In my last diary here on Daily Kos I promised to come back and discuss something that I believe the netroots can play an important part in - recruiting for the 2008 Senate races.
Last cycle, I saw firsthand the transformational role bloggers are playing in our Party. Jim Webb and Jon Tester, candidates who were supported early by the blogosphere, are just two of the most prominent examples of the role the netroots can play in helping Democrats win more Senate seats. But the truth is the netroots helped us take back the Senate in thousands of smaller, less visible ways. Whether it was exposing Rick Santorum's extremism years before Election Day or joining grassroots organizations or making an early contribution to help get a campaign off the ground, the netroots has proven to be a formidable force that can help us win.
And now I'd like to ask for your help again.
In 2008 there are 21 seats currently held by Republicans that we'll be fighting to take back. In a few of those states, Democrats have already declared their intentions to run, yet in the majority of those races we need to find and recruit quality Democrats that have what it takes to win.
Netroots support is a key metric the DSCC uses to determine the viability of any given candidate. And the importance of netroots support is often larger in the early stages of an election cycle. Now is the time when the netroots can help find candidates and build the energy they'll need to win.
That's where you come in. I'd like to begin the discussion on who you think would make a good Democratic candidate for Senate in 2008. This will be the first of many discussions throughout the cycle. We need quality candidates in 21 states - from Oklahoma to Oregon, from Kentucky to New Hampshire - we're looking for Democrats that can win in 2008.
So please make your suggestions and recommendations in the comments below. I've also asked my staff to create a section on our Web site that you can use to recommend Democratic candidates after today. Let's harness the power of the netroots to find the candidates that we need to expand our majority.