For those still hand wringing over Tennessee

[angrychair]

Aftyn Behn over-performed in an R+22 district, coming within single digits of winning. She did that while being an unapologetic Progressive Democrat and campaigning on the bread and butter economic principles of affordability.
Ms. Behn did an amazing job and is in a good position to actually win in November for a full term.
As a bonus, every Republican, even those in R +10 or R +15 districts, just got a reality check that their seats are no longer safe.

Coming within single digits was the absolute best possible outcome we could have ever expected.

Because of her amazing performance against all odds, it will now force the RNC to spend money they wouldn't have otherwise spent and force them to pick and choose what seats they will spend money and effort to hold onto to given the change in mood of the electorate. The RNC will turtle, protect what it is willing to protect and that makes them vulnerable. Very vulnerable. It opens up possibilities that were just a fantasy a month ago.
The reality is that the vast majority of Republicans in the House and the Senate are literally terrified and desperate now and this will cause even more infighting and chaos within the Republican caucus.
That Tennessee special election, very literally, changed the entire political landscape.

It was, to quote a former president, "A big fucking deal".

[Bettie]

1. I'm not hand-wringing

but I will admit to being disappointed.

And I never really believed that she would win, but the world is so freaking bleak, I was hoping for a win.

A day or two and we'll all be ready to get back to it again.

[angrychair]

3. A win would have been Earth shattering

But I promise this was is an absolutely amazing outcome as well.

The next several months are going to be very interesting as the RNC abandoned the belief it could hold the House and Senate and starts cutting its loses in a desperate attempt to save as many seats as it can in the House and at the very least try to hold onto the Senate.

It will fail at both.

[lame54]

2. We lost...

Close calls are not gonna cut it
We need a major shift and a year is too long to wait

[angrychair]

6. Genuinely disagree

That should be the takeaway from his election.

Look I've been on DU for almost 20 years and I have a bit of a reputation for being angry and a pessimist at times.
I would say I'm a realist.

If there was a bad angle out of this election I promise I would say so but there just is not.

In fact, something I should have said in my OP was that this election result created the possible chance to get the ACA subsidies renewed.

Standing with Mango Mussolini on this is a convenience that many no longer have anymore. They will be forced to play it safe and letting the ACA subsidies expire just became a liability for more than enough Republicans for it to, eventually, pass. May not happen but it's more likely today than it was last week this time.

[Emile]

4. She ran on a Bernie platform in a very red district,

and overperformed. The message is, the democratic party needs to run left nationwide.

[leftstreet]

5. +1

[angrychair]

7. Exactly this. n/t

[cachukis]

8. Have spent quite some time on that area over the

last 20 years. My wife's best friend grew up in Paris and has retired to a lakeside home just below Paris Landing. While on the other side of the lake, we visited the 7th district for many reasons.
Ft. Donaldson has a strong influence on the Lost Cause memory. These small counties are filled with hunters and fishermen. Catfish is often on tables. They are reliant on their neighbors and don't take to extended conversations with other accents. The stars and bars are not hidden.
Ft. Campbell is just north of Clarksville. New roads and bypasses accommodate an expanding population which is more educated and cosmopolitan. They vacation on Kentucky Lake and have more money than most living in the more southern counties in 7.
Trump signs have been frequently on display in the 7th district.
I have been cautioned to limit my conversations to weather and the business at hand. Oil changes, some body work, fish market chats on the haul of shrimp from Alabama.
The fact that this was even remotely considered a chance pickup was beyond my imagination.
Pride in surviving tough times without government support has been a badge of honor.
If you look at the numbers, the expansion of Nashville in this direction made it even as close as it was.
That she made a dent in some of these counties is a sign of some search for an alternative or serious frustration among the red voters.
Most of the people in this district are eking out an existence. The youngsters should be a focus.
Remember, this is Marsh Blackburn's district and Franklin is a spawning area for republican candidates.