Watch Out! Berniecrats Are On The Move

Submitted by gjohnsit on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 12:21pm

When you think of Alabama, progressive politics isn't normally what comes to mind.

But populist challenger Randall Woodfin, a 36-year-old former board of education president endorsed by the Bernie Sanders-backed campaign group Our Revolution, topped Bell in the first round of voting in August. On Tuesday night, Woodfin finished the job in the runoff, stunning Alabama and winning the mayor’s race comfortably — Woodfin defeated Bell with 58 percent of the vote.
...But Woodfin’s campaign did not take place in a vacuum. His election comes just months after Jackson, Mississippi — the state’s largest city — elected Chokwe Lumumba Jr., a young populist who has vowed to make it the “most radical city on the planet.”
In November, Atlanta’s voters will go to the polls to choose the next mayor. One of the candidates, former state Senate Democratic whip Vincent Fort — a longtime foe of Wall Street and the city’s Democratic establishment — is also being backed by Our Revolution, as well as Sanders.
...Should Fort succeed, the largest cities in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia will be run by mayors running from anti-establishment to downright radical — all within the span of six months of elections.

I can't emphasize enough that this is happening in the Deep South, where establishment Dems have been telling us for decades that you must run DINO candidates to win.
However, this isn't just happening in the South.

Earlier this week in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Tim Keller, the progressive-backed candidate came in first in the mayoral race. A Republican has led New Mexico’s largest city since 2009. And in September, the five-term Republican incumbent mayor in Manchester, New Hampshire, finished second in the primary to a Democrat.
These local level wins follow recent pick-ups by Democrats in state House races, where Democrats have beaten Republican in places as conservative as Oklahoma.

And then there were local progressive victories in Red districts that you probably didn't hear about.

Unfazed by public opinion, the Colorado Springs’ corporate political network and their hard-right Christian allies headed into the April council elections with a business dream team and mountains of money, fully expecting to increase their control by winning all six of the seats up for a vote. Sure, the T4CS group had popped into view, but it was seen as just another collection of liberal losers.
But the progressive upstarts pulled off a stunning upset. Even though T4CS was outspent by at least 10-to-1, the people’s efforts prevailed. All three T4CS endorsees were elected by substantial margins, as were the two candidates it recommended.

I believe the reason progressives are winning big in Red and Purple states instead of Blue states is because the Democratic establishment is weak there.
Corporate Dems are the biggest enemies of progressives, not Republicans.

In November, Columbus, Ohio could be next in line to bump off establishment Dems.

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Comments

Submitted by EdMass on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 1:11pm

The only surprise

is Alabama. NM and CO not so much.

OH? They may knock off Estab Dems, won't win in the General especially if Kasich switches...

DINO? Nope Blue Dog. Haven't gone away just because the "Party" kicked them out.

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Stop the War!

Submitted by Nastarana on Mon, 10/09/2017 - 12:53pm

2018, maybe not.

@EdMass But consider, these and others around the country are the up and coming generation of leadership. It is up to us voters to make sure they stay honest.

—

Mary Bennett

Submitted by chuckutzman on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 1:25pm

We must stop thinking R v. D or left v. right. It is 99% v 1%!

—

chuck utzman

TULSI 2020

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 2:23pm

Bingo!

@chuckutzman

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by carptrash on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 2:43pm

@Socialprogressive I am reminded of a

@Socialprogressive I am reminded of a recent debate as to whether the Christian god is the same as Islam's god. As a friend noted, "Or is my imaginary friend the same as your imaginary friend?"

Submitted by Socialprogressive on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 5:57pm

I like your friends line of thought.

@carptrash

—

I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.

Submitted by Dumbo on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 8:15pm

If two faiths both posit that there is only one God

@carptrash
then they must worship the same God. Mathematical law of identity. Any other POV is polytheistic. Which I'm fine with, too.

—

"Bi-polar? I'm Bi-winning!!!" -- Charlie Sheen

Submitted by MichaelSF on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 10:25pm

@carptrash The Jews, Christians

@carptrash The Jews, Christians and Muslims are Abrahamic sects so they share a common (alleged) deity.

Submitted by Citizen Of Earth on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 4:45pm

Right! Neither Ds nor Rs are on 'your' side

@chuckutzman @chuckutzman
unless you are a rich bastard or a corporation.
And Bernie's Our Revolution is just a sheep dog herding progressives to the Dem slaughter house.

I won't be fooled again.

—

Donnie The #ShitHole Douchebag. Fake Friend to the Working Class. Real Asshole.

Submitted by k9disc on Fri, 10/06/2017 - 7:05pm

I Think BIG vs Little is a Simpler and More Effective Metaphor

@chuckutzman

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“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

Submitted by WoodsDweller on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 2:01pm

So you're telling me there's hope?

Hope is forsaken these lands.

I'm starting to call them the DINORINO party. I haven't decided if it's pronounced "deeno-reeno" or "dyno-rhino". I kind of like the latter.
"The only way to beat a RINO is with a DINO!" We just raise enough corporate money and run enough ads, except that doesn't work.
There are a lot of DINORINO candidates, but not many voters. The 90s are over. The future belongs to the far right and the near left.
I think the observation that these are regions where the corporate Democrats are weak is astute. Additionally, the Republican apparatus in those areas may be over confident and easily surprised. That advantage won't last forever.
A win is a win and I'm happy to see it.

—

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 2:39pm

Colorado Springs

And then there were local progressive victories in Red districts that you probably didn't hear about.

Unfazed by public opinion, the Colorado Springs’ corporate political network and their hard-right Christian allies headed into the April council elections with a business dream team and mountains of money, fully expecting to increase their control by winning all six of the seats up for a vote. Sure, the T4CS group had popped into view, but it was seen as just another collection of liberal losers.
But the progressive upstarts pulled off a stunning upset. Even though T4CS was outspent by at least 10-to-1, the people’s efforts prevailed. All three T4CS endorsees were elected by substantial margins, as were the two candidates it recommended.

I would never have known about this except for c99. And I live in Colorado Springs. The "Colorado Springs’ corporate political network and their hard-right Christian allies" own and control all the mainstream media here.

A certain irony attends the fact that the Internet source of the article hails from Illinois. Your humble scribe has an Illinois birth certificate which states that he is rightly a Colorado Springs native. (Actually born in Rantoul; home address was in Colorado Springs and is listed on the certificate.)

EDIT: "T4CS" is Together for Colorado Springs, a progressive organization which arose to participate in the April 2017 Municipal elections. T4CS now appears to have gotten some gravitas, and is here to stay.

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

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Submitted by gjohnsit on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 3:12pm

This is interesting

link

A senior House Democrat said Thursday that it’s time for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and two top lieutenants to prepare to step down and make way for the next generation of lawmakers in her caucus.
The comments by Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (Calif.), who as vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus ranks fifth in the 194-member body, are the most explicit to date by a senior congressional Democrat and a member of the California congressional delegation about Pelosi’s political future.

Submitted by Dr. John Carpenter on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 3:23pm

Sad this is even a slightly controversial position.

@gjohnsit Pelosi etc. should have left of their own accord well before this election. But, if there was any lingering doubt, 2016 should have erased that.

And what do we know about Rep. Sánchez? Is she a good Dem or just a newer name on the same policies? Sorry to say, I can't take something like this at face value anymore.

—

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 5:35pm

Rep. Sánchez

@Dr. John Carpenter

And what do we know about Rep. Sánchez? Is she a good Dem or just a newer name on the same policies? Sorry to say, I can't take something like this at face value anymore.

Unless she resembles Stalin, Pol Pot, Trump, or Hitler (good afternoon, Counselor Godwin!), I can't see how she could be as bad or any worse. Some things have got to improve with getting Zombie Pelosi the hell out of there.

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by Dr. John Carpenter on Fri, 10/06/2017 - 2:57pm

You'd think but...

@thanatokephaloides If there's one thing the Dems have proved successful at is hitting the bottom and continuing to dig.

—

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

Submitted by Dumbo on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 8:17pm

Sanchez is centrist/right.

@Dr. John Carpenter
She represents a district in Orange County, California.

—

"Bi-polar? I'm Bi-winning!!!" -- Charlie Sheen

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 8:30pm

Sanchez

@Dumbo

Sanchez is centrist/right. She represents a district in Orange County, California.

Damn.....

—

"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Submitted by Dr. John Carpenter on Fri, 10/06/2017 - 2:58pm

Second verse, same as the first.

@Dumbo Sigh.

—

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

Submitted by Ellen North on Sat, 10/07/2017 - 12:55pm

@Dumbo

@Dumbo

And that would be why she's permitted to demand that she be the stand-in for Pelosi as a pretend-improvement to take the same tack?

—

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Submitted by earthling1 on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 3:48pm

You nailed it.

Corporate Dems are the biggest enemies of progressives, not Republicans.

This is exactly what we have to always remember going forward. Corporate Dems, or Wall St Dems Must be removed in 2018.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

Submitted by UntimelyRippd on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 4:02pm

meanwhile, someone NOT of the usual sort is

running to beat Paul Ryan: https://randybryceforcongress.com

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The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
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AGCC is happening.
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Submitted by MsGrin on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 6:08pm

Nina will be in Austin tomorrow...

—

'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

Submitted by Cassiodorus on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 8:41pm

Omigod good news!

Can C99% handle it?

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“When there's no fight over programme, the election becomes a casting exercise. Trump's win is the unstoppable consequence of this situation.” - Jean-Luc Melanchon

Submitted by gjohnsit on Thu, 10/05/2017 - 10:49pm

LOL

@Cassiodorus

Submitted by snoopydawg on Fri, 10/06/2017 - 1:14am

They also let republicans run unopposed in too many states

where establishment Dems have been telling us for decades that you must run DINO candidates to win.

Or they don't even bother to fund candidates who are running in republican territories for some reason I haven't figured out yet.

This is good news if good democrats (as far as we know) are winning in states that usually go for republicans. If we can get rid of the old guard such as Pelosi, Schumer, Feinstein and others who have more in common with republicans, then maybe there is some hope that eventually the democrats will get back being the party of FDR.
I am still wondering why they lost so many seats during Obama's tenure. Was that deliberate and if so, why?
This is an interesting article:

The whole Democratic Party is now a smoking pile of rubble

The down-ballot party has withered, and Obama’s policy legacy will be largely repealed.

What’s less impressive is that at the sub-presidential level, the Obama years have created a Democratic Party that’s essentially a smoking pile of rubble.

I'm not sure what this person is smoking to think this is true.

More broadly, the Obama-Clinton style of liberal incrementalism promised that while it wouldn’t deliver utopia, it would deliver wins and concrete results. And for a while, it did

Is this good or bad news?

. And the withering of the down-ballot party paired with the failure to create entrenched policy accomplishments means much of Obama-era policymaking will have vanished without a trace within six months.

A lot of his legislation that was supposed to be helpful for us and the country was passed just before he left office which means that it hadn't been taken effect yet which gave the republicans the opportunity to stop it becoming law.
Like the legislation that forbids our ISP providers from selling our browsing and search patterns to third parties who then used it to send us emails about their products. And most of his other legislation.

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Was Humpty Dumpty pushed?

Submitted by Ellen North on Sat, 10/07/2017 - 12:14pm

You've nailed it again!

You've nailed it again! People actually want a government that works for, not against, the public. Who'da thunk?

—

Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.