All Volunteer Webb Army Blows Past 14,000 Signatures

By: Lowell
Published On: 4/14/2006 8:30:58 AM

Unlike the Harris Miller petition signature effort, the Jim Webb for Senate signature drive was run almost exclusively by the "grassroots."  Amazing people like Mary Detweiler in the 8th congressional district (CD), for instance, who coordinated the collection of nearly 4,000 signatures from that CD alone!  All for Z-E-R-O money, not $1.50 per signature or whatever the Miller signature collection people were being paid. 

All in all, it looks like Webb's all-volunteer army will end up with well more than 14,000 signatures statewide, far above the required 10,000 required, including strong totals in every CD.  It will be interesting to see what Miller's paid mercenaries (I hear that at least some of the Miller signature collection was being done by people who actually support Webb, but simply needed the money) come up with.

Congratulations once again. to the "people powered" Webb campaign, which started with a "draft" and has now grown to hundreds of volunteers - all ages, all walks of life - across Virginia.  Very impressive.

[UPDATE: Campaign manager Jessica Vanden Berg says:

We collected these signatures utilizing only the hard work of our 170 dedicated volunteers and supporters who are in every nook and cranny of this great state. Our grassroots organization is second to none.  The amount of support and enthusiasm of the volunteers is simply amazing.  To gather this many signatures, especially after announcing his candidacy just over a month ago, may be unheard of in Virginia.  These committed grassroots organizers and the people who drafted Jim into the race are truly the heart and soul of this campaign. And I commend their efforts.

Comments



Wow (Brian - 4/14/2006 8:44:41 AM)
Way to go Mary [and Webb]!!!! :)


I thought we were a "Corps" now (JC - 4/14/2006 9:15:28 AM)
Kaine Army ---->  Webb Corps

Kaine built better than he knew: we are mostly veterans of Kaine's campaign and now we've put that expertise to work for someone else we belive in.  Well-trained, experienced volunteers will always crush ill-informed unmotivated mercenaries.



Don't forget Wes Clark's groundtroops... (Lowell - 4/14/2006 9:32:28 AM)
there are lots of us in this Corps, Army, or whatever we are. :)


We demand more! (Nichole - 4/14/2006 11:25:44 AM)
There are a lot of us and we grow larger and STRONGER every minute of everyday!


Awesome!! (summercat - 4/14/2006 10:06:48 AM)
Clarkies and Kainiacs alike--what a super job!  Maybe Harris will take a hint--ya think??


This is how we will take back our country (Rebecca - 4/14/2006 10:31:34 AM)
This is how we can free good candidates from being shackled to big money. If they can get the job done by grassroots volunteers the endorsement of the grassroots will become something that is sought after by any candidate who wants to win.


Awesome! (Arturo - 4/14/2006 10:32:26 AM)


Webb Corps (Alicia - 4/14/2006 10:47:56 AM)
Congratulations!!  Way to go!


:) (Nichole - 4/14/2006 11:17:19 AM)
It was an awesome experience.
I met so many wonderful people during the process...

Thank you to everyone who pitched in.
This is truly a wonderful day for us all.

We are now an ARMY of WEBBERS.
Or something along those lines.



Mary has been a signature machine this entire time (Corey - 4/14/2006 11:23:48 AM)
It was amazing to have the literally hundreds of volunteers on the ground collecting signatures - all in about a month.

Definition

Volunteer: Unpaid and willing to work a ridiculous amount of hours for our cause.



great job, Mary :) (Hugo Estrada - 4/14/2006 12:55:13 PM)
You helped collect about a third of total signatures. That is amazing. You got to write a how-two document to share your experience with everyone else :)


Sean at VB Dems (DemTilDeath - 4/14/2006 2:59:31 PM)
Sean at VBDems has just announced that Miller has filed today.  So there will definitely be two candidates on the ballot in June.


I hear they're sending Miller's petitions... (Lowell - 4/14/2006 3:24:12 PM)
to India to be counted and verified.  Word is that it will be taken care of much more efficiently and at far lower cost than the Democratic Party of Virginia could ever do. :)