Don’t you love to watch a first-time candidate grow into the role like he was born to run?
That’s what I’m talking about when it comes to Retired Marine Colonel and Iraq War veteran Doug Applegate, who has single-handedly turned Darrell Issa into a vulnerable incumbent. (Well maybe the Colonel is getting a small helping hand — pardon the pun — from the gilded disaster that is DJ Trump).
Ret. Marine Colonel Doug Applegate speaks at a private residence in Carlsbad, California (WildLilac in pink blouse recording!). Aug. 14, 2016 (photo by Oceanside Deputy Mayor Chuck Lowery)On Sunday I caught up again with Applegate as he barnstormed across Southern California’s 49th congressional district. He was invited to speak at a private forum for local Democratic candidates at a Carlsbad home.
A neighbor who attended told me that she had recently abandoned the Republican Party and registered as a Democrat, frustrated with extreme Republican positions on gay marriage and women’s health. She got a front-row seat.
“Darrell has tapped into his own hate”Here’s the Colonel on the raccoon guy, Darrell Issa, and the “mirror test:”
x Vimeo VideoI want a representative with a moral compass.
The Colonel gave an update on the campaign:
Fundraising is soaring, and an 8-day bi-coastal fundraising trip is planned. He’s giving interviews to national media, including the Wall Street Journal. A campaign manager and social media outlet with national reputations are on board. Congressional members who hate Issa are reaching out, offering to help.Applegate is the underdog, though. Issa could drop a hundred million of his own dollars on this race and still be the richest person in Congress. District 49 residents are already getting slick Issa pieces in the mail, and pricey media buys are probably in the pipeline.
Intimate gatherings like this one Sunday night represent grassroots campaigning at its best, in my view. What has more impact than a candidate in a living room chatting with voters? All the 21st century campaign technology is cool, but you can’t duplicate the benefit of a house party.
Applegate told me that these are his favorite events because of the personal interactions and challenging questions. “These folks force me to think about things I had not considered,” he said.
Doug Applegate needs an army of foot soldiers to help #dumpdarrell. Are you in?
“Let’s Send in a Marine to Take Back the Hill!”You can follow Colonel Applegate’s campaign on his Facebook page. You can donate, volunteer, and learn more about his platform at ApplegateforCongress.com.
You can find my ongoing series about the campaign by searching my user name or checking out my blog, Citizen4Applegate, where this post will be cross-published.
(Note: California’s “top two” primary system advances the top two vote getters to the General Election, regardless of party. It’s why we have two Democrats running for Senate in November)