Sorry we haven't posted in a while, we've been very busy since Danny Davis changed his mind about running for Cook County Board President and announced he will run for reelection. But before we take a break for Thanksgiving, we want to share what we've been up to for the past few weeks. Here is our most recent campaign update as well as a brand new video we just uploaded yesterday. Both are available below the fold.
Our latest campaign video can be found here and last week's statement is below in its entirety.
Friends,
I'm writing to let you know what's going on in Illinois' 7th Congressional District Democratic primary and to ask for your help. On November 9th, Danny Davis announced that he had changed his mind about running for Cook County Board President and we promptly responded. His current public intention is to run for reelection to the House of Representatives. This is Davis' fallback position, his consolation prize for not bullying enough candidates out of the county board race. He thinks his reelection is guaranteed. I disagree.
There are still eight candidates [Since this update was first sent out, the field is down to seven candidates] in the primary race meaning that the electorate will be fractured. This is good news for us but we're still facing the serious challenge of taking on an incumbent. If you agree with me that it is time for a changing of the guard, that fresh ideas are urgently needed in Washington, I urge you to donate to my campaign. Complaining about Danny Davis and the entrenched political machine won't bring the change we need. You first must vote with your wallets. Please click here to contribute to give what you can. Help me take on Danny Davis and the politics as usual crowd. I'm a free agent and I owe no loyalties to anyone except the voters.
We've been able to accomplish a lot during this campaign with the help of our tireless volunteers and I salute their dedication. They've collected thousands of signatures to get me on the ballot and they continue to work hard every week to canvas neighborhoods throughout the 7th district. Volunteers are involved in every stage of this campaign, from conducting policy research to making the videos that appear on our website. In addition to the generous work of our volunteers, we're working on new strategies to inform people with the resources we already have. We've recently increased our online advertising and are now conducting weekly polls throughout the district. However, we're going to need more help.
Your donations will go towards reaching people who might not ordinarily hear from us. We've already been advertising on facebook and google but we need your help to get the word out to a larger audience.
There are lots of other ways you can help our campaign beyond donating:
* Volunteer. As the elections of 2008 showed us, nothing is more important than getting in touch with voters at the grassroots level. We're making calls and going out canvassing every week. We're always looking for more people to come out and help us spread the word.
* Become an online supporter. We're working to use new media to reach out and dialogue with supporters every day. If you're not already following us on facebook and twitter, becoming an online supporter is an easy way to help us spread the latest news and updates about the campaign.
* Talk to your friends and neighbors. Even if you can't come out and volunteer, let the people in your community know you're frustrated with the typical Chicago politics. Tell them what Jim stands for and why you support him. One of the most important factors for undecided voters is an endorsement from a friend or neighbor.
* Contact us about what's important to you. This campaign is about listening to the constituents and not taking a single citizen of the district for granted. If there's an issue that you'd like to talk about, please call my office or contact us through the website.
Thanks for your time and please keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Jim Ascot
If you'll allow me to borrow one of your own phrases, what we need isn't just representation, but better representation. But more than that, we must hold progressives to a higher standard. Its easy to only point out hypocrisy and political waffling in more conservative politicians or members of an opposing party, but its equally important that we recognize and call out this hypocrisy no matter who its coming from. Being a progressive isn't simply about how one votes, being a progressive is an understanding that representation is a sacred trust. It's a belief that one's first responsibility is to the citizens one represents, a responsibility that comes before oneself or one's career. Danny Davis has decided to make his decisions based on what best serves his own interests and not those of the 7th District. I'm running for Congress because I want make sure the 7th District gets the full representation it deserves. The people of this district deserve to have a leader who puts their needs first, who will be honest and upfront with them about where he stands and will not change his mind simply cause its the easy way out. I know I can be that leader and hope you will help support my campaign. Thank you.
Jim
Ascot Online:
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