Perhaps The BEST WAY For Democrats To WIN In Elections Is To "CLEAN HOUSE " First

[Segami]

Addition by Subtraction


Howie Klein had a good post-mortem of the Landrieu debacle which confirmed something I've suspected. Perhaps the best way for Democrats to win elections is to "clean house" first — to eliminate money-compromised corporatists and neoliberal privatizers from leadership positions and diminish their numbers so that progressives can control the party's direction and policies. In other words, perhaps the way to win elections is to "win the caucus" first. After all, the corporate Democrats sure look like they care more about "winning the caucus." I wrote about that here, and there's more evidence below. Consider these thoughts from Klein's piece, starting with his opening paragraphs (my emphasis and some reparagraphing):

"...It isn't difficult to do a post mortem on Mary Landrieu's idiotically-doomed Senate race. Saturday's runoff saw the 3-term Louisiana Senator struggle to reach beyond 40%. In 2008 she beat Republican John Kennedy 988,298 (52%) to 867,177 (46%), the same percentage she got in her 2002 reelection. Saturday's results were Cassidy 712,330 (55.94%), Landieu 561,099 (44.06%). She won 15 of the state's 64 parishes.

She never had a chance. Although she raised $18,570,680 to Bill Cassidy's $13,165,150 (as of Nov. 16), outside spending was heavily weighted against her, with conservative groups like Rove's American Crossroads, the Koch's Americans for Prosperity, the Koch's Freedom Partners Action Fund, the NRSC, the NRA, the Patriot Majority each kicking in millions to pulverize her, while liberal groups largely looked away in disgust at the Senate's second most right-wing Democrat (after Joe Manchin). ...

In recent weeks she tried working with the Republicans to pass Keystone XL Pipeline and when that didn't work, she went on radio to brag that she didn't vote for Obama, which probably contributed to the depth of the loss she suffered Saturday, keeping base Democratic voters home...."

http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2014/12/how-will-wasserman-schultzs-post-mortem.html

Democratic voters again showed they don't want corporate Democrats in office, which hands wins to Republicans. More and more it seems entirely likely — it's at least worth considering — that to defeat Republicans, we have to take control of the party first and remove bought "leaders" who are electorally weaker than we are. Because more and more, electoral losses are on them and not on us. For example (again from Klein's piece):

"...As we've pointed out, Blue Dogs and New Dems-- the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- were the big losers in this past cycle. With just one or two exceptions (and in red-leaning districts) progressives kept their seats and won open seats.

Ted Lieu (CA-33) is a good example. Henry Waxman with a well-financed conservative opponent in 2012 had a close call (54-46%). But Lieu never deviated an inch from his cutting edge progressive values-- his first ad was about his legislation reigning in unconstitutional domestic spying-- and, although Adelson and his allies dumped close to a million dollars in media smears against him, Ted beat the Adelson candidate 59.2% to 40.8% with the biggest turn-out of any of L.A.'s congressional districts..."

Above Klein compares Lieu's electoral results to Waxman's in the same district. Then he compares Lieu's results to California Assemblyman Muratsuchi's, whose Assembly district lies within Lieu's congressional district. Again, this is a straight-up progressive-to-corporate comparison:

"...What makes this even more interesting is that, Al Muratsuchi, the conservative Democratic Assembly incumbent in AD66, a part of the congressional district that Ted did really well in (his South Bay home turf), campaigned as a Republican-lite candidate and lost to a Republican, breaking the Democrats' 2/3s supermajority in the Assembly.

Democrats have a 40.4- 32.6% registration advantage in the Assembly district, which stretches from Manhattan Beach to the Palos Verdes Peninsula and east to Carson and Gardena, and Jerry Brown was in the district campaigning for Muratsuchi. Obama won the district against Romney 54.2- 43.2%. Muratsuchi only managed 49.7%..."

Klein offers other examples as well, including the fact that a corporatist will set up the party's "Post Mortem" committee. (That committee will include the ultimate corporatist, Google's Eric Schmidt.) The lesson of these examples is clear. In today's electoral climate, progressives mainly win and corporate Democrats mainly lose. (Muratsuchi's loss just cost the Democrats their super-majority in the CA Assembly.) Yet as seems more and more obvious, corporate Democrats in leadership positions would rather keep Money happy than keep voters happy, and it's costing the party at the booth.





cont'


http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/addition-by-subtraction-by-gaiuspublius.html


.

[upaloopa]

1. Call me when a progressive Dem can win in the South.

I think one could if all Dems voted and a progressive ran but I don't see it happening.

[Scootaloo]

3. Do you believe progressive ideas are bad ideas that ought to be abandoned?

[upaloopa]

5. No never. I think progressive ideas are

popular but we have to turn the tide around

[Scootaloo]

8. If progressive ideas are good ideas, then progressive ideas can win anywhere

That's what good ideas do, because they are good ideas.

All that's lacking is proper promotion of these good ideas

[upaloopa]

12. You are right proper promotion is needed

[liberal_at_heart]

6. You can wallow in a self defeating attitude if you want. Did the people fighting for

civil rights, women's rights, or labor rights sit and whine about not having candidates that can win? No, they got out, did the work, and did the impossible.

[upaloopa]

7. Well I like your optimism. I lived through all those

issues. Seems we have to win back the gains made back then.

[liberal_at_heart]

10. Yes we do and we will. This is not just fairy tale optimism. This is necessity.

If you lived through those times then you know. You probably had family you were fighting for. Well now my generation has our family to fight for too. I have a daughter and an autistic son and I refuse to sit back and watch their future be taken away. I will fight.

[malokvale77]

16. Really?

Do you think southern progressives are that stupid? When was the last time the Dems ran a progressive in the South?

The Dems handed the South to the Republicans on a silver platter.

That's how they thanked LBJ for signing the Civil Rights Act.

[loyalsister]

21. There are some extremely conservative Dems here in MO

There are "democrats" who will happily vote for republicans if they feel like they're the better candidate.

[elleng]

2. Maybe but what about places like Michigan, going mad.

Religious freedom’ advances in MI

"Michigan’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed a controversial religious freedom bill, teeing up what civil liberties advocates fear will be another wave of GOP-backed legislation that could cripple LGBT rights."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025929765

Huge amounts of work to do. I'm not optimistic.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

26. These religious GAY hating people make me crazy...cant take it anymore

[Segami]

4. Mary Landrieu drove the bus...

“I voted for the Affordable Care Act, I did not vote for Obama,” she said. “I voted for the Affordable Care Act for Louisiana and that’s the truth.”

The Black Conservatives Fund has spliced those comments into robo-calls going to more than 64,000 likely black voters in the state hoping to put a dent in Landreiu’s near-universal support with African-Americans in Louisiana.

Ali Akbar, senior adviser for the conservative group, argued that Landrieu supports Obama when she’s talking to black voters, and distances herself from him when talking to white voters.

“Did you hear that?,” the voice on the robocall says. “Mary Landrieu talking to a white host different than the way she talks to black voters … she says that she didn’t vote for President Obama. Can you count on her? Deprive the Democrats of your vote today. You can vote, just don’t vote for Mary Landrieu.”

So she didn't vote for Obama, ......pretty spineless on her part to be promoting such a position thinking it would motivate voters to come pull the lever for her......

[B Calm]

15. Yes she voted for it, but after she watered it down and would not budge for the democrats who

wanted a public option.

Wouldn't surprise me a bit if she voted republican in the presidential election!

[JI7]

9. this doesn't make any sense, Landrieu won almost all the black voters

this includes the first election which had a liberal black woman on the ballot. but landrieu is well liked by black voters in her state and jsut about all of them voted for landrieu. and then she got like less than 20 percent white votes.

are black voters in lousiana the corporatist, neoliberal , privatisers ?

[Scootaloo]

13. Thought experiment

Give Vallian Senegal the same sort of funding Landrieu had.

Who takes the seat?

[JI7]

14. not sure but ladnrieu had more money in the this past election and lost

meg whtieman and carly fiorina spend a lot of money in california and lost. jerry brown spend nothing on himself and won huge.

i would say landrieu still wins it due to her popularity among african americans who make up most of the democrats in the state.

[aspirant]

11. Where is the outrage?

All these right-wing dems on DU are demanding a blood oath to vote for the nominee or leave the party and become an independent. Here's one of their own, Blue Dog Mary, publicly stating she didn't vote for Obama and do you hear any demands or screams to get the hell out of the party? NOT A PEEP!

Anytime anyone demands your obedience to the nominee, shove Blue Dog Mary down their throats!

[malokvale77]

17. ^^^this^^^ (nt)

[liberal_at_heart]

18. that is a very good point.

[brooklynite]

19. Well, not really...

...however SKINNER has a policy that you support Democratic nominees or you leave. Maybe you should take it up with him.

[aspirant]

20. Not really?

"or you leave" : Then Blue Dog Mary should be banned from this site. Any and all references to Blue Dog Mary should be deleted and this person should be non-existent here. You as a DU member will voluntarily follow this policy, RIGHT.

Please explain "not really" in terms of the policy.

[brooklynite]

22. Last time I checked, Mary Landrieu was not a member of DU

and in fact, TOS doesn't require you to VOTE for Democrats, just not to advocate against voting for them. FWIW, I'm not aware of Landrieu advocating for any nominated Democrat to lose.

[aspirant]

23. Are you able to check the identity of every DU member?

Please tell me how I can do that.

Now you say voting is optional, just not trashing the nominee. So all your HRC comrades demanding we vote for the nominee are violating the TOS and are infringing on our free choice?

By publicly stating she didn't vote for Obama, would she be trashing Obama's victory? By her non-vote, surely she's non-supportive of Obama winning. She also said "racist and sexist" so by her non-vote for a black President would she be advocating support for any future black Presidential candidates?

[brooklynite]

24. No, HRC supporters who say you should support the nominee are SUPPORTING TOS

...and just a reminder, no Clinton supporter has said they wouldn't vote for Bernie or Warren if they got nominated.

[aspirant]

25. Still waiting for the DU identity check

What about your HRC comrades that demand you VOTE for the nominee. Are they supporting the TOS?

HRC supporters voting for EW or Bernie as the nominee, shall we wait for the PUMAS?

[brooklynite]

27. Sorry, I'm not following your question...

As for the PUMAs, that was never a policy here. I'm not addressing what anyone does outside of DU.