So, you want to join the Legislative Army?
As I sit here waiting for my care to warm up, my mind is on candidate recruitment.
I had made contact a couple of days ago with someone who had ran last time, and barely lost. I offered my assistance again, and left it at that. They responded that they weren't sure they wanted to give it another run just yet, as they were just starting an endeavour.
But within a day, I had reports of them making a couple of phone calls checking on time committments that the office entailed, etc. So I know it's weighing heavily on their mind. If I made a couple of phone calls to get some encouragement going their way, I'm betting I could get them to pull the trigger and do it.
Candidate recruitment is funny that way. Good people spend most of their time talking themselves out of it, as opposed to just taking the plunge. That's why they sometimes need a friendly push. Often that friendly push comes from party officials, respected colleagues, and top elected officials.
When he was around, Tom Daschle was one of the Democrats big tools in getting "D's" who were sitting on the fence to run. He'd make some recruitment calls, and it would help the Democrats efforts at filling legislative slots. But, he's not there anymore.
The Pierre Capitol Journal had an editorial the other night on the very topic of Democrats filling legislative races. And it was raising the same question I talk about at times. Are we going to see candidates? Or are many of the seats going to go unfilled as usual?
Tom's not there to help Dems with recruitment as the U.S. Senate Minority Leader. That might not bode well for their efforts this next year. And many of their races will be lost before they even start.
Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
As for myself, I'm making a list of people to call. There's a trigger out there waiting to be pulled.
I had made contact a couple of days ago with someone who had ran last time, and barely lost. I offered my assistance again, and left it at that. They responded that they weren't sure they wanted to give it another run just yet, as they were just starting an endeavour.
But within a day, I had reports of them making a couple of phone calls checking on time committments that the office entailed, etc. So I know it's weighing heavily on their mind. If I made a couple of phone calls to get some encouragement going their way, I'm betting I could get them to pull the trigger and do it.
Candidate recruitment is funny that way. Good people spend most of their time talking themselves out of it, as opposed to just taking the plunge. That's why they sometimes need a friendly push. Often that friendly push comes from party officials, respected colleagues, and top elected officials.
When he was around, Tom Daschle was one of the Democrats big tools in getting "D's" who were sitting on the fence to run. He'd make some recruitment calls, and it would help the Democrats efforts at filling legislative slots. But, he's not there anymore.
The Pierre Capitol Journal had an editorial the other night on the very topic of Democrats filling legislative races. And it was raising the same question I talk about at times. Are we going to see candidates? Or are many of the seats going to go unfilled as usual?
Tom's not there to help Dems with recruitment as the U.S. Senate Minority Leader. That might not bode well for their efforts this next year. And many of their races will be lost before they even start.
Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
As for myself, I'm making a list of people to call. There's a trigger out there waiting to be pulled.
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