justitia]

39. same here, I manually pick out all the dems - never pick the straight

party option - I don't trust it. Too easy to throw away all straight ticket dems.

And if there are no dems running in a race, I go whatever 3rd party against repubs :evilgrin:

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

41. Me too.

I have voted for a Libertarian before I vote for a rep, because I know the Lib won't win, but I DON'T want to vote for a republican.

[willysnout]

42. You Misunderstand

I'm talking about the mentality not the mechanics. I'm close to a straight ticket Democrat. I joke with people that my hand will fall off if I cast a vote for a Republican, and if that doesn't happen then God will hurl a lightning bolt at me. But I do make exceptions people who have been indicted or are in some way bizarre. In those cases, I will generally vote for the third-party candidate; I've always wanted to find a Republican to vote for just to bolster my open-minded credentials but I haven't yet been able to locate one acceptable to me.

But some people go further than me. They are blindly Democrat or Republican to the point where I really wonder if they even look at the ballot. That's why your candidate lost, IMO.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

48. Ah I see.

Thanks. Sorry, I am a bit testy living where I live and all! :)

[Justitia]

32. you must mean Katy Huebner, Dean doz candidate - I supported her

She was an excellent candidate and well positioned against that piece of crap embarrassment.

I think she was a victim of the straight Repub ticket choice, esp in that area.

[dean_dem]

43. Well, didn't KY elect a Republican who called his opponent "limp-wristed?"

Nothing shocks me anymore in regards to the elections.

[RUDUing2]

44. and look at what SC elected to replace Holllings (M

Earlier this year, DeMint had said that homosexuals should not be allowed to teach in public schools. When asked to defend that remark in an interview with the Aiken Standard, DeMint dug himself deeper by saying,


I would have given the same answer when asked if a single woman, who was pregnant and living with her boyfriend, should be hired to teach my third-grade children. I just think the moral decisions are different with a teacher.

[Justitia]

51. who also has OBVIOUS SIGNS OF DEMENTIA

yes, they gave it to the repub w/alzheimers - unbelievable

[theboss]

46. I just think a Democrat in Texas is now at a huge disadvantage

Over the last few decades, the very notion of the Democratic Party has become hated in Texas. It's a tough thing to overcome.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

49. Not as much as you might think.

Look at the voting analysis for this race that I posted below. And Dallas County now has a female, Hispanic, Democratic, openly lesbian SHERRIFF, if that doesn't beat all.

We also added three new Dem judges to Dallas County.

It's not as bad as people think, but it's still hard. We have plenty of Dems and Dem voters in this state, but sometimes people just feel like "what the hell, why bother?" and we have to overcome this attitude.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

47. I got the voting analysis on this race

and what happened, apparently is that there were just too many straight party republican voters. Still, she did pretty darn good:

"ok, here are the results of my voting analysis. what i thought had happened was indeed what happened.

of the incumbent's 18,795 votes 12,997 were straight party rep. votes
of the Democratic challenger's 16,945 votes 10,284 were straight party dem. votes
a difference of +2,713 straight party votes for the republican which is 863 more votes than the 1,850 vote difference in total votes.

of the people that voted for the race, not just straight party, the Democrat won by that 863 vote difference with 6,661 votes for the Dem and 5,798 votes for the republican."

She called this a "two-race cycle" in which you have to run twice against the person in order to really build up your voters and get some name recognition. He's up again in 2006, but he has indicated that he won't run again (we'll see). If he doesn't, it's a wide-open field, and you can bet the republicans are already fielding a candidate in that case.

I have talked to several other Dems in this district who have indicated a willingness to watch his every vote, write letters and basically hound him like the dog he is for the next two years. We are also going to keep an extensive record of all his votes. By the time we are done with him, he probably won't WANT to run again. Lots of LTTEs, lots of talking about him and his votes in social situations, etc. I have a friend who is a lobbyist in Austin who will keep me informed of things, too. I've given her his name and district number.

[eridani]

53. That's the spirit!

She truly deserves her "Dean Dozen" designation.

[JerseygirlCT]

56. I had been thinking that's exactly

what she needs to do. W/o the *ugh* Bush coattails to carry a slimeball like this, she should have a far easier time. Especially if she stays visible, and you guys keep this guy's screw-ups and lapses visible. I think both parts matter, though. It's not enough just to continue to point out what an awful rep. he is -- she's got to use this time to persuade the voters about what an excellent rep she'd be.

And, admire my tinfoil hat or no, I'm still convinced there was widespread fraud in this election.