How involved are you with your local races?

[LittleClarkie]

I'm finding myself getting sucked into smaller and smaller, local and more local, races as I go along. Assembly races for the town next door. Congressmen who aren't in my district. I'm finding it a bit daunting, thinking that I don't know if I have the time or money to help them all.

But if we're going to get Dems elected, we have to try to get them ALL elected, even the smallest races, even in the most freeperish towns. It has to start at the bottom, doesn't it?

I just got something in the mail today about a candidate having a "Democratic Reunion" fundraiser next weekend. And Dean's field organizer has been in contact regarding such things as well.

I can see the beginnings of things, embers that need to be fanned into flames. I wish I wasn't so pooped with just living and keeping up with national politics. It's a brain drain.

Eh. So how's it with you?

[knitter4democracy]

1. I'm helping out a Dem running for a county commission seat.

It's a ugly race. The county Dems are split on this contested race, since those in power in the party found and are backing a total unknown, even after finding out that a good local Dem was running. It's gotten almost Republican, frankly, since one of the unknown's backers is a local lawyer who represented the good guy in a case years ago and is now trying to leak stuff from his file to the press. He's going to be getting sued and taken to the State Bar.

Most people don't know all this stuff, though. The good guy's known, and he's been going door to door in this awful heat for six weeks now. People don't even know how to pronounce the unknown's name. He's also hearing bad stuff on Granholm, our governor up for re-election. I'll have to help her out, too.

[LittleClarkie]

6. The Assembly candidate is a Baptist businessman

who's also a Dem. I think he's hoping that helps in his red district.

Bryan Kennedy is fighting an uphill battle to unseat Sensenbrenner. Bryan is probably more conservative than some would like here, but he appears to also be a good guy.

And then there's another guy who contacted me who is trying to unseat Paul Ryan, a DeLay protege.

And then there's the Gov, who's kind of a shmuck, but I still reckon a Dem is a Dem.

The Mayors of the two biggest cities next to me are both Dems. We're making slow headway with the local party. It can no longer be said that we could meet in a phone booth.

It seems all I do on a regualar basis is the monthly Dem breakfast and proofreading the County Dem Newsletter. Otherwise I plan to be at our State Fair, manning the Dem booth. Many do so much more. I feel badly about that sometimes. But lately I've been battling anxiety and menopause symptoms and such. I think that's part of the reason I've not felt like jumping in. But then around here it seems like the campaigns really haven't kicked in yet. Maybe in the fall.

[knitter4democracy]

7. I haven't been as active as I want to, either.

My health hasn't been great for years, and just when I thought I was going to be all better this spring after surgery, I've managed to get some unknown virus. *sigh*

I figure that they'll really need us after the primaries. They'll need more phone bankers, envelope stuffers, etc., and I should feel better by then. Maybe you will, too. I sure hope so--anxiety is very hard to live with, if my mom's any example.

[Monkeyman]

2. Two for me

www.john06.com
Enger4rep.org

Both are vets and one against Hastert the other against an a replug no one knows

Laesch has Hastert on the run
Dirk has his district in his hands if he does it right with no mistakes

[Monkeyman]

3. SORRY SOMETIMERS KICK IN

www.Enger4rep.org

[Emit]

4. My spouse and I split the responsibilities

My REPUBLICAN spouse is volunteering for one particular Democratic candidate as a Precinct Leader -- a local Assembly race -- we both really want to see the Republican incumbent lose.

Me? I decided to go full force to try to organize my entire District volunteering directly through the party's paid Field Ops Director. This way, I can help them all but answer only to one.

[w8liftinglady]

5. I'm working on a county judge's campaign in a red district.

Fortunately,he's very popular among dems and reps alike.
http://www.waxahachie.com/cbeatty.htm