After reading this diary some will wonder why I haven't added Howard Dean but I just can't make myself do it. He's my hero and I think he has a muzzle on and he's taken on the role of team player and organizational leader rather than the inspirational leader he really is.
Okay, I'll admit that all you major dKos leaders are my heros but I'm still calling you out.
What I really want to do is fire a couple of shots over the bow of this community.
I'm struggling for what "A 50-State Strategy" means. I look down the front page and see diaries on baseball, bird flu, cell phones on airplanes, Jesus, Miers, 2006 Senate races and the DCCC.
Then I look down the Recs and see more Miers and several on the Republican/Bush melt down, the environment and Fox/O'Reilly.
I'm not denying the importance of any of these and I certainly am interested in the baseball because I'm a White Sox fan. My brothers were Cub fans and I had to be different. Now I root for both.
Where is the challenge? Read below
I would fully accept being castigated, banned and trolled for this diary but at this point I'm getting my sling shot ready to take on the giants and I'm taking my best shot.
I'm a peon here so my diaries don't make it on the rec list and I've accepted my place here but damn, this time I know I'm right and I'm going to do whatever I can to make this stick because I believe this community has what it takes to make something happen.
Okay, on with it.
Guess what people we just had a primary election for the California 48th Congressional District and our guy Steve Young stayed in the race because no one got more 50% of the votes and Steve Young was the highest Democrat voter-getter.
NOT ONE FREAKEN DIARY. Last I looked California was one of the 50 states and it's not like we have many other elections going on so where's the support?
Oh, I know Kos has one of two links at the bottom of the front page but you know what, I'm wondering if that's a gift horse or a bone. Doesn't matter; it's not enough.
If we need a Hackett-type candidate to rally behind then I've got to disappoint you because that's not Steve Young. He isn't into direct personal attacks and even though I believe there are circumstances which warrant it I respect his personality on this.
What he is a smart, principled good man who wants to make a difference. He will wage a campaign with the resources available but to be honest when Democrats get just over 16% of the vote and Republicans get nearly 70% I've got to admit that it doesn't look good and there's a lot more needed moving forward.
But here's where the real challenge comes - I think we did a horrible job helping out on this election and Republicans made sure they got the vote out.
I phone-banked last night and the number of registered Democrats who didn't even know there was an election was incredible. I personally alerted 10-20 voters myself yesterday on the phones and at work. Even I hadn't heard the dates for the election until recently and I actively made the effort to find out.
If we did nothing more than making a big splash and a lot of noise outside of this community for the election on Dec 3 I think we could overcome the Republican lead.
If you add into that mix the fact that people who meet Steve are impressed. When he gets in front of more people he WILL turn some Republicans.
When you add these and other factors we have a chance at this race.
I'll leave the details of the "how" to rest of you geniuses - letters, word-of-mouth, signs, billboards, newspapers, demostrations at mega-churches, precinct walking, phone banking.
Even Steve himself was up at 5am delivering brochures to apartment complexes this morning. The other morning he was up at 5am putting up signs.
WTF, he's doing his part! (Steve, might not appreciate that language but I'm pissed) Now, how about the rest of us?
So, do we have a 50-state strategy or don't we?
JUST DO SOMETHING!