This Is What Small-Town Campaigning Looks Like (CA-19)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of being on a parade float in Mariposa, California, for the opening of the annual Mariposa County Fair. The Democratic Club always has a great float, the largest in the parade, but this year was really special.

We had congressional candidate for CA-19 TJ Cox on board with us! Well, for a while... he quickly got off the float and walked the entire parade route so that he could meet the crowd and shake hands!

This is what rural California looks like... my county seat... and this is what a real candidate looks like:

TJ Cox meets and greets:

TJ went out of his way to say hello to Julia Parker, noted Elder of the Pomo Indians and head of the Yosemite Indian Interpretive Program in the park:

The view from the Democratic Party float down Highway 49, Mariposa:

Chase Wagner, TJ's campaign manager, chats with Les Marsden, president of the local Democratic Club as the float leaves the staging area:

TJ chatting with the staffers of the (lame!) Republican booth at the Mariposa County Fair later that day:

TJ is working his ASS off for this campaign. He's making real inroads and raising real money... I can't believe how little attention his campaign has gotten from the netroots!

TJ is the real deal, and he can win this with our help. He's going up against Radanovich, who is about as right wing as you can get -- he even took dirty Delay money and refused to return any of it!

This is what real, rural, grassroots campaigning looks like, everyone. Please help us get TJ Cox elected so he can represent us in Congress! Hope you enjoyed the photos. 8-)

•  Tips for TJ!

  Help him get elected!

  by willers on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:16:40 PM PDT

  •  Oh, and PLEASE RECOMMEND!

    I always forget to ask that... teehee... 8-)

    by willers on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:25:26 PM PDT

  •  Sent a bit...

    thanks for the great photos.

    Please add CA-19 to the diary title to make sure this diary gets included in the daily campaign diary roundup.

    by RainyDay on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:32:25 PM PDT

    •  Done! Thanks... 8-) (nt)

      by willers on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:44:37 PM PDT

      •  Am adding it right now!

        Great diary, willers!

        by Nightprowlkitty on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:58:46 PM PDT

•  Thank you

  for the great recap and wonderful photos. I will help your man get elected. Going to web site now.

  GO DEMOCRATS!

  by JuliaAnn on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:20:16 PM PDT

  •  WOO!

    Thank you so much!!!

    by willers on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:23:22 PM PDT

•  Any polling data available?

  by Grassroots Mom on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:24:33 PM PDT

  •  I'll try to get that! (nt)

    by willers on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:25:52 PM PDT

    •  Thanks

      by Grassroots Mom on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:26:14 PM PDT

•  Small town campaigning

  is the best. Ordinarily one would think parades have a lot more Republicans watching and that may be true for some but our county committee has been in 5or 6 parades this summer and it's great. We usually get a better reception than the Repubs and of course our candidates walk. We used a jeep once, a state legislator's Prius once and my Prius twice but otherwise we all walk. usually we get a dozen dems out

  http://www.hancockdems.org

  by philinmaine on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:41:14 PM PDT

  •  Yeah, in NH-02

    I've lost track of the number of parades and fairs Paul Hodes has apparently done.  Just this (long) weekend, for instance, his schedule as listed on his website has included like 2 fairs, a march, and a parade.

    by MissLaura on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 12:49:44 PM PDT

•  Small town

  Small town campaigning is great but you are going against the mega right wing churches of north Fresno. I do have on good authority that Radanovich is a practicing closeted queen.Check his voting record concerning gay rights.

  by tim woods on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 01:00:21 PM PDT

•  Beautiful Pics

  The registration numbers are stacked against him but I'm hoping that this guy makes a good showing.  

  by SoCalLiberal on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 01:05:47 PM PDT

•  thanks

  Great pics. They really capture the mood of the day. I loved the one looking down the street.

  by randallt on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 01:08:10 PM PDT

  •  Yeah, that's the money shot... LOL (nt)

    by willers on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 01:45:05 PM PDT

•  Looks beautiful there.

  Thanks for sharing!

  by HellofaSandwich on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 01:09:51 PM PDT

•  Oh, AND...

  I just created a new blog for Mariposa County Politics which will feature TJ Cox news as I receive it.

  Yesterday or the day before I saw a page which will link candidates to blogs about their campaigns... I thought it was ActBlue, but that doesn't seem to be it (or I can't find it on there). Does anyone know what that page is??

  by willers on Sun Sep 03, 2006 at 02:37:01 PM PDT