This is something I've been thinking about for awhile. Like many here, I'm keenly aware of our vulnerability in the senate. While the presidential campaign tends to suck all the air out of the room, and is responsible for a great percentage of the posts here, the fact is that if Obama wins, but the GOP keeps the house and wins the senate, it will be a very hollow victory. A worse nightmare than we've already lived through, since 2010. Far worse. Trumped only by the GOP sweeping the house, the senate and the presidency.
I don't think that's going to happen. I think Obama is going to win, but I'm not sanguine about it, or convinced of it. And I think it's VERY important that we all put as much time and money beneath his wings as we can manage.
But after that, we can do more. And I've been thinking that I'm not seeing any unified or focused fight here to keep the senate, beyond all of our own passions to do. Follow me beneath the fold to discuss and vet this idea.
So my idea is a DKos campaign: Adopt a senator. This would certainly be for those of us who are in fairly safe blue areas, with reps very likely to be re-elected. But also for those who can take on more than a race or two at a time.
I imagine the effort starting with a list of vulnerable democratic senate seats, as well as a list of democratic senatorial candidates running against incumbent republican senators. We put that out, and ask for adopters. The role of adopters would be to give money and time where they can.
Hopefully, we might be able to have a running feature on this, with feed back from adopters telling us what they're doing for their new "baby." I want to note here, that if all anyone could give was a bit of money, that would be great. The idea is not to make the adopter feel weighed down by the responsibility. The idea is to put a chorus of angels behind our vulnerable democratic senators, and our democratic candidates that could do anything from donating, to phone canvassing, to getting to know that district and dropping good links in the appropriate places, or signing relevant petitions. Maybe the most you do as an adopter is show up on line on the pertinent sites and cheer lead. To each their own as to what they can give.
I also wonder if the Dkos could partner with another progressive outlet, such as moveon or the Color of Change, to name just two, in promoting this campaign.
I must be honest to say, I don't have the computer savvy to pull this off on my own, and I don't have the time to do so either. So it would take a community effort, one I'd be glad to join in on in every way I can.
If anyone thinks this idea has merit, I would gladly hand it over to whoever could run it the best. If you think it doesn't have merit, I'm interested in hearing ideas that will better focus this community's fight on the senate races.
Looking forward to your ideas.