Let's count the reasons:
1. Ryan’s district is not deep Red; it re-elected him w/only 55% in 2012 when he was also Vice-Presidential nominee.
2. Every Democratic vote in Ryan’s district is also a likely vote against Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker.
3. Ryan is point man in House for cutting Social Security & Medicare (although he benefited as a child). Each percentage point of Ryan's 2014 results will affect Democratic, Republican and VSP impressions and spin and national narrative on popularity & acceptability of these cuts.
4. Ryan is highest profile Representative committed to strategy of hostage-taking.
5. Ryan voted against ending the recent Government shut-down.
6. Ryan’s challenger Rob Zerban is a Progressive, whose “position is to eliminate the cap on earnings above $113,700, never to raise the retirement age, and never to cut benefits.”
7. Rob Zerban narrowed Ryan’s margin in 2012 despite hostility from the DCCC.
8. Rob Zerban’s recent declaration of second try makes him one of the nation’s most important adopters of the following important strategy:
Progressive challengers to House incumbents should run in at least two cycles, in which they use the first cycle to:
(a) Demonstrate commitment to locals before their district is perceived to be “in play” in the national ‘game’.
(b) Start uncovering and publicizing incumbent’s policies, backers, favors, distance from district and other weaknesses.
(c) Start building name recognition. (Incumbents’ familiarity edge takes more than one cycle to narrow).
(d) Start obtaining experience reaching the district’s voters, registrants and unregistered eligible voters. (Who, where and how to register and to turn out; Which issues resonate?)
(e) Start impressing voters, volunteers and financial contributors w/the candidate’s skills, work ethic, resilience and persistence.
Rob Zerban has done all of these things, and now deserves to be rewarded for them.
9. The possible Democratic primary competition from Amardeep Kaleka, who is
son of a Wisconsin Sikh temple leader who was among those slain last year by a white supremacist, can benefit Zerban by drawing attention to the district and to both Democratic candidates' names and positions.
10. More reasons may be added to comments.
5:35 AM PT: Act Blue contributions page (for Zerban and the other candidates endorsed by Blue America): https://secure.actblue.com/...