Hi, everyone! Bear with me - this is my first diary.
As many of you know, my Dad, Jack Carter, is running for U.S. Senate in Nevada against Republican incumbent John Ensign. The campaign is just starting to take off. The first edition of the website is finally up, and ready to take contributions. My Dad is on the road. The family, including my Grandpa, Jimmy Carter, is very excited.
We think he can win and here's why:
- Jack Carter is a good candidate for Nevada. He is a moderate Dem with small-town roots, which puts him in a good position to reach out to Republican and swing voters, as well as traditional Democrats.
- Nevada is ready for another Democratic Senator:
• In 2004, Bush won Nevada by just two percentage points, 50% to 48% (link). Remember how excited everyone was when Nevada looked positively purple just before the election?
• Last month, Bush's approval ratings were down to 37% in Nevada (SUSA). This poll confirms that Nevada is trending Democratic. I think we can make a strong case to these voters that new leadership is needed.
• John Ensign's numbers are lackluster - he is polling at 54% approval, ranked 63rd out of the 100 Senators (SUSA). Weak numbers for the incumbent this early in the game is a great sign for any challenger.
- He'll mostly avoid the major problem of first-time candidates. As Jimmy Carter's son, he'll get good name recognition right from the start.
We've definitely got a ways to go, but we're optimistic. The website is now up:
www.CarterforNevada.com. It's pretty bare-bones right now, but it'll be fleshed out pretty soon. If you can spare a few bucks for the campaign, we'd be very grateful. We're hoping to have some good fundraising numbers at the end of the quarter to show the powers-that-be that Jack Carter will be a successful candidate and deserves top billing from the Democratic party. Remember the EMILY's List slogan: Early Money Is Like Yeast.
I think this'll be really fun and I'm looking forward to your feedback!