Darcy Burner is probably the biggest example of the netroots misstepping in local politics ever. Half the district is in Pierce County, and yet the netroots keep pushing a candidate who's only lived in the state for seven years and has absolutely nothing on her political resume.
If you're gonna try and push a candidate, try and learn the area's voting habits first.
...adding, I never like to be heavyhanded with fundraising, but it's long been my fantasy that the "netroots" could, when they wanted to, pull in a cool $100K over a couple of days for a candidate. Obviously that isn't a "do it every weekend" kind of thing, but something which could, at times, be done.
Burner got 48.54% of the vote in 2006. You be the judge of the area's voting habits.
Approve, give some money.
Don't approve, don't bother.