Trivedi for Congress campaign’s first milestone (updated)

Posted on by

The last day of a month is often a crucial milestone for a fledgling campaign, given that its when the party insiders count up the dough. I would like to use my cousin’s campaign as an illustrative example of what you need to do to break in to a race and then remain in it past the first cut (see previous SM entry on Trivedi campaign here).

Since entering his PA primary race against fellow Democrat Doug Pike, Manan has been trying to raise cash in order to have a respectable fundraising figure by the end of September cut-off. He entered the race late due to the fact that he was barred by law from running until his military service was complete. Since then however, he has picked up a major endorsement from Bob Roggio, the democratic candidate who lost in 2008. On October 1st a lot of local politicians and donors are going to look at the Roggio endorsement, look at Manan’s fundraising totals, and look at what kind of local reaction he has been generating through his policy ideas. After analyzing these three factors a bunch of donors may come off the fence and support him…or throw their support behind Pike. On the policy front Trivedi released a statement earlier today:

Have you been watching all the craziness surrounding the health care reform debate in Washington? The Senate Finance Committee just failed to pass the public option. There are too many lies and not enough reality. This is exactly why I need to get down there, why we need a physician’s voice in Congress. I will fight for a healthcare system that is more efficient, brings costs down and covers all Americans. And, I will not back down from ensuring that everyone has a choice of private insurance or a Medicare-like public health insurance option.

An overwhelming majority of physicians like myself support a public option because we deal with real family members who become sick with real illnesses. These cases aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet or a topic for discussion around a boardroom table. [Link]

<

p>

<

p>On the money front, the campaign has raised over $35,000 the last time I heard. They believe a notable amount of it came from SM originating traffic. I am curious to learn if any SM readers are involved in this race (on either side) and if any have donated (to either side). Manan tells me they are working around the clock on a final fundraising push to make it into the next round. A little more cash may propel them into contention. If you would like to donate or volunteer for the campaign, particularly if you are passionate about healthcare reform, then you can visit Trivedi’s website to learn more.

<

p> UPDATE: Remember how I warned in my last post that you should beware anonymous comments singing the praises of a candidate? Pike’s campaign manager just got busted for anonymous manipulation of blogs.

<

p>

If you are involved in a campaign for another South Asian American candidate somewhere in the country, please share your experience with me via email (abhi [at] sepiamutiny.com). I would love to blog about it.

6 thoughts on “Trivedi for Congress campaign’s first milestone (updated)”

  2. Abhi and SM;

    Did y’all know, Doug Pike has an Indian-American working at a senior position on his campaign staff?

    I’ve questioned Manan’s viability as a candidate. He has a solid resume, but once the Healthcare debate ends, which signs point to a Thanksgiving deadline, will voters respond to Dr. Trivedi? He seems like a good guy in an uphill battle. We need more candidates with his resume and experience running at the STATE levels to build that pipeline of leadership and build a critical mass to have a Desi member of Congress.

    Once the debate on Healthcare ends, his viability and ability to raise money may go with it. Doug has shown he is a supporter of our community and has great progressive members lining up behind him. Roggio lost and is not as major of a player as the campaign is making him out to be. Abhi maybe viewing this candidacy through rose colored glasses

  3. People. Stay on topic. The comments in Abhi’s previous post played out everything both of you just said. Go back and read them, if you like, then let it be. Abhi can blog about what he wants. If you don’t like it, don’t read it. If you have a comment about the actual content and the point behind it (i.e., South Asian American runs for Congress, let’s see how he does it; not should South Asian American running for Congress win or is the other guy better and not Abhi are you ‘allowed’ to write about your cousin on a blog?).

  4. Abhi maybe viewing this candidacy through rose colored glasses

    Thanks Doug Pike’s campaign manager. You’ve been busted by Daily Kos:

    Andrew Eldredge-Martin is the campaign manager for Doug Pike, a Democrat running in Pennsylvania’s Sixth Congressional District. Drew, who has posted here as DrewEM, used sockpuppet accounts to post disparaging remarks about another Democrat running in the PA-06 primary at the Swing State Project (a sister site of Daily Kos of which I am the publisher). As it turns out, Drew also used a sockpuppet account at Daily Kos over the years to comment on two other races he managed, Bob Lord’s campaign against John Shadegg in AZ-03 in 2008, and Chris Carney’s campaign against Don Sherwood in PA-10 in 2006. Needless to say, this kind of behavior is completely unacceptable. If campaign officials have something to say about the very race they’re working on, then it is mandatory that they speak out in their own voice. Pretending to be an impartial observer, especially for the purposes of spreading negative information about opponents, is a complete violation of our trust. For the most senior official, a campaign manager, to do so is especially unacceptable. I offered Drew the chance to apologize, and told him I would include any apology in this post. Not only did I never hear back, but it appears Drew used the opportunity to edit the bio and signature line of his sockpuppet account, in a belated attempt at transparency. This information was not present in the sockpuppet account when we first discovered Drew’s malfeasance. (Drew’s behavior also stands in marked contrast to that of another senior campaign official, who, when confronted about similar activities, offered a complete apology.) Because it is our policy to ban those who create sockpuppet accounts, we have done so here. But this should also be a lesson to anyone – and to any campaign – contemplating something similar. We will remain eternally vigilant in policing this site. We will not tolerate this kind of behavior. And we will do everything in our power to ensure that the trust which animates this site remains unbroken.

  5. Brown Town. I think you are wrong. (I am a supporter of Trivedi). I totally understand your feeling that more Indian’s need to be engaged in politics. There is no pre-requisite for someone running for a federal position that one would have to hold a state position. There is also no reason to believe that someone who has held a state position would be a great at the federal level. Sarah Palin. She would have been a disaster. She held a state position. More importantly than state experience…is experience. Trivedi’s experience is of a federal nature. Additionally, there have been many many congressman/senators who have not held state positions before holding a federal position, i.e. Joe Biden.

    Additionally, what are the campaign dynamics like. Trivedi’s campaign is for an open seat in a district that has shifted democratic. If he wins the primary against Pike, he would be the odds on favorite to win the race. Maybe Pike has a senior campaign official who is Indian, but who cares. No one ever voted for a campaign manager. No one should.

    Healthcare will be a debate for years to come. I don’t think Trivedi’s fundraising ability is linked to him being a physician. People will donate to his campaign if they think he is a good candidate. I am curious to see his fundraising numbers for September.

    Brown Town. I appreciate your passion, but I think you are wrong.

  6. Also…Doug Pike has never held a state position. So Brown Town is advocating that Trivedi is not experienced enough to run against someone he thinks is not experienced enough to be a Congressman. Odd line of thinking.