Progressive Democrat Issue 76: WINNING CONGRESS: Three Western States and Frontier PAC

I spend a great deal (probably too much) time analyzing Congressional races across the nation. I look at things said on blogs. I look at what the Democrats are targeting and what the Republicans seem most scared of losing. I even pay attention to what BBC News calls the states to watch in 2006. I also focus on finding the most corrupt Republicans and look at how to best target them. I think about what we need to win and what long shot races we can MAKE winable if we try.

From these various musings I have started putting together various Act Blue sites designed to help win big in particular states where I consider victory particularly within reach and particularly sweet. The states I am choosing are ones where particularly close, hot races can be combined with races that can be TURNED competative if we can make corruption a big issue AND also throw in some long shot but still possible races. In short, I am trying to focus people's attention now so we can build up to victory by November rather than waiting until the last minute.

I started this effort focusing on states where I thought the meme of "Sweeping" the state was worth exploring. This came from a panicked post on a NY Republican site expressing terror that Democrats might sweep all the Congressional seats in NY State. That was a fear I really wanted to feed...and maybe even help bring to reality. So I started with a Sweep NY State ACT Blue Page which has already collected $650 to target five Congressional races. I do want to continue the Sweep NY State meme, but that isn't what I want to focus on now. Right now I want to focus regionally...a region where collective effort from all around the nation can really win big in 2006 and set up for winning in 2008.

I want to focus on the Western States. Remember in 2004 the wonderful and unexpected win in Montana on a state level. This was a sign that the Democrats COULD deliver a message that would work in the Western States. Analyzing who is targeting what, where corruption is rife and where there are some really promising Democratic candidates, I want to introduce you to three Act Blue sites I have designed to help us win big in the Western States this year. With your help we can really route the Republicans in three carefully selected states.

I want to emphasize that this strategy is NOT intended to be an exclusive or even primary strategy. But I think it is one that will have some great pay offs this year and going into 2008, strengthening gains in Western States that straddle a line between blue and red and which can be solidly taken for the true blue.

Let me begin with an Act Blue site I have already introduced and which has already collected $225: my Blue Nevada site. Nevada is considered one of the Purple States, very finely balanced between red and blue. I think this year is the year to turn it solid blue. First off, we have Jack Carter, son of Nobel Laureate and former President Jimmy Carter. Jack Carter is a great candidate with integrity and a real populist message that is going to work in the West. If we want to retake the Senate, I think this race is a must win. There are also two House races in Nevada and here is where I think we have a shot, albeit a long shot, at Sweeping Nevada. One of these House races, NV-3, is a genuinely close race, one of the 10 House seats the Republicans most fear losing. If we can win BOTH the Nevada Senate AND NV-3, we will have gone a long way to turning Nevada solid blue. But there is one more race worth considering: NV-2. This is not seen as a close race, BUT...it is an open seat this year and we all know that open seats are opportunities NOT TO BE MISSED. A concerted web-based effort to help out NV-Sen, NV-2 and NV-3 could just push the whole state into our camp. Hence, my Blue Nevada site. Please help take Nevada.

Next I want to introduce two new Act Blue sites I have made. Both are virgins so YOU could be the first to contribute.

First there is my Blue Montana site which gives us an opportunity not only to follow up on the wonderful victories in Montana in 2004, but to actually Sweep Montana. First off there is the Montana Senate race. This is one of the most important Senate races in 2006 because the seat is currently held by one of the most corrupt Republicans in the Senate. For this reason, Montana is listed by BBC news as one of the states to watch this year. Two great Democrats are fighting it out as to which has the honor of taking down Conrad Burns for his disgusting corruption. Both Democratic candidates are out-polling Burns, showing that Montana is sick of Republican corruption. We can win this seat and, like the NV Senate race, this is a must-win if we want to recapture the Senate. But there is also a House race to be won in Montana. This is more of a long shot than the Senate race, but BOTH are state-wide races and so will be determined by the same voters. A competative Senate race can make this House race competative...and if we can help the Democrat in the House race, it will also help our candidate beat Conrad Burns. Please donate to my Blue Montana site and help complete the victory that we started in Montana in 2004.

Finally I want to introduce my Blue New Mexico Act Blue Site. New Mexico is another one of those very Purple states balanced between red and blue. And it is one that we can turn solid blue with a little effort. First there is the NM-1 House race. The Republican incumbent, Heather Wilson has taken more money from Exxon/Mobil's PAC than any other New Mexico politician - $5,000 already in this cycle, and $27,000 since 2000. She took $4,000 from Halliburton's PAC in the 2004 cycle. She is the EPITOME of what I call a corrupt Halliburton Republican. The Democratic opponant is two-term state Attorney General Patricia Madrid. An extraordinarily well-qualified candidate, Madrid seems poised to be a leading Democrat from the West. This race is another must win this election cycle. NM-2 is not as hot a race as NM-1, but it is worth fighting hard for because if we win both we Sweep NM, and even if we merely come close, this kind of bold move can help turn New Mexico solid Blue by 2008. So please check out my Blue New Mexico and help at least NM-1 if not also NM-2.

On all three of these pages I include Frontier PAC. They are leading the way in delivering a soldly populist and progressive Democratic message throughout the Western States. I strongly advise giving them some love.

I should note that donating through Act Blue is very efficient because it keeps the candidates' costs low. And you can donate as little as $5...or as much as legally allowed by Federal and State regulations. But we WON'T win this year if we don't focus now.