Ned Lamont. The guy has it all -- a great job, a great family, a great home, and very cute, if lazy, dog. Yet he tossed that aside for a quixotic run, dumping in millions of his own money in what was really, at first, a statement race. When I first met Lamont I told him that if he played this right, win or lose, he would have an army behind him that would be a force for good in Connecticut and beyond.You know why I liked Lamont, what sold me on him? He had hints of insecurity. In politics, you realize that every politician just about oozes ego. You can smell it across the room. But here was a guy who didn't think the world revolved around him as he plotted the most efficient path to the White House. He was doing this not out of ego but because he believed in the causes he was fighting for. To me, that was refreshing. (Same goes for Tester, btw).
These two paragraphs by Markos (of Daily Kos) describe almost exactly my reaction - and the reaction of my two Democratic activist friends, Josh Chernila and Lee Diamonds - to Jim Webb when we met him back in December 2005. Great life (traveling the world, writing books, being a journalist, making movies). Great family. Great home(s). Etc., etc. "Yet he tossed that aside for a quixotic run..." Yeah, something like that.
In fact, Webb told us back in December 2005 that he loved his life and that he knew a run for US Senate would change it all, perhaps forever. Yet Webb decided, against his own misgivings regarding fundraising, the reception by the Democratic Party to a former Reagan Administration Navy Secretary, and the effect on his family, to run against Senator George "Bush" Allen.
Why? Because Webb looked at his country and saw major problems. Webb looked at Iraq and saw a strategic blunder of the first degree. Webb looked at the Republican Party and saw an extreme rightward drift that troubled him. Webb looked at the US Senate and decided that it would benefit from a fresh set of eyes - HIS eyes - on the problems we face.
A few weeks after our meeting with Jim Webb, we presented him with 1,000 names of people who said - passionately, in many cases - that they supported his candidacy. We also presented him with $40,000 in pledges from those same people to a prospective Jim Webb candidacy. All courtesy of a simple website, www.draftjameswebb.com and a bunch of "crazy" (aka, dedicated, passionate) bloggers/citizen activists. And the story continues, with Webb's Lamont-like, netroots-fueled victory in the Virginia Democratic primary on June 13. (or, should I say Lamont's Webb-like victory in the Connecticut Democratic primary on August 8?).
Anyway, Anyway, now it's time for us to start turning our attention from Connecticut (although we should not ignore it by any means) to Virginia, Montana, and other states with important Senate and House races. Personally, I am focused most heavily on Virginia, and on Jim Webb in particular. I sincerely hope that in coming months, we can count on national netroots support, and Virginia support across the political spectrum, for Jim Webb against GeorgeBushAllen.
By the way, I would argue that the Allen-Webb race, now that Lamont is the Democratic nominee in Connecticut (and it's only a matter of time until Lieberman either pulls out or collapses), along with Jon Tester's, are the two potentially transformative US Senate races this year. Why do I say this?
Because both Webb and Tester represent chances for the Democratic Party to win in "red" parts of the country it's been shut out of in recent years - the Rocky Mountain West and the heart of the South - broadening the party and turning it into a true national party once again. Both Webb and Tester can appeal to working class voters, an extremely important group that has been lured by false Republican promises for too many years.
In addition, both Webb and Tester, I believe it's fair to say, are committed to cleaning up the culture of corruption in Washington DC. Both, I believe it's fair to say, are reformers. Both, I believe it is fair to say, support FAIR trade as opposed to (so-called) "free trade." Both, I believe it's fair to say, believe in government that works for ALL the people, not just the rich and powerful. And both, I believe it's fair to say, believe that President Bush has led us into a quagmire in Iraq (Webb has strongly and vocally opposed the war since 2002 as a major strategic blunder). Both, I believe it's fair to say, strongly support embryonic stem cell research to cure horrible diseases.
I could go on and on, but the main point is this: 2006 politically has so far been the year of Jim Webb, Jon Tester, and Ned Lamont. Now, let's do what we need to do so that all three are sworn in to the U.S. Senate in January 2007. What a celebration THAT will be, after 6 long years of darkness under BushCheneyAllen...
Lowell Feld is Netroots Coordinator for the Jim Webb for US Senate Campaign. The ideas expressed here belong to Lowell Feld alone, and do not necessarily represent those of Jim Webb, his advisors, staff, or supporters.
The more Jeffrey Feldman I read, the more and more I like what he writes. He has an excellent article about why the Lamont victory is so important for American democracy.
It’s not about the war. It’s not about any referendum on President Bush. Please don’t believe the spin that has been accepted by the main stream media.
It’s about participatory politics , the politics of inclusion and participation. Where every American can get involved and have a say in their government. Where the candidate is willing to actually listen to the people he or she plans to represent.
Democracy only works if you are involved. If you are eligible to vote, register to vote now! Find out who is running in your area ( politics1.com can help) and volunteer in a local congressional or senate race. Get your state board of elections to tell you everything that will be on your ballot well ahead of the election day so you have plenty of time to do a little research and make informed choices.