You can't win if you don't run for office. And you can't run for office unless you can raise at least some money. Looks like an awful lot of Democrats are willing to give running a shot, and very early at that.
Even if many of these potential candidates are facing very uphill contests -- in right-wing areas against long serving Republican incumbents -- they will tie up resources that GOPers would rather target to more vulnerable members. Also, watch for Republican retirements by elected officials who decide to quit rather than face tough races.
These efforts are prerequisites for strong Democratic gains in 2018, especially in the House of Representatives.
1 comment:
The special elections to fill legislators who had taken other jobs shows one problem. It's not just money. They have to find good people to run. The Democrat candidates in '17 were often pathetic choices although they did come close (like by 6 or so points) but close doesn't count. Surely Democrats can find those who are responsible sounding, have experiences that make them seem competent, and can speak well. Just throwing money at the elections can actually make voters angry as the ads don't always work the way they are intended. In the current toxic environment in DC and the country, it is not hard to see how a lot of good people would not want to get into the muck. Of course, the parties control a lot of who they let run-- not so much the people-- and the parties are part of the problem as a lot of us see it. I still think a grassroots person, who spoke to the concerns of the people, could win-- without the big bucks. The problem is convincing those people to run in the current situation...
Post a Comment