RNC and DCCC agree that the real enemies are progressives

Submitted by gjohnsit on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 5:54pm

Did you ever get the feeling that Democrats would rather lose to a Republican instead of win with a progressive?
You may have suspected it when internal DCCC documents are full of Republican talking points that undermine popular progressive policies.
You also may be guilty of thinking it when the DCCC publicly dumped its opposition research file on a nominally progressive candidate.

The DCCC was careful to limit its public critique to Moser’s personal story, not her progressive policy agenda, but it’s clear the group felt she was too far left to win in a general election.
...One of the attacks—that a joke about living in rural Texas should disqualify you from running for office in Houston—suggested it was the DCCC, not Moser, who was out of touch with the district. The DCCC’s intervention also turned out to be a financial boon for Moser, who had already proved adept at using social media to raise her profile—and money—outside of Texas. According to her campaign, Moser raised more than $100,000 in the six days following the DCCC attack, a significant slice of which the campaign proudly trumpeted came from small donors outside of her district.

Both of those examples involve the Democratic establishment using Republican talking points to attack progressives for being too far left.

But now we have an example of Republicans using Democratic establishment talking points to attack progressives for being too far left.

But Jesse Hunt, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the “push and pull” over the direction of the party will only produce general election candidates who have been battered by tough primaries. The NRCC released a web video, "Democrats Divided," on Friday.
“Democrats in D.C. are trying to find candidates they think can win a general election but the base wants something entirely different,” he said.

That sounds EXACTLY like a centrist Democrat!
The two parties aren't even subtle about their corruption anymore.

Tags:

DCCC

RNC

Democrats

Vote

Comments

Submitted by gjohnsit on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 6:03pm

It's not the first time

warning TOP link

Submitted by SnappleBC on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 11:13pm

Wow... TOP was different back then!

@gjohnsit
The fact that you could post that article at all there is sort of astonishing. And the fact that you weren't immediately burned at the stake in the comment section is even more surprising.

But, as I read those comments I see that things were already well down the path...

SouthernLiberalinMD
Me too. (thinking of quitting the site)
Look, the decision here to be made is whether or not we want to lie to ourselves about the fact that we're abandoning all the principles we ever held, and claiming, mostly falsely, that we're advancing incrementally toward realizing those principles in public life, when in fact, if we're advancing incrementally anywhere, it's in the opposite direction.

—

A lot of wanderers in the U.S. political desert recognize that all the duopoly has to offer is a choice of mirages. Come, let us trudge towards empty expanse of sand #1, littered with the bleached bones of Deaniacs and Hope and Changers.
-- lotlizard

Submitted by thanatokephaloides on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 6:07pm

Jesse Hunt

But Jesse Hunt, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the “push and pull” over the direction of the party will only produce general election candidates who have been battered by tough primaries. The NRCC released a web video, "Democrats Divided," on Friday.
“Democrats in D.C. are trying to find candidates they think can win a general election but the base wants something entirely different,” he said.

That sounds EXACTLY like a centrist Democrat!
The two parties aren't even subtle about their corruption anymore.

Hell, it sounds like Jesse Hunt and the NRCC are telling the plain truth here!

We need rid of these crypto-Republicans. And it appears the GOPpers don't want 'em either!

—

"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 gjohnsit on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 6:18pm

That's not how I read it

@thanatokephaloides

“Democrats in D.C. are trying to find candidates they think can win a general election but the base wants something entirely different,”

What is entirely different from what the base wants? "candidates that can win a general election".
The DCCC is trying to save us from ourselves.

Which is a Corporate Dem talking point.
We must be pragmatic and stop wanting universal health care and real gun control because that will never win elections.

Submitted by SnappleBC on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 11:33pm

I had that same question

@gjohnsit

OK, so "the base" is the voters, right? How exactly do you put up a candidate who can "win the general" that your own voters don't want? Oh wait! I know! You assume they will dance when you play the LOTE tune.

—

Submitted by Mike Taylor on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 7:28pm

Progressives haven't figured out how to win either.

If progressives would stick strictly to popular issues that would benefit a majority of the people economically, like Medicare for all, tuition-free college, better trade deals etc., and leave the divisive issues like immigration, gun control etc. (that repel republican and even some independent voters) to the establishment dems, progressives would be more likely to win against the (intentionally) divisive 'bipartisan' political establishment.
There are huge macroeconomic issues at stake that will result in a multitude of the deaths caused by all of the mass-shootings combined, if establishment republicans and democrats (slow-motion republicans) remain in control.
It's vital that progressives don't fall into the well-laid divisive traps of the oligarchy and their (bought-and-paid-for) 'bipartisan' political establishment.

—

Mike Taylor

Submitted by Meteor Man on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 9:21pm

Pragmatic Progressive Dems?

@Mike Taylor

and leave the divisive issues like immigration, gun control etc. (that repel republican and even some independent voters) to the establishment dems

I do not believe that is a supportable hypothesis. It is not possible to say if progressives who included those issues would win or lose because the DNC shoots so many down in the primary and the Dem Centrist candidate loses anyway.

Are you suggesting progressives abandon the Dreamers? That progressives should ignore gun control issues that have widespread and broad public support? What other divisive issues did you have in mind by "etc."?

I don't think it really matters because almost by definition progressive candidates will not be bossed around by somebody else's idea of "winning issues" and that's a good thing.

What we know for a fact is that Establishment Democrats repeatedly lose by not running on the issues. It remains to be seen which "divisive issues" will result in progressive candidates losing.

—

"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

Submitted by k9disc on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 11:25am

I Think Mike is Spot on, Meteor Man.

All those poll tested issues, like Dreamers?

Corporate polling.

Dreamers are popular because it doesn't cost much to the Establishment to put them in the public sphere and have us flog them, in public, in lieu of Single Payer, taxing the wealthy, and calling back US troops.

I think it was a pretty smart move of Dems to cave on the Dreamers. It wasn't going to work. You can talk about Identity Politics, but you can't really run on them, as 2016 showed.

Eventually you not only have to keep the Dreamers from being deported, but you have to keep them, and the rest of us, from being exploited. It's much like the Clinton brand of Feminism: women should have the ability to join the patriarchy. White, red, yellow, and black all should have equal access to Establishment exploitation.

A quick parry and reframe, not unlike Bernie, would totally work to keep the focus on kitchen table issues that the corporate media doesn't want consensus on.

Interesting thought while writing this:
The job of the corporate media is to keep citizens from coming to a consensus on self governance and regulatory government. I bet ALL that polling of kitchen table issues is slanted 10-20pts low on the Human Agenda side.

@Meteor Man

—

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

Submitted by Meteor Man on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 11:55am

Progressives v. Centrists

@k9disc
Every single issue does not have to be poll tested. Why was the Dreamer issue part of the budget negotiation in the first place? Because Obama dropped the ball.

Here's the real problem:

The Democratic Party’s Washington-based insiders overseeing their 2018 efforts to win back a U.S. House majority are trying to undermine another progressive candidate—this time it's Greg Edwards, an African-American pastor running in Pennsylvania’s 7th district.

It's not immigration or gun control or "left wing ideological purity":

Greg Edwards is exactly the kind of progressive leader that the Democratic Party should be investing in,” said Waleed Shahid, a spokesman for Justice Democrats, which has backed 52 progressives running for Congress and is helping his voter contact efforts. “It’s a shame that the DCCC and the wealthy white donors and revolving door consultants that make up the Democratic Party establishment are actively trying to stop Greg. Their consultant-driven strategy seems to prefer milquetoast candidates who they believe can appeal to moderate Republicans over progressive candidates of color. This is what systemic racism looks like.

https://www.alternet.org/election-03918/dc-democrats-try-push-progressiv...

There is very little or no evidence that progressive candidates cannot win "on the issues". Quite the contrary.

The indisputable fact is that centrist Democrats have been getting wiped out by not running on progressive issues.

—

"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

Submitted by k9disc on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 2:25pm

Not Suggesting That We Poll Test Issues.

I was suggesting that who pays for the poll and what the agenda is behind the people who pay the people for the poll. I was also suggesting that Polls can't really be trusted.

Had Democrats stopped the government over Dreamers I think they would have gotten clobbered. Stopping threatening to stop the government for conservatives is like the Sheriff scene in Blazing Saddles. They don't care.

Doing it to benefit a small percentage of the population? Not strong political tactics.

Now, if the Democrats had a history, like the Republicans of smashing progressive policy into law and protecting people as a Method of Operation, then maybe it would work; playing that "hard ball".

But it was a gimmick, and everybody knew it. It was a gimmick like most of the public debate in American politics. Don't mention poor people. Don't mention corporate rape & pillage. Stick to the scripted issues.

@Meteor Man

—

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

Submitted by Meteor Man on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 3:18pm

I Agree With Not Shutting Down The Government

@k9disc @k9disc
The problem with the whole Dreamer issue is that Obama dropped the ball in his first term and morphed into the Deporter in Chief in his second term. In a rational work the Dreamers are not even a legitimate immigration issue, it is a fundamental issue of justice. Trump said "Dreamers are Americans too". Seems like that should be an easy sell for Democrats. It doesn't have to be their number one issue, but it is an issue.

Hells bells even the notorious Gang of Eight proposal had broad support:

https://www.rawstory.com/2013/04/gang-of-8-immigration-proposal-includes...

The 2010 Dreamer Act passed the House and died in the Senate:

Three Republicans - Indiana's Dick Lugar, Utah's Bob Bennett and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski - were among the yes votes. Five Democrats voted no: Max Baucus and John Tester of Montana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas. The bill had already passed the House and is supported by President Obama.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dream-act-dies-in-the-senate-18-12-2010/

This issue is a clusterfuk because of Democratic Blue Dog dickheads and Democratic incompetence and callous disregard for their base.

[Edit: Blacks, Hispanics and Unions are easily identifiable groups that Establishment Dems have ignored and are seriously pissed off. In fact, the only groups not pissed off at the Democratic Establishment are Blue Dog/New Dems and donors.]

—

"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

Submitted by k9disc on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 6:57pm

Right. And The People Who Made It Happen Are Now Going

to shut down the government to save them?

To what end? Not to put forth their own proposals or policy, but just to save them, to score a political win.

Republicans couldn't even pull off that kind of kabuki. They had a long term pogrom against the ACA and Obama to fall back on, and, like I said above, they want government to shutter up.

@Meteor Man

—

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

Submitted by Lily O Lady on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 12:07pm

I’m with you and MM, k9disc. Identity politics will keep the

@k9disc

little guy down, including the groups that are supposedly being supported.

—

"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Submitted by lotlizard on Fri, 03/02/2018 - 11:16pm

Generous government benefits and open borders don’t go together

@Mike Taylor
That’s one of the more obvious reasons the E.U.’s idea of “fairly distributing” refugees among member countries cannot possibly work.

Never mind the fact that Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary are refusing to co-operate. The simple fact is, migrants themselves don’t honor such allocations and won’t stay where they are assigned. They choose to migrate to Germany because it has the most generous benefits.

That’s where the “lifeboat” analogy breaks down. Someone in genuine fear and danger of drowning wouldn’t think, “I don’t want to be saved by this lifeboat. I want to be saved in that other lifeboat over there, it has better food and warmer blankets.”

Submitted by Ellen North on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 4:50pm

Thanks! Nailed the essential point to the freaking wall!

@Mike Taylor

Unite on universal issues, involving the basic-needs survival of all. Achieve those, and with the created division (and hopefully propaganda campaigns) gone, it might be easier to discuss issues often long used toward division of the 99% to prevent the union of the 99% toward gaining that basic-needs survival of all.

People with a living wage and health-care are going to be a lot less stressed and reactive, better able to think more clearly and independently without worry about their lives caving in at any moment.

—

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 k9disc on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 11:17am

Even BILL CLINTON and BARACK OBAMA...

We pay for this in all political discussions.

"Even Bill Clinton believed in Welfare Reform / Smaller Government."

"Even Barack Obama knows that Single Payer won't work..."

This has been going on a LONG time.

—

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

Submitted by Meteor Man on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 12:42pm

Progressive Pushback v. Centrists

Here you go:

New Campaign Challenges DCCC's "All-Out War Against Progressives"

"Poll after poll is showing overwhelming support for progressive issues. Across the country, an unprecedented number of grassroots activists are demanding healthcare as a right, a ban on assault weapons, and action on economic and racial inequality," he said.

"Despite this, the DCCC is doubling down on a strategy to court moderate Republicans and the billionaire class instead of the progressive wing of their own party," he continued. "Now that progressives are threatening major upsets against their hand-picked candidates in upcoming primaries, the DCCC has begun an all-out war against progressives."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/03/02/new-campaign-challenges-dcc...

—

"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

Submitted by Meteor Man on Sat, 03/03/2018 - 1:01pm

Centrist Losers

Last cycle, the two biggest self-funders looking to buy House seats were David Trone in Maryland, who spent a phenomenal $13,414,225 of his own and took 35,400 votes (27.1%) in his primary, and Randy Perkins in Florida who spent $10,127,029 of his own and then lost to a Republican, by over 10 points 53.6% to 43.1%. The only million dollar Democratic self-funder who won in 2016 was Vicente Gonzalez, a real sleaze from south Texas, who spent $1,850,000 of his own dough. Although he's a real conservative piece of crap who joined the Blue Dogs as soon as he got into Congress, he knew which lever to pull to get an endorsement from the Congressional Progressive Caucus. You can't trust anyone in DC these days.

http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2018/03/why-using-identity-politics-...

—

"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

Submitted by SancheLlewellyn on Sun, 03/04/2018 - 11:24am

What the Establishment and the donors want

The Establishment and the donors want batshit Republicans and weak Democrats. Batshit Republicans turn out the voters every full moon to vote in tax cuts for wealthy Jesus, while weak Democrats make sure those tax cuts stay in place during the ebb and flow of backlash. "We will give you abortion rights but don't touch those tax cuts. We don't tax billionaires; we bail out billionaires. Now shut up and clap louder."