Western Democrat

Jeff Bingaman Endorses Barack Obama

New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman has endorsed Senator Barack Obama. In his endorsement, Senator Bingaman said:

Our nation faces a daunting number of critical challenges: reasserting America’s leadership in the world, meeting our needs for energy independence, addressing global warming, making healthcare accessible and affordable, positioning our economy to effectively compete globally, and extricating ourselves from the war in Iraq, to name a few.

To make progress, we must rise above the partisanship and the issues that divide us to find common ground. We must move the country in a dramatically new direction.

I strongly believe Barack Obama is best positioned to lead the nation in that new direction.

With this endorsement, Senator Obama is now a more popular choice among his Democratic Senate colleagues than Senator Clinton by the narrow margin of 14 to 13.

Leo Brown | April 28, 2008 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Jeff Bingaman Endorses Barack Obama | TrackBack (0) New Mexico, Presidential Politics, Senators

Meanwhile back at the ranch: Senate Edition

Seven of the thirteen Western states have Senators up for election this year: Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The Republicans are defending six of these seven Senate seats. Montana’s Max Baucus is the sole defending Democratic incumbent in the group, and his seat is considered safe. Colorado, Idaho, and New Mexico will be open seats, and Wyoming will have both their Senators up for re-election, due to the death of Senator Craig Thomas in 2007.

Colorado and New Mexico look like the best opportunities for Democratic pick ups, and both states are considered swing states in the 2008 presidential contest. Our candidates, Mark Udall in Colorado and Tom Udall in New Mexico, are cousins from the long prominent Udall family.

Larry LaRocco is our Western Democrat running for Idaho’s Senate seat to replace the retiring and embarrassing Larry Craig. It would be great if red-state Idaho could turn purple.

The remaining campaigns are still shaping up. The contests in Alaska and Oregon could be particularly interesting. Senator Stevens (R-Bridge to Nowhere) is the poster child for pork gone wild and an opponent of transparency in government. The Iraq War puts Oregon’s Gordon Smith in a bind. He voted for the war and has been a Bush enabler. Yet he has broken with the Bush administration on the war, and hence will be at odds with Senator McCain on that issue.

Leo Brown | April 8, 2008 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Meanwhile back at the ranch: Senate Edition | TrackBack (0) Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Republicans, Senators

Meet the Udalls

Outside magazine has a great profile on cousins Tom and Mark Udall. Go read it and learn more about one of the great Western Democratic families.

While you're at it, please give Tom and Mark Udall some of your spare change, to assist their campaigns to bring more and better Democrats to the Senate (and more and better Udalls).

Click here to contribute to Tom Udall's campaign to take back Pete Domenici's seat in New Mexico.

Click here to contribute to Mark Udall's campaign to turn Colorado bluer than it already is.

kencamp | March 10, 2008 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Meet the Udalls | TrackBack (0) Arizona, Colorado, Congress, New Mexico

Best in the West

From the beginning of Western Democrat, it was recognized that the West offered the Democratic Party a way out of a recurring pattern of electoral defeat.

The primary season reaches another critical junction this Tuesday. Democrats looking to win in November would do well to visit 270toWin.com and look at the state polls. Poll numbers can be fickle things, but the overall impression is clear: Barack Obama would run much better in the West than Hillary Clinton. The margin is, in fact, the difference between victory and defeat in November.

Consider six states in the West. The first three were won by Kerry, and are must wins in 2008. The second three were lost my Kerry, but would have put him in the White House had he won all three.

The first three are California, Oregon, and Washington. According to recent state polls, Obama would win California by 27%, Oregon by 1% and Washington by 17%. Hillary would win California by 19%, lose Oregon by 3%, and tie in Washington.

The second three are Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada. Obama would will all three by 7%, tie to 15% (two polls), and 12%, respectively. Hillary would lose Colorado by 14% and lose in Nevada by 9% (no recent poll from this source for New Mexico).

Leo Brown | March 2, 2008 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Best in the West | TrackBack (0) California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Presidential Politics, The Big Strategy, Washington

Stunning turnout throughout the West

In a release, the DNC points out that turnout on Super Tuesday was stunningly high throughout the West -- which bodes well for the general election.

• In Colorado, Democrats saw twice the number of caucus-goers as Republicans—119,184 to 55,845. Yesterday’s turnout was eight times higher than that of turnout from 2004 when only 15,000 participated. [Denver Post, 2/6/08]

• In Idaho, 21,224 people caucused for Democrats, far exceeding anyone’s expectations, and forcing officials to print more ballots. [AP, 2/5/08; cnn.com, 2/6/08]

• In Arizona, 368,828 people turned out for Democrats, far exceeding the record of 239,000. [cnn.com, 2/6/08]

• In New Mexico, more than 152,000 ballots were cast, far surpassing the 2004 number of 104,000 in 2004.

• And in Utah, 122,617 people came out for Democrats, far exceeding the 33,839 who participated in the 2004 primary. [cnn.com]

It's going to be a good year.

Kari Chisholm | February 6, 2008 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Stunning turnout throughout the West | TrackBack (0) Arizona, Colorado, Demographics, DNC, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah

NM Sen. - Udall Outraises Both GOP Contenders in 4th Quarter

It's beginning to be a sign of the times for beleaguered GOP candidates: poor fundraising numbers as compared to their Democratic party counterparts.  The race for the New Mexico Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici is no exception, where Congressman Tom Udall outraised the combined totals of his GOP challengers in the 4th quarter of 2007.

Heath Haussamen has the scoop.

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall raised more than $1 million for his Senate bid during the fourth quarter of 2007, beating the combined total raised by the two leading Republicans in the race, U.S. Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson.

Udall, the Democratic frontrunner, raised just over $1 million and spent about $118,000 during the quarter, and began 2008 with more than $1.7 million in the bank.

What's more impressive is that Tom Udall didn't raise money during the entire quarter, but only from about Thanksgiving on. As for his opponents:

Wilson came in second in fundraising for the quarter, raising just under $517,000. She spent just under $194,000 and begins 2008 with almost $1.1 million in the bank.

[...]

Pearce reported raising just under $426,000 for the quarter, spending just under $206,000 and having almost $820,000 on hand.

So let's get the 1st quarter of 2008 started off right, and show the powers that be that the netroots are solidly behind Tom Udall. Let's put this United States Senate seat back in the hands of a progressive Democrat.

Please visit Tom Udall's website and consider giving him some of your spare change. Because when we have a Democrat in the White House, he or she will need another Democratic Senator in New Mexico.

kencamp | January 31, 2008 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: NM Sen. - Udall Outraises Both GOP Contenders in 4th Quarter | TrackBack (0) New Mexico, Senators

NM-Sen. Chavez Drops Out

Daily Kos is reporting that Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez has decided to call it quits in his race against Congressman Tom Udall to replace retiring New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici.

From multiple sources, I'm told Chavez called Udall this afternoon to say he'd be dropping out tonight, announcement expected at 8 p.m. ET.

This announcement clears the Democratic field for Tom Udall, assuring that without a primary opponent he will be armed and loaded for a general election where he holds significant leads on both of his potential Republican opponents.

Update: Marty Chavez has announced that he is withdrawing from the race, and throwing his support to Tom Udall. Here is the full text of Mayor Marty's message:

Thank You For Your Support

Today I am announcing that I will not seek the seat for U.S. Senate.

Traveling my home state over the past several weeks, I have been honored to spend time with my fellow New Mexicans to talk about the issues and challenges facing our state.

While I deeply appreciate all the support I have received, it has become very clear to me that Democrats should not be divided in the upcoming election.  It is crucial to the future of New Mexico and this country that a Democrat become the next U.S. Senator.  A hotly contested primary, as this one certainly could be, would likely dramatically weaken the Democratic nominee and place the general election in jeopardy.

It is far more critical to end the war in Iraq, reform our broken healthcare system, and provide educational opportunities to our youth to empower them to participate in a worldwide economy.

The war in Iraq was a mistake from the very beginning -- one of the greatest foreign policy blunders our country has ever seen. Our brave men and women in uniform have served honorably.  They've done everything they've been asked to do, and they've done it superbly. Now it's time to honor them by ending the war and bringing them home.

Congress has a critical role to play. Unfortunately, Republicans in the House and Senate have stymied Democratic efforts to set benchmarks and timetables to begin a phased redeployment of our troops and start bringing them home.  That's unacceptable.  That's why we need to expand our Democratic majorities, especially achieving a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, to end this war.

To that end, I pledge my full support for Tom Udall for U.S. Senate, and I encourage all New Mexicans to support Tom as well.  I hope you will visit Tom’s website at www.udallforusall.com and sign up to join his campaign.

I will work tirelessly to help Democrats get elected throughout our great State of New Mexico and our Nation.  As Mayor, I have many new, exciting programs that I want to bring to fruition. I want to spend my remaining time in the Mayor's office being the very best mayor possible for all of the citizens of my home town.

Thank you so much for your continued friendship and support.

Sincerely,

 

Marty Chavez

A clarification to this post: Tom Udall does have an opponent for the Democratic primary - alternative media publisher Leland Lehrman, who is considered a longshot. So while the field isn't clear for Udall, his path to the general election is basically clear.

kencamp | December 7, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: NM-Sen. Chavez Drops Out | TrackBack (0) New Mexico, Senators

NM Sen. - New Polling Numbers

Survey USA released the results of a poll yesterday that shows Democratic Congressman Tom Udall crushing his primary opponent, Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez, 62% to 32% in the race to succeed Pete Domenici.

In a Democratic Primary for U.S. Senator from New Mexico today, 180 days until early voting begins, Democrat Tom Udall defeats Democrat Martin Chavez, according to a SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for KOB-TV. Udall, U.S. Representative from NM's 3rd Congressional District, gets 62% today. Chavez, Mayor of Albuquerque, gets 32% today. Chavez and Udall tie among New Mexico's Hispanic Democrats, but Udall leads by 54 points among white Democrats. Chavez runs strong among the youngest voters, but Udall leads by more than 2:1 among voters age 50 and older.

And with a lack of the kind of progressive credentials and record that Tom Udall has, Mayor Marty has taken to the only tactic that those who are 30 points behind engage in: throwing mud.  As someone who has worked in the political world for a while now, it's my impression that wrestling in the mud can work if the race is a close one, but when you're 30 points behind it smacks of desperation and turns off voters.

It's also worth mentioning that in the SurveyUSA poll, Tom Udall defeats both Republicans, while Mayor Marty loses to one and is tied with the other. So if you're looking for a positive progressive who can win in New Mexico, go toss some spare change Tom Udall's way.

Full disclosure: I've offered my support and assistance as a volunteer to the Udall campaign, though none of what I write is authorized or approved by the campaign.

kencamp | November 20, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: NM Sen. - New Polling Numbers | TrackBack (0) New Mexico, Senators

NM Sen. - Udall is In

Heath Haussamen is reporting that New Mexico Congressman Tom Udall will run for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici.

U.S. Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., has decided that he will run for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici next year. 

 

Udall has called a number of Democratic Party insiders this week, including at least some county party chairs, to inform them of his decision, reliable sources confirmed. A Udall spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

 

kencamp | November 9, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: NM Sen. - Udall is In | TrackBack (0) Congress, New Mexico, Senators

NM-Sen. Udall Gains Steam

Draft Udall should be gaining some steam right about now, in its efforts to draft New Mexico Congressman Tom Udall for the Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici.

A Research 2000 poll conducted for Daily Kos shows Udall performing the best among all Democrats not named Bill Richardson (who wasn't included in the poll).

Wilson (R) 45             Wilson (R) 44            Wilson (R) 38
Chavez (D) 42            Denish (D) 43             Udall (D) 55

Pearce (R) 40          Pearce (R) 39            Pearce (R) 37       
Chavez (D) 39          Denish (D) 45            Udall (D) 54

It's poll numbers like this that have led declared candidate, Albuquerque's Democratic Mayor Martin Chavez to already go negative on Udall, before he's even a candidate. While Chavez is losing to both Republican candidates in the poll, Udall crushes them. While Congressman Udall is reconsidering running for the Senate, perhaps Martin Chavez has something entirely diferent to reconsider: whether its worth it to stay in the race if Tom Udall gets in.

Did I mention that Congressman Udall has some impressive progressive credentials?

In case you haven't done it yet, go visit the Draft Udall ActBlue page and show Congressman Tom Udall some love. And while you're at it, visit Draft Udall and sign the petition.

kencamp | November 8, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: NM-Sen. Udall Gains Steam | TrackBack (0) Congress, New Mexico, Senators

NM Sen. - Denish Out, Udall Reconsidering [Updated]

New Mexico Lt. Governor Diane Denish has announced she will not run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Pete Domenici, leaving Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and green builder Don Wiviott as the two Democrats in the race.

“I am flattered and honored by everybody’s interest in my considering the Senate race. ... [But] my heart and soul are in New Mexico,” Denish said in a statement.

Denish has long been laying the groundwork for a bid in 2010 for the governor’s seat now held by term-limited Democrat  Bill Richardson , and she would move up to fill the remainder of Richardson’s unexpired term were he to succeed in his current 2008 bid for president or run for vice president on a successful Democratic ticket.

However in recent days, presumably under much pressure from the netroots and party insiders, Congressman Tom Udall has said he is reconsidering a bid for Senate.

I just got a call from someone very knowledgable about N.M. Democratic politics who says Rep. Tom Udall's people are calling the party's heavy hitters this morning to inform them he is reconsidering a run for the U.S. Senate.

[...]

But a rapidly growing "Draft Udall" movement online, as well as major arm-twisting from the national Democratic elite (including Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Chuck Schumer), has convinced the congressman to reconsider.

[...]

Incidentally, I also heard yesterday from separate - but equally reliable sources - that Gov. Bill Richardson called Udall yesterday to tell him he DOES NOT plan to run for the Senate and would stay out of Udall's way if the congressman decides to jump in.

I've already posted on why Tom Udall should be the next Senator from New Mexico.

Here's video of Udall at the New Mexico Democratic Party Central Committee meeting this past weekend, indicating that he's considering a run.

Go here to read more about the Draft Udall movement being spearheaded by Alex Flores.

And please go to the Draft Congressman Udall for Senate ActBlue page, and donate $5 today to show Congressman Udall that the netroots is solidly behind his candidacy. It's support like yours that will get him to enter the race and put another progressive Democrat in the Senate.

Update: I neglected to mention Congressman Udall's great poll numbers against Republicans Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson. On October 8, SurveyUSA released numbers showing Udall besting Wilson 56%-38% and beating Pearce 55%-37% [poll numbers have since been taken down off of Survey USA's site]. The only Democrat who polled higher was Governor Richardson.

kencamp | November 5, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: NM Sen. - Denish Out, Udall Reconsidering [Updated] | TrackBack (0) New Mexico, Senators

Draft Tom Udall for Senate

Over at MyDD, Adam Conner and Jonathan Singer have been beating the drums of the Draft Tom Udall for Senate movement and have set up an ActBlue page to start bringing the netroots on board. So far the fund has 28 contributors, including myself, for $245.

A commenter on my post yesterday asked for some more information about Congressman Tom Udall and his family ties. Wikipedia has a good entry on the Udall family. Of the current generation of Udalls, 3 are members of Congress. Tom Udall is a Democrat who represents New Mexico in the House of Representatives. His cousin Mark Udall, also a Democrat, represents Colorado in the House of Representatives and is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Wayne Allard. And their cousin, Gordon Smith (yes, that Gordon Smith) serves Oregon as a Republican United States Senator. Overall, the Udalls are a strong Western Democrat family, who have served this country with distinction over the years.

So why Tom Udall for Senate?

First, he's already got a jump-start on the fundraising, showing $716,045.39 cash on hand. The ActBlue page isn't just to raise money, but to get a large number of grassroots/netroots supporters behind Congressman Udall, to show that there is broad support for his bid for Senate.

Congressman Udall is also in the best position to win the Senate seat for Democrats. He won his re-election in New Mexico's 3rd Congressional District with 75% of the vote in 2006, showing Richardsonesque ability to appeal to independents and Republicans.

Udall was the first to serve two consecutive 4 year terms as New Mexico Attorney General from 1991-1999. Winning 2 statewide elections means his name recognition across the state will be higher than other potential candidates.

Did I mention that Tom Udall has great progressive credentials?

In talking with New Mexico locals, I hear that Congressman Udall is a humble, down-to-earth public servant who is dedicated to his family and his district. He's a genuine, nice guy by all reports.

So if you're ready to continue what Democrats started in 2006, and make the Senate even more progresive than it is today, consider supporting Tom Udall for Senate.

kencamp | October 4, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Draft Tom Udall for Senate | TrackBack (0) New Mexico, Senators

NM-Sen.: Domenici to Retire

Looks like New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici is going to call it a career.

Veteran Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) is expected to announce tomorrow that he will retire from the Senate in 2008, according to several informed sources, a decision that further complicates an already difficult playing field for Republicans next November.

While Chris Cillizza goes on to detail Domenici's health problems, it's this incident that dealt a huge blow to his chances at winning re-election and earned him the moniker "Pajama Pete".

Names already circulating as to which Democrats might run for the vacant Senate seat include: Congressman Tom Udall, Lt. Governor Diane Denish (though I hope she replaces Governor Bill Richardson when he's elected President), Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez, and former Attorney General Patricia Madrid (who was unsuccessful in her 2006 bid to unseat Congresswoman Heather Wilson).

kencamp | October 3, 2007 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) Permalink: NM-Sen.: Domenici to Retire | TrackBack (0) New Mexico, Senators

The ultimate Western Democrat ticket

Awhile ago, this was mentioned here.  (I'm extending off the good idea..thanks Leo!) Summary? 

That presidential tickets are often either one of two combinations - balance or reinforcement.  Kerry picked Edwards to balance him out, both regionally and personally.  Clinton chose Gore to reinforce him, both regionally and issue-wise.

There is only one serious Western Democrat in the race for president and that is Bill Richardson.  Now, I'm going to admit I'm a big fan of his but that isn't my point.  It is that in 2008 we could have potential to deliver a knock-out blow to the entire Western GOP and paint the way truly for progressive western dominance allied with the traditional Democratic bloc (coasts and upper midwest).

The key is reinforcement.  Instead of picking a easterner to balance him (if he was the nominee for that matter, IF) Bill Richardson should take Leo's advice and pick Janet Napolitano, the governor of Arizona.

You may say never!  But look at this great poll that Kos pointed out today:

A new statewide survey shows that if the Senate election were held today, the Republican incumbent would be defeated by Gov. Janet Napolitano – that is, if Napolitano would choose to run for the seat. The Democrat governor cannot seek a third term.

Not surprisingly, the poll by the Behavior Research Center shows Napolitano the favorite of 78 percent of Democrats, versus 11 percent for McCain. But the governor also would pick up 20 percent of Republicans and 47 percent of independents who make up nearly 28 percent of Arizona’s registered voters.

If they went head to head, Napolitano would get 47 percent of the vote, compared to 36 percent for McCain, according to the poll.

Now, that head to head match up result is pretty damn astounding. 

Think about it again.  A Richardson/Napolitano ticket (even against McCain possibly) would take both New Mexico AND Arizona.  That's not where it ends, either.

Napolitano is considered to be a very successful Governor, in fact she enjoy sky high approval ratings.  So does Richardson here in New Mexico.  That combination of two extremely popular red state (!) Democratic governors could have crossover appeal like nothing else. 

Also - the Hispanic/Woman factor would provide an immense amount of change additive to the ticket itself.  Contrast that against the possible GOP combinations shows a pretty clear sense of America.

Western electorate - that's putting all the Western swing states on the map (including possibly Montana and Wyoming) and maybe making Texas competitive.

If we really try and imagine a new electoral future for the Democratic Party we could do it with one swift blow. 

Now, there is the ultimate Western Democratic ticket.

Landon Mascareñaz | August 22, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: The ultimate Western Democrat ticket | TrackBack (0) Arizona, Governors, New Mexico, Presidential Politics, Regionalism, The Big Strategy

The Continued Rise of the Southwest

America’s population is making a diagonal shift from the Northeast to the Southwest. Five of the nation’s largest cities are in the Southwest: Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, and San Jose. Phoenix is now that nation’s fifth largest city, displacing Philadelphia, now at number six. Mesa and Fresno are now bigger than Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Seven of the ten largest American cities lie within 500 miles of the Mexican border. In 1910, in contrast, the ten largest American cities were all within 500 miles of the Canadian border.

What this means to the Democratic Party is that the Northeast and Midwest aren’t a sufficient base by themselves for the future of the party. With the GOP dominating the once solidly Democratic South, Democrats must look Southwest for growth and electoral majorities. Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico have a combined 29 votes in the Electoral College and a corresponding number of seats in the Senate and House of Representatives. Moreover, the 2010 Census will undoubtedly raise that number beyond the current 29. Meanwhile, neighboring blue California’s population will continue to grow, reaching perhaps 60 million by 2050 with a Hispanic majority possible by 2042.

Newsweek is already predicting that the 2008 Presidential race will be decided in the Southwest. Their analysis:

The rise of the Swing-State Southwest (and the power of the Latino voters in it) is a function of timing, geography, demographics—and the Electoral College....The Southwest's ascendancy is linked to one key demographic: its vast, rapidly growing—but still politically unsettled—Hispanic vote….Generally speaking, [Hispanics are] culturally traditional, religiously devout and open to conservative appeals from the GOP. Economic populists, all too familiar with the trials of race-based discrimination, they feel an emotional bond with Democrats, too….In 2006 the Hispanic vote that went to the GOP dropped precipitously, to 30 percent. The war in Iraq was one reason, analysts say, but the main one was the war over immigration.

Given the mean-spiritedness of the recent immigration debate, the trend away from the GOP is likely to continue and even accelerate, strengthening the future Democratic base in the Southwest.

Leo Brown | July 11, 2007 | Comment on This Post (3 so far) Permalink: The Continued Rise of the Southwest | TrackBack (0) Arizona, California, Colorado, Demographics, Nevada, New Mexico, Presidential Politics, Republicans, The Big Strategy

Is the GOP losing the West?

The GOP is losing its hold on the rural vote according to a poll reported by NPR.

A new national poll indicates rural Americans are no longer reliably Republican, and the Bush administration's conduct of the war in Iraq seems mainly to blame.

"I think there are two big headlines out of this poll," says Anna Greenberg of the Democratic polling firm of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. "The first is 'Republican Collapse in Rural Areas.' And the second is 'Rural is the Battleground in 2008."

But Iraq is not the GOP’s only problem.

Nick Kristoff of the New York Times zeros in on the Southwest and how the nativist wing of the GOP is alienating both Hispanics and moderates on immigration.

…the closer you get to the border, the more voters back politicians who are looking for middle ground — and punish those who follow the rant-for-ratings route.

He sees Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico and their combined 29 electoral votes (more than Florida’s 27 or Ohio’s 20) as potentially the biggest battleground in next year’s presidential race. And he notes that Hispanics are the fastest growing part of the electorate and make up 28% of the population in Arizona, 24% in Nevada, 20% in Colorado, and 43% in New Mexico.

Kristoff cites Democratic congressional gains in Colorado and Arizona in 2004 and 2006 as evidence that Democrats can assemble a new Western majority and quotes David Waid, Chairman of Arizona’s Democratic Party:

“Arizona is in play like never before…and the Republicans are literally handing it to us.”

Republican strategist Clint Bolick sees the same trends.

Hispanic support for Republican candidates plummeted by 10 points, to 30 percent from 40 percent, between the 2004 presidential election to the 2006 congressional election debacle, costing the GOP as many as four congressional seats. In next year's presidential election, Hispanic votes could make the difference in four Western states, including Arizona. If Republicans continue chasing Hispanic voters away, they can kiss their national electoral prospects goodbye.

Here at Western Democrat, we have always believed that the future of the Democratic Party lies in the West. The GOP is doing their part to hasten that future.

Leo Brown | June 22, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Is the GOP losing the West? | TrackBack (0) Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Republicans, The Big Strategy, Urban/Rural Divide

Gravel & Richardson: On the move

Over at MyDD, Jerome Armstrong is blogging the DNC winter meeting. Here's what he has to say about the two Western Democrats in the presidential race:

Bill Richardson: "Stay lose, we gotta year to go", says Richardson regarding his stand in the polls. Richardson's intro is "lean on me" by Bill Withers [the hip hop remix], and closes with some cha-cha music. He looks great-- Richardson might be getting tips from Huckabee. He is one of two that I believe can break out of the second tier. Richardson has a big opening in Nevada, if he is able to mobilize Latino voters to show up. If he does, in a week when it's the only contest and there's not a competing Republican contest for media attention, he's gonna pop onto the radar in a very big way. Then, maybe Florida? Don't count out union support for Richardson either, as he's got a record in New Mexico that's very union-friendly. Teachers too, Richardson came with NM at 47th in pay and is now in the 20's-- AFT. NM's enacted equality legislation, enacted the Kyoto standards, it's impressive. I really like Governor's as Presidential candidates, they have accomplishments they can point to, and Richardson has foreign experience as well. He was very well recieved by this audience, with multiple standing ovations, and Richardson probably moved up a few nothes in their views. Richardson believes in a "reconciliation" effort in Iraq, and calls for a deadline by the end of this year for the US to be out of Iraq.

Mike Gravel: Gravel will be the voice of the pissed-off Democrats, saying about the Oct 2002 vote, "political calculations trumped morality" and "anyone who voted for the war... is not qualified to hold the office of the Presidency." In short, Gravel will not give Edwards, Biden, Dodd, Clinton any breathing room. As a Senator, he says, "I spoke truth to power... and as a result Nixon sued me." Gravel is coming back from being on the Senate floor during the Vietnam war, and as he stood up then to end the war,he now will be the thorn in the side of those "that did nothing" when they were in office, as a Democratic majority in the Senate, and allowed it to happen. "And we all know, 'vital interest' is a code word for oil." With Gravel in the race, there's really no need for the vanity candidacy of Kucinich. Gravel is an anti-war candidate that speaks well and carries a stick. "Power to the People" is the song and "Let the People Decide" the slogan of Gravel.

Kari Chisholm | February 4, 2007 | Comment on This Post (2 so far) Permalink: Gravel & Richardson: On the move | TrackBack (0) Alaska, DNC, New Mexico, Presidential Politics

Why I'm for Richardson

[Editor's note: This is a guest column by Stephen Fox, who describes himself as a "professional idealist" and is the founder of the New Millennium Fine Art Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.]

Bill Richardson for President. What wonderful news!

Sorry to say, but Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, John Kerry, et alia, seem like uninspiring recycled hacks (or in Obama's case: great person, just inexperienced). To me, Bill Richardson running for President is far more interesting than any of the other announced candidates.

I have been profoundly impressed with William Blaine Richardson III for 29 years. I first met him in 1978 when he worked for Senator George McGovern's Foreign Relations Committee; he had a full beard as well as one of the most endearingly messy desks on Capitol Hill, a place notorious for clean desks.

Take the time to read Richardson's biography, Between Two Worlds.

At the onset, I must clarify that my concerns are almost entirely international (for 3 years, I have been developing a UN Resolution for the UN General Assembly to create a new United Nations Undersecretary General for Nutrition and Consumer Protection; those who are curious can visit my groundwork website for United Nations Undersecretary General for Nutrition).

I recently proposed to Richardson that he and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon should go together to the Sudan to convince President Al-Bashir to end the genocide, bring a lasting Peace to Darfur, and perhaps accept the presence of UN troops in Darfur.

No other Presidential candidate even comes close to the level of international diplomatic experience and abilities evidenced by Bill Richardson.

His lengthy international resume comprise a real breath of fresh air in USA's politics, especially after the inanities and ghastly absurdities evidenced thus far by Bush/Cheney/Halliburton/Rumsfeld and the reign of corporate-manipulated klepto-plutocrats.

Most critics would clearly point to the Pentagon's budget and the Pentagon's actions as proof of this systemic erosion of America's good sense.

However, this is equally evident in the malfunctioning of the Food and Drug Administration, which finally has a Commissioner, Andrew Von Eschenbach, M.D. The FDA still rushes through approval for harmful food additive chemicals at the request of multinational corporations, the health of Americans and the rest of the world be damned and ignored.

The most egregious of these chemicals is aspartame, the neurotoxic artificial sweetener that is metabolized as methanol, formaldehyde, and diketopiperazine, which was forced through the FDA in 1981 by then-CEO of G.D. Searle, Donald Rumsfeld, even though the Pentagon had already considered Aspartame as a biochemical weapon, and even though the FDA, to its credit, had turned down the approval for Aspartame for 16 years, since its discovery in 1966.

Richardson believes that the states must take back their powers in these realms, in order to protect the health of the citizens of each state. This is precisely what is about to occur in the New Mexico Legislature with legislation in both chambers to ban Aspartame, which Governor Richardson has quietly encouraged. These bills are sponsored by NM Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino, an Albuquerque Democrat, and Representative Irvin Harrison, a Navajo Democrat from Gallup, New Mexico.

In the larger international scheme of things, the average America, may have forgotten what diplomacy and non-military interventions in the processes of governments are all about, but I can assure you that none of the heads of state and world leaders in other nations have forgotten how Diplomacy actually works quite well.

The incontrovertible truth is that the USA direly needs an internationalist Democrat, if there will ever be any hope of rebuilding the USA's international image and influence, in which we are rapidly and massively losing traction to China, especially in Africa and in South America.

How else will we be able to recover from the rampaging klepto-plutocrats running this Administration and what they are perpetuating domestically and internationally, by continuing to gouge the USA's expenditures into more weapons, more troop deployment, more senseless grudge matches, and another $160 billion to waste in Iraq and in Afghanistan, regardless of how squandering more billions in Iraq and Afghanistan inexorably depletes America's internal economies, the inner cities, the budgets for education, Universities, schools, social services, and research; and regardless of the loss of markets and esteem for the USA in Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America due to these depravities and depredations?

Not long ago, Lech Walesa visited the Armand Hammer United World College of the American West in New Mexico. This Nobel Peace Laureate and former President of Poland observed sadly that despite its uncontested military powers, the USA has far less real political, economic, and moral power thanwe Americans perceived us as having over the past two or three decades. He unequivocally blamed the present administration for precipitating this loss of political, economic, and moral power.

However, I don't really believe that the USA is doomed to suffer an inevitable descent into a lamentable status as a corporate-militarized police state/3rd world economy, glutted on more and more wasted expenditures for the corporate hogs feeding at the public trough; if such a descent were totally inevitable, it would be a waste of time and effort for anyone to even try to countermand it.

Bill Richardson will help to bring about such a recovery through the course of the candidates' dialogue, if given the chance he will get as a very viable presidential candidate. Even if he is edged out, strategists and pundits and the other candidates must recognize that he will also make a great Vice Presidential candidate. In addition to his abilities, intellect, charismatic personality, and great resume, one more reason is clearly that he will pull in a lot of Hispanic voters, and other minority voters, in all 50 states.

New Mexicans have seen him in action as Governor for the past four years, and he was recently re-elected to a second term with the largest majority in New Mexico's history, almost 70%!

I welcome his presence in this ostensibly crowded field of Democratic candidates, above all because Richardson will never be one to perpetuate the kind of international idiocy and unavoidable resultant decline, both internally and internationally, from which we have suffered from during the past 6 years. We should help him win by talking with our friends, family, and colleagues in other states, and in other nations....

Podemos todo via esperar, que non? (We can always hope, eh?)

Kari Chisholm | January 22, 2007 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) Permalink: Why I'm for Richardson | TrackBack (0) New Mexico, Presidential Politics

Governor Richardson's Statement on the DNC Convention

Courtesy of Heath Haussamen, here is Governor Richardson's statement on the selection of Denver as the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

“This isn’t just a win for Denver and Colorado, but for the whole mountain west. From Montana to New Mexico, the west is the most fertile ground for Democrats. The Denver convention in 2008 will only further these efforts.”

Today's announcement by DNC Chair Howard Dean, coupled with the decision to move the Nevada caucuses to the front, only boosts Governor Richardson's potential Presidential campaign.

kencamp | January 11, 2007 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Governor Richardson's Statement on the DNC Convention | TrackBack (0) Colorado, DNC, Governors, Nevada, New Mexico

2008 and House Candidates in the West

Swing State Project recently listed ten Democratic House Candidates who ran close, but unsuccessful, races in 2006, and should run again. These are good candidates who ran in tough districts and now have some name recognition for a second attempt. Of particular note is that half of these are in the West:

Charlie Brown CA-4
Larry Grant ID-1
Tessa Hafen NV-3
Darcy Burner WA-8
Gary Truaner WY-AL

The New York Times and CQ Politics recently reported a list of fifteen close 2006 House races. Again five, though not the same five, are in the West.

CO-4
NV-3
NM-1
WA-8
WY-AL

Combining the two lists already gives us seven House seats to watch in the West in 2008. Two of the seven are in blue states (CA, WA). Two are in the red states (ID, WY). Three are in red states considered to be trending purple (CO, NV, NM).

The focus in 2008 will be on the top of the ticket, but we are now seeing how important control of the House is. Continuing or expanding Democratic control of the House in 2008 may well depend on having a Presidential ticket that can run well in the West.

Leo Brown | January 6, 2007 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) Permalink: 2008 and House Candidates in the West | TrackBack (0) California, Colorado, Congress, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, Wyoming

"It's about time."

I like seeing positive coverage of the West's man in 2008, Bill Richardson:

Richardson would have to be considered a serious contender, no matter what his ethnicity. He's got the goods. Having served as a member of Congress, a Cabinet secretary and U.N. ambassador, Richardson also has the benefit of being a governor -- in a Democratic field likely to be chock-full of senators, in a country where voters haven't elected a senator to the presidency since 1960. He won re-election this year with 69 percent of the vote.

This just isn't any blogger - this is Ruben Navarette, nationally syndicated columnist and CNN politics opinion writer.  After the deluge of positive "Western Democrat" coverage after the election, people are starting to see Richardson for what he is - the Democrats best chanced for an experienced executive with foreign policy experience that can solidify and build on the Western gains seen with this last election.

Mr. Navarette sees even more (some hope) for our country in a Richardson candidacy:

That's Richardson. His mother was born in Mexico, and his father was an American businessman. Richardson was raised in Mexico City before going off to prep school in Massachusetts and then earning college and graduate degrees at Tufts University. Being of two worlds -- bilingual, bicultural and binational -- he is well-suited to introduce one to the other.

One of the biggest thing holding our country back is not reconciling our true place within the Americas - our hemispheric neighbors that should be our natural allies and friends.  Some of the greatest of our leaders - FDR and JFK - realized that by pursuing a fairer and more just policy with our southern neighbors and northern neighbor that we would become safer and greater nation overall.

Out here in the west, we've been getting used to the idea of being closer to our southern neighbors for a long time with many of us even tracing our lineage that way.  Having someone in a leadership role facilitate a broader dialogue between all peoples of the Americas could be an enormous challenge and also offer a large potential for hope.

But, before all that it's nice to see Bill Richardson getting some positive national coverage this early in the race.  The talking heads saying this race is Barack vs Hillary more than a year before the first votes are extremely premature.   

Don't discount the western governor with the experience that matters most.

Landon Mascareñaz | December 17, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: "It's about time." | TrackBack (0) National Leadership, New Mexico, Presidential Politics

New Mexico considering Oregon vote-by-mail

Not going to happen this next year, but it could happen:

Since 1998, Beaver State voters have dropped their ballots in special mail receptacles or popped them in the regular mail.

Could New Mexico be next for similarly easy, and cheap, elections?

Maybe, says Secretary of State-elect Mary Herrera.

She's got mail-in elections on her to-look-into list, although not for the 2007 legislative session.

"Mail-in is a lot cheaper and you get a lot higher turnout," she said.

The turnout statewide was more than 52 percent in this election, in which voters picked a governor, statewide officials and members of Congress. In 2002, about 53 percent of voters showed up at the polls on Election Day.

By contrast, Oregon in recent general elections has seen as high as a 90 percent voter turnout, said Connie Higgins, Curry County, Ore., elections administrator and chief deputy county clerk.

There are so many reasons for all states to move to the vote-by-mail system - turnout, cost, ease of use, general enfranchisement and promoting a deliberative voting process (voters get time to consider the issues and candidates, instead of just voting on the spot).

Coming from Oregon to New Mexico, I must admit I was a little frustrated by the voting process. I'm not saying it was especially hard to vote here but rather it is so easy in Oregon. Every year I would just receive my ballot, take my time to consider it and then send/drop it off. If we had systems like this in place across the nation, let alone out west than we could make vast strides towards a more more healthy democracy.

Landon Mascareñaz | December 15, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) Permalink: New Mexico considering Oregon vote-by-mail | TrackBack (0) Election Reform, New Mexico, Oregon

The New West Project

This is wonderful:

The New West Project, headquartered in Denver, will conduct research and develop strategies to secure and exploit recent Democratic gains in the Western states, party sources said.

At least four Western governors - Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Brian Schweitzer of Montana and Bill Ritter, Colorado's governor-elect - are expected to lead the group's advisory council, the sources said. Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Sen. Ken Salazar of Colorado and other members of Congress will provide "strategic guidance."

Reid confirmed the creation of the new organization, which he said would "build upon the leadership of people such as governors Napolitano, Richardson and Schweitzer" and "work to focus attention on the West."

This is a high level group. Consider the Western Strategy in play, my friends. It is wonderful to see this sort of institutional arrangement that will only benefit our local, state and national candidates long term. It looks like part think tank, part strategy firm, part communications development - all aspects that will be welcome by the plethora of candidates that will be running these next few cycles to take advantage of our our new promise out here in the west.

The best part of the article? The quote from an unnamed "Western Democrat":

As an example of what the new organization may do, the Western Democrat said that political professionals would analyze such questions as "the difference between first- and second-generation Hispanic voters, ... what motivates them and how we communicate with them," as well as "why a recent transplant from California, who has voted Republican all her life, is now voting for Democrats."

Good question, "Western Democrat" - it just leaves me amazed to see our namesake invoked so strikingly in an article. Methinks the author of the article, John Aloysius Farrell , might just be an reader of our humble site. If so, thanks for the article John - we'll be watching for you in the future.

It's great to have a new project designed for this express purpose and examining the multitude of new questions that are arising from the new political climate in the West. Now, if any of those people involved in the project are paying attention it would behoove them greatly to include netroots and blog outreach as an element of the project. You see, since major political focus has been absent from the West for awhile the netroots and blogosphere have been proliferating and recruiting top candidates all over the place. It would be an essential element of any plan that you should put together.

I'm excited.

Here's the The New West Project!

Landon Mascareñaz | December 6, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: The New West Project | TrackBack (0) Arizona, Colorado, Demographics, Governors, Legislatures, Local Government, Montana, National Leadership, Nevada, New Mexico, Policy Issues, Regionalism, Statewides, The Big Strategy, Urban/Rural Divide, Utah, Wyoming

Post-Election Statehouse Roundup

To quote Buffalo Springfield, "there's something happening here". Post-election, Western Democrats have made great gains in the states, building strong majorities in the legislatures and taking or retaining several governorships. Here's a look at the numbers, courtesy of NCSL.

Arizona

Pre-Election

Senate 12-18 Republican majority

House 21-39 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 12-18 Republican majority

House 28-32 Republican majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House - +7 seats

Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano was overwhelmingly re-elected.

California

Pre-election

Senate 25-15 Democratic majority

Assembly 47-32-1 (Ind.) Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 25-15 Democratic majority

Assembly 48-32 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

Assembly - +1 seat

Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected.

Colorado

Pre-Election

Senate 18-17 Democratic majority

House 35-30 Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 20-15 Democratic majority

House 39-26 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – +2 seat

House - +4 seats

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter was elected Governor.

Idaho

Pre-Election

Senate 7-28 Republican majority

House 13-57 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 7-28 Republican majority

House 19-51 Republican majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House - +6 seats

Republican gubernatorial candidate C.L. “Butch” Otter was elected.

Montana

Pre-Election

Senate 27-23 Democratic majority

House 50-50

Post-Election

Senate 26-24 Democratic majority

House 50-49-1 (Ind.) Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – -1 Seat

House – stays the same

Democratic Governor Brian Schweitzer is up for re-election in 2008.

Nevada

Pre-Election

Senate 9-12 Republican majority

House 26-16 Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 10-11 Republican majority.

House 27-15 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – +1 seat

House - +1 seat

Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Gibbons was elected.

New Mexico

Pre-Election

Senate 24-18 Democratic majority

House 42-28-2(Ind.) Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 24-18 Democratic majority

House 42-28 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House – stays the same

Democratic Governor Bill Richardson was overwhelmingly re-elected.

Oregon

Pre-Election

Senate 17-11-2(Ind.) Democratic majority

House 27-33 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 17-11-2(Ind.) Democratic majority

House 31-29 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House - +4 seats

Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski was re-elected.

Utah

Pre-Election

Senate 8-21 Republican majority

House 19-56 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 8-21 Republican majority

House 19-56 Republican majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House – stays the same

Republican Governor Jon Huntsman is up for re-election in 2008.

Washington

Pre-Election

Senate 26-23 Democratic majority

House  56-42 Democratic majority

Post-Election

Senate 32-17 Democratic majority (not since 1965)

House 63-35 Democratic majority

Pickups

Senate – +6 seats

House - +7 seats

Democratic Governor Christine Gregoire is up for re-electionin 2008.

Wyoming

Pre-Election

Senate 7-23 Republican majority

House 14-46 Republican majority

Post-Election

Senate 7-23 Republican majority

House 17-43 Republican majority

Pickups

Senate – stays the same

House - +3 seats

Democratic Governor Dave Freudenthal was overwhelmingly re-elected.

kencamp | November 22, 2006 | Comment on This Post (4 so far) Permalink: Post-Election Statehouse Roundup | TrackBack (0) Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Governors, Idaho, Legislatures, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming

Room to Grow in the West

Western Democrats did well in 2006. Here is a link to some helpful maps. Particularly noteworthy were pickups in Montana for the U.S. Senate and the Colorado for governorship, plus four pick-ups in the House of Representatives. And we won the office of Secretary of State in the swing states of New Mexico and Nevada. (Think Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 for the importance of this). But we could have done better, and in 2008 we can. For the Senate in 2008 think Colorado and New Mexico. There is still room to grow in the West.

But returning to 2006, Senate pickups in Arizona and Nevada were possible. Governor’s mansion pickups were possible in Alaska, Nevada and Idaho. Additional House pickups were possible in California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming. And we didn’t win the election for Secretary of State in Colorado. These races were close enough to be considered competitive. Several of the competitive House districts in 2006 could be just as competitive in 2008.

So while we are still basking in the warm glow of victory, let us ask ourselves, what could we do better? Any campaign can be critiqued, but I think the biggest factor is that we were outspent. Jack Carter was outspent four to one in Nevada. The GOP and the Club for Growth poured a ton of money into ID-1. The national GOP was spending much more in CA-4 than the DCCC was. And so it went in many districts. Meanwhile Hillary Clinton spent $30 million defeating token opposition in New York. Now I understand that each candidate can raise his or her own funds, and the national committees carefully decide where to spend scarce resources, but more seed money in planting season and more money at harvest time would go a long way in the West. Something to think about for 2008.

Leo Brown | November 21, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Room to Grow in the West | TrackBack (0) Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Governors, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Senators, The Big Strategy, Washington, Wyoming

Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada are now blue states

Emmett pointed us to the great article from the Salt Lake Tribune that had this great quote:

A Tribune analysis of U.S. House results shows that Democrats have narrowed a 20-point GOP edge in 2000 to a slim 48 percent to 47 percent deficit in 2006. In three states - Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico - Democrats have turned their red states blue, winning a majority in the House races.

...but the article also included great chart that tells the tale. Download the PDF here, or just take a peek (click to zoom):

Kari Chisholm | November 20, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada are now blue states | TrackBack (0) Colorado, Congress, Media Coverage, Nevada, New Mexico

A flip-flop I can respect

Chalk up a big victory for conservation in New Mexico and the West:

In a stunning turn of events Thursday that has all the earmarks of smart politics, Republican Sen. Pete Domenici of Albuquerque reversed his long-standing opposition to protecting [Valle Vidal] the tract.

Domenici, who had bottled up Valle Vidal protection legislation in his committee this year, suddenly released the enabling legislation Thursday, brought it to the Senate floor with the support of fellow New Mexico Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman - a steadfast supporter of Valle Vidal protection - and saw it pass the Republican- dominated Senate unanimously.

That's not all. Domenici, who is chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which Bingaman will take over next year, said he "is confident" that President Bush will sign the bill protecting the 101,784-acre preserve from oil and gas drilling.

This was on the top of the conservationist agenda for many years and should be seen as a great victory in the preservation of our natural resources.

This may have something to do with his certain re-election in 2008:

Domenici told me one day after the election, and again on Friday, that he fully intends to run for a seventh term in 2008. He said despite some injuries and related health problems that have nagged him for years, he'd still rather report to the Senate every morning than sit home watching the action on C-Span.

While Domenici is certainly favored to win re-election by a wide margin, it is hard not to see moves like this as either A: securing his legacy, in preparation for retirement or B: appealing the conservationist lobby. Since Domenici has held the legislation down for so long, it makes you wonder if the senior senator is seriously thinking of retirement.

Check out the great posts by New Mexico FBIHOP about the possible race for Pete's Seat. I'd love to see Udall make the move, but maybe that's my NM-3 bias...

Landon Mascareñaz | November 20, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: A flip-flop I can respect | TrackBack (0) Congress, New Mexico, Policy Issues, Senators

Advice for our favorite governors

Over at Bill Richardson for America, I just posted the following comment under What advice do you have for the Governor? The context is the presidential campaign of 2008. This advice would also work for Brian Schweitzer.

Decide if you are going to run for president in 2008.

If the answer is yes, plan to raise serious money every month starting in December. Do this painful chore honestly and carefully. If the answer is no, be thankful you don’t have to do this and can concentrate on other important things.

Lose some weight. It is easy to gain weight during a campaign. This goes for most Americans and most candidates, but Harry Reid and Barack Obama are thin enough already. Look fit, tanned, and relaxed over the holidays.

If you decide to run, throw your hat in the ring fairly early, perhaps in January or February. Those leading the pack right now have the luxury of waiting. Have a gracious exit strategy if your campaign doesn’t take off. Being governor is a lot more fun than being president anyway.

Remember, America is tired of red vs. blue and wants someone who can bridge divides. If you are so fortunate as to be elected, you should govern from the center. This means not only the center of the political spectrum; it means the center of American values. In the cliché it means truth, justice, and the American way. You have to articulate what that means to you in your own words. When America has lost its way at home and in the world, we need to return to the wisdom of the founding fathers and other Americans, great and small, who have preceded us. Study their words of wisdom and weave them into your own story. Have faith, have humility, and be yourself. This is good advice whether you run or not.

Leo Brown | November 11, 2006 | Comment on This Post (3 so far) Permalink: Advice for our favorite governors | TrackBack (0) Governors, Montana, New Mexico, Presidential Politics

Victory, my friends.

We won big last night. We've gained a solid majority in the House and we stand on the verge of taking the Senate. We have a woman Speaker of the House and Democratic control for the first time in 12 years.

That is all fine and good, but let's look at where we won out here in the West (minute snipping occurred):

Arizona's 5th: Harry Mitchell (D) 51 percent, J.D. Hayworth (R) 46 percent

California's 11th: Jerry McNerney (D) 53 percent, Richard Pombo (R) 47 percent

Arizona's 8th: Gabrielle Giffords (D) 54 percent, Randy Graf (R) 42 percent

Colorado's 7th: Ed Perlmutter (D) 55 percent, Rick O'Donnell (R) 42 percent

That's just races that are already decided. Here in New Mexico, we're still waiting on the Madrid-Wilson dead heat, among others across the nation.

But let's not forget what also happened last night:

Democrats made solid gains in governorships across the country, taking Republican posts in Colorado, Arkansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Ohio and retaining every seat they held in 14 states...

Who was the chair of the Democratic Governors Association? Oh that's right: Mr. 68%, Governor Bill Richardson:

Richardson was clobbering challenger John Dendahl with nearly all of the votes counted. He was leading with 68 percent, well on his way to passing the mark of 60.2 percent of the vote posted by Democrat Jack Campbell in 1964. This gives him a place in history as New Mexico's winningest governor.

What a day, what a year. I'm excited for the future of our party and our country. As Madam Speaker Pelosi said last night:

"From sea to shining sea, the American people voted for change," declared Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the hard-charging California Democrat in line to become the nation's first female House speaker.

"Today we have made history," she said, "now let us make progress."

Here, here.

Landon Mascareñaz | November 8, 2006 | Comment on This Post (0 so far) Permalink: Victory, my friends. | TrackBack (0) Congress, Governors, National Leadership, New Mexico, The Big Strategy

Tester leading...

Of course, the big story in the West is that Jon Tester is leading Conrad Burns. As of 9:30 Mountain Time, he's up 49% to 48% leading by less than 2000 votes, out of nearly 400,000 cast.

In the US House, Democrats won Arizona-5, Arizona-8, California-11 (goodbye Pombo!), and Colorado 7 (Perlmutter). It's still too close to call in California-4 (Brown/Doolittle), New Mexico-1 (Madrid/Wilson), Washington-8 (Burner/Reichert), and Wyoming at-large (Trauner/Cubin). DailyKos has a Western election results tracker.

In the governor's races, Democrats won in Colorado and Oregon - but lost in Alaska, Idaho, and Nevada.

Kari Chisholm | November 8, 2006 | Comment on This Post (1 so far) Permalink: