The Campaign You'll Ignore

(MS-Sen) The Campaign You'll Ignore
by fivefouranonymous
Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 04:31:43 PM PDT

The pundits will tell you to ignore this diary. To move on to a more competitive district. To close your eyes to campaigns that aren't within the margin of error. Why? Because this diary is about Mississippi. Because a relative unknown is seeking to defeat Trent Lott. Because the DSCC isn't funding the campaign. Because you've got more important things to focus on. Right?

* fivefouranonymous's diary :: ::

Mississippi's Democratic Party hasn't trained precinct captains for more than a decade. Until recently, the state party consisted of a single full-time staffer. In 2004, the Democratic National Committee invested so little here that activists shelled out thousands of their own dollars to print up Kerry yard signs. That all changed last summer, when newly elected DNC Chairman Howard Dean began rolling out his "50-State Strategy," a multimillion-dollar program to rebuild the Democratic Party from the ground up. Over the past year, the DNC has hired and trained four staffers for virtually every state party in the nation--nearly 200 workers in all--to be field organizers, press secretaries, and technology specialists, even in places where the party hasn't been competitive for decades. "It's a huge shift," Dean tells U.S. News. "Since 1968, campaigns have been about TV and candidates, which works for 10 months out of the four-year cycle. With party structure on the ground, you campaign for four years." USNews & World Report

Howard Dean believes in the 50-state project. And many of you do here. Which is why I wanted to write this diary - to put a spot light on Representative Erik Fleming, one of the more courageous Democrats campaigning this November. He's running for the Lott's Senate seat in MS. Right now, the only poll that sheds any light on this campaign is from SurveyUSA which has Lott at 66% approval, 31% disapproval. Let's change that, why don't we? Donate to Fleming's campaign now.

The uphill battle of this campaign is apparent to anyone watching. But when I asked Fleming's campaign about their race, I was surprised to find such hope.

"It is important to get the word out that there is a race in Mississippi which can be won by the basic philosophy, 'he who has the best lists, wins.' We have the data, but not the adequate funds, to fully utilize it. I believe we can win Mississippi if we can effectively hammer our message to independent voters and continue to generate excitement with our base. The Young Democrats of Mississippi are my most ardent supporters and the numbers indicate the 18-40 demographic in Mississippi has shifted to the Democratic side." - Rep. Fleming

"Trent Lott and the rest of the OP (Old Party, which is no longer "Grand") has distracted the nation from what is important, the economic security of our families, by focusing on emotional issues that have some merit, but not the personal impact needed to move America forward. To paraphrase FDR, lack of economic security leads to dictatorships. In order to have a secure democratic republic, the Congress cannot continue the runaway spending and unabated tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. The working class of America must have a champion in Washington, DC that will fight to bulid communities of wealth in Mississippi and throughout the nation. Lott and his cohorts have failed miserably in that regard." - Rep. Fleming

Those quotes are directly from Representative Fleming. He took the time to address my questions personally, and I've thanked him with a small donation. Y'know, there's a chance here for Kossacks to make a real difference. If we all donate five (or three, or two) dollars, right now, the uphill battle would level out a little more. Donate today.

"All campaigns need more money, but we have a real challenge of securing the funds needed to mount an effective campaign within the next two months. Our goal is to secure enough funds to mount a media campaign and to get out the vote in an election that will have a low turnout. After securing the endorsement of the Mississippi AFL-CIO, the money from labor is starting to come in. The DSCC has not made any commitment to help, nor do I think they will. The DNC, primarily Chairman Dean, has made a commitment to hold at least one fundraiser and assist in my local and national fundraising efforts." - Rep. Fleming

If Dean believes he can help, so should we. With a little more money flowing into Fleming's campaign, we could hope to see TV spots that pull more and more support away from Lott.

If you believe that a Democrat should have a chance where ever they run, let's all kick in and help. Prove my diary title wrong. Demand that I change it. Tell me that you'll support Democrats where ever they are. And recommend this diary so others have a chance to help out, too.

BREAK IN TEXT

Update I Here's an article that re-enforces Fleming's observation that the younger generation is behind Mississippi Democrats:

According to CNN exit polling data, Mississippi's 18-29 age group is the only age group to swing for Kerry in Mississippi. Interestingly, the entire South's 18-29 age group averaged only 52 percent for Bush and 48 percent for Kerry, putting Mississippi's youth vote further into the "blue" than the South's overall average, or more than any one other Southern state. The 18-29 bracket also made up 20 percent of the Mississippi vote, according to those same polls, which was higher than the national level. Source

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/3/193143/7700