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March 24, 2008
Dailykos + Marta Jorgensen ( CA 24 )
It is widely accepted conventional wisdom that Rep. Elton Gallegly is still the heavy favorite but he is drawing more potential challengers. On the right he has Michael Tenenbaum and on the left he has Mary Pallant, Marta Jorgensen, and Jill Martinez all running for the nomination to take him on.
Marta Jorgensen's campaign is organizing online, including at the popular liberal blog dailykos.com. You can read all of the campaigns entries by clicking here.
What innovative strategies, if any, do you think could make the difference for any of the campaigns that want to take on Elton Gallegly?
Do you think online organizing can shake up the dynamics of these campaigns?
I think if any candidate made a serious investment in organizing the local netroots it would pay off in worthwhile investments. But you can't go and ask a group to do what you should have been doing yourself.
I have no illusion that the average voter will ever read this blog on a regular schedule. But many reporters do. If you can't hold the attention of people that read local political blogs than the argument that your campaign is worthy of a print edition is diminished.
What strategies would you give a candidate trying to take on a long term incumbent?
Which candidate has the best chance of giving Elton Gallegly a real contest?
Here is a new idea from Marta Jorgensen that she e-mailed to me:
Hey Ventura County, Here’s A New Slogan
There’s all this talk about Republicans being good at framing an issue to make it sell.
Here’s what I think…the Republicans for many years have slapped Democrats in the face with the phrase, “Tax and spend.”
We can now return the favor. It is our turn to chastise, to reprobate, the Republicans. The history of this country that the Republicans have handed us, the laws they have created in the name of fighting terrorism, and the war that we have had to endure brought to us under false pretenses, has earned them a new phrase. Listen up. Your history has earned you a new mantra. Here it is. “War and waste.” This also gets back to the Money Stupid theme.
To the demand for more money for war, we answer, “War and waste.”
To the demand for more laws that monitor our lives with government intrusion and the cost of money for more bureaucracies, and at the cost of individual freedom, we answer, “War and waste.”
To the president who demands an imperial presence that negates Congress and violates human dignity, we answer, “War and waste.”
To the demand for more lives of our sons and daughter to fight a war that people, even veterans, want to end, we answer, “War and waste.”
“War and waste” has been the behavior of the Republican Party. We now throw this phrase in their face. To those who think we are too strong in our declaration, I say, “Offend the offensive.”
Let us not think that we can meet aggression in our lives or against our land with a prayer and a cupcake. But how strong can we be if the treasury is empty?
How can we negotiate from strength if the funding for this war comes from banks and countries across the sea? How can we guarantee unbiased negotiations for the best interests of our workers and our economy if we sit across the table from the representatives of a country to whom we owe a great financial debt? I could go on…
Marta Jorgensen
www.Jorgensenforcongress.com,
Bringing Representation To The People, Not The Powerful…
Give us your slogans and we’ll post them on our blog at Daily Kos.
Comments
Marta, just like River said... I'm not in your district, but I will phonebank for you.
Looks like Elton's biggest contributors are healthcare PACs, Real Estate individuals and Lobbyists. And his wife is on his payroll.
Elton is rabidly anti-environmental, he voted NO on stem cell research and he supports the old "oil regime boys and their elitist network." The "Green" jobs and tomorrow's business environment can't be happy with his knee-jerk shutdown of our future. And he seems to be against any innovation or future goods to come from research in healthcare and such things.
And, another big one... Elton voted YES to make the Patriot Act permanent.
Hey Bronte and River,
Thanks for the offer. We will do that.
Posted by: Jorgensen For Congress at April 1, 2008 11:13 PMMarta, I have watched you for almost a year now grow in your passion to take on the Establishment. I agree "WAR and WASTE" do seem to be a part of this Administration. I cannot believe that we have had companies that protect our ports sell their companies to countries that we would find the need to be most secure against.
One of the most important issues is Clean Money and Fair Money. We do not want candidates that have been bought by big business. Go to the people - ask for small contributions. Tell them that you want to represent them - not big business.
Yes - we are selling our debt to the Chinese. We are weakening our dollar. We have already lost the faith that many nations had with us because we went to Iraq without just cause. We will pay the price for that mistake of this Administration for generations to come. All of the good that we had as a result of the FDR presidency has been wiped out by the two Bush presidencies. Programs like Social Security will be bankrupt not because of the Democratic programs such as healthcare and education, but because of "Bush's War."
I would like you to share your views on the environment. I know that you were passionate in the fight to get Al Gore on the ballot in California - why was that important to you? I also know that you are extremely well organized, and that you have the ability to work well with others. Yet in turn, you are independent and can think on your own.
The biggest issue to me down here is the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). This issue affects the public health of many residents, and it affects the environment itself. I have not seen much noise by Gallegly on this topic even though the lab is in his area. I have seen more knowledge about the site from Brad Sherman and Henry Waxman. If I was in your position, I would discuss the SSFL with these Congressmen and their staff. I would also make an effort to get to know all of the Congressional representatives that you can to gain their support.
Posted by: Chris at April 1, 2008 11:15 PMHi my name is Abby Johansen and I have been a friend of Marta Jorgensen for 11 years. I think she would be a great Congresswoman. I too will phonebank.
Posted by: Abby Johansen at April 1, 2008 11:23 PMWhen is the last time she has been to Simi Valley? There are more than 100,000 people in Simi Valley and more than 100,000 in Thousand Oaks. To win a Democrat must make progress with voters in these areas. Has she done anything out here yet?
Posted by: Simi Valley at April 2, 2008 12:46 AMEnd the war and bring back prosperity and a Government that is a real Represenitive of the people of California, Elect Jorginson for Congress.
Marta has the ideas to stop the war, improve or economey and bring back the Constituion of the United states. She will stop the waste of tax payers money and vote on legislation to solve the envirometal issues facing our nation.
With Marta in Congress we will have someone who will fight for the common working man and not big business. I hope that the People of California will take a good look at her issues and where she stands. She will be a great Congressman.
Posted by: James Tate at April 2, 2008 03:23 AMMarta would be a terrific legislator and a far more impressive and responsible one than Elton Gallegly. I sincerely hope that the voters of her district give her a chance to serve - they wont be disappointed.
Posted by: Jim at April 2, 2008 09:05 AMAs the Council Coordinator for MoveOn's Santa Barbara Operation Democracy Council, I have had the pleasure of working with this dedicated, progressive woman for several years. I have always been able to count on Marta to step up and fulfill any commitment she has made to me and all the great causes that we both hold dear (Health Care for All, Peace, Clean Energy, job creation, Education). She is intelligent, fully informed on the issues, and totally committed to working for the people she will represent.
I am proud to recommend her to anyone as a true choice we need to see in Congress. Marta, I will be happy to man the phone banks for you. You Go, Girl! Your slogan is PERFECT: War & Waste, War & Waste, War & Waste! Over and over and over again! We have to take back our country!
Peace, Progress, Courage & Compassion,
Lois
You have it right in your post... "Marta Jorgensen, an end to War and Waste in Congress"
Good luck, Marta. I hope you make it. You sound like you'd be an excellent representative.
As to what innovative tactics you might use: make it possible for people, on DailyKos and otherwise, to phonebank for you from their homes. I live in Washington state and will be happy to do it, as I plan to do for our more local candidate Darcy Burner. I am not in her district, and live too far away to do any doorbelling or go to a phonebank, but I have a phone and will phonebank from home.
Posted by: River at April 1, 2008 01:21 PM