Progressive PAC kick-starts search for challengers to Manchin, Sinema

[DonViejo]

New group plans to target Senate Democratic incumbents.

By LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ and HOLLY OTTERBEIN

02/02/2021 05:01 AM EST

A trio of progressives who helped launch Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 2018 upset campaign are now setting their sights on Senate Democrats.

The co-founders of No Excuses PAC — Saikat Chakrabarti, Corbin Trent and Zack Exley — are starting a search for candidates to challenge incumbent Democrats they say are standing in the way of ambitious action to end the coronavirus pandemic and revive the economy.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema — who aren’t up for reelection until 2024 — are the first Democrats on their target list, the left-wing strategists shared first with POLITICO. Chakrabarti and Trent are also former aides to Ocasio-Cortez.

Manchin and Sinema’s opposition to eliminating the legislative filibuster — which requires a 60-vote threshold for most legislation — is the main reason No Excuses is putting a call out for possible challengers. Progressives have increasingly pressed Senate Democrats and President Joe Biden to end the filibuster, arguing that in an evenly divided Senate it will be nearly impossible to find enough Republicans to pass major pieces of Biden’s agenda.

more
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/02/manchin-sinema-challengers-464821

[Hav]

1. Who knows whether Manchin runs again

If he leaves, the seat is lost. But it'll be hilarious seeing a "progressive" run in WV.

[NurseJackie]

15. We have two choices: Manchin or a Republican

The loss of Manchin would give the GOP a TWO-SEAT advantage. It's foolish to believe that a New-England-Style "progressive" could win in West Virginia, but a bloody primary could definitely weaken Manchin and hand the victory to the GOP.

I'm not thrilled with him either, but I'm GRATEFUL that he's there and that he identifies as a Democrat. Even if he voted with the GOP 100% of the time (which he doesn't, but if he did) it is a GREAT benefit to us with regard to having the majority, control of committees and assignments and moving things forward for votes.

It really serves no good purpose to sabotage Manchin.

[comradebillyboy]

22. Manchin or a Republican is the choice. No doubt about it...

[Fiendish Thingy]

30. That is also Manchin's dilemma- deliver for suffering WV constituents, or his career is over. Nt

[W_HAMILTON]

45. We just had a progressive run for Senate in WV in 2020.

Paula Jean Swearengin.

She lost by over 43 points.

[Turin_C3PO]

2. A progressive

might win the primary in WV but no way in hell can one win the general against a Republican.

[Hortensis]

29. Exactly. But THIS group wants to primary 2 Democratic senators instead of

Republican senators who would be replaced by Democrats.

AntiDemocratic-left groups like this, whose signature antagonism toward Democrats leaves little if any left over for Republicans, have always been a very valuable asset for the GOP. They're too few and extremist to form a party, but they can occasionally act as spoilers for ours and call that victory.

[Turin_C3PO]

31. Yes,

I’m very suspicious of outside groups that claim to be on our side but devote all their resources to ousting Democrats rather than the fascist Republicans.

[Hortensis]

50. When soaring rhetoric is constantly belied by treacherous actions,...

[JI7]

3. Saikat Chakrabarti ?

fuck him .

[comradebillyboy]

23. And the horse he rode in on...

[Happy Hoosier]

4. LOL.... a "progressive" does not win in WVA.

Make DC a state and let Manchin do whatever-the-fuck he thinks he's doing.

[JI7]

5. Grifting Whores , not "progressives" .

SAikat is a wallstreet and silicon valley whore that wants Republicans in office .

[Crowman2009]

6. Richard Ojeda!

He the best one to run against Joe Manchin IMO.

[sweetloukillbot]

26. The Trumper? Yeah, that's a good idea... nt

[Demsrule86]

54. Really? "Ojeda has been described by some as a populist of the "left-wing variety", and a "staunch

progressive". You think someone like that who never won a statewide race could win in conservative WVA...This group who think Manchin needs to be primared needs to stand down unless their intention is to elect a Republican forever.

[redstateblues]

7. That kind of thinking will assure we return to minority status

WV, like my state TN, is not flipping anytime soon. I would take Manchin over the Governor we have any day.

[LazySusanNot]

8. Sinema continues to be a disappointment for us here in AZ

Last edited Tue Feb 2, 2021, 03:27 PM - Edit history (1)

It's time that she step up and support the will of the constituents who put her on office. Her "agenda" for representing the people as it turns out may have actually been for herself.
Thanks for posting this.

EDIT TO ADD: I wrote this without having enough information. Several here have pointed out the errors in my statements. I don't want to delete anything since others here may gain from this exchange. I certainly did. I also did not fully understand Sen Sinema's "Centrist Posturing" at the time. Now I do. As stated in my last reply, I will be more careful in the future.[/b

[Turin_C3PO]

9. Can a progressive win in Arizona in your opinion?

That’s what I’m concerned about. I don’t want us to lose a seat over an intra-party squabble.

[LazySusanNot]

18. Armchair opinion here. Could be a toss-up but....

Last edited Tue Feb 2, 2021, 05:05 PM - Edit history (1)

My guess is that we could win with the right candidate, messaging and "real support" from the State and National Dems. The progressive re-shuffling here after years of Shaeeerifff Joe and the Repug Legi's open aggression toward the Latino Community has been galvanizing. That, and the Native American Communities are sick of being screwed over by the R's. Their votes in 2020 may have been what put us over the top.

Risky. Yes. But would it really be THAT much different with an R in the seat at this point?
Good question and thanks for asking!

FINAL EDIT SEVERAL HOURS LATER: I wrote this without having enough information. Several here have pointed out the errors in my statements. I don't want to delete anything since others here may gain from these exchanges. I certainly did. I also did not fully understand Sen Sinema's "Centrist Posturing". Now I do. As stated in my other replies, I will be more careful in the future.

[former9thward]

37. In 2020 a greater percent of Hispanics went for Trump in AZ than in 2016.

AZ Hispanic vote:

2016 Trump 31% Clinton 61%
2020 Trump 37% Biden 61%

https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2020/exit-polls/arizona-exit-polls/

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/az/

[LazySusanNot]

47. Maricopa County was the big change

and yes, you are correct about the statewide Trump totals. I guess my broader point was that the "show me your papers" mentality of law enforcement here over the years and especially in (Shaeeeriff Joe's) Maricopa County, played a role in winning the state for Joe. Very conservative county's exist here that are not part of this change. That is one of the big challenges going forward.

Thanks for pointing this out. I'll work on my clarity.

[Hortensis]

20. No. Recipe for losers. AZ is overall strongly conservative.

They might "succeed" in primarying Sinema, resulting in a Democratic candidate much too far left to win the GE.

A Republican wet dream, with money left over to invest in other races. Republicans have 20 senate seats to hold onto in 2022.

[LazySusanNot]

25. You may have something on the "too far left"

factor that I had not considered. However, with many R's here running away from their party now and the State Party GOP'ers making "cray cray" headlines daily, nothing is set in stone.

[sweetloukillbot]

27. What meaningful votes has she cast that have disappointed you?

When has Sinema sided with Republicans and caused the Democrats to lose on an issue? I'll wait for an answer.

She talks a big bipartisanship game, but she never breaks party line when it matters. Kinda like the Republicans that everyone wants to recruit.

[LazySusanNot]

34. Well I may have painted my self into a corner here

My disappointment, I guess has been with the "big partisanship game" tendencies you mentioned and what that "siding with the Republicans' in spirit" does to our side. My earlier statement may have gone too far.
Thanks for the back and forth.

[sweetloukillbot]

35. The thing w/ Sinema is that when she was a state rep, she was far left

Now that she is in the Senate (and when she was in the House) she plays at being more moderate. And there are votes that Democrats were going to lose badly that she will vote with Republicans on. She talks bipartisanship because she sees herself as McCain's heir. But when it comes to must-pass Democratic votes, she's reliable.

That being said, now she's one of the most powerful members of the Senate, so she may change, but her roots are not conservative, they're Bernie-left.

Mostly I think she just knows how to play politics VERY well.

[LazySusanNot]

40. I see your points

and understand that this may be more nuanced than it appears. If that "McCain style approach" works better for her on the national scale, then I can see it. I guess the frequent angst that she causes for her constituents in the process is part of the price we pay to have her as the D instead of an R in the seat.
Thanks for giving me perspective on this. Learning and re-evaluating as I go...

[sweetloukillbot]

46. She had a radio show on the Phoenix Air America affiliate

A lot of people forgot or didn't know that. I remember her going after Ed Schultz when he was making false claims about what we were doing for hurricane relief after Katrina.
I could be wrong - but I think most of her centrist posturing is just that, posturing. She couldn't win statewide with the politics that got her elected to the state house in a bright blue district, she barely won in a purple House district and started talking bipartisanship and McCain immediately. She then won reelection by a landslide.

[LazySusanNot]

49. Centrist posturing...

The making of the sausage is not always easy to watch. I will look at the end product more after you having filled-me-in on the methods to her madness. LOL

Thanks!

[Demsrule86]

55. She has to get reelected in 22...and she won by a small margin...let her alone. She will vote with

us when needed. Best to try to get open or GOP seats...in PA,WI, Ohio and NC...there may be other states too. I have refused to give a dime to progressive groups like Common Dreams or any of the other groups because of their attacks on moderate Democrats and the Democratic Party.

[LazySusanNot]

57. I see your points

My being upset with her had more to do with her style and that potential upcoming vote. The other reply's on this subject have helped to inform and change my thinking.

I may have stuck my foot in it but have learned through this process. Hopefully others here who have been upset with Sen. Sinema in the past will understand a little better from these exchanges.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I will work to be more careful in the future

[doc03]

10. No way a Democrat will replace Manchin. He is as good as we are going

to get in WV. Maybe find someone that runs as a Republican then switches parties like Justice.

[themaguffin]

11. I thought that Manchin was done.

[Demsrule86]

56. I think he may run one more time...he has not said he would not run.

[themaguffin]

59. I guess he must be considering it. Otherwise, why should he worry?

[ecdab]

12. I'm sure the Republican's will be glad to help fund this effort, as Democrats eating their own...

is their best path back to the majority.

[Hortensis]

24. Oh, yes! The GOP WILL assist this illiberal, anti-democracy, anti-Democratic faction.

And let's toss in the rest of the right's power centers. And let's not forget Russia, China, Iran and other foreign combatants while we're at it. They all need a Republican-controlled senate.

[MontanaFarmer]

13. This is so counter-productive and stupid

Stupid, stupid, stupid. How about spending some of that Arizona energy to defend Mark Kelly, who has to run again in 2 years. How about loading up behind Tim Ryan for a Sherrod Brown-like run through rust-belt Ohio. John Fetterman or Governor Wolf in PA, same. Arizona is not some bastion of progressivism all of a sudden. I'm supremely happy with the way the election went there this past fall, but it was very close and both Biden and Kelly got some conservative independents and moderate republicans to vote for them. I think it's very likely, in the end, that both Sinema and Manchin vote for whatever reconciliation package comes out of the White House, and that that package is pretty close to the one that's currently being discussed. As for the filibuster, I doubt they'll vote to do away with it but the option remains, as always, on the table. A waste of time, energy, and resources that have plenty of uses elsewhere.

[Hortensis]

14. BAD strategy. WE need to oust REPUBLICAN senators and replace with Democrats.

I question this illiberal-left group's motives.

Senators are elected by whole states. People in those overall conservative states aren't going to elect candidates off to the left of the Democratic mainstream. Most voters in those states LIKE Republicans and are suspicious, at the very least, of Democrats. Senators HAVE to represent a middle ground. And the key word for democracy IS "represent."

Which means this group's most likely successful outcome by far would be to primary Sinema and Manchin and then lose those seats to the Republican challengers in the GE. They have to know it. 2016 deja vu all over again.

Chakrabarti is a very outspoken radical Democrat-hater whose brief tenure as Ocasio's office manager lead to many of her colleagues objecting strongly to her bringing a far-left "enemy into the house." Any group he's part of will spend the election period smearing and demonizing Democrats as corrupt capitalists, warmongers, racists, no better than Republicans, etc, etc, etc, undermining belief in who we are, which means in all Democrats running in 2022.

One thing's true, though: Their warning that it's already time to start backing other groups seeking to flip senate and house seats currently held by Republicans. There are 20 of them!

Plus, Senator Warnock has to run again in 2022 as it was a special election for a 2-year term.

We have work to do, but it's going to include protecting our majority from this group as well as the Republicans.

[comradebillyboy]

28. You have identified the correct strategy,

replace Pukes with Democrats. Also yes Chakrabarti is much more likely to hurt Democrats. There just aren't that many "Democratic" Socialists around.

[Hortensis]

32. Just the word socialist would throw AZ and WV to the GOP.

And the GOP would make sure people know that Democratic socialists are, in fact, real socialists.

As you say, there are too few of them to have more than a website. But their dream goal is a socialist nation, with an end to capitalism and socialized ownership of industry and other institutions, and that's a deadly weapon in Republican hands.

[Mike 03]

39. This post is so appreciated.

I felt in my bones this was a suspicious operation.

I do understand the frustration with Manchin, but Sinema for chrissakes. Give her a damned chance. We always thought it would take her a couple of years to find her courage.

She has actually done a lot at the state level.

(See my post below)

Anyway, appreciate the post.

Let's not get suckered by a bullshit Repuke operation to put two of our senate seats at risk.

Chrissakes.

[mcar]

16. ...

[NurseJackie]

17. Why don't they go after REPUBLICANS instead? This "trio" is very myopic and foolish...

A trio of progressives who helped launch Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s 2018 upset campaign are now setting their sights on Senate Democrats.

Why don't they go after REPUBLICANS instead? This "trio" is very myopic and foolish to think this is a helpful or useful strategy.

[Turin_C3PO]

19. I question their motives,

especially Chakrabarti. He’s a snake.

[NurseJackie]

33. If you think about it, there's really no question about it...

... the motives are clear. Your observations have great merit.

[Mike 03]

41. YES. Thank you.

This plan stinks.

My god, going after Sinema so soon.

It's too early to "target" Kyrsten Sinema over this issue.

We are being set up by people who don't have Democrats' best interest in mind.

This is so obvious and I'm ashamed some people are falling for this.

[lapucelle]

21. Corbin Trent is not a Democrat. His skill set consists of appropriating & exploiting

our party's expertise and infrastructure.

[Interviewer]: What is your relationship to the Democratic Party?

Corbin [Trent]: Myself, personally? I have no relationship whatsoever. The organization has very little. We intend to run within their structures, and in their primaries, and we’re thankful that they’ve set up an infrastructure that’s going to allow candidates to run in primaries. But we think that the party has?—?a long time ago?—?stopped representing the needs of the American people.

https://inthesetimes.com/article/brand-new-congress-progressives-republican-party-democrat

[Stinky The Clown]

36. Because it is ALWAYS a good idea to challenge Dems in blood red states.

Jaybus Fucking Keerist On A Trailer Hitch.

West Virginia is the reddest of the red states and yet we have a Democrat holding a Senate seat. Yeah, let's challenge that because why?

Dumbfucks. Go help someone else, mkay?

[Mike 03]

42. "Dumbfucks. Go help someone else, mkay?"

No disrespect, but anybody falling for this "plan to help the Democrats" should be ashamed.

[Mike 03]

38. I wish we would hold off just a bit before going after Kyrsten Sinema

Unlike Manchin, she just got into office in 2018 and some of us are still watching to see if she finds her sea legs. She has been more assertive since this time last year at Impeachment #1. It looked like she was beginning to come out of her shell, so to speak.

She has done other things too. At a time when no public officials, not even our governor, were giving advice or helping with COVID, she set up her own personal website to get people help, she sent out emails every few days or once a week, and she is easy to access and get responses from.

Arizona is not California or Massachusetts. We shouldn't put a senate seat at risk so capriciously. Let's see if she makes good on her threat re: the filibuster. Don't forget all the times she has voted with us when the stakes were high, when she could have done the safe thing and voted with Repukes without it actually changing the outcome.

[Demsrule86]

58. If we go after Sinema period ever...we are stupid...the GOP will take the seat...no

Progressive be will elected in Arizona yet. Just face that fact and look for other opportunities for progressives. Perhaps, they might help Democrats create opportunities by winning hearts and minds in red states and purple states rather than primarying sitting Democrats and risking Democratic seats.

[Gothmog]

43. This move make no sense to me

Why are these people doing this? Does anyone think that a progressive can flip either of these seats?

[Mike 03]

44. How kind! A sincere, good-hearted PAC is trying to help us back into the Senate minority!

Sorry for all the posts in this thread.

This PAC's strategy just infuriates me. And the sad thing is that this PAC, if it gets off the ground and begins to run advertising and so forth, will probably fool a lot of well-meaning dumbshits.

[MrScorpio]

48. Frankly, I'd rather go after Republicans

Seems like the better option

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

51. Stupid idea

An AOC type will not win a statewide race in West Virginia or Arizona. As someone else said in this thread we'd do better targeting Republican office holders.

We usually shoot ourselves in the foot when we play the purity game.

[Polybius]

52. Oh please

Like a progressive has a chance in a state that Trump got almost 70% of the vote in.

[Demsrule86]

53. Progressive candidates will not win in WVA or in Arizona...just stop.

You only risk our majority with this stuff.