Comment Rescue: What’s The Strategy Kenneth?
Geezer said, “Given the turnout in Delaware, perhaps liberals should persuade O’Donnell-style nutcases to run in every election, if only to drive Democratic turnout.”
Then I said something. Then Anthony Weiner (D-NY) said what I said, but a lot better:
“The sum and substance of our political strategy can’t be waiting for them to fuck up.”
Their strategy of waiting for US to fuck up, over time pays off better than our strategy of waiting for them to fuck up.
Republicans and their wacky theories were at the bottom of a smoking crater until our centrist and pragmatic brethren pulled them out. All that hard work of defeating the Republicans was lost. Republicans watched incredulously but gratefully as we rehabilitated and endorsed their economic theories one by one. Now they are noting with glee we are still standing by the Dems who perpetrated this.
I think they did run O’Donnells in every state, just not ones as transparently ridiculous as ours. I think it shows both the sad state of our electorate and our media that it takes national attention to show how ridiculous a candidate is. Scott Walker (WI), Rick Snyder (MI), John Kasich (OH), Paul LePage (ME), Rick Scott (FL) are all as bad as O’Donnell, yet got elected anyway.
It’s a bad strategy because they always have a chance to win.
I agree w/ UI. The problem is that a big chunk of the American public doesn’t have good instincts for how dangerous the dumb and sociopathically greedy are. This is a nation that believes a Forrest Gump is a possible human type (wisdom as the fruit of stupidity, whatever its source). Sarah Palin’s popularity ratings might be in the low to mid 30s, but that is nevertheless 1/3 of the nation even though she is evidently dumber than a sack of diapers. And let’s not forget that Bush’s ratings sank into the 30s but only he he was reelected for a second term. That’s a measure of how politically successful dumb can be in the USA.
Rick Scott is not dumb. He is the other type Dana noted: sociopathically greedy. I still can’t figure out how Floridians could elect someone who ripped off Medicare to the tune of billions of dollars and then settled the case not by going to jail but by giving half of it back. The man belongs in prison; instead he occupies the governor’s mansion.
Democrats need to stay strong as a united group. The left wing needs to become energized, vocalized, activated with left wing factions within the group who will challenge conservatives and DINO’s taking over the democrat party. Those running as ‘democrats’ would have to champion to the true democrat base in order to get their votes and would have to represent true democrats or loose future elections. The alternative is – what is now happening.
Attention Legislators
It is important that “fusion” be eliminated, as many “other parties, political groups” will/are positioning themselves as back up to the major parties. which will only be another drain when “one issue” parties can present candidates in duplicate, triplicate and/or for spite.
Last minute “fusions” could turn elections into unbalanced, unrepresentative, “free for alls” where extremes could gain unfair advantage over elections to later control legislation.
Republican and Democrat Legislators need to think and legislate against parties that would run candidates in duplicate. Think about the “special interest” money that can be dumped onto “willing puppets” with otherwise marginal to non existent power.
Things are complicated enough without unleashing last minute bought and paid for “free for alls.” One thousand or 2,000 votes can decide which major party will win. Don’t give some obscure questionable platform/minor party, the power to win an election.
Legislators, get rid of fusion.
Fusion is a double edged sword. The hacks of fusion, should not be enabled to throw an election.
I’m with the Geez re Rick Scott.
Weren’t the air waves filled with ads emphasizing his ripping off Medicare during the campaign?
And the elderly, who turn out to vote, still pulled the lever for HIM in large numbers?
It just doesn’t seem to add up.
Cross off Florida as a possible place to spend my “golden” years.
Skip: And Arizona, too. Guess I’m never going to sell the snow blower after all.
perhaps liberals should persuade O’Donnell-style nutcases to run in every election
Do they really need our help? “Running in every election” is what the O’Donnnell style nutcases do, by definition.
Yes, they ran equally extreme wingnuts in every state, but something about COD was over the top enough that even the MSM could not pretend she was a serious candidate, and forced them to go along with the “unelectable” narrative. Not so for the other wingnut candidates.
On the other hand, O’Donnell made Rand Paul seem sane – so there is that.
I think O’Donnell and Angle took attention away from Paul and what’s his name who won in Wisconsin.
Yep. It is like the overton window of candidate craziness.
For me, as a practicing Democrat, the issue is getting GOOD people to run for and hold office. That’s not easy. I need people to go into the “sausage making” in politics already armored by the possession of a good mind and an ethical sense. If they’re only so-so intellectually, and they’re …. well, it’s enough if they’re only naive about how their friendships appear,to create an election where, as a salesperson, I’m stuck.
Democratic voters will ONLY come out for what they perceive as a better candidate, but Republican voters will show up to ‘throw the bums out.” That’s why our better numbers don’t help more.
That’s true. If Republicans run “O’Donnell-style nutcases to run in every election” that means an unacceptable number of “O’Donnell-style nutcases” are going to be elected. We need normal, or less insane, Repubicans to run whenever possible.