The Loneliest Democrat in America

[Hermit-The-Prog]

https://splinternews.com/the-loneliest-democrat-in-america-1829426449

Hamilton Nolan
10/03/18

Greg Sagan is 70 years old. He has the swept-back gray hair and assured, learned manner of a former corporate consultant, which he is. When he campaigns he wears a navy blue suit jacket and a blue name tag that reads: “Greg Sagan. Democrat for U.S. House. District 13.” Even though he had a column in the local newspaper for 14 years, he needs the name tag, because he hasn’t run any television ads. He hasn’t put up any billboards. His opponent, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry, has raised $1.1 million, and Sagan has raised a little over $20,000. He’s spent most of that money driving around the district for the past year, holding town halls, asking people what they want. His driver is his wife Dianne, who is also his campaign manager. The fact that he is, statistically, the Democrat with the biggest uphill battle in the nation does not appear to bother him a bit.

[...]

We’re sitting in a red upholstered booth in a Denny’s in late September, just off I-40 in east Amarillo, TX. We’re in the middle of Texas’ 13th Congressional District, rated as +33 points Republican, which makes it the reddest district you will find anywhere in our 50 states.

[...]

Sagan had never thought of going into politics before. He is not exactly the activist type. He has the sort of strong but silent moral code that builds up in families that serve in the military for generation after generation. “The people I feel an affinity for are people like me who, out of the best intentions, went off to a terrible war, did their best in that war, and came off feeling guilty about it,” he says. His entire career path—military, strategic consulting, economics—has led him to value precision, competency, and dependability. It is not hard to see how a man like Donald Trump offends virtually every sensibility that he possesses. “There’s been nobody more dangerous in the White House in my lifetime,” he says. “And the Republican Party, as I feared they would, turned into a bunch of facilitators of his conduct.”

[...]

He has a plan. He is ceding the political money and advertising fight to his opponent in favor of a grassroots (read: he and Dianne) effort to turn out the vote, by targeting young people and black people, LGBTQ people and Latinos and women and people who work hard and don’t make enough money. These are the people he sees as his base. They are not served by the Republican Party; they constitute a majority of the residents of the district; and, by and large, they do not vote.

[...]

But Sagan points out that given the area’s low voter turnout, even that margin means that far less than half of the potential voters in the district actually voted for Thornberry. “If I can get half of the people who didn’t vote last time to come out and vote for me, I win,” Sagan says. It sounds so straightforward, in the same way that a pledge to climb Mount Everest does.

[...]

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

1. At least

thornberry isnt running un-opposed. My hats off to Mr. Sagan.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

3. inspiring team

Greg and Dianne are inspiring, in my opinion. They're fighting against high odds and for what's right. If they can do it in the reddest district, the rest of us can fight elsewhere.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

4. +1

[dlk]

2. It Will Take Tremendous Grassroots Efforts to Turn Out the Non-Voters

There is a reason voting is made so difficult in our country. The uber-wealthy like running the show and vacuuming up all of the money, while the majority of Americans work to make them even richer. If voting were easier and more Americans voted, things would be much different and much fairer. They can't allow that.

[Blue_true]

5. Some people simply won't vote regardless of how easy voting is made.

Those people are often the first to complain.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

6. voting results

The people I've talked to who do not usually vote, say that it doesn't make any difference. That's the most frustrating thing to me. It takes a lot to get through to them that it's a matter of numbers. Of course, it doesn't help that each time Democrats achieve a majority, they have to spend so much time and resources cleaning up GOPer deliberate destruction.

[LeftInTX]

18. I get: I'm gonna vote! I'll vote the first day of Early Vote! I always do!

I'm the most dedicated Democrat.....

I have a Beto sign!

Then...the usual.

[blogslut]

7. There are two big-ish counties in TX 13th

Potter and Randall counties.

Potter's 2018 early voting total exceeded 2014's overall vote count by 100.

Randall's 2018 early vote total exceeded 2014's overall by 4444.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. that is encouraging!

The article said it would take 6 hours to drive from one end to the other. If Sagen doesn't win, I hope he and Dianne at least see enough votes to make them not regret the time on the road. That's a lot of territory to cover.

[blogslut]

10. Just the fact that there's a Democratic party challenger to Thornberry is amazing.

I admire Mr. Sagan. It's uphill all the way for him.

There are a lot of Texas Democrats to admire this year and they're doing the work, just like Beto. They have to. The national party gave up on us decades ago.

I want them all to win but I'm used to having my heart broken. Still, this time, it won't hurt so much because, this year, we're putting up one hell of a fight!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

16. he's breaking the ice

I'm used to seeing Rs unopposed in several spots on my ballot. This year there are fewer than there have been for a long time. I'm not qualified, so it's really uplifting to see people of all ages take up the battle.

May Texans and Kentuckians pull themselves up out of the red pits!

[Honeycombe8]

8. I'd vote for him. I wish him the best. nt

[dembotoz]

11. lonely folks like him all over this damn country

we have lots of dems running in very red areas with not a snowballs chance in hell

and yet they run

it takes time and money to run...
the time is their own as is the money

they get no support from state.
often local party not capable of doing much.....

but they run
folks make fun of them
but they run

more fucking guts than i will ever have

[ROB-ROX]

12. HE S A TRUE PATRIOT

He is truly the man who sees wrong and wants to do the right thing. This man is a true stranger in a strange land. I like his strategy and his grass roots method. I think his big district must cover hundreds of miles and he has made an effort to meet his voters. Republicans are singular creatures of the dark like a vampire. I think it would be sweet if the under dog comes out on TOP........CHEERS

[7962]

13. At least he's out there. My "R" House rep has NO opposition.

Again.

[cubbies01]

14. Though he will not win...

...he made sure to turn out several 1,000 voters for the state wide elections...like the Senate. Which is why we need more of this. Great work.

[Basement Beat]

15. This is exactly what needs to happen around this country.

Hat's off to Sagan! Republicans anywhere in this country should go unopposed. Too much is at stake and although the odds can be very low for a win - it's a chance of building that foundation for future elections.

[LAS14]

17. Thank you, Greg Sagan!!!!!

We need a Democratic presence in EVERY district in America. As people begin to realize how awful the Republican party has become, they need a place to go. The need to hear an alternative message. Thank you, Greg sagan!!!

If you want to show your support here's his website.

https://gregsagan2018.org/

[Hermit-The-Prog]

20. thanks for the link!

It has an actblue donate button. They might need some help covering gas expense as big as that territory is.

[GulfCoast66]

19. Big rivers start with small streams

Just giving people an option is important. Even if he loses by 30 point it will demonstrate that over a third of the district is Democratic and encourage those folks to start talking.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

21. So true.