Why Jerry McNerney can win in California

As usual, the "intelligence" coming out of Washington is flawed. It held that environmental bad guy Richard Pombo had a lock on California's 11th Congressional District. But the respected Washington D.C. pollsters Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Researrch just released the results of a poll commissioned by Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. Defenders of Wildlife have it out for California congressman Richard Pombo because of his efforts to drill for oil in America's most pristine lands, and to eliminate all protection for old-growth forests and endangered animals.

Does this mean a progressive Democrat like Jerry McNerney really has a chance against a 14-year incumbent in this largely Republican district? Yes!

That's right, on Tuesday, March 21, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the DCCC, won their first election--against another Democrat.

Washington knows best
They brought in the big guns. Hillary Clinton hosted a big-ticket fundraiser in New York. John Kerry sent out emails to raise more money. Barack Obama taped TV spots. By the end of the campaign, the Tammy Duckworth for Congress campaign had sent eleven different pieces of direct mail to voters in the 6th District in Illinois, covered the airwaves with commercials, and had spent close to $1,000,000.

They had to. Because Tammy Duckworth had no name recognition, no supporters, no track record in politics, and no consistent stands on the issues. She doesn't even live in the district. But the DCCC declared her the candidate against another Democrat with deep grassroots support who almost unseated Henry Hyde in 2004--Christine Cegelis. With all that, Duckworth got 43.8% of the vote to 40.4% for Cegelis. The margin of victory for Duckworth was exactly 1080 votes. The 6th District has 512 precincts, which means Duckworth's margin of victory was 2.1 votes per district. With the money her campaign raised and spent to win this race, the price tag on those 2.1 votes per district is staggering.