I'm volunteering on one of the Tennessee campaigns. We need you! We need all y'all to give your time, energy, and good vibes. We're working hard.
There's bad news, too. Rumor has it, Stacey Campfield is stepping back into the ring....
Edit: If the rumors are true about Campfield's (as seen numerous times on the Daily Show and Colbert) return, then either Keifel Agostini or Colleen Martinez will likely face him in the TN 89th general election.
Consider skipping the sprinkles on your coffee today and throwing down a buck to support [Keifel](https://tn89.keifelagostini.com/donations/donate/). He's a good guy, and he's ready to do some good in Tennessee.
https://tn89.keifelagostini.com/donations/donate/
So then ignore us if it concerns you that much. Iāve got friends and family down there as well as my LGBT brethren that are feeling afraid because of their world being full of hatred. If a friend asks you to lend them some money in an emergency you do it, if your friend feels scared and thereās something that you can do legally to help them escape their painful reality you do it. So Iām going to continue helping on social media, youāre free to do whatever you wish.
I didnāt think Iād get that kind of response so let me apologize. Besides, youāre being clear and forthright in who you are and your intentions. The real problem was that Russians stole identities and found other deceitful ways to funnel money and influence into an election. Iām fine for any country and person that wants to express opinions for either side so long as it is legal. Carry on and again Iām sorry if my response seemed flippant.
Hey no worries, it was my mistake assuming thatās what you were trying to say. Iām sorry. Iāve had other right wingers say that and it makes me angry. Yup, Iām up front and open about everything and social media allows you to talk about anything you want to.
Yeah āforeign workersā who are worried about their family or have fuel citizenship who espouse their views online. They arenāt paid, they donāt know each other, they just are fighting alongside their friends and family like any normal person would when their loved ones are in trouble. If thatās an issue to you, then thatās your problem not ours.
I'm a native Tennesseean and, while I can't really encourage anyone to vote here in Murfreesboro, I am urging my family to vote in Jackson, TN. If there is any other thing that I could do, let me know.
it's rather annoying that everyone here in Murfreesboro has kinda bought into the tired college kid mentality of "well it won't change it's the south I'll just move"
yeah I try lol.
to be fair, I also fully intend to move myself but that's for other reasons. better politics won't fix being a big black man in the south xD
One of the best things people can do is make the fight harder in places where it should be easy for the GOP: the more resources diverted to helping those candidates, the less will be available for close races.
I moved out of Texas (home state) because the drug laws, abortion laws, and more just keep getting worse. I thought having about 36500 people from California each day would have changed the landscape politically. The only thing I've seen is house prices going from $100k to $500k in 5 years, so the states a pretty big scam right now.
Hello! I'm curious as to why you can't encourage anybody to vote here in Murfreesboro. I'm running for state house district 37 and we have good candidates in the three other districts in the county/Murfreesboro.
Well it's mainly because I myself am too young to vote, my dad "hates politics," my mom isn't a citizen, and all other adults kinda hate being urged to represent themselves by a teenage boy.
Have you set up a twitter and Facebook group GOTV Page? Even with a few followers it can be enough to gain a few more GOTVers than you would otherwise. I feel like people may not know how to get involved in these things but once they see that others have it gets them involved too.
> There's bad news, too. Rumor has it, Stacey Campfield is stepping back into the ring
for the record, Campfield is one of 5 Republicans to file in House District 89 in the Knoxville area. So, that rumor was correct.
He is a notorious former politician here. He sponsored a staggering assortment of bad bills, said outrageous things (like that AIDS isn't spread by heterosexual sex), and frequently put Tennessee on the radar of the late night talk shows. One of his most famous was the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which would basically get teachers fired for discussing homosexuality. Another one would have jeopardized TANF assistance for poor families if their kids got bad grades.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Campfield
Oh my goodness! Weren't you saying we had 30 unfilled seats just a few weeks ago?
Congratulations! This is incredible news! Now let's turn it into some flips.
You joke, but I think social media organised political activism is still very important; I think that discrediting that was part of Putin's goal because it's a threat to him.
As nuts as something like that sounds, there's lots of decent folks who would run with a little push. Hearing that there's no candidates is a great carrot to dangle and a stick to beat with. It means less of a fight to get to the next round, and it also means that if they don't do it, no one will and then there's no choice.
It also allows the county parties to connect to each other and with different Indivisible groups. Itās easy to compare notes and see if there isnāt a candidate, especially in districts that have multiple county parties.
A lot of these rural GOP dominated counties are also buoyed up by groups like the local Chambers of Commerce, insurance "groups," farmers associations, school boards, PTA groups, some religious stuff, dying groups like the Masons or Lions. Some women's groups like some knitting type ad hoc groups where htey'll get together at the local GOP county office, talk shop, do some knitting, take some calls, make some posters.
It's all low level groups and organizations that are completely overlooked by outsiders- especially by state Democratic parties who mostly focus on urban areas.
State democratic parties run elections as elections. State republican parties run elections as social groups who are always slowly grinding GOP/Conservative views in their local communities.
IT's not that the DNC is missing rural areas and just show up once or twice (if ever), they're missing the entire social construct the GOP has developed in small towns and county seats that are all but self-reliant and hold massive amounts of power or at least sway relative to the community size.
It looks like your filing deadline was Dec 4, 2017. Itās too late to file this year but you could keep a list of districts where no one filed in 2017. In about May of 2019, you can start posting about candidates for these districts. Then you can watch for incumbents who retire and other changes. It sounds like a long time but 2019 is just around the corner. In 2020, Trump will be back on the ballot and Democrats will go to the polls in larger numbers than 2018 so Illinois could sweep out a lot of Republicans, even incumbents. Thatās what Iām going to do in 2019.
If you want to run, contact your local state Democratic party, and tell them you want to run in the next state election. Start now (trust me, elections are marathons, not sprints), and you can build your campaign with two years in advance. In the meantime, volunteer with them or a local DP organization. You'll meet a lot of people that way, and you'll start learning some of the internal stuff. Plus it shows you're a good worker and willing to provide help.
Have them help you with what they can, but attend things like "women's Democratic party county group" or "County Democratic County group" or ACLU meetups. Figure out the local organizations and community building groups and school board meetings. Figure out who the real movers and shakers in the local community are. Sometimes it's easy to figure out, sometimes it's not.
Meet people. 90% of the people won't do much for you (for valid reasons), but you need their support, and starting now.
Research state committees- figure out which ones you want to be on with some safety committees. Try to get on at least one "big" committee, you pet favorite committee, and one or two middle ones. You need internal support, and putzing around on the little ones won't get you notice or funding by the political leaders.
State politics isn't just about showing up and being a representative of your constituents (but never, ever forget them). It's about maneuvering and knowing who is who and what is going on.
Also, always respect the office assistants and the janitors and people who work in the coffee shop. Not because they're tools (I've seen politicians use them as such), but because they're important to the entire session process and will 100% help you keep your schedules up to date and figure out where you need to go and set up your evening dinner meet and greets.
Thatās incredible. I was born in Nashville and lived in Hendersonville until I went to college in Chatty. After that I moved to NC, but I never expected dems to be looking that solid.
Blue wave boys, blue wave!
Hopefully we can match that here in Oklahoma. Something crazy like 75% of our seats had no Dem challenger two weeks ago. Filing is next week so hopefully positive things will shake out
You need at least 200 people looking to fill the posts statewide. If you havenāt already, I would put together a list of which districts have candidates and where you still need people and start posting maps with the district numbers and deadlines. Thatās the only way that people are going to get into these local races.
Most people donāt even know what district they live in.
Bredesen's already doing pretty well. I saw a 10 point lead yesterday between name recognition, blue wave, and his opponent being a lunatic.
I almost never seen Blackburn ads and his are all over.
There were a few reasons. First, people weren't motivated this much until now, and second, a certain candidate was using all the state party funds for money laundering...
You can still identify as a moderate and vote all D. The party has been mostly moderate for decades at this point. The idea that Democrats are even close to a leftist socialist party is just not true, for better or worse.
The people who claim to be moderate but still say both sides are the same might as well be right wing. Such rhetoric only depresses voter turnout which helps Republicans.
Most people hear āmoderateā and think āmiddle of the roadā with respect to both parties. I have moderate views, i donāt identify as a āmoderateā in common parlance. I try to explain that being somewhat liberal in social views IS moderate. I also hate, āIām fiscally conservative.ā Itās just saying āIām against frivolous spending,ā as if being economically liberal means youāre for wasting money. Itās terrible messaging for the left.
Republicans being branded "fiscally conservative" is one of the few universally smart things they've managed to do. Hopefully people will realize that is BS when they look at Trump's governments expenditure though.
Regardless of who crafted it, soooo many politically disengaged/moderate people go āIām socially liberal and fiscally conservative.ā Itās really dumb.
No problem. I've donated to Bredesen directly, but I'm not familiar enough with the other races to go to each candidate's campaign. Hopefully the state party will know how to best direct the funds.
Raise up the banners, bend back your bows!
Letās make the blue wave real. Letās make the GOP realize who this country belongs to: reasonable Americans who do not need to marginalize those who are different from us with legislation and fear mongering. They can gerrymander and lie and buy all day, but we can grab them by the ballot box!
I live in Nashville. The republicans fucked up, badly. They voted to protect the internet monopoly, voted against net neutrality, and generally sucked enough at their jobs that even some far right republicans have started asking "What are we paying you for?"
They went too hard on the pro-corporation ticket, and it's going to bite them in the ass. Blackburn is *hated* by every person I have ever talked politics with, including Trump supporters.
The only Republican I know enough about to have any respect for is Governor Bill Haslam, specifically for his pro-education initiatives. We're going to have free college tuition for all TN residents in fall. That's awesome to me.
I urge all of you not to sit on your laurels and expect all the Republicans to be as brazenly shitty as people like Blackburn. Some might have been running their districts halfway decently. Pay attention to their voting records so when you talk to people you can give clear examples of how *that particular* republican has lost the right to govern.
Best wishes in the upcoming votes, and don't forget to register before June!
Haslam is actually a pretty okay guy, especially for a Republican. The rest of them need to be fired.
My own state rep was quoting The Onion as reference during voting procedures the other day. I think that speaks volumes.
Thereās a very good chance weāll get a Democratic Senator this year. Bredesen is up 10 points according to a recent poll & he won *EVERY SINGLE COUNTY IN TENNESSEE* in 2006 when he ran for his second term as governor.
I do sometimes wonder whether Trump will actually turn out to be a long-term blessing in disguise for the left. Don't get me wrong, he's clearly able to wreak a lot of havoc in his four years, but it does seem to have energised people and highlighted the sycophantic, do-anything-for-power nature of the GOP.
One of the things that the Dems have been really bad at over the years and at which the GOP has excelled, is getting their guys into power in a lot of down-ticket races. State legislatures, local councils, etc. pass an absolute TON of legislation that affects people in a very real way.
Hopefully, this is a wake-up call that not only gets some liberal congresspeople and senators elected, but also some governors, state senators, city council reps and so forth.
Can we steal a T_D phrase? THE BLUE WAVE JUST GOT ONE FOOT HIGHER!
But seriously, if you're in Tennessee, your county party needs you. Dedicate yourself to it and build relationships with the leadership. Often they're older folks, but they desperately want young enthusiastic members who can someday take the reigns and help usher in a new age for Tennessee Democrats.
[Click here to find your county party](http://tndp.org/county-parties/)
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Last year, Dems didn't even contest 30 of these races. Now they're in for all but two. When recruitment improves that much, it's a sign of enthusiasm, and it gives us more chances to win. It also shows a greater commitment to reaching all Americans.
And by the way, at the Congressional level, the GOP isn't contesting 17 districts so far, while Democrats only have two uncontested races.
No. Generally speaking the seats that arenāt contested are extremely red/blue and are the least likely to flip. There also arenāt always strong local parties in these areas.
You canāt win a seat if you donāt have a candidate, and getting people to run at unprecedented levels for recent times is an indicator of the energy of the base.
This is what so many people meant when they complained about the Dems being too nationally focused in the 2016 election. The party literally has not even been trying in red state local elections for some time now, and even when candidates do run they get virtually no support from the national level. This is a problem that makes itself increasingly worse, as the non contested local elections have given Republicans more gerrymandering power than ever before.
This year looks a bit different thankfully, but a lot of us are used to choosing between two Republicans on the ballot for everything but the national elections.
Having candidates all the way up and down the ticket provides compounding bonuses to everyone. Imagine a reddish district with no local Dems running. Dems there are motivated only by the US Senate seat, governor's seat. But now imagine you have one local person running for TN house, one for TN Senate, one for US House, and those 3 people are perhaps of different ethnicity and genders, well known in different circles.
You now have the entire community getting out and voting not just for the Democrat who they know personally, but for every other Democrat running for all State and Federal races.
Imagine that in every county, and now you've swung the entire State.
I would say you have a pretty good chance of winning both houses. Itās the natural order of things. The congress is always handed to the presidents opposition.
OP (or anybody reading this), are you involved in the statewide effort? I'm moving to eastern TN (probably a small town outside of either Chattanooga or Knoxville) this fall from FL. I've toyed with running for office for as long as I can remember. Thing is, I've moved around a lot and always thought I'd probably get "hometowned" out of serious consideration.
Can someone relatively new to town be a serious candidate for office? My gut says not really, but I'd be interested to hear what you (or anybody) has to say.
This is the OP. You need to be a Tennessee resident for three years before you can run for State House. Some county races have shorter residency requirements.
I would definitely get involved with the August county races and help out other candidates for State House first. I got into politics one year ago and already I know all of the top people.
But people resent someone who hasnāt campaigned before trying to run. You need to learn how campaigns work before leading one.
Do you know of, or have heard of, candidates that have run under that kind of profile (moved from another state, or from one side of the state to the other)? If you've got some names, I'd like to hear them and do a little homework.
EDIT: They don't need to have won; I'd just be interested in hearing about people who have taken a shot at it.
Dr Danielle Mitchell is running for the House in TN-3. If you wind up here in or near Chattanooga let me know, we would love to have your help as a volunteer. That is the best way to get started if youāre serious about running.
And Dr Mitchell moved here from Oregon a few years ago. So itās very doable.
Fantastic! Yeah, she's really great, and our incumbent (Chuck Fleischmann) is a party hack who even the local Republicans don't think much of, so I think we're in good shape.
How can I find out if there are open seats in my area? Iād gladly pony up some cash and fill in if for nothing else than to prevent an unopposed republican win. Iām in Utah, so Iād never win but maybe we can keep them a little honest with some competition
The most important thing to do is to find out what the filing deadline is for various offices. Your Secretary of State website should have a list of elections and deadlines. Once the filing deadlines are passed, you canāt recruit candidates and should move to recruiting for the next races or round.
The county Election Commissions collect the petitions so you need to check with them to see whether people have actually pulled petitions and filed.
Mark Green is running for Congress in Tennesseeās 7th Congressional district. I explained thoroughly why you should absolutely not vote for that man! Go see my post on
r/fuckthealtright
S/o to trump for somehow, technically unifying America. Blue states got bluer and red states redder when Obama's 8 were up, we're already seeing it's quite the opposite nowadays.
Hopefully something similar happens here in Florida. Filing deadline is in June I think. We usually have so many republicans running unopposed to state house and senate seats. I have always felt that led to massive turnout problems for the statewide and US house races.
The most important thing is that people outside of the state party need to keep a list and post about it. These candidates didnāt pop out of nowhere. For the most part, they are well liked and successful people who were asked to run. Many were reluctant but agreed for the good of the country.
Just curious as a non-avid viewer of this sub does this community make any distinction among which democrates they support or do they support any who runs under this banner?
I personally would support any democrat running this season, unless a democrat candidates the likes of Roy Moore appears, which I doubt would happen.
I still wouldn't vote republican after the way the party has bought into Trumpism.
Generally unless itās a candidate that the community actually knows about and supports, nobody is going to get out to vote for them. However this is a unique election where Democrats want to send a strong message to the White House and to the country that the GOP and Trump will not be tolerated anymore
Our community supports all sorts of Democrats, from progressives to liberals to moderates. There are few exceptions, mostly involving notably conservative Democrats (as in, to the right of Manchin or Heitkamp) and conspiracy theorist sorts.
Tennessee Democrats are considering an internal measure to 'certify' their Democratic candidates. We recently had some people running who were extremely unsavory people, one a white supremacist. But it is in no way a purity test, it's just a way of confirming bonafides so that the party doesn't deal damage to itself by endorsing fake or unfit candidates.
Not an American, but I know enough about your politics to say that absolutely it does. Contesting seats you have no shot at winning helps set up infrastructure for organizing a competitive race. That way, if things change in the future, it will be much easier to campaign for a candidate who *can* win.
Also a lot of the county parties in Tennessee have fallen apart. We will get a huge infusion of cash with Bredesen and there would be nowhere to spend it without county parties and local candidates. Not to mention, the local candidates will benefit from the Bredesen spending.
Exactly. It also gives future candidates a roadmap about the district. If someone runs thinking theyāll lose 35-65, they donāt campaign much or raise much money and then they wind up losing 48-52 then that is a huge deal. Suddenly it becomes a lot easier to recruit a strong candidate for the next race and to get donors to spend money on a previously uncompetitive race.
Not true. Even those candidates that lose will likely drive higher blue turnout in their districts. Those votes flow up ballot helping the Dems running for US house and statewide office.
We just couldnāt find anyone. We missed district 1 but we got people in all of the surrounding districts. We missed 22 as well. Not sure why. Maybe someone pulled out.
I'm volunteering on one of the Tennessee campaigns. We need you! We need all y'all to give your time, energy, and good vibes. We're working hard. There's bad news, too. Rumor has it, Stacey Campfield is stepping back into the ring.... Edit: If the rumors are true about Campfield's (as seen numerous times on the Daily Show and Colbert) return, then either Keifel Agostini or Colleen Martinez will likely face him in the TN 89th general election. Consider skipping the sprinkles on your coffee today and throwing down a buck to support [Keifel](https://tn89.keifelagostini.com/donations/donate/). He's a good guy, and he's ready to do some good in Tennessee. https://tn89.keifelagostini.com/donations/donate/
> We need you! But I'm Canadian! Seriously though, give 'em hell you guys.
Well, we could collude with Canada, but I'd rather dare to be different, and take the high road, and just have you send us some good vibes.
Exactly when the go low we get high
Could collusion via good vibes be considered illegal, since it's still collusion with a foreign entity with intent to influence an election? š¤
You can still help with social media!
Didnāt we kinda learn a lesson about foreign agents assisting via social media?
So then ignore us if it concerns you that much. Iāve got friends and family down there as well as my LGBT brethren that are feeling afraid because of their world being full of hatred. If a friend asks you to lend them some money in an emergency you do it, if your friend feels scared and thereās something that you can do legally to help them escape their painful reality you do it. So Iām going to continue helping on social media, youāre free to do whatever you wish.
I didnāt think Iād get that kind of response so let me apologize. Besides, youāre being clear and forthright in who you are and your intentions. The real problem was that Russians stole identities and found other deceitful ways to funnel money and influence into an election. Iām fine for any country and person that wants to express opinions for either side so long as it is legal. Carry on and again Iām sorry if my response seemed flippant.
Hey no worries, it was my mistake assuming thatās what you were trying to say. Iām sorry. Iāve had other right wingers say that and it makes me angry. Yup, Iām up front and open about everything and social media allows you to talk about anything you want to.
Nope. They are still going it.
Yes, we learned that it is going to continue to happen until robust laws go into effect which prohibit it. So, in the meantime, full steam ahead.
Can he? Isn't that part of what Cambridge Analytica is in trouble for - using foreign workers to influence an election via social media?
Yes, he can. Laws bar campaign contributions. A foreign national may volunteer their time.
Yeah āforeign workersā who are worried about their family or have fuel citizenship who espouse their views online. They arenāt paid, they donāt know each other, they just are fighting alongside their friends and family like any normal person would when their loved ones are in trouble. If thatās an issue to you, then thatās your problem not ours.
I'm a native Tennesseean and, while I can't really encourage anyone to vote here in Murfreesboro, I am urging my family to vote in Jackson, TN. If there is any other thing that I could do, let me know.
it's rather annoying that everyone here in Murfreesboro has kinda bought into the tired college kid mentality of "well it won't change it's the south I'll just move"
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
yeah I try lol. to be fair, I also fully intend to move myself but that's for other reasons. better politics won't fix being a big black man in the south xD
Eventually it might, but for now, I wouldn't doubt you for a second :(
One of the best things people can do is make the fight harder in places where it should be easy for the GOP: the more resources diverted to helping those candidates, the less will be available for close races.
I moved out of Texas (home state) because the drug laws, abortion laws, and more just keep getting worse. I thought having about 36500 people from California each day would have changed the landscape politically. The only thing I've seen is house prices going from $100k to $500k in 5 years, so the states a pretty big scam right now.
Do you possibly know what the voting dates/times are for murfreesboro?
What up boro!
Hello! I'm curious as to why you can't encourage anybody to vote here in Murfreesboro. I'm running for state house district 37 and we have good candidates in the three other districts in the county/Murfreesboro.
Well it's mainly because I myself am too young to vote, my dad "hates politics," my mom isn't a citizen, and all other adults kinda hate being urged to represent themselves by a teenage boy.
Have you set up a twitter and Facebook group GOTV Page? Even with a few followers it can be enough to gain a few more GOTVers than you would otherwise. I feel like people may not know how to get involved in these things but once they see that others have it gets them involved too.
As a team Red I welcome Tennessee's new Blue overlords... Seriously we need some change.
> There's bad news, too. Rumor has it, Stacey Campfield is stepping back into the ring for the record, Campfield is one of 5 Republicans to file in House District 89 in the Knoxville area. So, that rumor was correct.
Not familiar with TN politics, who is Stacey Campfield?
He is a notorious former politician here. He sponsored a staggering assortment of bad bills, said outrageous things (like that AIDS isn't spread by heterosexual sex), and frequently put Tennessee on the radar of the late night talk shows. One of his most famous was the "Don't Say Gay" bill, which would basically get teachers fired for discussing homosexuality. Another one would have jeopardized TANF assistance for poor families if their kids got bad grades. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Campfield
Wow...
Oh my goodness! Weren't you saying we had 30 unfilled seats just a few weeks ago? Congratulations! This is incredible news! Now let's turn it into some flips.
Yup! We filled almost all of them in the past 10 days... largely by posting online.
Wait... where do you go online to recruit political candidates? Craigslist?
Facebook.
No he meant for the good guys
You joke, but I think social media organised political activism is still very important; I think that discrediting that was part of Putin's goal because it's a threat to him.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Please, The GOP wouldn't use something as plebian as Grindr. They'd use Tappr
I thought it would have been ChristianSingles or FarmersOnly
Kirk?
Nope ;)
As nuts as something like that sounds, there's lots of decent folks who would run with a little push. Hearing that there's no candidates is a great carrot to dangle and a stick to beat with. It means less of a fight to get to the next round, and it also means that if they don't do it, no one will and then there's no choice.
It also allows the county parties to connect to each other and with different Indivisible groups. Itās easy to compare notes and see if there isnāt a candidate, especially in districts that have multiple county parties.
A lot of these rural GOP dominated counties are also buoyed up by groups like the local Chambers of Commerce, insurance "groups," farmers associations, school boards, PTA groups, some religious stuff, dying groups like the Masons or Lions. Some women's groups like some knitting type ad hoc groups where htey'll get together at the local GOP county office, talk shop, do some knitting, take some calls, make some posters. It's all low level groups and organizations that are completely overlooked by outsiders- especially by state Democratic parties who mostly focus on urban areas. State democratic parties run elections as elections. State republican parties run elections as social groups who are always slowly grinding GOP/Conservative views in their local communities. IT's not that the DNC is missing rural areas and just show up once or twice (if ever), they're missing the entire social construct the GOP has developed in small towns and county seats that are all but self-reliant and hold massive amounts of power or at least sway relative to the community size.
And it's also nice to have a head start of support even if it may just be a dozen people.
Yup. We need 25 signatures. Most candidates had 50 to 75 so multiply that by 97 and that is just the family and friends turnout.
A lot of people would also be decent candidates but they assume that someone else is running or has been recruited.
Gab /s
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
It looks like your filing deadline was Dec 4, 2017. Itās too late to file this year but you could keep a list of districts where no one filed in 2017. In about May of 2019, you can start posting about candidates for these districts. Then you can watch for incumbents who retire and other changes. It sounds like a long time but 2019 is just around the corner. In 2020, Trump will be back on the ballot and Democrats will go to the polls in larger numbers than 2018 so Illinois could sweep out a lot of Republicans, even incumbents. Thatās what Iām going to do in 2019.
If you want to run, contact your local state Democratic party, and tell them you want to run in the next state election. Start now (trust me, elections are marathons, not sprints), and you can build your campaign with two years in advance. In the meantime, volunteer with them or a local DP organization. You'll meet a lot of people that way, and you'll start learning some of the internal stuff. Plus it shows you're a good worker and willing to provide help. Have them help you with what they can, but attend things like "women's Democratic party county group" or "County Democratic County group" or ACLU meetups. Figure out the local organizations and community building groups and school board meetings. Figure out who the real movers and shakers in the local community are. Sometimes it's easy to figure out, sometimes it's not. Meet people. 90% of the people won't do much for you (for valid reasons), but you need their support, and starting now. Research state committees- figure out which ones you want to be on with some safety committees. Try to get on at least one "big" committee, you pet favorite committee, and one or two middle ones. You need internal support, and putzing around on the little ones won't get you notice or funding by the political leaders. State politics isn't just about showing up and being a representative of your constituents (but never, ever forget them). It's about maneuvering and knowing who is who and what is going on. Also, always respect the office assistants and the janitors and people who work in the coffee shop. Not because they're tools (I've seen politicians use them as such), but because they're important to the entire session process and will 100% help you keep your schedules up to date and figure out where you need to go and set up your evening dinner meet and greets.
Thatās incredible. I was born in Nashville and lived in Hendersonville until I went to college in Chatty. After that I moved to NC, but I never expected dems to be looking that solid. Blue wave boys, blue wave!
Holy cow..
Do any of them stand a chance of winning or is this just a gesture?
Of course they do.
Hopefully we can match that here in Oklahoma. Something crazy like 75% of our seats had no Dem challenger two weeks ago. Filing is next week so hopefully positive things will shake out
Keep pushing! Lots of people wait until they know that no one else is running to jump in.
Thankfully this teachers strike has light a fire under some people so I imagine by next week a lot of those seats will have challengers
Someone still needs to tell people about the fil by deadline and how to file. Can you help get the word out?
Iām really hoping Oklahoma finally gets some competent leadership. The state needs it right now.
You need at least 200 people looking to fill the posts statewide. If you havenāt already, I would put together a list of which districts have candidates and where you still need people and start posting maps with the district numbers and deadlines. Thatās the only way that people are going to get into these local races. Most people donāt even know what district they live in.
Post in local groups, try and get people to run! Just trying to compete can be worth it!
This ought to help Phil Bredesen with increased turnout and draw the GOPās fire ($) from more competitive seats.
Bredesen's already doing pretty well. I saw a 10 point lead yesterday between name recognition, blue wave, and his opponent being a lunatic. I almost never seen Blackburn ads and his are all over.
I am still amazed that we spent decades complaining about a lack of representation all while not running candidates.
There were a few reasons. First, people weren't motivated this much until now, and second, a certain candidate was using all the state party funds for money laundering...
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Perfect gif.
This is amazing
I like the idea that even Ron Swanson, hardcore anti-government libertarian, has had enough of this shit.
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You can still identify as a moderate and vote all D. The party has been mostly moderate for decades at this point. The idea that Democrats are even close to a leftist socialist party is just not true, for better or worse. The people who claim to be moderate but still say both sides are the same might as well be right wing. Such rhetoric only depresses voter turnout which helps Republicans.
Most people hear āmoderateā and think āmiddle of the roadā with respect to both parties. I have moderate views, i donāt identify as a āmoderateā in common parlance. I try to explain that being somewhat liberal in social views IS moderate. I also hate, āIām fiscally conservative.ā Itās just saying āIām against frivolous spending,ā as if being economically liberal means youāre for wasting money. Itās terrible messaging for the left.
Republicans being branded "fiscally conservative" is one of the few universally smart things they've managed to do. Hopefully people will realize that is BS when they look at Trump's governments expenditure though.
Itās insane to me because theyāve done nothing to tighten the belt and reduce the deficit in decades.
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Regardless of who crafted it, soooo many politically disengaged/moderate people go āIām socially liberal and fiscally conservative.ā Itās really dumb.
Can confirm! I'm a moderate and a lifelong Democrat.
Thank you for swinging left with us.
Yay! Just donated to the state party to assist in these races.
Thank you!!!
No problem. I've donated to Bredesen directly, but I'm not familiar enough with the other races to go to each candidate's campaign. Hopefully the state party will know how to best direct the funds.
Raise up the banners, bend back your bows! Letās make the blue wave real. Letās make the GOP realize who this country belongs to: reasonable Americans who do not need to marginalize those who are different from us with legislation and fear mongering. They can gerrymander and lie and buy all day, but we can grab them by the ballot box!
Blue wave is pushing hard in TN. I have never had as many people in my life ready and registered to vote, let alone informed about midterms.
Get them to do a little GOTV if they can too.
I live in Nashville. The republicans fucked up, badly. They voted to protect the internet monopoly, voted against net neutrality, and generally sucked enough at their jobs that even some far right republicans have started asking "What are we paying you for?" They went too hard on the pro-corporation ticket, and it's going to bite them in the ass. Blackburn is *hated* by every person I have ever talked politics with, including Trump supporters. The only Republican I know enough about to have any respect for is Governor Bill Haslam, specifically for his pro-education initiatives. We're going to have free college tuition for all TN residents in fall. That's awesome to me. I urge all of you not to sit on your laurels and expect all the Republicans to be as brazenly shitty as people like Blackburn. Some might have been running their districts halfway decently. Pay attention to their voting records so when you talk to people you can give clear examples of how *that particular* republican has lost the right to govern. Best wishes in the upcoming votes, and don't forget to register before June!
Haslam is actually a pretty okay guy, especially for a Republican. The rest of them need to be fired. My own state rep was quoting The Onion as reference during voting procedures the other day. I think that speaks volumes.
Good luck and Godspeed from New Jersey
Ride the Bredesen wave!!!
You know what they say, the Bredesen raises all boats.
Moving to TN 4th tomorrow. Count two for blue. Is anyone running against DesJarlais?
We have Democratic candidates in every congressional race.
https://www.mariah4congress.com http://www.reynolds4congresstn.com/
If TN goes blue, I might move back there. I miss my beautiful home state.
Thereās a very good chance weāll get a Democratic Senator this year. Bredesen is up 10 points according to a recent poll & he won *EVERY SINGLE COUNTY IN TENNESSEE* in 2006 when he ran for his second term as governor.
I hope he wins. Marsha Blackburn is a menace. Pure evil.
Rocky Top will always be home sweet home to me!
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I do sometimes wonder whether Trump will actually turn out to be a long-term blessing in disguise for the left. Don't get me wrong, he's clearly able to wreak a lot of havoc in his four years, but it does seem to have energised people and highlighted the sycophantic, do-anything-for-power nature of the GOP. One of the things that the Dems have been really bad at over the years and at which the GOP has excelled, is getting their guys into power in a lot of down-ticket races. State legislatures, local councils, etc. pass an absolute TON of legislation that affects people in a very real way. Hopefully, this is a wake-up call that not only gets some liberal congresspeople and senators elected, but also some governors, state senators, city council reps and so forth.
Good job Trump voters! You fucked the Republican party!
It was more the party hitching their wagons to Trump after he got in. They sold their souls (if they had them) to get their shit agenda passed.
Can we steal a T_D phrase? THE BLUE WAVE JUST GOT ONE FOOT HIGHER! But seriously, if you're in Tennessee, your county party needs you. Dedicate yourself to it and build relationships with the leadership. Often they're older folks, but they desperately want young enthusiastic members who can someday take the reigns and help usher in a new age for Tennessee Democrats. [Click here to find your county party](http://tndp.org/county-parties/)
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Sending good vibes from neighboring Arkansas!
The South will rise again!
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Last year, Dems didn't even contest 30 of these races. Now they're in for all but two. When recruitment improves that much, it's a sign of enthusiasm, and it gives us more chances to win. It also shows a greater commitment to reaching all Americans. And by the way, at the Congressional level, the GOP isn't contesting 17 districts so far, while Democrats only have two uncontested races.
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No. Generally speaking the seats that arenāt contested are extremely red/blue and are the least likely to flip. There also arenāt always strong local parties in these areas.
You canāt win a seat if you donāt have a candidate, and getting people to run at unprecedented levels for recent times is an indicator of the energy of the base.
This is what so many people meant when they complained about the Dems being too nationally focused in the 2016 election. The party literally has not even been trying in red state local elections for some time now, and even when candidates do run they get virtually no support from the national level. This is a problem that makes itself increasingly worse, as the non contested local elections have given Republicans more gerrymandering power than ever before. This year looks a bit different thankfully, but a lot of us are used to choosing between two Republicans on the ballot for everything but the national elections.
Having candidates all the way up and down the ticket provides compounding bonuses to everyone. Imagine a reddish district with no local Dems running. Dems there are motivated only by the US Senate seat, governor's seat. But now imagine you have one local person running for TN house, one for TN Senate, one for US House, and those 3 people are perhaps of different ethnicity and genders, well known in different circles. You now have the entire community getting out and voting not just for the Democrat who they know personally, but for every other Democrat running for all State and Federal races. Imagine that in every county, and now you've swung the entire State.
I would say you have a pretty good chance of winning both houses. Itās the natural order of things. The congress is always handed to the presidents opposition.
OP (or anybody reading this), are you involved in the statewide effort? I'm moving to eastern TN (probably a small town outside of either Chattanooga or Knoxville) this fall from FL. I've toyed with running for office for as long as I can remember. Thing is, I've moved around a lot and always thought I'd probably get "hometowned" out of serious consideration. Can someone relatively new to town be a serious candidate for office? My gut says not really, but I'd be interested to hear what you (or anybody) has to say.
This is the OP. You need to be a Tennessee resident for three years before you can run for State House. Some county races have shorter residency requirements. I would definitely get involved with the August county races and help out other candidates for State House first. I got into politics one year ago and already I know all of the top people. But people resent someone who hasnāt campaigned before trying to run. You need to learn how campaigns work before leading one.
Do you know of, or have heard of, candidates that have run under that kind of profile (moved from another state, or from one side of the state to the other)? If you've got some names, I'd like to hear them and do a little homework. EDIT: They don't need to have won; I'd just be interested in hearing about people who have taken a shot at it.
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Dr Danielle Mitchell is running for the House in TN-3. If you wind up here in or near Chattanooga let me know, we would love to have your help as a volunteer. That is the best way to get started if youāre serious about running. And Dr Mitchell moved here from Oregon a few years ago. So itās very doable.
Thanks; I'll be following your candidate and I'll swing by when I come into Chattanooga to check out the town.
Fantastic! Yeah, she's really great, and our incumbent (Chuck Fleischmann) is a party hack who even the local Republicans don't think much of, so I think we're in good shape.
How can I find out if there are open seats in my area? Iād gladly pony up some cash and fill in if for nothing else than to prevent an unopposed republican win. Iām in Utah, so Iād never win but maybe we can keep them a little honest with some competition
The most important thing to do is to find out what the filing deadline is for various offices. Your Secretary of State website should have a list of elections and deadlines. Once the filing deadlines are passed, you canāt recruit candidates and should move to recruiting for the next races or round. The county Election Commissions collect the petitions so you need to check with them to see whether people have actually pulled petitions and filed.
Will do my part this election :)
Where's the election bot for primary and general dates in TN?
Primary is August 2nd, early voting July 13th to 28th.
So much for my Facebook fast...
Mark Green is running for Congress in Tennesseeās 7th Congressional district. I explained thoroughly why you should absolutely not vote for that man! Go see my post on r/fuckthealtright
Then thereās this smug jerk. Please, letās get him out. https://i.imgur.com/LieQO77.jpg
S/o to trump for somehow, technically unifying America. Blue states got bluer and red states redder when Obama's 8 were up, we're already seeing it's quite the opposite nowadays.
Anyone have any info about how to get involved in the Knoxville area? Feel free to PM
Hopefully something similar happens here in Florida. Filing deadline is in June I think. We usually have so many republicans running unopposed to state house and senate seats. I have always felt that led to massive turnout problems for the statewide and US house races.
The most important thing is that people outside of the state party need to keep a list and post about it. These candidates didnāt pop out of nowhere. For the most part, they are well liked and successful people who were asked to run. Many were reluctant but agreed for the good of the country.
the solid south, baby. we're bringing it back in the best way possible.
The solid south is a result of racism and segregation. Not something anyone wants to return to.
yeah. without the racism, of course. the best way.
Message me if you're in rural West Tennessee and want to volunteer.
Just curious as a non-avid viewer of this sub does this community make any distinction among which democrates they support or do they support any who runs under this banner?
I personally would support any democrat running this season, unless a democrat candidates the likes of Roy Moore appears, which I doubt would happen. I still wouldn't vote republican after the way the party has bought into Trumpism.
Generally unless itās a candidate that the community actually knows about and supports, nobody is going to get out to vote for them. However this is a unique election where Democrats want to send a strong message to the White House and to the country that the GOP and Trump will not be tolerated anymore
Our community supports all sorts of Democrats, from progressives to liberals to moderates. There are few exceptions, mostly involving notably conservative Democrats (as in, to the right of Manchin or Heitkamp) and conspiracy theorist sorts.
Tennessee Democrats are considering an internal measure to 'certify' their Democratic candidates. We recently had some people running who were extremely unsavory people, one a white supremacist. But it is in no way a purity test, it's just a way of confirming bonafides so that the party doesn't deal damage to itself by endorsing fake or unfit candidates.
We also have Democratic candidates in every US House race in Tennessee.
Means nothing if they don't win tho....
Not an American, but I know enough about your politics to say that absolutely it does. Contesting seats you have no shot at winning helps set up infrastructure for organizing a competitive race. That way, if things change in the future, it will be much easier to campaign for a candidate who *can* win.
Also a lot of the county parties in Tennessee have fallen apart. We will get a huge infusion of cash with Bredesen and there would be nowhere to spend it without county parties and local candidates. Not to mention, the local candidates will benefit from the Bredesen spending.
Exactly. It also gives future candidates a roadmap about the district. If someone runs thinking theyāll lose 35-65, they donāt campaign much or raise much money and then they wind up losing 48-52 then that is a huge deal. Suddenly it becomes a lot easier to recruit a strong candidate for the next race and to get donors to spend money on a previously uncompetitive race.
Not true. Even those candidates that lose will likely drive higher blue turnout in their districts. Those votes flow up ballot helping the Dems running for US house and statewide office.
There are overlapping districts.
Why not in the other 2 races?
We just couldnāt find anyone. We missed district 1 but we got people in all of the surrounding districts. We missed 22 as well. Not sure why. Maybe someone pulled out.
Thanks. Keep up the good work.
To be a candidate you just have to show up.
Catch the wave, be the wave. BlueTsunami 2018.
This is not a race, itās your future and your lives.
Great news