On Winning the West

(Proudly cross-posted at Swing State Project and MyDD)

I know you've heard this. I have, too. "The battleground has moved West." To a large extent, this is true. And while we probably will may plenty of attention to traditional swing states like Florida & Ohio this fall, we probably also will be spending much more time analyzing developments in places like Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Montana.

But you know what? The Presidential Race isn't the only interesting race out west. Let's take a look at some extra goodies that we can look forward to.

Nevada is a critical state for Democrats this fall. First off, this state is a top target for Barack Obama to make the goal of at least 270 electoral votes. But in addition, we have two important Congressional races that can earn us two much needed seats as we expand our majority.

The 3rd Congressional District is one of the hottest races out West, if not the hottest. Dina Titus is running strong in a district where Democrats now outnumber Republicans. Both the Nevada Democratic Party and the Obama campaign are working hard here, and the key for them will be turning out all the newly registered Democrats while also winning over the swing voters that decide both Presidential elections and Congressional elections here in suburban Las Vegas. The Bush-McCain GOP incumbent Jon Porter is running scared, and we can tell. Dina Titus even has new ads on the air, and with our support she'll have everything she needs to win.

The 2nd Congressional District may have been tradionally a Republican stronghold, but Jill Derby is changing that. The race is competitive, and the Bush-McCain GOP footsoldier Dean Heller is already throwing everything but the kitchen sink to maintain his edge. We have the power to hold Heller's feet to the fire, and ultimately help Derby give Heller the boot.





Although Arizona may be John McCain's home state, that isn't stopping Democrats from competing hard here. And in addition to the Presidential race, we have a great candidate in Ann Kirkpatrick who looks to replace the corrupt (and retiring) GOPer Rick Renzi. Ann Kirkpatrick has worked hard for her community, has real Arizona values, and is running to bring about real change. This is one of our best chances at picking up a seat out west, so let's take it!





We all know New Mexico is one of our top swing states that we can turn blue. But in addition to Obama's victory, we can also send another Democrat to Congress! Martin Heinrich is running strong in this Albuquerque district... In fact, so strong that he's now taken the lead in the latest independent poll! The voters now see that Republican Darren White is just another Bush-Cheney sycophant, and they're ready for real change.





OK, so I know these aren't all of the great races that we're discovering out West. However, I hope that this gives you an idea of what's really at stake. If we play our cards right, we may not only wind up with a President Obama next January, but also with more and better Democrats in Congress. But if we don't stand up for our Democrats now, we can't win.

So please, stand with us. If you live in any of these areas, help out with the campaign. And no matter where you are, support your party, your values, and your candidates. Are you ready to win? I am! :-)

Thoughts While I Call Nevada

(I know I originally posted this here on Sunday, but I'm bringing it back in light of the cross-posts at MyDD & Clark Community Network.)

Sometimes, I don't know why I do so many crazy political activities. I'm having "fun" calling voters in Nevada. So far, I've been leaving a whole lot of messages today. There just never seems to be a perfect time for catching everyone at home. I guess I should know, as I'm hardly ever home!

But anyways, I have caught some Independents at home. Most seem open to voting Obama, as well as downticket Democrats. I spoke with one woman who hadn't yet made up her mind. I spoke with another lovely woman who was pouring her heart out to me, as she's being crippled by her arthritis to the point where she can't leave her home. I almost wanted to cry as I was telling her about voting by mail while also venting about my own family's health care woes. She wanted to vote Obama, but she wasn't sure if she could do it until I told her about voting by mail.

You know, it's really stories like this that keep me going. When I hear about this lady and her health care woes, or another person in Nevada who's concerned about our troops in Iraq, or another Nevada voter who's afraid of losing her job, I feel even more motivated to keep going. John McCain and the GOP may try to distract everyone with photo ops in the Gulf Coast or folksy tales from Sarah Palin, but it's our job to keep the focus on the issues that really matter.

That's what I remind myself as I make more of these calls to Nevada. That's also what I remind myself as I walk neighborhoods. Ultimately, that's why people vote.

That's why a young man in Reno will be voting for Democrats. He lays carpet for the casinos, so he's just another working class person who's concerned about the economy. He knows many folks who are one paycheck away from losing their homes, so the foreclosure crisis is really hitting him close to home. He's voting for Obama and for Democrats because he wants real action on the economy.

That's why an older man in Pahrump will be voting for Obama and Congressional candidate Jill Derby as well. Even though he was originally a Hillary Clinton supporter like many of us, he also now sees that the I my way Hillary's and our progressive agenda get passed is with a President Obama and a more Democratic Congress.

I just hope that all if us working do hard for Democrats this year don't forget these real voters and the real issues they're facing. We're counting on them to vote. They're counting on us to make real change happen.