…whether or not you live in WA-8.
Not just because Al Gore and Barack Obama are campaigning here with Darcy Burner this week.
Not just because she is “Netroots Endorsed” and is considered one of the best chances Democrats have to pick up another seat in order to become the majority in the House.
Not just because the Northwest Netroots have supported and rallied behind Darcy.
Here’s what Jim Dean, Howard’s bro who is now in charge at Democracy for America (DFA), the national grassroots organization with chapters in 49 states and a mailing list with 500,000 supporters, had to say last night in Seattle:
“We’re blessed to have people like Darcy Burner.” Why?? Because DFA “brings new people in” and supports and develops new leaders like Darcy who will “move up the political food chain” and become our progressive leaders in the future. Without the next generation of candidates like Darcy Burner, we cannot change the political course of our country. DFA has brought in one of their staffers, Charles Chamberlain, to work in WA-8 until November 7th.
Darcy Burner is our future.
We can’t succeed if she, and many more new candidates like her, can’t succeed.
And she’s running against Dave Reichert. Unfortunately he’s the GOP’s fair haired boy (literally), so they’re going to put a lot of time and effort into getting him back in.
There are several factors working in Burner’s favor besides her message, though. One of them is that the 8th is a D-leaning district, even though they’ve voted Republican for US representative for many many years, maybe even since the district was created. The reasons are complex, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Another is that she is a Microsoft alumnus. Microsoft carries a bunch of weight around here, especially in the 8th, which is where MS is headquartered. Pretty much everyone in the district works for Microsoft, used to work for Microsoft, or knows several people who fits that description.
And Dave Reichert is helping out, being a pretty poor public speaker for a Congressman and giving Burner help by admitting that he pretty much votes the way the party leadership tells him to.
(Yes, those are Google bombs. Feel free to join the fun.)
What are the numbers in this race? Is there a quick way for me to look that up myself?
I don’t know about you guys but I really like Jim Dean. He was on MTP, I think twice, and he was great.
I couldn’t tell Howie from Seattle apart from Jim Dean in those pictures.
That was Howie taking notes. I really have to get some glasses. Please feel free to “hide” my comment.
Though we were both born in NYC, we’re not related.
One of the best sources for information on this race is horsesass.org, a blog run by David Goldstein. The comment threads can get toxic, what with a bunch of right-wing trolls inhabiting the site, but Goldy does some excellent reporting and the lefty regulars give it back to the trolls (especially Roger Rabbit, who is both well informed and a hoot to read).
He posts numbers on all the local races every so often as he gets them. I don’t see any on the front page as I write this, but they’ll be along (and are almost certainly available in the archives).
it’s a toss-up, as of today. Check out the latest Survey USA poll here.
I didn’t even know it existed. Thank you for the link. This is VERY useful.
Doesn’t motivate me.
me neither. show me the guilt.