I spent most of the day going door to door in New Jersey's 7th district (The Fighting 7th).
Linda Stender is a
Netroots Candidate, who has a real shot of winning one more house seat.
Linda took the time to meet with the volunteers in the afternoon. She was warm, gracious, and even promised to defend this "Bill of Rights" that I, as an out-of-touch liberal, sprung on her as a condition of support. She seemed familiar with the document (as well as "The Constitution"--another document many of us liberals support).
Based on recent polling showing her within the margin of error, talking with Independent voters today, the fact that Linda is going to receive The New York Times endorsement tomorrow, and the anti-Republican mood in the country, I strongly believe that this is no longer a long shot and, with a little support, Linda has a real chance of winning this race!
All day, I went door to door, going to every independent and Democratic registered voter in a small area of Springfield, New Jersey. Every Democratic voter I spoke with strongly supported the Democrats, assuring me they would be voting for Linda Stender and Bob Menendez. What excited me the most, however, were the independents. Many Independents didn't want to talk, but those who did unanimously supported both Stender and Menendez. One woman (a registered independent) said "I'm definitely voting for the Democrats. My husband always votes for the Republicans. We used to cancel each other's votes out, but he doesn't think he'll vote this year." In other words, our base is motivated!
Linda also has a solid campaign running. We've all worked on campaigns that waste your time. It is frustrating, but that is not the case here. The campaign staff was ready to meet us, had a packet for each of us, with maps, scripts and literature. They had highlighted starting and ending locations, and, a nice touch, had a driver map of how to get to each of our starting locations. In other words, Linda will use your money well!
Finally, a dollar for Linda also helps Bob Menendez because they are working together on GOTV. Bob Menendez is the only seat held by a Democrat that we may not hold. He has had some minor ethical scandals. My understanding is that he helped a clinic that he leased a house to get funding for their work. Clearly it wasn't the wisest choice as there was a conflict of interest, but he didn't profit, accept bribes or charge exorbitant rent. And party affiliation matters. This is, as Paul Krugman pointed out, a time of "One-Letter Politics".
So help Linda! If are in the NYC Metropolitan area, they are close to the trains and will pick you up at the station. Or send some money! This was a long shot, but it is now a prize that is within reach!