[also e-mailed to the campaign]
Dear Chuck,
It never ceases to amaze me how these things just keep getting earlier and earlier, but since this 2006 race is already getting fired up, I wanted to write to you in the hopes of getting a sense of where you see yourself taking this run against Santorum.
Just a quick background - I was born in New Castle, and lived a number of years in Johnstown. I came back to attend Allegheny College in Meadville after four years in Ohio, and I very much consider PA my home, and one which I hope to return as soon as I can. I care more about PA than any other state, and more about this race than any other that will happen in 2006.
When I was a student at Allegheny, I had the privilege of being actively involved in the political scene, and was part of countless debates and question sessions in relation to Phil English's and Rick Santorum's 2000 re-election bids. I've met Rick Santorum, as well as the people he's beaten, and perhaps surprisingly, I can honestly see why moderate Pennsylvanians re-elect him every time - even as extremist as he is.
The simple fact of the matter is that Rick Santorum is a great campaigner, and excels at making the people he's speaking to 1) feel like any one of them is valuable enough to be a Senator themselves, 2) feel as though they matter to him, and 3) think that he is just a regular, likeable guy. He's a charismatic speaker, and I believe he is strongly underestimated by his opponents every time - with his many gaffes and being voted the "dimmest light bulb in the Senate" by Ken Silverstein and others, for example. As our "esteemed" President has shown, being unintelligent is not a detractor in the eyes of a whole lot of voters.
Despite his many blunders, when you put him in front of an audience, he's in his element, and that's the danger - which is why I don't believe that Casey is a guaranteed shoe-in in a head-to-head run with Rick - because Casey isn't a great campaigner, and he's a mediocre public speaker. And this is the heart of the problem - no one who has run against Santorum has proven themselves a strong contender in the end.
I believe that your biggest task in this primary race, without a doubt, is to show by your actions, perhaps more than just your words even, that you are as skilled a campaigner as Rick Santorum - because Bob Casey Jr., so far in his career, has not been. I have a great fear that once again, the Democratic community is underestimating Rick Santorum's ability to re-establish himself in a favorable light with the voters (Let me also say as an aside that I have nothing personal against Casey; I like him fine enough, but you are clearly the most progressive candidate in the race right now, and I want to see a good strong primary).
Lately, I've been reading your weblog with interest, especially this week relating to The Penn Hills scandal. I believe this situation is a perfect way to use Santorum's old tactics and own words against him this time around, but it has to be more than that; more than just another attack. That's what Casey does wrong every single time - he just attacks over and over with no-solution vitriol. That will not win a race unless your opponent is even worse at campaigning, which was the case in Casey's most recent victory, but will not be with Santorum.
If you are planning to take this line of attack, you absolutely must use it to contrast the lack of morality and ethics on his end against your plan to restore dignity and honesty to the office; that fairness & integrity, among many other admirable qualities, are the foundations of all Democratic principles. It has to be as much your positive as it is his negative.
So I want to summarize this letter by posing a few questions that are important to me as a potential supporter and contributor. Can you convince me and other potential donors that you understand that Santorum is a skilled campaigner and will be very tough to beat regardless of the pull you might receive from Rendell's race if you win the primary? Can you convince us that you will not make the same campaign mistakes that so many other Democrats make by letting the other side define and set the terms of the race? Can you convince us that you aren't going to hire the same old campaign managers and consultants who have made a career out of employing losing strategies? And can you convince us that you have the skills to run a strong, meaningful campaign that will reach the middle-Penna voters?
Again, I think the answers to these questions are better seen in actions than they are in words. My challenge to you as a voter is to prove once and for all that sticking to our base values while running a smart campaign is more than just talk; it's a winning strategy. I also think these questions are as applicable to the primary as they are to the general - because selecting the "most electable" is one goal of the primary, but primary races inevitably get driven towards skewed perspectives on what "electable" really is. They'll say you haven't won the "big" races. They'll say your name isn't as recognizable. They'll basically do to you what John Kerry did to the others in the primary. Now I grew to like John Kerry a lot, but it clearly didn't work out, and I really want this primary to work out (call me selfish).
The community of willing and able grassroots supporters and donors has poured its heart and soul into the Democratic Party these last few painful years, and in many cases the members of the party have not acted as responsible stewards of our resources. We cannot take many more of the miserably poor campaigns that seem to have become the hallmark of today's Democratic Party (Kerry is only the most notable case-in-point).
I want to end by thanking you for your commitment to public service and to progressive principles. I know that most of us who've never gone for it don't truly understand the pressure and commitment of making your entire life public interest. I also want to thank you for the attention you've given to dKos readers and other netroots activists. Whether or not it comes across as such - I hope you see this as a letter of encouragement more than anything else. You're campaign is off to a strong, and admirable start - and your open invitation to share ideas is inspiring. I thank you again.
-Isaac (surfbird007)