Wednesday, October 08, 2008

It's More Important To See A Few Real Progressives Win In November Than Dozens Of Nominal Democrats From The Republican Wing Of The Democratic Party

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We need more like these (not counting me)

The DCCC says there are 75 Republican-held seats in serious play this cycle. That's a lot-- and it doesn't count under-the-radar races they're not tracking, like Bill Durston's now tied contest against right-wing extremist Dan Lungren in CA-03. Monday afternoon GOP propagandist David Brooks termed Sarah Palin a fatal cancer to the Republican Party. And this afternoon Chris Bowers posted an interesting electoral vote analysis over at Open Left and he's wondering just what Obama's electoral vote ceiling really is. So what do these three factoids have to do with each other?

There's the little matter of the coattails of the two men at the tops of their tickets to consider. I've noticed that when McCain and Obama campaigned in the three congressional special elections since they became their parties' nominees-- all three being in redder than average, Republican-held districts (in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi), McCain's candidates were rejected and Obama's candidates were elected. Most of the 75 seats the DCCC is talking about are actually easier seats for Democrats to win, at least in terms of voter registration, not to mention the recent events that have confirmed in voters' minds that the Republican Party has been not just extreme, but extremely detrimental to the health and safety of their families.

If this sounds good to you, don't get too excited. Most of the money-- though not all-- the DCCC is spending on candidates is being spent on nominal Democrats from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are going to the campaigns of anti-choice activists, homophobic fanatics, war-mongers, and generalized reactionaries that smell as much like Republicans as Republican-voting Dems like Tim Mahoney (FL), Nick Lampson (D-TX), John Barrow (D-GA), Chris Carney (D-PA), Travis Childers (D-MS), Heath Shuler (D-NC), Jim Marshall (D-GA), Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Don Cazayoux (D-LA), all of whom have voted significantly more with the GOP than with their fellow Democrats on the tough substantive votes that divide the two parties. They're not even Democrats in any meaningful way. Yet the DCCC props them up with cash and is seeking to elect more-- many more-- just like them.

Of the 22 Red to Blue candidates (the DCCC's highest priority after the incumbent protection racket) for open seats, ten are so reactionary that I wouldn't even be able to force myself to vote for them! And of the 33 Red to Blue challengers taking on incumbents, there are another 4 I wouldn't vote for-- and that's with very lenient standards. And when it comes to actually donating money to help elect candidates, especially in their tough economic environment... well, do you want to fork over your good hard earned cash to a "Democratic" candidate who then goes on to voting against choice, against equality, and for little things like the war and wiretaps?

We're very careful about who winds up on the Blue America list of endorsed candidates. There are no generic Democrats likely to get into office and start voting with the Republicans across a broad array of issues. These are the good ones you can count on, real leaders for the future, like Darcy Burner (D-WA), Annette Taddeo (D-FL), Alan Grayson (D-FL), and Gary Peters (D-MI). These are the ones who will vote to implement the kind of change Obama is campaigning on. It isn't enough to elect Obama president and then have a Senate with reactionaries like Bruce Lunsford (KY) and a House filled with garbage like Chris Carney, Heath Shuler and John Barrow. Nothing will get done except gridlock and watered down Republicanized bullshit. If you can afford to give, give here-- except in the case of Bill Durston, Andrea Miller and Doug Tudor, all of whom can be found here.

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2 Comments:

At 1:52 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Once again the pendulum swings. Think back when (D’s) were chastised, shamed for a President we really liked if not loved. He left us with a surplus, kept us from war, was bi-partisan, there were jobs, and he even left us Al Gore--the real visionary. Instead we got W, and eight years of hell that we'll shutter over every time we think of him for years to come. I’m sincerely hoping we’ll get the right President this time and our Progressive Thinkers too. Some good has come out of this nightmare. And it better be the mother load of good in order to make up for what we’ve just been put through.

This party is taken out the trash! And now it’s time for something as progressive as "giving the government back to the people."

I'm waiting for the invitation to the "Thank God it's over celebration". It will be as much of a relief as it will be a celebration.
I do see the light at the end of the tunnel, I do feel that in time that the country will feel as though we’ll be headed in the right direction. I think the right leadership is on the horizon.

 
At 9:18 PM, Blogger Jason said...

Is there any reason to believe that Andrea Miller or Doug Tudor has a shot in their races? I'm trying to figure out how many races are really in play, and their names haven't come up before. I have 79 so far.

 

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