The only way to run

Monday, August 30, 2010

(Arlington County Democratic Committee)Someone once told me that there are only two ways to run an election: unopposed or hard. This year, more than any other we will face as Arlington Democrats, this is a lesson we must take to heart.

As I have traveled from Democratic event to Democratic event this summer, I have heard people tell me time and again that there is no reason to worry – that Jim Moran, Chris Zimmerman, and Sally Baird are, of course, going to win in Arlington. After all, they tell me, we are one of the most Democratic areas in the state of Virginia. They don’t even need our help to win.

While I have every confidence that Jim Moran, Chris Zimmerman, and Sally Baird will win in November, it is this last part that troubles me the most. Put simply, even in a year when we are confident about our electoral prospects, we cannot afford to give in to complacency. We cannot afford to believe that we can do nothing and everything will just work itself out.

Though Arlington rightfully has a reputation as a sea of blue, many forget that the last Republican to hold office in Arlington – Dave Foster – left elected office only three years ago. Elected Republicans in Arlington are not a distant memory; they are a reality that existed even in the short time since Chris Zimmerman’s and Sally Baird’s last elections.

Arlington Democrats win elections for two key reasons: (1) we nominate talented candidates, and (2) we work hard to get them elected. This fall can be no exception. So to all of our Arlington Democratic precinct captains, volunteers, steering committee members, and friends – when our campaigns call you to walk a canvassing route, to make a set of phone calls, or to pull your friends out of their houses and off to the polls, we need your answer to be “yes.”

With Labor Day a few short days away, election season is upon us. Arlington Democrats have won elections for years because we have out-worked and out-organized our opponents. If we expect that same success this November, we need all Arlington Democrats running together, and running hard. In short, if we hope to win this November, we have to run as though we have a chance to lose.