Democratic bloggers aim to reshape campaigns

Tom Curry National affairs writer • Profile • E-mail

WASHINGTON - Democratic bloggers say they are beginning to transform the way political campaigns are run, pointing to their recent success in raising more than $550,000 for Democratic congressional candidate Paul Hackett, a Marine veteran of the Iraq war, who came within 4,000 votes of defeating Republican Jean Schmidt two weeks ago in a special election in a heavily Republican district in Ohio.

The work of such bloggers as Bob Brigham of Swingstateproject.com points toward a day when the traditional campaign — tailored by Washington-based consultants, centered on 30-second TV ads, with fund-raising driven by Washington-based party committees — might become obsolete.

The significance of what Democratic bloggers doing is proven by the attention Republican and conservative operatives are paying to them.

Assessing the blogger’s role in the Hackett race, David Keating, executive director of the Club for Growth, a conservative group that supports low-tax candidates, said, “It’s a tremendously significant development. The fact that several hundred thousand dollars is raised by people outside the party system is significantly helpful to any candidate.”

“We’re looking at what they did to learn as much as we can,” he said.

"The blogosphere's most profound impact in Ohio was its ability to raise money and to give Hackett the tools to get his voice heard, when traditionally a candidate like that would never have had that kind of money and simply wouldn't have been competitive," said Simon Rosenberg, head of the New Democrat Network.

Traditionally House candidates have looked to the party committees, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), based in Washington, to help them with fund-raising and strategy.

A congressional contender had to pass muster with DCCC and NRCC strategists in order to get crucial backing.

Focus on targeted districts
In recent election cycles, each side has narrowed its sights to about three dozen targeted House districts.

Each party committee husbands its resources, considering it futile to spend money to try to win a district where the opposing party’s incumbent won his or her last election with 60 percent.

But Brigham envisions a vastly expanded field of battle, forcing Republicans to spend time and money to defend what have until now been considered “safe” GOP districts.

“We tried the targeted way and it hasn’t worked, so we’ll try something new,” he said.

The Republicans now hold 231 House seats, with one GOP seat vacant.

Rep. Chris Cox, R-Calif., resigned on Aug. 2 in order to become chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. If the GOP retains Cox’s seat, Democrats would need a net gain of 15 seats in next year’s elections to win control of the House.

On Monday, Brigham and his allies are launching a new political action committee (PAC) called "Leave No District Behind.”

Vastly expanding the battlefield
Brigham wants the Democrats to field House candidates in every congressional district, instead of allowing dozens of districts to go uncontested as they did in last year’s campaign.

He reckons that $100,000 invested in each of the uncontested House districts would at least give the Democrats a candidate and a minimal staff.

Heading the PAC will be Deborah Rappaport, who along with her husband Silicon Valley venture capitalist Andy Rappaport, ranked among the top ten donors in the 2004 campaign to so-called “527” groups, the tax-exempt organizations that engage in politicking and collect unlimited contributions.

According to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics which tracks campaign finances, the Rappaports gave more than $4 million in the 2004 campaign to groups such as the New Democrat Network.

Brigham points out that in the past several election cycles Republicans with safe seats have had the luxury of being able to go on the road to do fund-raising events for their GOP colleagues in the most competitive districts.

Brigham figures his new PAC can help change the calculus. “We can pin Republicans down in their districts,” he said.

MORE FROM POLITICS

Politics Section Front

NYT: Health bill revives abortion groups   Obama to reveal Afghan decision ‘within days’   Obama welcomes Indian prime minister For Reid, Dodd, clout cuts both ways   Source: Palin book sold 700,000 in first week Poll: Americans conflicted over health overhaul Senate health bill targets ‘Cadillac’ plans Text message exposed senator’s affair Obama to honor young inventors at science fair Obama reviewing options to spur jobs Politics Section Front   Add Politics headlines to your news reader: