Where is Jim Webb right now? Besides recovering from his hand surgery, he's working his butt off - along with advisors like Steve Jarding and Dave "Mudcat" Saunders of Mark Warner 2001 fame - getting a super campaign team in place, laying the groundwork for what is going to be a methodical, powerful, and victorious run for the U.S. Senate against George Allen. Unfortunately for those of us who like things done yesterday and have the patience of a gnat in heat, this stuff takes a bit of time, but I can definitely say that the Webb team is making rapid progress. Meanwhile - and even after the professional campaign is up and running - the grassroots needs to step up the plate if it wants James Webb to be its next senator. Here's what we need to do:
1) Petitions, Petitions, and more Petitions.
We need 10,000 notarized signatures statewide, including 400 from each Congressional District in Virginia. Keep in mind that the deadline for U.S. Senate candidates to file petitions is April
14 at 5 PM. That means we've now got 54 days left. That's 185 signatures per day, but we need more. So let's get cranking. If you want to help, go to the Yahoo group and sign in, or e-mail me at lowell@raisingkaine.com
2) Money, Money, Money, Money. Money!
Let's just put it this way: Harris Miller is wealthy enough to provide $100 matching donation for every $200 he receives. George Allen has over $6 million on hand. James Webb is just getting going. 'Nuff said.
3) Volunteers for Webb!
Webb's off to a late start, no doubt. In large part, that's because he's NOT A TYPICAL POLITICIAN. In fact, Webb was perfectly happy with his life outside of politics - what a concept in the DC area! - until a bunch of obsessed grassroots stalkers...er, activists...came along and "drafted" him. Damn grassroots activists. Ha ha. Anyway, as far as I'm concerned, Webb needs an Army - or should I say, Navy - of volunteers. From all over Virginia. Let's show certain parts of the Democratic Party (Chuck Schumer) that it's OUR PARTY TOO. Let's get organized and cranking for James Webb, an American Hero and not a product of the usual "machine politics" system. Let's show the DSCC that they can't do to us in Virginia what they did to Paul Hackett in Ohio. We want James Webb as our nominee, and doggone it, we're gonna make it happen if it's the last thing we do!
Two recent campaigns to keep in mind, both of which ultimately lost to the "machine": Howard Dean and Wesley Clark. In both cases, the "grassroots" energy was incredible. The Yahoo groups proliferated, as did the "MeetUps." In both cases, that energy brought the candidates to the threshold of victory, before the candidates themselves stumbled and the party "machine" kicked in (no offense to Kerry, but that's what happened in Iowa, as far as I can determine). In both cases, however, I would argue that the groundwork was laid for a different type of politics and a different type of campaigning - one where the "top down" meets the "bottom up" in an atmosphere of mutual cooperation, respect, and synergy. Imagine if we could combine the best of both worlds? The chance exists this year, right here in Virginia with James Webb. I say, "let's do it!" What do we have to lose?
Anyway, come join the Yahoo group, check out the Draft site, and also the official Webb for Senate site. Contact the campaign at contact@webbforsenate.com, or feel free to contact me at lowell@raisingkaine.com. Or, just join the Yahoo group. See ya there!
Thanks.
[UPDATE: Tomorrow (Monday), several Webb supporters will be walking in the Alexandria President's Day parade and also collecting petition signatures. Please come and join us! We'll be meeting at Noon on Market Square, 301 King St. For more information and to help us with a head count, please email the DraftJamesWebb team at events@draftjameswebb.com.]