FL-18: Major Momentum for Annette Taddeo
Press Release
FL-18: Major Momentum For Annette Taddeo
by Todd Beeton
In the last week, Annette Taddeo, progressive Democrat running in Florida's 18th district, has been on a roll. First, Blue America held a fundraising competition for a $5k donation, which Taddeo won by mobilizing her grassroots supporters. Then the DCCC decided to put its seal of approval on Taddeo's candidacy by adding her to their Red to Blue list. And this all comes on the heels of having been named to DailyKos's Orange To Blue list and receiving EMILY's List's endorsement. What's interesting about the diversity of support Taddeo is receiving is that it spans both the netroots world and the more traditional DC institutional world; any divide that still exists betwixt the two, Taddeo clearly bridges.
I can't say I'm surprised to see such support going Taddeo's way. I first met her in Austin and was instantly impressed. She has a warm welcoming but also no-nonsense style that at once is inviting but also makes you instantly think "damn, whoever she's running against better watch out." That someone is Bush rubber stamp Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen one of the three infamous Southern Florida Cuban-Americans who are endangered this cycle. I sat down with Taddeo in Denver to speak with her about the race and she spoke bluntly about Ros-Lehtinen.
The district she represents has some really blue areas. There is a significant gay population, it's heavily Jewish, very progressive. Even the Anglos in the district are from the Northeast. Many people in the district though think she's a moderate. They don't know that she's 100% anti-choice. She doesn't even believe in choice in the case of rape or incest...And we checked her PAC. She's the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee, she had to buy those votes. So she supported Musgrove, Schmidt, the authors of the anti-gay legislation.
Taddeo is confident that once her message gets out and people see that there is a real progressive in the race, whose values are consistent with the district, that she has a real shot to take this seat. Central to that in her mind, is the netroots. I asked her about her engagement with the blogs and she began by pointing to the area where we were sitting at the time -- in The Big Tent -- and just said "This is awesome." She expressed genuine enthusiasm for the netroots, which goes beyond seeing us as a fundraising tool or even a communication tool; she seems to really get it.
Since I started, I reached out to the blogs in Florida. I actually followed blogs. I felt they were the best way for me to reach constituents and get the word out about the campaign. We're still using the conventional means too, of course, but this is the new wave. Florida bloggers were a natural. Since then, this has become a national race. The voters are in Southern Florida but the blogging community has been instrumental in getting the word out about my race beyond that base.
She also spoke with some pride about the enthusiasm she is seeing locally for her candidacy, especially among young voters and activists who are working hard on her campaign.
We have a great internship program. 18, 19 yearold kids working for us, walking precincts in 90 degree heat. That's dedication....That's what you get when you have a businesswoman running and not a career politician. I know how to hire the right people. [...]
We're seeing a new generation of involvement. We're seeing young folks involved in politics like never before because of the situation our country is in. Bush took our nation in a direction that woke us all up. Myself included. I decided I had to run, I wasn't going to sit on the sidelines anymore. These kids could be working for Obama but we involve them, we give them ownership of the campaign.
Taddeo believes that while Obama will definitely have coattails that will benefit her, he will also benefit from the excitement she's generating on the ground -- a sort of reverse coattail effect. I think that's a really good point that's not talked about enough, the sort of two way street that exists between downticket challengers and Obama around the country.
I'm sure you'll get to know Annette much better between now and the election. She's already posted here at MyDD and promises to continue to do so. You can also read more at her website and contribute to her campaign over at ActBlue.
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