One of the things we looked for when adding new candidates to the
Actblue Netroots page was candidates that inspired the locals into working their asses off for them. We didn't just want
good candidates, we wanted candidates that really brought out the best in others.
In 2004 we didn't have the benefit of a well-developed local blogosphere, but we had one guy that really hit the national radar screen because of intense local support -- Barack Obama. This year, the local bloggers are giving us many more choices, supporting and building buzz for truly great candidates like Jon Tester, Jim Webb, Ned Lamont, Darcy Burner, and almost all of the names on this ActBlue list.
Here's another one -- Dan Seals, running in the Illinois 10th CD in the northeastern corner of the state.
Seals has lit the locals on fire, and is one of those rare candidates that has widespread local grassroots support, as well as great respect from the DCCC. Whether they pour money into this race remains to be seen, but we can help raise the profile of this race and give the locals working their asses off on this race a friendly assist.
The Illinois Demcoratic Network is behind Seals 100 percent, as is the local Democracy for America group. Cegelis fans may remember Patrick Mogge -- her campaign manager? He is now Seals' press guy. When our book tour swung through my old Chicago stomping grounds, there were two topics of conversation everyone wanted to discuss -- the Cegelis/Duckworth primary (which Duckworth won), and Dan Seals. He's quite the rage in the area, and with Chicago nearby, there should be plenty of volunteers to help out (hint, hint).
The 10th is a Democratic district, with a partisan performance index of D+3.6. This makes it one of the most Democratic districts in the country held by a Republican. (In this case, Mark Kirk.) He's solid on the issues.
And the race is competitive. Crain's, a Chicago business publication, wrote:
The online newsletter Cook Political Report, one of the Beltway's better handicappers, last month put the 10th on its list of about 50 seats the GOP conceivably could lose this fall. Mr. Seals raised $374,000 in the first quarter and says he's "in that ballpark" for the second quarter â" well behind what Rep. Kirk has in the bank, but pretty good for a guy running his first race.
Perhaps most telling: Illinois' two U.S. senators, rock star Barack Obama and Democratic Whip Richard Durbin, have jumped into the race big time, committing money, attention and personal time to the effort.
"Dan Seals has grown dramatically as a candidate," says Sen. Durbin, who's co-hosting a Chicago fund-raiser for Mr. Seals on June 27, along with Sen. Obama (who hosted another fund-raiser last Friday) and U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "More and more people, both political people and contributors, are calling me on his behalf."
The senatorial involvement clearly is more than perfunctory, and has sparked chatter as to what's up.
Sen. Obama declined comment, but party insiders suggest Mr. Seals reminds the senator of himself: young, attractive, articulate and African-American [...]
Ahh, that last line is one that hints at Seals' potential, yet threatens to raise expectations too high for the first-time candidate. He's been refered to as the "next Obama", and some close observers of the race (like Illinois blogger Archpundit) cringe at that comparison. But the comparison, whether accurate or not, does hint at the level of excitement Seals is building in the area.
Guys, I'm really excited that we've got Dan Seals on this list. He's exactly the kind of leader that I hope the netroots becomes adept at promoting and supporting. And I'm particularly excited that his is running in a district that all you Chicago Democrats can easily reach.
Money is great ,but nothing (not even a $2K check) can match the effectiveness of a motivated, reliable volunteer. So if you are within striking distance of this race, go check out Seals for yourself and consider commiting time to making his candidacy a success.
Update: I forgot to give a shout out to the 10th District Democrats as I was writing this post. Better late than never!