The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

[Handyman]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

Less significant, but DFLers outdrew Republicans 2:1(edit: actually going to end up closer to 3:1) at precinct caucuses in Minnesota tonight. The straw polls for governor are fairly meaningless in general, and especially so in the case of the Republicans since their nominee wasn't on the ballot tonight. But if they're counting on this mayonnaise smoothie of a man to generate excitement, they've likely got a problem.

I have said it for months, the MNGOP doesnt have anyone that is going to win. Hell there are rumors TPaw might run again that is how bad it is for them. The MNGOP controls the Leg and has killed the surplus and destroyed everything Dayton has done (much like the GOP and Obama) only Minnesotans actually care about this stuff and the major cities are going Democrat and it wont be close.

[Handyman]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

I didn’t even know about that race and it flipped that much?

This could be an absolute bloodbath in 2018.

There is a reason why Walker wont allow any special elections in WI right now...

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

I have said it for months, the MNGOP doesnt have anyone that is going to win. Hell there are rumors TPaw might run again that is how bad it is for them. The MNGOP controls the Leg and has killed the surplus and destroyed everything Dayton has done (much like the GOP and Obama) only Minnesotans actually care about this stuff and the major cities are going Democrat and it wont be close.

The question that needs answering is why the legislature flipped back to the Republicans again after we got rid of them the first time? I can't figure it. I suppose you could blame Hillary being at the top of the ticket but Dayton got reelected pretty easily. All they do when they're in office is destroy the surplus, destroy the credit rating of the State, and pass abortion and gay marriage crap.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

Interesting results since one internet poll got tons of press showing Goopers on the upswing! While past performance doesn't guarantee future results (sounds like something Chump would say to Melania) there's no substitute for actual voting. So far so good from the big (AL Senate, VA Gov) to the medium (VA state house elections) to the small (various state house and senate special elections) really in most places across the country so far.

It could be a very good environment for us as we slouch towards our November Bethlehem... but that's all it is. The Red Zone means nothing if you don’t score. We do have some systemic advantages this time: fatigue with everything Republican, reflexive anger at the status quo now directed firmly at the GOP. Dump's promises are now policies which is bound to deflate much of the "take a flier on him" support since Joe Six Pack's life is not MAGAraculously perfect now. Those folks won't be voting for us but they may just roll over and go back to sleep on election day.

I don't have any handle at all on which faction is actually running the DCCC and DSCC these days. I assume there are still a lot of residual Clintonistas, retired in place, but presumably they're plowing through the day to day chores as good Dem soldiers now that the link back to the Mothership has been severed. Still, I don't see a lot of proactive help coming from there. It's mostly going to be on the state and local party organizations, and those are all over the map.

This vacuum cries out to be filled by grassroots activists, Netroots, and recruiting groups that have spun out of MoveOn, Our Revolution, EMILY’s List, Indivisible, etc. Hopefully those independent-minded, guerrilla, DIY platoons have some Spirit of ‘76 magic in them.

I have great hope for November. I think we can take back both chambers, freeze Dump in his tracks, and then turn our attention to retaking the White House in 2020 and quickly and methodically erasing the entire Anti-Presidency and, with enough will, as much as of the post-1980 Plutocratic Mistake as possible. But this will require youth — A TSUNAMI OF IT -- and an exhaustive repudiation of the “not in the face!” passivity of the last 40 years of Democratic governance. We should recognize those folks did the best they could with what their situations offered them, erect their Marble Statues, and then forget them.

Nobody over 40 today will have any dynamic role to play in the changes that are coming except to provide a comforting hood ornament of familiarity to older lofo voters or greasing the levers of The Art of the Possible behind the scenes to suck funding from our elderly rich brethren. We Olds are all as hopelessly oblivious to what is coming as dinosaurs staring dully at the coming meteor, and trapped in the amber of concerns that have no bearing on the generations now rising. Our Driving Passions and Vital Issues from the 90s and even the 00s are, or will soon be, as obsolete as bi-metalism and canal tariffs. We can help build a world we want our grandkids to live in by… stepping aside and letting them do that building. We have the money but they have the ideas, and the flexibility to change their course as needed.

And after all, it will be their world; they should be the ones to sculpt it. We can do most by leading least.

[Handyman]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

The question that needs answering is why the legislature flipped back to the Republicans again after we got rid of them the first time? I can't figure it. I suppose you could blame Hillary being at the top of the ticket but Dayton got reelected pretty easily. All they do when they're in office is destroy the surplus, destroy the credit rating of the State, and pass abortion and gay marriage crap.

Well part of it is that the Iron Range bought the rhetoric and flipped. A lot of people out of work and they blamed the Dems for that. Ironically it was the Dems that gave them unemployment and health care which now are in danger so we will see if they learned anything. (I have read stories both ways)

The Leg is always going to flow back and forth because small amounts of votes can have huge impact in local elections. Plus people have short memories...

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

Well part of it is that the Iron Range bought the rhetoric and flipped. A lot of people out of work and they blamed the Dems for that. Ironically it was the Dems that gave them unemployment and health care which now are in danger so we will see if they learned anything. (I have read stories both ways)

The Leg is always going to flow back and forth because small amounts of votes can have huge impact in local elections. Plus people have short memories...

So, the Republicans were going to employ them then? That's what they thought? Interesting mentality. We've had lots of tax cuts over the years and I doubt a single one of them got a job because of one.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

Well part of it is that the Iron Range bought the rhetoric and flipped. A lot of people out of work and they blamed the Dems for that. Ironically it was the Dems that gave them unemployment and health care which now are in danger so we will see if they learned anything. (I have read stories both ways)

What's the famous quote, "the one thing a man will never forgive is showing him charity"?

Leave them to their resentment. They are lost.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

So, the Republicans were going to employ them then? That's what they thought? Interesting mentality. We've had lots of tax cuts over the years and I doubt a single one of them got a job because of one.

If the gubmint will let them drag the brownies through the street behind their trucks their jobs will come back.

Get with the program.

[Rover]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

Minny was really odd last year in that Dems mostly sat out the election (again, Trump got almost the same votes as Mittens, but came within a point or two while Romney lost the state by like 7 points), but for some reason they showed up for the incumbent Dem Congressmen running for re-election. I recall one of the challengers saying he couldn't believe Trump won the district by double digits but he still lost his race. This is unlike almost everywhere else where Clinton ran ahead of downballot Dems in swing districts and Senate seats hence the 24 GOP Congresscritters sitting in Hillary won districts.

Kep the DNC, RNC etc etc have no real function anymore except to raise money and handle logistics during the primaries, such as scheduling debates and putting together the convention (which is useless in of itself). Chump officially killed the national party apparatus with his victory. What the party stands for is not going to be solved by these organizations. The primaries will do that - the question remains if one faction doesn't get everything it wants does it decide to sit out/vote Trump again in 2020? Don't know the answer to that one...

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

Minny was really odd last year in that Dems mostly sat out the election (again, Trump got almost the same votes as Mittens, but came within a point or two while Romney lost the state by like 7 points), but for some reason they showed up for the incumbent Dem Congressmen running for re-election. I recall one of the challengers saying he couldn't believe Trump won the district by double digits but he still lost his race. This is unlike almost everywhere else where Clinton ran ahead of downballot Dems in swing districts and Senate seats hence the 24 GOP Congresscritters sitting in Hillary won districts.

Kep the DNC, RNC etc etc have no real function anymore except to raise money and handle logistics during the primaries, such as scheduling debates and putting together the convention (which is useless in of itself). Chump officially killed the national party apparatus with his victory. What the party stands for is not going to be solved by these organizations. The primaries will do that - the question remains if one faction doesn't get everything it wants does it decide to sit out/vote Trump again in 2020? Don't know the answer to that one...

It appears that's the dynamic. If your dreams aren't realized after getting your party in power you go pout in the corner and not bother voting. What a bunch of babies this country has become.

[Handyman]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

What's the famous quote, "the one thing a man will never forgive is showing him charity"?

Leave them to their resentment. They are lost.

Stop it no they arent. When people are desperate they look for hope. Many of these people are not GOPers and they certainly arent hardcore Trumpers but they had nothing that was going to help them. Trump promised them work and Hillary didnt so they voted R in higher numbers than normal on the chance they could improve. They are no more lost than the Carrier employees in Indiana who voted for Trump so they wouldnt lose their jobs (cause he was brokering the deal) but got screwed over. They arent voting for him again and my guess is neither will the Range. If that is the case they wont vote R in local elections either which should (at least in MN) turn things back to good.

[Handyman]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

Minny was really odd last year in that Dems mostly sat out the election (again, Trump got almost the same votes as Mittens, but came within a point or two while Romney lost the state by like 7 points), but for some reason they showed up for the incumbent Dem Congressmen running for re-election. I recall one of the challengers saying he couldn't believe Trump won the district by double digits but he still lost his race. This is unlike almost everywhere else where Clinton ran ahead of downballot Dems in swing districts and Senate seats hence the 24 GOP Congresscritters sitting in Hillary won districts.

Kep the DNC, RNC etc etc have no real function anymore except to raise money and handle logistics during the primaries, such as scheduling debates and putting together the convention (which is useless in of itself). Chump officially killed the national party apparatus with his victory. What the party stands for is not going to be solved by these organizations. The primaries will do that - the question remains if one faction doesn't get everything it wants does it decide to sit out/vote Trump again in 2020? Don't know the answer to that one...

MN was a Bernie State...Hillary was not popular here.

[ScoobyDoo]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

Stop it no they arent. When people are desperate they look for hope. Many of these people are not GOPers and they certainly arent hardcore Trumpers but they had nothing that was going to help them. Trump promised them work and Hillary didnt so they voted R in higher numbers than normal on the chance they could improve. They are no more lost than the Carrier employees in Indiana who voted for Trump so they wouldnt lose their jobs (cause he was brokering the deal) but got screwed over. They arent voting for him again and my guess is neither will the Range. If that is the case they wont vote R in local elections either which should (at least in MN) turn things back to good.

So it's true. They think the Government provides jobs. I thought GOP folks thought the Government didn't provide jobs? It is hilarious watching Trump do exactly the opposite. He has no idea how to provide the infrastructure needed to provide a good job market. Obama did. Hillary did.

[MaizeRage]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

So it's true. They think the Government provides jobs. I thought GOP folks thought the Government didn't provide jobs?

Leaving aside the fact that you just want to be hysterical about anything, it's fairly simple up there. There are a lot of international business conglomerates that would love to sulfide mine in and around the Boundary Waters/Voyageurs/Superior National Forest, and enough government regulations in place that have kept them from doing so. Slowly, those protections are being taken away by Republicans(HR 3905 passed the House in late November). I can understand why people up there want to bring mining jobs back. I think it's a terrible idea to potentially destroy one of the country's most beautiful natural resources, but I do understand the desire if it means putting food on the table. I don't think they're lost. They're generally decent people that have been fairly liberal in the past, but also want to work.

Minny was really odd last year in that Dems mostly sat out the election (again, Trump got almost the same votes as Mittens, but came within a point or two while Romney lost the state by like 7 points), but for some reason they showed up for the incumbent Dem Congressmen running for re-election. I recall one of the challengers saying he couldn't believe Trump won the district by double digits but he still lost his race. This is unlike almost everywhere else where Clinton ran ahead of downballot Dems in swing districts and Senate seats hence the 24 GOP Congresscritters sitting in Hillary won districts.

The three MN house seats that were in play and won by Democrats(MN1, MN7, MN8) all have very respected, fairly conservative Democrats in those seats, which is what I think allowed them to hang on(They came close in MN2, but people like St. Clown really wanted to own a slave). MN1 ended up being an extremely close race for a guy that is probably going to be governor this time next year.

Speaking of congressional district races, I still think MN6 could be in play in the mid-terms. R+12 district but it was an extremely close race between Bachman's crazy and a well-funded but very bland Dem(Bachman won, but it was close enough that she realized her time was done). Tom Emmer has basically been 100% behind Trump, so he absorbs his crazy by association. The only problem is that so far, the only Dem candidate running might actually be Jonah Ryan. Hopefully they can find someone better to make it a competitive race.

[Kepler]

Re: The States: Doing Their Own Thing...

The only problem is that so far, the only Dem candidate running might actually be Jonah Ryan. Hopefully they can find someone better to make it a competitive race.

Oh, God, you owe me a Coke. Also, I want some video on this. I need to see this guy.