Politico Blog: Candidate cattle call
PITTSBURGH—The Netroots Nation conference, which has evolved in just four years into a key event on the Democratic circuit, is also turning into an important event for aspiring candidates for Congress.
The environment couldn’t be better for them—a collection of roughly 1,500 committed progressive activists, many of whom know how to shake the online money tree or have a publishing platform of their own.
Top candidates including Doug Pike (Pennsylvania 6), state Sen. Tarryl Clark (Minnesota 6), Houston Mayor Bill White (Texas Senate), Lt. Gov Lee Fisher (Ohio Senate), Rep. Joe Sestak (Pennsylvania Senate) and Rep. Kendrick Meek (Florida Senate) have been making the rounds and at least a half-dozen House and Senate candidates attended an off-site meet-and-greet hosted by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) on Friday evening.
White explained to me Friday one of the reasons he was in Pittsburgh.
“I have a tremendous respect for social media and its ability to enhance democracy by reducing the cost of communications,” he said.
It probably helped that there was a healthy contingent of Texas progressive contingent present as well.