DL Open Thread: Nov. 6, 2019
Rethugs Losing The Suburbs. No, not just Delaware County, which is pretty amazing by itself. The DC suburbs are gone. And D performance in the Kentucky suburbs across the river from Ohio bodes ill for R’s in 2020. Mecklenberg County in North Carolina, the list goes on and on. To me, that’s the political story of last night and the last couple of years
National D’s Recruited A Loser In Colorado? The corporate D’s, led by Chuck Schumer, gave the blandly undistinguished John Hickenlooper their love. Denver, we might have a problem. Evan Bayh, Part Deux? They never learn. Enough already with these corporate retreads.
How Pence Funneled US Middle East Aid To Christian Groups. In some ways, he’s even more dangerous than Trump. Trump may pay lip service to the notion of a Christian nation, but Pence wants to turn us into one.
How the Securities & Exchange Commission Helps America Inc. While Placing Investors At Risk. Forget about not learning from history. This administration doesn’t even read history.
Climate Change Endangers Delaware’s Indian River Inlet. Resolving the problem will be…tricky.
What do you want to talk about?
“Rethugs Losing The Suburbs.”
I’m bracing myself for many stories about how it will be IMPERATIVE Democrats water their message down until it is 98% water or risk losing the suburbs.
My takeaway from last night’s results is that Democratic GOTV could be better. Yeah, Delco was fired up for change, but a lot of that is the change in demographics and disgust with the GOP’s generations of one-party control.
Bevin was the only Republican who lost in Kentucky — the GOP swept the down-ballot races, again showing that it was dislike of Bevin, not dislike of Trump, that carried the state.
GOTV is going to be a challenge, because whoever ultimately wins the nomination will have to convince Democrats on the other side of the liberal/moderate divide to vote anyway. It’s a challenge Hillary failed to meet, and I’m worried that neither camp has a plan for how to avoid the drop in enthusiasm she suffered from.
Part of Clinton’s drop was based on the nomination relying to heavily on Super Delegates. They’ve addressed that thanks to the efforts of Bernie Sanders.
People can accept an outcome provided the process is viewed as fair.
I’m not so sure about that. I will have zero enthusiasm if the candidate is a centrist, and I have no desire at all to spend four years defending Joe Biden, just as I had no desire to spend four years defending Hillary.
BTW, looks like Frank Luntz must be polling for Biden. Ol’ Joe trots out ‘condescending’ and ‘elitist’ to describe Warren:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/joe-biden-warren-2020-election-democrat-nomination-medicare-tax-a9187221.html
Another takeaway from Matt Bevin’s loss in Kentucky: He was punished for his positions on health care, first the dismantling of the state’s Kynect exchange, set up by Beshear’s father, Steve, when he preceded Bevin as governor, then his attempted imposition of work-requirements for Medicaid.
This is part of Biden’s message, BTW: People are reluctant to get rid of something they have in exchange for two in the bush.
Just by-the-by, the results of that Kentucky race won’t be official for quite some time, as the state has a labyrinthine process for settling contested elections.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2019/11/05/bevin-beshear-recount-what-happens-next-in-kentucky-governor-race/4174894002/
There’s even a chance Republicans will try to throw the election into the state legislature, where they hold firm majorities.
Jess Sessions running for ‘Bama Senate seat:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/us/politics/jeff-sessions-senate.html?action=click&module=Latest&pgtype=Homepage
Rethugs just might hand the D’s 6 more years with this seat.
Moore was running behind a former football coach last time the primary race was polled:
https://www.bamapolitics.com/33142/roy-moore-campaign-releases-third-quarter-fundraising-numbers/
But he probably benefits in a multiple field primary.
If enough candidates split the not-insane vote, Moore could emerge once again.
Doubtful. I think he and Sessions will draw from the same pool of mouth-breathers.
We did it, folks. We just recorded two full-hour episodes back to back.
This Friday we’ll drop a special one. A history lesson from one of the country’s foremost historians and sociologists Professor Harvey J Kaye. We discuss several of his books including his newest, Take Hold of Our History: Make America Radical Again. We cover the rich & foundational history of American radicalism. And how Bernie is only candidate who understands the need for a leader to inspire the radical activist in us.
Professor Kaye examines Paine, Lincoln and FDR. We also explore the last 45 years of class war (from the top) and radical labor leader and organizer A Philip Randolph.
The following Friday we’ll release a very pleasant chat with Rep Paul Baumbach RD23 Newark. We hit many big of topics including the Overton window, marijuana legalization, guns, lobbying in Dover, the pending lawsuits against the State (tax assessment & edu funding), legislative strategies and the need for respectful fact-based discourse. (I was admittedly not sold on the last bit.)
Paul’s a good egg. Really enjoyed having him in.
Look, the podcast is good. Frankly, I’m just as surprised as all of you.
Lula Livre. Left is best.
Oh yeah. Buy the book!
https://www.amazon.com/Take-Hold-Our-History-America/dp/1789043557
My public access debut. Full episode!
https://youtu.be/BfaoMzoRXjc