After what seems many months, and really has been the shortest election I've ever been involved in, we're down to the short strokes. CA-48 goes to the polls next Tuesday, Dec 6th. It's 5 days and counting starting tomorrow.
Even now I see some of the same crap we fought in the late summer come up again from one troll or another as happened last night on dKos. It doesn't end. But it got knocked down in a hurry...you bet. Yet it will end by 11PM or so on Dec 6th.
So what are we doing? So many who read this think we are in such an unwinnable position....
Hmmmm, let's see:
2 or is it 3 more radio appearances since Friday, one TV appearance on KCET in Los Angeles, one televised debate in the District, two fundraisers this week, multiple candidate events every day for Steve Young to attend, the ground campaign continues, the virtual phone banking continues and thanks to our Union Brothers and Sisters, traditional phone banking is happening as I write this post.
And it's only Wednesday.
Campbell and Gilchrist boycotted the last televised debate (last night)in the race. Why? Well, no one can live inside anothers head but it's my educated judgment that they didn't want to face
Steve Young again in open verbal, televised competition and get their butts handed to them one more time. He's just that damn good after a lifetime of courtroom arguments. Getting into a debate with Steve is less than useful. And they figured it out. They were more afraid of the votes they would lose being made, again, to look like inarticulate Empty Shirts. So they stayed home.
This has been the entire campaign tactic of Republican John Campbell the most inarticulate major seat candidate I've ever experienced. I think he has participated in 3 debates out of the 12 or more that have been held in the Primary and General election. He looks pretty good. But the moment he tries to talk....wow. And when Steve follows him...I'm sure Campbell wished he'd stayed home from that debate too. His has been a direct mail campaign only. And his fire in the last weeks of the campaign is aimed at Gilchrist.
But Campbell did tell someone recently, "If Steve had more money and more time he would be a MORE than formidable opponent." [Well, this may not sound real professional...but let me tell ya pal...you're about to meet the definition of formidable. Wait for it.]
More and more Gilchrist turns his answers into a semi-mean rant. And I'm honestly surprised by the change. Maybe it's the change in handlers he made. But he's not very nice in lots of ways. And that's ok if it just attracts his crowd! We want him to pull as much as he can from Campbell...go, Jim, go! The more he acts as the spoiler the better for us!
I haven't been part of our media buy so I can't say exactly when our TV ads start but we have made a TV buy right when it will do the most good. Steve Young is his most effective speaking for himself directly to an audience. And he does extremely well on camera.
So Virtual Phone Banking, (if you want to participate email here)
and traditional Union Hall Phone Banking as we speak, ground game, The Candidate everywhere at once it seems, (he said recently he's running on about 3-4 hours of sleep a night and just eating it up and getting stronger!), a TV campaign, a top-notch PR/Media professional still working on more appearances and two local fundraisers this week. We have over 300,000 emails over the last two weeks that have or are going out asking for donations and support. These come from widely disparate groups all of whom support Steve Young.
Update [2005-11-30 18:52:34 by BigDog]:Just as I started to post I found out that Steve is appearing on the John and Ken Show on KFI Los Angeles on Monday with Gilchrist only! Campbell is ducking that debate too! That show is available on the Net too. (Amazing the arrogance of the man! He even has his airline tickets already booked his people brag!)
So what am I forgetting? Hmmmmm....
Oh yeah...You...the Blogsphere. We still need your help to increase the size of that TV buy in the last closing days of this important race! If we take the Crown Jewel of Republican seats Blue....it will send a California sized Earthquake through the Republican Leadership and energize The Netroots and traditional Democratic channels! And we can do it with your help.
No, we don't have a Paul Hackett that captured your imagination...no, we don't have big dollars...but with your help we can get to the finish line and with enough Paid Media, enough Virtual Phone Banking, enough Traditional Phone Banking, enough door-to door ground work....we can get enough Democrats off the couch and into the polling booth to shock a nation!
And the key is, as always, money...moola...cash..., and we won't waste it. So look deep and give us the support you can at our contributions page. You won't find another Candidate or campaign team that is working harder to make the victory and the Dream come true 5 days from tomorrow.