There is a race we can win, and I need your help.
Check my diaries, look at my blog, google me and see the posts I make all the time at places like Soapblox Colorado. I never ask for recommends. I never even put on a freakin' tip jar. I just support good candidates and I like to write.
But you can help me today by clicking that recommend button, and we can make a big difference in one of this year's most important Congressional races. We can win a seat away from the Republicans and we can be recognized for doing it.
In Colorado's 7th district there is a seat that Bob Beauprez (R) won in 2002 by 121 votes out of 173,000 cast. Since that time Kerry took the presidential vote in the district, and registration of Dems is well outpacing the Repubs.
Beauprez has left the seat open to try for Governor and the race is close but incredibly winable.
The front runner for the Democrats is a former State Senator named Ed Perlmutter. He has two primary opponents who might make it on the ballot through petitions, but in a straw poll of my county caucus, Ed took 89% of the vote. He has three times his opponents combined cash on hand, and has every union endorsement that has been given. He also enjoys the support of dozens of national and local community leaders including Sen. John Kerry, Former Senator Gary Hart, 2004 DKos dozen candidate Stan Matsunaka, and far too many others for me to list here. Just check him out on Wikipedia and you will see that he is prepared for the job and popular.
BUT THIS IS THE PART YOU NEED TO READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Earlier this week, while he was winning the endorsement of the AFL-CIO he was also reading "Crashing the Gate".
This is a former President Pro Tem of the Colorado State Senate who talks to me about Talk Left. This is the former co-chair of Colorado for Kerry, and the first time I sat down with him, he was already able to quote my blog. I was there last week when he had his Campaign Director open up a couple of Wednesday nights for him so he can attend Drinking Liberally.
If he wanted to, he might be able to win without us, but he doesn't want to. He wants to win with us and for us. He wants the netroots to matter because he understands that his constituency not only includes the neighbors and friends he has made by spending a lifetime in this district, but also the hard working people that are everywhere in this country.
He wants to create a website that isn't just a billboard where he can put up his message, but a meeting hall where our messages can reach him. He wants to embrace the ideas and input of the web community.
Most of all, he wants to give us a solid win against the Republicans instead of another noble defeat. We are a swing district in a swing state, and he is the front runner. His Republican opponent had Dick Cheney fly out for a fundraiser. Ed Perlmutter wants us to be the answer to that.
Go to ActBlue and make a contribution to Ed's campaign, or if you would like you can contribute to the Colorado 7th general fund, and help all the candidates regardless of who wins the primary.
Hell, if you are one of the few but vocal supporters of one of his opponents go there and make a donation to your candidate, I even set that up for you. But make sure you help me get people to understand how vital and winable this race really is.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, RECOMMEND THIS POST! THIS IS WHY...
Ed wants to meet with me about the netroots this week. I want to be able to point to this thread and show Ed that he is not mistaken in his desire to seek the support of people with ten thousand keyboards rather than just seek the support of the people with four thousand dollars. Show me the Buzz! Lets make our mark on this race.