As is evident from the polls and from the history of mid-terms, 2010 looks to be a tough year for Democratic candidates, both for incumbents and for challengers seeking to oust Republicans. That means harder work for activists in the trenches who, though they put in long hours in 2006 and 2008, got a little spoiled by the reception they received from voters fed up with the reign of Cheney-Bush. Unless there is a shift of perception between now and November, Democrats are going to be less popular than they were in the past two election cycles, probably a lot less popular. Whoever is to blame for that, and there’s plenty of blame to spread around, you can be sure that the main culprit, the Party of No Way, No How will be the chief beneficiary.
Such news makes some people want to give up. It makes the rest of us grit our teeth and gird ourselves for the next round of battles. We saw a good deal of that attitude in numerous Daily Kos diaries this past week, from activists as well as some candidates themselves. Some just provided speculation or basic background information, others cheered their choice and others were full-fledged shout-outs for this or that candidate, in two cases by the candidates themselves.
Further below I’ll link to many of those diarists. But first I’d like to focus on four that I think offer good pointers on how to persuade and work effectively to engage both long-time political junkies as well as fence-sitters, including people who may be on the fence about voting for anyone at all this year. Like the Democratic Party, none of these diaries is perfect. Some of them don’t show us a photo of the candidate, some could have been better formatted for readability and others failed to include basic contact or contribution information. But I’m going to focus on what I think they did right.
Let me start with RDemocrat’s diary: John Yarmuth of Kentucky's Third: He Has Earned Our Support.
We get a clear, no-nonsense headline – headlines matter!! – with a good balance of the author’s analysis and the candidate’s own views, both in text and three brief YouTube clips. There are links to the candidate's stance on the issues, to an ActBlue contribution page and to his campaign Web site.
Elise backs Kendrick Meek in: Want To Win A FL Senate Seat?
Hers is a slick production. Right at the top she provides a link so you can follow Meek on FaceBook, a link to contribute money to his campaign and a link to download a petition to help gather the signatures he needs to get on the ballot. Let me repeat, she provides those links at the top and again at the end. We get solid information about the opponent in the race to get our adrenaline up. And then we get the antidote, Meek’s point of view on various issues with links to what he has said and written. What’s missing? Meek’s name in the headline. Headlines matter!!
sable writes about the open seat in District 3 in Washington in the diary: Craig Pridemore: A Progressive Dem is running!
This diary has a lot to recommend it, one of which is a map of the district. There are also good links to the candidate’s Web site, a contribution link, and links to his FaceBook page and voting record, plus a short YouTube clip.
Whether it was planned or not I don’t know, but another solid diary on the candidate appeared the same day, downwithtyranny’s Blue America Endorsing Craig Pridemore Today.
Each of these four diaries contains elements to imitate, not the least of which is that none of them is overly long but still includes significant amounts of information, plus, let me repeat, links to campaign sites and places to contribute.
Whether it’s in the district or in the Netroots, the crux is getting the candidate known. You can’t do that with just one appearance. Best of all here, of course, is for the candidate her- or himself to write a few diaries and participate in them the way that Elaine Marshall did and the way that Congressman Paul Hodes did. Even though Hodes encountered some flak, he didn’t bail out but returned with another diary to engage again. If you’re backing a candidate, the two biggest favors you can do for her as far as Daily Kos is concerned is let her know how unpopular "drive-by" diaries are and keep informing readers every week or so how the campaign is going so that Kossacks become familiar with that candidate.
If you are actually working in a campaign, paid or unpaid, it’s good practice to do as Mike Nellis did: Disclose your status.
Other diaries for or by candidates this past week:
jimstaro gave support to Joyce Segers, who is running in Oregon’s 2nd District.
Cedwyn wrote: Jennifer Brunner needs us. She needs us now.
Arkydem wrote: Senator Lincoln v Those People.
NWTerriD worried about a possible Senator Dino Rossi.
whenwego wrote: My Marcy Winograd Experience.
rossl wrote: Feeling bored? Helpless? Excited? Energetic, perhaps? Then you should help Marcy Winograd!
Jonze wrote: NC Sen Candidate Cunningham: "End Filibuster in it's current form."
Larry Thorson wrote: FL-25 Draft Joe Garcia, sign up here.
liberalpragmatist wrote: IN-SEN: How about David Orentlicher.
azizhp wrote: Carson for IN-Senate: why the hell not?
Seneca Doane wrote: CA-44: Can Bill Hedrick beat Ken Calvert? Read the poll!
CornSyrupAwareness wrote: Put a Cougar In Evan Bayh's Seat.
jolculbe wrote: John Mellencamp for Senate! **Update** Show your support.
John Patterson wrote: DRAFT MELLENCAMP FOR SENATE movement catches fire on the internet!
pistolSO wrote: A look at Jennifer Brunner vs. Lee Fisher for the Democratic Primary in Ohio.
FROM CANDIDATES:
Congressman Frank Pallone wrote: End the Insurance Monopolies: Repeal McCarran-Ferguson
lmelnick wrote: (Not So) Fair and Balanced
Ted Ankrum wrote: Ted Ankrum is back in TX-10.
Jennifer Brunner wrote: Ending the Flood of Foreclosures: Reform Financial Regulation.
ANALYSIS:
Flaming Liberal for Jesus wrote: PA-Sen: What the Franklin and Marshall Polls mean and What they've Picked Up On
Incognito1958 wrote: Win in '10: Races that look promising from your neck of the woods.
BENAWU wrote: House 2010 Midterms - More than just defense.
abgin wrote: BLUE STATES: Massachusetts. M Capuano (D) vs C Baker (R) and two additional analyses here and here.
matthewRI wrote: RI-01: The Race to Replace Congressman Patrick Kennedy.
MISCELLANY:
addicted2politics wrote: Ma'am, your website is clearly inaccurate!
padem2010 wrote: Barbara Hafer to run for Murtha's Seat.
Ur Regular wrote: Meg Whitman Ad: Cliche, Cliche, Fluff, Insanity, Fluff.
Adama D Brown wrote: NY State Senate: Stonewall Dems endorse Cooney for SD-58.
Russells 10 wrote: SNAP-PAC: A Lot of Bang for Your Donated Buck.
frog belly white wrote: My Plan to Defeat John McCain ~ Primary Him Out.
casperr wrote: Dear Congressman Hodes.
Inoljt wrote: Previewing Senate Elections: Illinois.
itsnotmyfault wrote: Electing A Better Indiana Senator: A Call to Action.
baldheadeddork wrote: Bye Bayh - Now Get Yer A**es To Work.
Redsox318 wrote: Race Heats up for Another Kennedy Seat.
KingofSpades wrote: AZ-Sen: Mutual Assured Destruction! (the dynamic, not the Dkos user).
devtob wrote: NY-Sen: Gillibrand wows Black/Puerto Rican legislators' conference.
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