Some of my favorite memories of Daily Kos III over the years involve phone banking. It's hard to get people to phone bank for candidates in faraway places, but it's also one of the most effective things we can do. Like giving money to a cause, donating time to a campaign is where the rubber of blogging hits the road of activism.
There is no better time to phone bank than when no other election crowds the agenda. The time when phone bankers can really shine is during a special election -- where no other elections compete for activists' time, few are paying attention, are a concerted band of activists -- like us, or like our right-wing opponents -- can step in an make a difference.
We've done it before -- and at times we've failed to do it enough before. But I happen to know that you're DKos dance card is empty this Saturday for the transition. Wouldn't a great way to usher out the old and in the new be to actually help win an election?
I'm going to ask you in this diary -- and, unless something changes my mind, in diaries for each of the next few days -- to phone bank for a candidate whom most of you won't even know. I'm asking you to trust me that the candidate is worthwhile. I've never (so far as I can recall) met the man; I am in turn relying on the good judgment of Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chair Eric Bauman. (Bauman is mobilizing Dems for him and for another candidate, Ted Lieu, who is a shoo-in to win a different district and doesn't likely need our help. I'm asking you -- as I've said here numerous times before -- not to be a mere political observer, but a political actor.
The candidate is Darren Parker and this is his website. It's pretty snazzy for one that was probably done in some haste -- the election is on Feb. 15, after all -- and you can see a video of him there. He is running for California State Senate District 17. (California's 40 State Senators are the only state legislators I know of whose districts are larger than the Congressional Districts in their state, of which we have 53.)
Here (from Wikipedia) is what you don't really need to know about CA-SD-17: it includes the Antelope Valley and most of the Victor Valley, as well as portions of the High Desert, Santa Clarita, the northern San Fernando Valley and the mountainous areas in northern Ventura County around northern Los Angeles and the Antelope Valley.
Here's what you do need to know: We're not supposed to win this race -- and yet we could. Winning this race would be a gut-punch to the Republicans, and there is little in political life that I enjoy more than one of those. (You too?)
Wikipedia sets out the numbers this way:
Registration: 39.56% Republican, 37.77% Democratic, 17.76% Decline to State.
Demographics 59.8% White, 7.8% Black, 24.2% Hispanic, 5.6% Asian, 1.0% Native American, 1.0% other.
Population total, 846,791; voting-age, 583,206; registered, 476,199.
Less than 2% behind in partisan registration, with 18% decline to state, and people still like Brown and hate Schwarzenegger. Not too many people vote in these special elections.
Hmmmm. You know what? WE COULD DO THIS!
And if we do do this, we get awful close to a 2/3 Democratic majority in the State Senate.
Here's what I envision: this site goes down Friday night for a day, and the 10,000 of us active here each make 20 calls. (I know this won't happen. A guy can dream, though. I'll make more than 20 to make up for a slacker or two.) Sunday morning, we wake up and find that people are going nuts trying to figure out what the hell just happened in District 17. Then DK4 opens up on Sunday, we start up a "CA-SD-17 phone bank" group, and we spend the next week and change driving it home. We win a race that we have no right to win. Nice way to celebrate our day off from DKos, right?
OK, but -- having been through this a few times before -- I know that you want to know a bit more about Darren Parker before you are willing to put your dialing button-pressing finger where your principles are. Fine -- we can do that. First of all, he's African-American and with Labor. Do I have your attention yet?
From his website:
Darren is currently a small business owner who recently retired from a 31-year career with AT&T and the Communication Workers of America.
Darren has always worked effectively with leaders of all political parties, having been appointed by both Democrats and Republicans to lead efforts on behalf of our diverse state. He has been honored by both the California State Assembly and the Senate Speaker, Anti-Defamation League, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation, labor unions and numerous local, state, and federal elected officials.
The 17th State Senate District has already benefited from Darren's leadership. He is a long- time community and political activist who presently serves as the CADEM State Chairman African American Caucus, YouthBuild Advisory Board Chairman, President of the Antelope Valley Human Relations Commission, as well as, serves on numerous Boards of Directors including Antelope Valley Hispanic Chamber, Antelope Valley Partners for Health and Boy Scouts of America Greater Antelope Valley.
As President of the Antelope Valley Human Relations Commission for the past 10 years, Darren ensures community and local government collaboration in helping eliminate Hate Crimes and Hate Incidents. Through his leadership, the Antelope Valley Human Relations Commission has developed a toll-free hate crimes line as well as built a membership that includes numerous elected officials and community members in addition to representatives from the Los Angeles Sheriff, Los Angeles District Attorney, FBI, Board of Supervisors, Community- based organizations, religious institutions, and local schools.
Darren strongly supports public safety and over the last decade, he has partnered with various law enforcement agencies, working with them to make sure the citizens of our community feel safe. Darren helped initiate the hate crime unit with the L.A. County Sheriffs Department and the Commission of Human Relations in addition to the SHARE program. He has raised funds to support safe schools, teen summits and "Increase the Peace Day" events.
That's what Darren Parker has been doing with his political life. You have a day off from blogging on Saturday -- will you do a small fraction of what he's done to stun the country by getting him elected?
One last time, while DK3 still exists, I want to flex our muscles. One more time, I want us, together, to be activists. Let's throw our weight around and give the world one last thing for which to remember DKos 3.