If the Democrats want to take back the House this year, we need to win two or three races that aren't on the national radar. If I had to bet on one such race, it would be
Robert Rodriguez's challenge to Buck McKeon in California's 25th district. I'm not the only one who thinks so, as Robert is
starting to gain a lot of coverage on the blogs. You can (virtually) meet Robert today at an online chat on
firedoglake,
Down With Tyranny and
Crooks and Liars from 2 - 5 PM Eastern Time (11 - 1 Pacific Time).
Robert is garnering attention because he is such an inspiring candidate. So inspiring in fact, that he convinced me to give up my summer plan to get an easy gig and party with friends to go work insane campaign hours on his race. Most people who meet Robert have a similar reaction - it's why Matt Stoller of MyDD listed Robert as one of his all-time favorite politicians.
People who frequent the lefty blogosphere, present company included, support candidates that are sincere in their convictions and unafraid to speak boldly about their beliefs. Robert is our type of candidate. He had a cushy consulting job in DC, which he gave up to return to his hometown and bust his ass to throw "Buck" out of office. I'll let him explain why in his own words:
I remember the exact moment I made the decision to run for congress. On the night of June 23, 2003 the Republicans called a vote on H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act. The bill was an abomination. It drove up the deficit while failing to provide seniors with the drugs they need. But it was the way the Republicans abused their power to pass the bill that pushed me to action. They opened the vote at 3 am and held it open for three hours, the longest vote in the history of the U.S. Congress. I was in the House gallery watching as "Buck" was laughing and joking, as he and his cronies extorted their congressional colleagues.
Robert took that vote personally, because he saw how important SSI income had been to his family when his sister battled kidney failure during his childhood. Her struggle inspired Robert to immerse himself in the fight for better heath-care in the US, leading him gain a masters at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and then to work on health care policy on capital hill.
At the ripe age of 29, Robert is taking the next step and "crashing the gate." Robert's youth has been a huge asset to the race because people in the district are ready for something new. The 25th is full of new families, and new housing developments with a lot of first time homeowners. There isn't much of a sense of community amongst the disperate towns that make up the district, so Robert has been going out to different parts of the district "Buck" has never been to and bringing them a message of hope. For Democrats in the area, it has been music to their ears to hear a candidate talk like a progressive. The community is growing and changing and Robert represents the face of that change.
When Robert made the decision to run his race seemed like a long-shot. But his campaign staff, consisting of three Harvard Law School graduates and a full staff of experienced political operatives, has succeeded in making the race competitive. The press in the sleepy So Cal suburb has been eager to cover a competitive race and has obliged with a steady stream of positive local media coverage. The shifting demographics of the district - including an influx of Latinos moving from LA - give Robert a much better shot at victory than Buck initially realized. People in the district know that Buck is out of touch, and Robert has made great strides in getting his name out in the community. In short, it is the perfect storm for an under the radar victory against a really horrible Rubber Stamp Republican.
However, it's still an uphill battle against an entrenched incumbent, and we need your help. Robert will be around for a few hours answering questions, and listening your suggestions, so go on over and give him an earful.
This post was written by Max Berger, who worked as a netroots outreach intern this summer for Robert's campaign. This post is crossposted at Dailykos, MyDD and the campaign blog.
Update: Please Recommend!!!
Update 2: Howie Klein has a great diary on this topic just a few diaries up from us. Howie is a true netroots hero, (who has led a damn interesting life). Thanks for everything Howie!