As we head in to the '05 election season, I'd like to offer a personal challenge to the Democrats who read, post, and contribute to raisingkaine.com:This Week, Get Involved and Bring a Friend.
Arlington County ? 45.31% (68.21% Warner)
Alexandria City ? 42.28% (68.27% Warner)
Hampton City ? 44.54% (63.68% Warner)
Norfolk City ? 42.20% (65.24% Warner)
Richmond City ? 49.81% (73.26% Warner)
In a race currently polling within the margin of error, pushing up Democratic turnout by as little as 20,000-40,000 votes could be the margin of victory. An additional 20,000 votes could mean an additional 1% in the final tally. There may be as many as 65,000 registered voters in danger of not voting this year in Arlington county alone.
What does that mean? It means that turning out the vote in urban areas like Arlington, Norfolk, or Richmond could have an enormous effect on the election.
There's a lot that you can do to move this election in the right direction. The most important is getting involved and recruiting others.
If you have yet to contact Tim Kaine's campaign, do it today.
Also, consider getting involved in a local state delegate campaign. There are some amazing candidates out there today, like Earnie Porta, Bruce Roemmelt, and Greg Werkheiser.
Most importantly, get involved, then recruit someone who is likely to be even more active than yourself. Think about it. Is there someone who you know who would take time to canvas, phone bank, write a letter to the editor, blog, show a bumpersticker, or give money to Democratic candidates this year? You probably have one or more friends who would love to step up and take stewardship. The person you're thinking of may be interested, but just not know what to do.
This week, get involved and get a friend involved. Next week, both of you recruit one more friend.
Momemtum is on our side this year. Take the time to capitalize on it.
Get involved and bring a friend.